The Difference

With cloudy skies overhead and a temperature hovering around 60, I threw a leg over my Bonneville for a little bit of Fall riding.  This Fall has been uncharacteristically warm, which means I can put off the end of the riding season.  No complaints from me, I assure you.

As I was riding along admiring the thinning fall foliage, I began to think about the differences between one motorcycle and the next.  You see, I've been riding my Guzzi a lot for the past few weeks, mostly because its battery is easier to install.  During that time, I became used to its awkward riding position, heavy weight and prodigious power.  While going along on my Bonneville today, everything was different.

For starters, the Bonneville feels like a lithe top-line center compared to the gruff defenseman feel of the Guzzi.  It does this despite only being 30 lbs lighter.  The Bonneville tracks along wonderfully, requiring only the slightest nudge of the handlebars to change direction.  It's an easy bike to ride at any speed.  On the Guzzi, you get the feeling that it's bored riding at normal speeds.  I can hear the Guzzi saying to me: "faster, faster, faster."

Then there's the riding position.  On the Guzzi, you're in that racy, torturous Italian riding position.  The Bonneville's position is the classic standard position.  With the addition of the Thruxton gel seat, this bike is a comfortable long-distance mount.  The Guzzi is better on the highway, though.  I get the feeling the Guzzi wants to cruise all day at 100 mph.  I get the feeling that I'm pushing the Bonneville a bit at speeds over 70.

What I'm getting at is that there are more differences going from bike to bike than from car to car.  I drive a lot of cars at my job and I can say that a lot of them feel the same.  A lot of the steering, braking and handling has the same feel regardless of brand.

That's not to say you won't feel a bit of difference going from a Volkswagen Golf to a Ferrari 599; of course you will.  If you drive multiple mid-size cars or multiple pickup trucks, though, you'll get the feeling that they were all built from some sort of mold.  It's like there's a template that says a compact car should feel like this, or that a full-size luxury car should feel like this.  It kind of takes the fun out of driving.  I think cars are starting to look the same, too.

I've owned and ridden numerous bikes and I can say they've all felt different.  A Harley feels different than a BMW, which feels different from a Yamaha.  Each bike manufacturer does things their own way and that is evidenced in their products.  It makes for interesting products and gives each bike its own character.  Each new bike you ride is a new experience.  It's not like going from car to car, where you adjust the seat and the mirrors and drive off.

Going from bike to bike, you have to learn the nuances of the new bike.  You have to learn what it likes and what it doesn't like.  Cars have been engineered to adapt to you.  Many cars have memory seats to adapt to your size and have transmissions that adapt to your driving style.  You don't get that on a bike.  It's up to you to adapt to the bike.  It's like going to bed with someone new.  It's a bit rocky at first while you each figure out what the other person likes and doesn't like.  Once you find it, the magic happens.  Sometimes the magic happens too quickly but never mind that.

The differences between each bike is yet another reason why motorcycling is so interesting and so much fun.  It's just a shame there isn't more time to sample the differences between bikes.  Such is life.