What's the Most Desirable Man-Made Object?

[Andy_mr2sc]

Tango13 said:

Andy_mr2sc said:

PurpleMoonlight said:

Must agree here. The most stunning motorbike ever. Obviously I'm not at all biased having owned one!!

Conveniently forgetting that Ducati copied the styling from Honda...

I'm not slating Hondas; they're great bikes but NONE of them look ANYTHING like a 916.

[Tango13]

Andy_mr2sc said:

Tango13 said:

Andy_mr2sc said:

PurpleMoonlight said:

Must agree here. The most stunning motorbike ever. Obviously I'm not at all biased having owned one!!

Conveniently forgetting that Ducati copied the styling from Honda...

I'm not slating Hondas; they're great bikes but NONE of them look ANYTHING like a 916.

Under seat exhausts? Check.

Single sided swing arm? Check.

USD forks? Check.

Narrow square headlights? Check.

Air inlets next to headlights? Check.

Released two years prior to the 916? Check.

Andy_mr2sc needing either an eye test or to learn a bit more bike history? Check.

[Andy_mr2sc]

Tango13 said:

Andy_mr2sc said:

Tango13 said:

Andy_mr2sc said:

PurpleMoonlight said:

Must agree here. The most stunning motorbike ever. Obviously I'm not at all biased having owned one!!

Conveniently forgetting that Ducati copied the styling from Honda...

I'm not slating Hondas; they're great bikes but NONE of them look ANYTHING like a 916.

Under seat exhausts? Check.

Single sided swing arm? Check.

USD forks? Check.

Narrow square headlights? Check.

Air inlets next to headlights? Check.

Released two years prior to the 916? Check.

Andy_mr2sc needing either an eye test or to learn a bit more bike history? Check.

No, no, no and no. Granted a great bike. Ahead of its time with the twin con rods and oval Pistons etc but no way near the aesthetic quality. It looks like the fat auntie in comparison. Ironicly it's probably lighter but looks like it's been on a diet of cake and pizza.

[RetroWheels]

It's evidently one of these..





Although to be fair , PH brainwashing techniques are doing the trick on me ,as im now no stranger to the Audi RS3 Configurator

[Tango13]

Andy_mr2sc said:

No, no, no and no. Granted a great bike. Ahead of its time with the twin con rods and oval Pistons etc but no way near the aesthetic quality. It looks like the fat auntie in comparison. Ironicly it's probably lighter but looks like it's been on a diet of cake and pizza.

Deny it all you like but even the 916 stylists admit they we influenced by the NR

http://www.ashonbikes.com/content/massimo-tamburin...

[Andy_mr2sc]

Tango13 said:

Andy_mr2sc said:

No, no, no and no. Granted a great bike. Ahead of its time with the twin con rods and oval Pistons etc but no way near the aesthetic quality. It looks like the fat auntie in comparison. Ironicly it's probably lighter but looks like it's been on a diet of cake and pizza.

Deny it all you like but even the 916 stylists admit they we influenced by the NR

http://www.ashonbikes.com/content/massimo-tamburin...

Influenced yes. As they say in the interview you quote, they made the 916 with sharper, sleeker, lighter lines. That vastly improves the design and shape. Getting back to the original point the 916 is by far the most aesthetically pleasing of the bikes. From a financial point of view I'd love to own an NR. I don't know how many exist but I'm guessing I could count them on my extremities but I'd still prefer to look at a 916.

[Ikemi]

Either or, I'm not fussy ...

[vournikas]

PurpleMoonlight said:

Great call.

I've always thought of the 916 more as an art form, rather than a bike.

Also, despite the unarguable truth that the designers from Bologna were influenced by the NR750, what makes the 916 generation more desirable is it's racing pedigree. Four WSB titles thanks to Foggy. In comparison the racing NR500 (precursor to the NR750), lined up on the grid at Silverstone and shat itself before the first corner (IIRC Mick Grant was the unfortunate rider to suffer the embarrassment) .

Anyway. 916 more desirable for looks and talent. NR750 more impressive for technical stuff.

BTW : that Patek Complication a couple of pages back looks awesome (but not desirable to me).

[smileymikey]

Ikemi said:

Either or, I'm not fussy ...

