pinchvalve
pinchvalve GRM+ Memberand SuperDork
8/25/11 8:54 a.m.

Have you seen the print ad in the bike mags for Progressive Insurance where some lucky guy won a free custom motorcycle? I can't find a copy online, but the jist is "Bob Loves Progressive, and Bob loves his new customer bike" and he is happily sitting on the bike and Flo is there smiling away.

Progressive Bike on CL

Turns out the bike was never titled, and is for sale already. Seems like Bob turned out to be a poser.

Zomby woof
Zomby woof SuperDork
8/25/11 8:57 a.m.

I would look happy in the pics if i won that bike, and I certainly wouldn't keep it, either.

N Sperlo
N Sperlo Dork
8/25/11 9:09 a.m.

What does a nautical star have to do with progressive? Sometime should have been a little more creative with the design.

Grtechguy
Grtechguy SuperDork
8/25/11 9:57 a.m.
trades excepted

winner

ransom
ransom GRM+ Memberand HalfDork
8/25/11 10:03 a.m.
Zomby woof wrote: I would look happy in the pics if i won that bike, and I certainly wouldn't keep it, either.

I could not possibly agree more wholeheartedly. I might even spend some of it on a bike I actually liked, and which could turn corners.

MadScientistMatt
MadScientistMatt Dork
8/25/11 10:34 a.m.
pinchvalve wrote: Have you seen the print ad in the bike mags for Progressive Insurance where some lucky guy won a free custom motorcycle? I can't find a copy online, but the jist is "Bob Loves Progressive, and Bob loves his new customer bike" and he is happily sitting on the bike and Flo is there smiling away. Progressive Bike on CL Turns out the bike was never titled, and is for sale already. Seems like Bob turned out to be a poser.

It looks nice, but looks like there's no rear suspension travel, no front fender, no lean angle, and the seat looks downright painful. If you wanted to get out and ride it, I can think of a lot of good non-poser reasons to sell it.

Dr. Hess
Dr. Hess SuperDork
8/25/11 2:38 p.m.

I've seen that bike. They had it at Bikes, Blues and BBQ rally in Fayetteville, AR last year. It's a cool looking chopper.

You have to like choppers, or at least understand them. No, you don't ride a chopper at the race track. No, you don't ride one across country. You ride them TT racing. (Tavern to Tavern).

pinchvalve
pinchvalve GRM+ Memberand SuperDork
8/26/11 8:56 a.m.

I agree completely, I would sell it in a heartbeat. But I found it deceiving that he is all smiles in the ad like he is going to cherish and ride it forever. You just can't believe anything you see these days.

alex
alex SuperDork
8/26/11 6:03 p.m.

May be a nice bike but it's a lazy build. "Chopper" stuff, nothing new here.

RealMiniDriver
RealMiniDriver Dork
8/26/11 7:46 p.m.

Why are choppers poo-pooed, but cafes are lauded? They're essentially built in the same manner, for the same (non)purpose?

914Driver
914Driver SuperDork
8/26/11 8:40 p.m.

No. Not the same non-purpose. Cafe bikes are stripped of everything nonessential to make them lighter, bars are low for aerodynamics, etc. Speed is King.

Chopsicles are for low speed profiling or just cruising. Different purpose, different lifestyle, different culture.

Dan

Rocco R16V
Rocco R16V New Reader
8/26/11 8:49 p.m.
914Driver wrote: No. Not the same non-purpose. Cafe bikes are stripped of everything nonessential to make them lighter, bars are low for aerodynamics, etc. Speed is King. Chopsicles are for low speed profiling or just cruising. Different purpose, different lifestyle, different culture. Dan

if speed is king, they wouldn't be riding a cafe bike.

both choppers and cafe bikes serve the same purpose, "heh you, look how cool i am"

ransom
ransom GRM+ Memberand HalfDork
8/27/11 1:33 a.m.

In reply to Rocco R16V:

A cafe bike is a like my autocross-prepped BMW 2002, and a chopper is like a lead sled custom with a 4" windshield.

One of them goes, stops, turns, and is a lot of fun to drive. The other one is all about looks.

Of course there's a broad continuum. There are useless cafe bikes and relatively usable choppers. But fundamentally the inspiration for a cafe bike is a sportbike from the past.

Personally, I don't have much use for vehicles that are only fun when you're standing around looking at them, but that doesn't mean folks can't enjoy building trailer queens and Starbucks adornments.

I would very happily ride a brand new sportbike, but something that (like my old 2002) hits that middle ground of classic aesthetics with updated performance, while maintaining some of that raw mechanical feel that older machines have; that's one of my ideals.

MitchellC
MitchellC Dork
8/27/11 1:37 a.m.
Dr. Hess wrote: You ride them TT racing. (Tavern to Tavern).

I went on one of these rides a few months back. Meet at Harley dealership. Wait an hour past the planned leave time, and finally have the thunderous exit to the next stop. Ride fifteen miles to the first stop, a bar in the next town over. Stand around for a while; presumably drink (I'm not big on drinking and riding). A few buddies and I left for the next stop, some sort of lodge; another place that serves alcohol ten miles away. A few buddies and I were the first ones to this stop; we were getting tired of standing around. (Not) Drink and eat lunch.

Motorcycling is different things to different people.

fasted58
fasted58 Dork
8/27/11 2:59 a.m.

Cafe racers are the sport bikes of their day taking their cues directly from the road racers of their time.... and that beats factory sport bikes by years.... if not a decade.

Dr. Hess
Dr. Hess SuperDork
8/27/11 7:41 a.m.
MitchellC wrote:
Dr. Hess wrote: You ride them TT racing. (Tavern to Tavern).
I went on one of these rides a few months back. Meet at Harley dealership. Wait an hour past the planned leave time, and finally have the thunderous exit to the next stop. Ride fifteen miles to the first stop, a bar in the next town over. Stand around for a while; presumably drink (I'm not big on drinking and riding). A few buddies and I left for the next stop, some sort of lodge; another place that serves alcohol ten miles away. A few buddies and I were the first ones to this stop; we were getting tired of standing around. (Not) Drink and eat lunch. Motorcycling is different things to different people.

That's not TT racing. That's Neuvo RUB yuppies pretending to TT race. The first clue is "meet at the Harley dealership." I've been to one or two of these dealer sponsored "rides" and they are about as lame as it gets.

I also agree about the not drinking and riding.

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