When big name builders show off their new custom creations, you can usually bet some piece of required hardware for street legal operation will be missing, sometimes many pieces. Critics of the manufacturers say their new models don’t look as good as what the aftermarket and custom builders turn out but that criticism is a bit unfair when the builders ignore things the factories can’t. Some customs are clearly not intended for street use, but for those that conceivably are, why not build them street legal?
A friend of mine brought this up to me not long ago and after looking at the new customs from Jesse Rooke and Roland Sands and reading the comment from Todd, it seems like an appropriate question.
Let’s start with exhausts. No new model in the showroom will have open pipes of any sort yet customs have them all the time. Is it really that hard to blend a muffler of some sort into the design of the custom? If you can’t meet the noise requirements the factories need to pass or if you can’t attach a legal muffler from the aftermarket, your custom is a showpiece or racebike, not a streetbike. If an owner tries to mimic the custom look of the big name builder, he will end up with noise levels few others will appreciate.
How about mirrors? Those pesky mirrors just stick out so far, they’re hard to blend into the design so let’s just leave them off. Who needs to see what’s behind them anyway?
Turn signals, who needs ’em? If you know where you’re going everyone else should know, too.
License plate brackets are useless, too, if you don’t need a plate for the show, why put a bracket or generic plate on the bike? It disturbs the creative purity of the design.
Horns, chainguards, fenders, too, just excess baggage. Toss ’em. These are customs after all, no need to add all that stuff.
I love the customs all of these builders create but some builders include everything necessary to pass registration and inspection requirements as a matter of course and the bike still looks good. I think they deserve an extra pat on the back. When other bikes leave all of those things off, points get deducted right from the start, even if it’s a great bike up to that point. Working all of those pieces into a design should be a design requirement from the start. If you try to tack them on later, they’ll look, … well, … tacked on.
Those builders will say these bikes are just a showcase for ideas or something to show off their talent and skill and they’re certainly correct, but wouldn’t it be nice if they used their talent and skill to include all of the pieces the rest of us will need, too?
Mark Savory says
The problem is a “custom motorcycle” is NOT a “manufactured motorcycle”. Building a custom bike is usually for local ordinances — so turn signals, mirrors, lights, exhaust, etc are different for each locale. Whereas a manufactured bike (typically 25+ volume) needs to meet DOT compliance (and possibly EPA compliance) with DOT approved items ala front/rear signals, mirrors, lighting and a bunch of other doodads. Problem is that for a custom builder to create a DOT approved item costs $$$$ for testing. For low volume or one-off items, the customer won’t pay the additional expense to get it DOT approved.
It’s why I have such great respect for small volume motorcycle manufacturers who can meet DOT / EPA compliance — it’s EXPENSIVE to make happen! (and takes quite a bit of due diligence and paperwork shuffling as well as incorporation of the items into the design itself)
OMMAG says
Well I suppose that one way to look at this is that DOT EPA and others are meddling too much and that there should be a simpler process for registration.
Still you’ve got a good point!
kim scholer says
All the neccessary mods to make custom bikes street legal could easily be done – living up to current EPA/DOT rules is not neccessarily the same as actually paying for testing and getting an official approval.
The major thing is of course open exhaust systems that are loud enough to drive even the most custom-bike-loving motorcycle enthusiast up the wall. Especially if the idiot gassing it past your house a 4 in the morning. As much as I love the looks of drag pipes, more than once have I wished for anything – even an accident – to stop the noise. And if I, sympathetic to the idea of custom bikes (and riding one myself) think that way, then imagine what non-riders exposed to this kind of urban terrorism think of it.
Obviously the noise restrictions of 2007 are practically impossible to live up to for a large custom bike. So could the noise level of – say – a Norton Commando or a late ironhead Sportster be the compromise most people could live with? If an Arlen Ness or – better yet – all The Hamsters led the way with hidden or gracefully designed mufflers, maybe the riders out there could get used to the idea.
Current noise restrictions didn’t appear in a vacuum. It wasn’t the occasional chopper of yore that did this, but rather way too many fools on way too many high-comp. loud bikes, who couldn’t wait opening it up until they were out of town.
forester7 says
The average customer bike that rolls out of Arlen’s shop has most of the parts that let it pass inspection, just like most of the bikes from other customizers.
What you guys are talking about and the ones that get all the media attention are SHOW bikes that are rarely ridden on the highway.
As for cafe racers, bar end mirrors look cool and are functional too.
ROHORN says
If that’s a good idea, then here’s a great one:
Get Todd to work with Joan Claybrook and the IIHS to put together 12 custom bikes which they approve of.
Then Todd can get together with Osama Bin Laden and the Taliban to put together 12 women models that they approve of.
Then photograph them together and publish a calender!! The opportunity to lead the motorcycling design and fashion world is at your feet!!!!