Certainly in my top ten

[Matt Harper]

lauda said:

Matt Harper said:

Is it Scampi 'n' Lemon or Nice 'n' Spicy? Because it matters.

Cheeto's Crunchy, you bloody heathen.

[Tango13]

vournikas said:

Great call.

I've always thought of the 916 more as an art form, rather than a bike.

Also, despite the unarguable truth that the designers from Bologna were influenced by the NR750, what makes the 916 generation more desirable is it's racing pedigree. Four WSB titles thanks to Foggy. In comparison the racing NR500 (precursor to the NR750), lined up on the grid at Silverstone and shat itself before the first corner (IIRC Mick Grant was the unfortunate rider to suffer the embarrassment) .

Anyway. 916 more desirable for looks and talent. NR750 more impressive for technical stuff.

BTW : that Patek Complication a couple of pages back looks awesome (but not desirable to me).

Some bloke by the name of Frederick Burdette Spencer managed a win on the NR500. The NR750 endurance bike qualified 2nd at Le Mans in '87 and managed a win during the Swann series the same year with Mal Cambell riding.

[poing]

Tango13 said:

Some bloke by the name of Frederick Burdette Spencer managed a win on the NR500. The NR750 endurance bike qualified 2nd at Le Mans in '87 and managed a win during the Swann series the same year with Mal Cambell riding.

Nobody cares, the 916 is prettier so we desire it more. Some will prefer the Honda but they are in a minority and likely best avoided at social events.

That Singer 911 posted above is similar, it's not the original and the purists will hate it but it's very very desirable and to many of us more desirable than an original 911 despite the lack of history and pedigree.

Original isn't always the best.

[funkyrobot]

Paddy_N_Murphy said:

RetroWheels said:

It's evidently one of these..





Although to be fair , PH brainwashing techniques are doing the trick on me ,as im now no stranger to the Audi RS3 Configurator

Imagine

Yes, think of the imagine.

[funkyrobot]

[funkyrobot]

[Stickyfinger]

None of the above without one of these

[vournikas]

Tango13 said:

vournikas said:

Great call.

I've always thought of the 916 more as an art form, rather than a bike.

Also, despite the unarguable truth that the designers from Bologna were influenced by the NR750, what makes the 916 generation more desirable is it's racing pedigree. Four WSB titles thanks to Foggy. In comparison the racing NR500 (precursor to the NR750), lined up on the grid at Silverstone and shat itself before the first corner (IIRC Mick Grant was the unfortunate rider to suffer the embarrassment) .

Anyway. 916 more desirable for looks and talent. NR750 more impressive for technical stuff.

BTW : that Patek Complication a couple of pages back looks awesome (but not desirable to me).

Some bloke by the name of Frederick Burdette Spencer managed a win on the NR500. The NR750 endurance bike qualified 2nd at Le Mans in '87 and managed a win during the Swann series the same year with Mal Cambell riding.

You are mistaken regarding the NR500.

Read here

Are you confusing NR500 with NS500?

[Tango13]

vournikas said:

You are mistaken regarding the NR500.

Read here

Are you confusing NR500 with NS500?

Not mistaken at all, the NR500 actually won two races.

The first was at a Suzuka 200km race where it finished 1st & 4th with Kiyama and Ade riding against factory opposition from both Yamaha and Suzuki.

The second win was a qualifying race for the 1983 Laguna Seca round of the American Championship where Spencer beat Kenny Roberts on a factory Yamaha.

Spencers race winning time was also faster than Randy Mamolas' race time in the other qualifying race. The bike grenaded its engine in the main event but a win is still a win.

Page 18 of this book...

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Hondas-V-force-Their-Four-...

[glazbagun]

Thinking rationally, probably some kind of tool. Like the mother of all five axis CNC milling machines capable of making anything from an engine block (or bigger!) to the spring detent of a pocket chronometer.

[speedtwelve]

I'll have this, thanks.



P51D. My favourite aeroplane. Haven't got any further than having a seat in the one above at Duxford. A mate knows a bloke in California with a twin-stick Mustang who charges way less than Stallion 51 for Packard-Merlin V12-engined hooliganism. Hmmmm...