Can a Bike have too much "soul"?

[bizarro]

Soul??     Oh, It's got SOUL! It's a damn Soul Train

Hmmm..... I think there is a difference between soul and attitude. I don't think I've owned a bike with real soul yet because I haven't owned a Guzzi or any running vintage bikes. Now bikes with attitude I can speak to. The RC51 that I had was full of it, so much so that I sold it because I was doing things on it that were, well, problematic. And my Speed Triple? Thoroughly antisocial. I wouldn't, however, call either of those two bikes particularly soulful.

[Bad Dad]

The Guzzi Sport 1100 I rode didn't so much have soul as..er..we'll call it, character The BSA 441 Victor, it had the soul of a jackhammer The Ducati 900SS had the soul of a, well actually a mind...a mind of it's own I get a Lil anxious  when goin out to the garage to ride the RC, the hair on the back of my neck stands up shortly after light off...Maybe it's...Soul Stirring

[Mac]

Only if James Brown reincarnates as a bike!

But what an exhaust note it would have!!
Owww! I feel good!!!

[mike in oregon]

Thanks for the replies.  It is an interesting question that, I think everyone has to answer for themselves.  I do believe that bikes have "soul".  They are designed and created by human beings, drink fuel, burn it, and belch out gas in loud or soft tones.  I have personally lost at least a month of my life in a huge spat I had w/ my old duc monster, trying to replace a broken closer spring in the head of the vert. cylinder.  I literally was biting the tires in frustration.  BUT, and this is a big butt, once she was running-oh she was the most beautiful creation known to man, who could do no wrong.  I'm nuts...I know.  There have just been too many magical moments on two wheels for me think of bikes as cold, lifeless creations.  I'm nuts...I know.

See ya

[Joey Stalin]

I just take issue with those who claim that one bike is better than another because of some claim of an intangible "soul" that the other bike just doesn't have. I see it in reverse on this forum all the time...people on this forum love to bash HD owners because their bikes are slow, overweight, underpowered, etc. But HD owners will tell you that it's the greatest bike ever due to something akin to an unexplainable soul (which is really just marketing). So if you believe in your bike of choice having "soul", then you also have to agree to the same for the much vilified Harley.

[cole]

Soul is something that is different for everyone and Biko. I can understand an HD ownere saying it has soul.
For me my last bike lacked soul a 2005 fjr , As good as it was it bored most of the time to ride it . My current bike r1200s has brought back something that I have not experienced in a long time the feel of the motor that way it accelerates and even the way the bike rocks to the right at idle when giving it gas.

[Penforhire]

To me, "soul" in a bike means quirks and/or malfunctions.  With that definition in mind, yeah, a bike can have way too much soul.  Such as stranding you on the side of the road too often.

[ChuckBecker]

To me, "soul" in a bike means quirks and/or malfunctions....

That's a quirky definition.

[ChuckBecker]

I just take issue with those who claim that one bike is better than another because of some claim of an intangible "soul" that the other bike just doesn't have. I see it in reverse on this forum all the time...people on this forum love to bash HD owners because their bikes are slow, overweight, underpowered, etc. But HD owners will tell you that it's the greatest bike ever due to something akin to an unexplainable soul (which is really just marketing). So if you believe in your bike of choice having "soul", then you also have to agree to the same for the much vilified Harley.

Agreed, and I wouldn't say that "soul" makes up for an otherwise infuriating, unreliable, disappointing bike.  As for Harleys, perhaps some do have soul, in others I only see a marketing committee.  And FWIW (probably not much at this point) I consider the SV650 a pretty soulful bike.

[Dr Gil]

...be still my heart!  

[Bryan]

"soul" I have seen it, about 10 to 15 Norton 850 Commandos running down a small Scottish road and crossing a stone bridge creating lots of great noise, then the middle age beer bellied riders with the well worn leathers, dismounting with cigarettes hanging out one side of their mouths, rosy cheeks and brylcreamed hair. With hands like hay grapes and sausage fingers, smiling coughing and shaking hands with my friends and I. shaking their heads and slapping our backs as they chuckle amongst themselves while discusing the latest Japanese bikes we are riding.

 As the sun shone on the Commandos on that frosty morning, the "Made in England" statement on the frame tubes brightly stood out and caught my eye.

 Alas that was when the rider defined the bike and not the bike defining the rider, the world has changed, no bike has soul I feel its the guy or gal that is on the bike that gives out the soul.

[ogomer]

if after a good ride, it takes you ten minutes to get the grin off of your face, then it has soul. If when you are walking into the house, you have to turn around and look at it one more time, then it has soul. If it is an Aprilia, it has soul.

[curvesurfer]

I just take issue with those who claim that one bike is better than another because of some claim of an intangible "soul" that the other bike just doesn't have. ... if you believe in your bike of choice having "soul", then you also have to agree to the same for the much vilified Harley.

I certainly wouldn't suggest that a bike with "soul" is better than one without. Perhaps more satisfying to own for some folks, but not necessarily better. And I agree this extends to Harleys, too.

There *are* intangible qualities in some motorcycles, and not all of them are driven by marketing. Perhaps it's provided by history, or heritage, or racing pedigree, or maybe a sense of identification with the folks who build them, or a strong representation of an idealized way of life.

Ducatis, for example, are built by Italians, a culture with a rich history of motosports, design, and lust for life. Ducati builds one thing: motorcycles, and to some degree they do it to support their racing programs. An association with this history and passion provides a sense of soul for the bikes of Ducati owners.

Harleys fall into a similar category, built by a company that only builds motorcycles, has a long racing history, and is an icon for the fringe-of-society, freedom-of-the-road, guns-and-babes lifestyle.

True, Ducati and Harley spend a lot on marketing, but Guzzis share some of the same qualities of both Ducati and Harley, yet has no marketing presence whatsoever. BSAs and Nortans stir similar feelings, and those companies are defunct.

Suzuki and Honda, for all their technical prowess and racing success, don't offer the same cachet.

One test of soul is whether owners of a certain brand or model seek each other out to share the experience of ownership. There are tons of Harley clubs and "Ducati nights" and celebrations of old brit iron. But you'll see few GSXR rallys because, while these bikes are marvels of engineering, their owners simply don't feel the same way about them.

For some, the pure, cold, techinical superiority of a Big 4 Japanese bike is enough reward. But others prefer machines that are often less competent, more expensive, and/or less reliable. On paper, it makes no sense. Trying to quantify soul seldom does.