whats retro

[TerraRoot]

I know this topic opens a can'o'worms on our sister sister site, but i think we need a bit of discussion here.
what makes a bike retro and not classic or a bit too modern? i think we can all spot a vintage bike.
Please post your opinions, i have loads of opinions but i'll keep em to myself for a while.

[wrighty]

OOOhh debate.....

This is harder than i thought....

Retro to me means a copy of a style or trend from the past. i.e cafe racers/endurance racers etc.

A brand new bike can be retro ..... Norton Commando.
The 60s to 80s are probably the era of most retro style bikes....so that would include cafes/trackers/endurance racers etc.

But i would also say that bikes like a 1st gen fireblade,R1 or slingshot gsxr are getting sought after, but as the style isnt being copied these i would class as modern classics...does that make sense? but then a gsxr done as a yoshimura endurance bike would become retro......damn, confused again.

So am i saying a retro bike has a style of something from past time and a classic is a specific bike and not labeled as a style....nah lost it again.

Modern bikes go fast and all look the same, so i'll watch wsm,bsb, Motogp to get my fix but for proper bikes i come here....

Think i need to lay down now and phone docs to get my prescription increased.

[jonw]

I always think the term retro is a personal thing. What you may consider retro I may consider new.... I always consider retro to be an original style from a past era. The Norton commando is a classic. The old ones are retro, the new one is a modern copy, therefore not retro. Same with the Triumph Bonniville or the Kawasaki W650.

To me retro isn't a style, it dosen't mean the machine is a classic of even any good! Just that it is from the past and made to the then fashons. Remember, all bikes however old where once modern machines.

[davytelford]

does it really matter what retro means we all have had bikes we love and cherish...
theres loads of different meanings to the word retro

classics such as (CLASSICS)


modern versions of retro styles (RETRO STYLE)


Classic retro styles ie cafe racers chopped and flat trackers


Future classics


abominations that say retro look but really are cheap shoddy soulless meaningless horrible disgusting ugly shameful waste of plastic id rather walk than ride one of these
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[jawathemutt]

retro hmmmm all down to personal taste

[dungbug]

As said I think the term 'retro' is in the eye of the beholder, I class something as 'retro' based on little styling details which (on a newer machine) echo something from the past. As Davy has said there's alot of machines out there which are barely due their first MOT but have little styling details which suggst they've been loosely based or 'inspired' by an older style. Some bikes have had the same design for years (C90 for example) so would they be retro or classic regardless of age? It's an interesting debate & one which I think will always be down to personal opinion, what I'd call retro might be called modern (or a sh*t heap) by someone else. ;D

[TerraRoot]

one way of looking at it is "Retro is a bike that you have to have balls to stand up and say you like it", it's easy to say you like a classic like an elsie, bit harder to talk about a bike people have forgotten, like a yzf750r or the SRAD's, the older gsxr's had character and the newer k gsxr's have proper speed, so if you like SRAD's you gotta be, well an interesting trialblazer type bloke tbh.
have a srad

srads are just for example btw.