| Author | Message | ||
     Koz5150 |
So I am sitting here pondering to myself, why does the XB look like every other bike if it is so different? I guess what I mean is that since they don't have a traditional gas tank why make it look like it does? Would it be possible to change the fram setup to allow the rider to be lower to the ground, and move the air box somewhere else? Just curious... | ||
| Cyclonemick |
Aerodynamics? | ||
| Darthane |
Exactly where else WOULD you put a 12L airbox on a bike this small, Koz? | ||
| Buckinfubba |
koz the gurney alligator bike...wish I had a link. its been done. pretty neat too and dan gurney knows a thing or 2 ....but I wouldn't have one | ||
| Tbs_stunta |
No one is going to claim aerodynamics on a naked and half naked bike. | ||
| Koz5150 |
Bubba, I have seen the Aligator bike. I was just implying that without having the gastank on top or an oil bag you could really design someting wild by thinking outside the box. | ||
| Mikej |
 http://www.allamericanracers.com/alligator/images/bike7.jpg http://www.allamericanracers.com/ | ||
| Tpoppa |
Lower to the ground is not necessarily a good thing. Consider your view of the road when you are behind a car or coming over a hill. Also a riding position like the Alligator my be comfortable, but does not allow for spirited or competitive riding. | ||
| Glitch |
 but does not allow for spirited or competitive riding. Eddie Lawson looks like he's having a good time. Saw one at bike night a few weeks ago. It's low, I'll give you that. But like any bike, you can't appreciate it until you at least see it in person. | ||
| Tpoppa |
It may be fun for a track day...but not a competitive machine. I don't see any Alligator's running next to te CBR1000RR's, 999's, or GSXR1000's in AMA or SBK. | ||
| Buelluk |
well T..it's only running a breathed on XR 650 motor .so it is going to be down on HP, but is likely to be more efficient aerodynamically if you see a picture of the faired in model | ||
| Glitch |
True, and likely you won't. It's a It, like the Buell wasn't made for racing. Spirited riding, talking to the guy that owned the one I saw said the bike handled very well, isn't that what spirited riding is all about? (Message edited by glitch on August 31, 2004) | ||
| Glitch |
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| Outrider |
Also a riding position like the Alligator my be comfortable, but does not allow for spirited or competitive riding. It is quite apparent that you have never ridden with or anywhere near Dan Guerney, his son and the others in their riding group. Trust me, the 'Gator will stay up with the best of them in the tight stuff without breaking a sweat. I was there and witnessed the onroad testing for years from the saddle of my own bikes. Truly amazing. Don't believe me? Contact the CHP Officer's that patrolled the Ortega Hwy during the R&D stages. One was my neighbor. Lots of stories. | ||
| Doughnut |
Is there a site about those bikes. They look very comfortable. Add a stereo and bags and I bet it would be an awesome one person touring bike. | ||
| Glitch |
Here ya go. | ||
| Buelluk |
It's a great bike..it will be interesting to see him get past the original 36 at that price ..$35K | ||
| Ted |
Whatever the benefits of those bikes design, they're to radical to sell in any big numbers. For the XB's IMO, while there's lots of innovation in them, they have to be traditional style to sell. | ||
| Outrider |
I totally agree that the Gator is too radical and expensive to sell in any big numbers. They are for the collectors among us. The biggest problem I have always had with them is their extremely low profile. Granted that is what makes them handle so well, but you are pretty damned invisible in traffic. The top of your helmet is well below the line of sight of most SUV's and Pick Up Trucks. Would be willing to bet that the most common incident involving a Gator is being rear ended while stopped. Furthermore, one of the biggest problems motorcyclists have that caused folks to pull out in front of us is visibility and depth perception. Many studies have been done to support this, but the average cage driver judges distance (depth perception) by merit of a vehicles size. As with most bikes, the rider is the bulk of the frontal view and if he is sitting way down low behind a fairing and engine. It further reduces your visibility to others. As cagers are most familiar with observing cars, that is their standard. Well, for an approaching motorcycle to approximate the size of a car, it is very close whereas the car is still quite a ways off and there appears to be a margin of safety for the cage driver to pull out in front of the bike. In reality, the margin of safety did not exist and the biker either got in an accident or soiled his shorts badly. Ergo, the cop hears; "I didn't see him coming" or "he was traveling so fast." As BS as that is, there is some truth to it. Nobody in any States DMV trains cagers to look out for motorcycles like they train us to look out for cages. I don't know if this is still true, but in California, the Cage drivers manual never told them that lane splitting was legal. Ergo, the vigilante's were out in force periodically as they thought the bikers were cheating in the traffic jams. Go figure. Same agency, same roads, two manuals and no cross reference that would save lives. | ||
| Anonymous |
Outrider, I have ridden that bike, and you are right on target with it's biggest issue being visibility. There are other issues as well, ones not worth getting into an argument over unless you have also ridden it. Trust me the XB was designed to work the best of anything out there, not to try to prove some esoteric engineering point. Real world is where it is at. Ask anyone who's ever actually owned a Bimota Tesi for example and actually tried to use it like a motorcycle, not a collector piece. | ||
| Blake |
The one thing that strikes me about the gator configuration is... I'd hate to see one rear-ended by a car or to see one run into a car. No thanks. There's a reason go-karts are illegal on public roads. | ||
| Koz5150 |
How many good accidents have you seen that involve a bike? Back to the topic though... I was personally thinking of a more laying down over the engine idea as opposed to the sit down position of the gator bike. | ||
| Firebolt020283 |
there is no way in hell i would ride some thing like that. My buell is configured good for me to ride so why would i wanna learn how to learn how to ride all over again on that ugly thing (not trying to offend any one just my opinion) | ||
| Outrider |
Ridden it? We only wished. About the only thing Dan & Company would allow is a good Q&A session with a little drooling at the Lookout. Blakes comment about Go-Karts is most appropriate in this scenario. We used to tease Dan about equipping it with the whips'n'flags used on dune buggy's. Relieved to see someone else perceives it as a Collector Piece. Most certainly is not a bike for the real world. | ||
| P0p0k0pf |
I can clearly see the hazard posed by the low visibility position, but I think that configuration would make a kikazz touring platform...looks pretty comfy! | ||
| Outrider |
I was personally thinking of a more laying down over the engine idea as opposed to the sit down position of the gator bike. Koz, interesting twist. Congers up images of Rollie Free running Bonneville in the early '50's in his Speedo's. LOL Question...With the addition of a tank bag and perhaps altering the position of the hand grips to suit individual preferences, aren't existing bikes already there? Over the years, I have seen concept bike pics that I believe relate you what you are asking. However, if I remember correctly, most were done by graduate design students as part of their educational requirements. Sort of a Thesis for Forward Thinking Hands-On Creative Geniuses. Have seen a few of their design elements incorporated into production bikes but more were adopted by the custom chopper segment. Could be indications of things to come during the new millenium. Incidentally, I have a friend that built a sport touring bike (one seater) with integrated front and rear luggage compartments that just might give you some amusement. Will try and get a pic of it. It was really great until you got stuck in a cross wind. | ||
| Stealthxb |
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| Firebolt020283 |
umm how do u turn on that????????? | ||
| Stealthxb |
It actually has four tires... They have a sliding action that creates a lean angle.  | ||
| Bomber |
Scotty Parker couldn't tells me I couldn't either |
