Wondering What it Was

[bokobob]

Ok, this is a new one on me...maybe someone will know what I don't.....I was riding and came up behind a bike, about the size of a Kawa 500 Vulcan or Harley sportster, but with a full retro type cruiser front fender as well as back fender, and the rider was sitting like he was on a cruiser, the gas tank looked like that of a cruiser, but then when he took off, it sounded like a "crotch rocket" engine..It was high revving and had that crotch rocket sound, nothing at all like the V twin..then he was gone..I did not get that good a look...

Any ideas on what this was? Maybe a custom bike?

Thanks,

[Idaho]

If it had two wheels it was a motorcycle. Beyond that, who knows....................

[ringadingh]

There are some paralell twin cylinder bikes out that look like a old Triumph style engine. I think they are called Johnny Norriss or something like that. I seen some of those customs at the bike show a couple months ago. Perhaps that is what you seen.

[macmac]

Beats me... A fender like Indian?

[AlabamaNomadRider]

I'm with Bud, it must have been a motorcycle.

[bokobob]

I think ringadingh is likely pretty close..it looked like a quality bike....I;ll Google on the names Ringa spoke of...No the fender was no like an Indian (or drifter copy of indian), just retro, meaning not bobbed off right behind the pillion, but it went all the way down..
It might well have been some kind of Triumph...
I'll keep looking..

[dank]

Did the guy just pull ahead, or are you saying it left your Nomad in the dust? You said you pulled up behind him, and then he was gone. Are you saying it was bat out of hell fast?

[bokobob]

Ok, here is what happened...I am riding and see the bike up ahead at a stop light..I catch up almost all the way and he gets the green light and then I hear the engine sound totally unlike a v twin and very like a crotch rocket engine sound with the high revving and no rumbling sound..sort of a whine..He did not take off overly fast, but he did move faster than me (I always take it easy) and beside that I was still not right behind him as on his taillight , but I was maybe 50 ft behind him when the light turned green and he took off..Within a quarter mile there is another red light and I stopped right behind him and studied the bike and how he was sitting...The bike had the Cruiser look and rider posture all the way, but rather on the smaller-than-Nomad size of bike. Maybe a tiny bit smaller than a Honda Shadow 600, although mostly just lower than a Shadow...No radical rake to front fork or anything....Did not get a chance to pull up next to him to check out or talk...We both turn right and he takes off again with the same high revs and whine and he went about a half mile that way and then took off faster than the speed limit and I just stayed where I was...

That's all I can think of for now. Oh and he had an Alabama plate and this all happened in North Carolina so I am thinking I won't be seeing him again..

My intuition told me as soon as I saw the bike that it was European...whether true or not, I don't know, but it had that 'look' whatever that 'look' is...:-)

I'm no bike buff by any means, and the fact that I personally have never heard of a production type cruiser with a crotch rocket type engine in it, does not mean there are none....

I'll be keeping my ear to the ground.

[dank]

A Honda Valkyrie would have the higher pitch and cruiser look, but isn't a small bike.

How about a Honda magna. They rev higher, have a V4, and are smaller but still a cruiser.

http://www.motorcyclecruiser.com/roa...750/index.html

[Top Cat]

This thread is useless without pictures.

[ballast]

How's this? ::)

[bokobob]

Thanks for replies..Not a Valkyrie or a magna..I am very familiar with both..I once had a magna, in fact.......to clarify: the engine sound was the exact sound of a crotch rocket..No "rumble" at all...high pitched and whiney, high revs too...could not possibly have been a v twin or magna 4 or Valk 6 cyl...Likely will never know, but it was worth a shot and again thanks for replies.
Like the photo of the fireworks..well done...good humor..

[phenrichs]

you should look at Triumph and Ducati. They both make models that are the older cruiser style but have put their high-tech drivetrains in them.

[ringadingh]

A lot of Ducati's sound like they ready to fly apart. They have the nosiest clutches Ive ever heard on a bike. My neighbour has a 1000cc Monster and its rattles like a box of loose bolts.

[afgunner]

Hyosung (Chinese) is making a 650 retro style that sounds like what you are describing...I couldn't find a picture of it that I could post here, but this is a possibility. Also, there's a few inovators putting older sport bike motors in small frame cruisers just to have something different. There is one of these running around Del Rio, a late 90's Shadow 650 frame with a CBR motor. It sounds wierd and has some trouble accelerating with the heavier frame but the teenagers think it's cool/rad/insert term of the week.