naked motorcycles

When you think of a cool motorcycle, what comes to mind?  Let me guess.  It's not a luggage rack on wheels. It's not a big barge of a sofa floating down the highway.  It's not a purple or pink monstrosity.  It is black, and naked, and loud, and it may or may not have some chrome.  Am I right?  Now if you are thinking, "My dream bike is a pink and purple sofa with luggage on wheels," then you probably won't like this blog article.
Three of the most iconic, coolest or exciting motorcycles that I've seen over the last two years have been these three.

Daryl's chopper in The Walking Dead, which is black and mostly naked.  I'm not a bike expert so I'm just guessing that his bike is various pieces of vintage bikes, maybe British, maybe not.


Second on my list would be the bike from The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo.  We don't get a good look at this bike because the whole movie is pretty dark.  It's a cafe racer type, black, naked, very cool.

Finally, we have the bike that Kato rides in the Green Hornet.  There is no question that bike is a Harley.  We likes it.

I realize that movies don't have to be practical.  Dragon Tattoo girl doesn't have to worry about feeling the cold because it's a movie and she has no feeling anyway.  Daryl doesn't have to worry about going and getting a gallon of milk at the grocery store for the wife because Kroger's is overrun with zombies anyway.  He just has to strap on saddlebags for the weapons and illegal drugs that his brother Merle kept on the bike.  Kato doesn't have to worry about anything except showing up to help out the Green Hornet.

Now try to imagine these movies with the typical bikes that you see on a more regular basis.  Imagine Daryl on a bright yellow Goldwing pulling a matching yellow trailer.   Imagine Merle's name with pinstriping on one side and Daryl on the other.  There would be lots of room for weapons and such but they would probably rather be zombies than ride something like that.  Next try to imagine Kato on a purple trike with a big trunk on the back.  How does that grab you?  Or, finally, try to picture Dragon Tattoo girl riding on any vintage Honda with a stock paint job.  Nope, it just doesn't work.

Stock bikes don't have the same grit and character as what you or I would build ourselves.  They're certainly not the stuff of movies.  Yes, stock bikes are nice just as they are when they roll out of the factory, but I personally would much rather have the modified look of my vintage naked Goldwing than any stock bike from the same period.  No, I'll never be in a movie, but my black with ghost flames beats two tone tan and green any day.