What are you waiting for?
christopher says
seems to me it would show more talent and creativity to design in the parts needed to make the bike street legal and still look good at a high level show.
kneeslider says
Rohorn,
There’s no requirement that anyone do this, no suggestion that there should be a requirement and every custom builder can continue to do things as they always have. But everyone who rides on the street has to pass whatever regulations apply in their area and I think custom builders could use their creativity and skill to show the average guy how they might integrate some of these required items into the design and style of their own ride and still have a great looking bike.
Bar end mirrors are a nice way to minimize the visual impact of those big mirrors we often see while still retaining the function. I like the smooth lines of a bike without mirrors but I use my mirrors a lot and wouldn’t like to ride without them.
I also use turn signals to give myself at least a slight edge with drivers who do pay attention and figure a bike without them is simply missing something obviously necessary, no matter how cool it might look.
A lot of extreme custom cars manage to include all of the necessary road legal items, why are bikes so different?
ROHORN says
Kneeslider,
I agree – to a point.
To be brutally honest, I thought Todd’s comment proved – again – just how detached he is from, well, lots of things. Looking at a custom bike and pointing out the mirrors (or lack of them) is right up there with looking at some “Babes and Bikes” calender and pointing out that the models shouldn’t shave their armpits and should find a way to style or otherwise adorn that fuzz.
I have enough miles on street motorcycles without turnsignals and mirrors (henceforth referred to as TS&M) to know that it is perfectly safe to do so. I’ve also seen enough stupidity from other riders who had TS&M at their disposal yet failed to use them, among other things.
No, I’m not advocating that riders should run out to thier garages and jettison said components.
Look at the number of concept bikes from the manufacturers that had well designed and integrated TS&M. Yet when they went into production, the loverly TS&M proved to be unusable. How is one going to prove at a show that the TS&M are truly functional and DOT spec? Heck, how many bikes out there right now have rear elbow view mirrors that are only clear at a certain RPM, usually “0”?
The showrooms conveniently located nearest me are well stocked with well designed bikes, all of which have DOT spec TS&M, mufflers, license plate holders with reflectors, etc.. And their manufacturers all have wonderful websites from which one may peruse their offerings.
I don’t come to this website to see them.
What I DO enjoy seeing is the number of custom bikes with great potential for track days, events, and club racing.
Not having cable, I don’t watch the cable shows. But wasn’t there a show involving the Rooke and Sands bikes engaged in a drag race, road race, and top speed event? How do TS&M figure in any of that? At best, those are things NOT to be integrated into the design if racing really and truly is behind the fuction and form.
To be honest again, my street riding days are behind me – I’d rather have something for the track anymore. Much safer there, far more fun, and mistakes cost a lot less. And, almost like bike shows, TS&M are against the rules. And as far as I’m concerned, TS&M are the armpit hair of motorcycle design. I’d rather see that stuff shaved off.
todd says
I love you too ROHORN. Thanks for being so, clever and opening my eyes to what I really am
-todd
ROHORN says
Perhaps a professional industrial designer can point out the turn signals and mirrors on this bike:
http://thekneeslider.com/archives/2007/10/16/yamaha-xs-v1-sakura-for-tokyo-motor-show/
Or is that blue teardrop behind the upper shock mount it? I that is, then it sure isn’t DOT.
Then there’s the 2007 Yamaha MT-OS showbike – see any TS&M? Maybe there are – but where’s the chain guard? Must be those untalented designers there who can’t integrate….. These are concept bikes that may or may not run, but what does it say about the designers’ priorities?
Just looked at the new Jan 2008 CW “American Flyers #22” spread again. 8 bikes. Those 2 stunning Ducatis have a bar end mirror – on the grip furthest from the camera. No turnsignals. No chain guards. Offset license plates. I’d still ride them, even on the street.
The GRR Beemer has turnsignals at the back. No visible mirrors.
The other 6 bikes? No TS&M. But 2 are offroad use only.
The bike linked above? It is on page 30, Jan 2008 CW.
We saw the Ducati above here first anyway:
http://thekneeslider.com/archives/2007/09/05/ducati-monza-250-custom-by-dave-hartleip/
Of course, if any of the builders of any of the above bikes chose to integrate any of the stuff that is “missing”, hey, I wouldn’t say anything rude about them or their bikes. I never noticed they were “missing” anything until today.
hoyt says
With today’s LED lighting, functional signals should not be too much of a problem (DOT or not – they still will function just as good if not better than stock).
The LED strip signals can be mounted in an invisible manner. And, when they are turned on, they are brighter than stock.
If you are not using strips of LEDs, then modern machining could create some nice shapes that accentuate a given look (it’s just another component to get creative). I wish I had come up with the idea of Greggs Customs flush mounts – nice application for the intended market. I bet the sale of those signals contribute to his other customs.
The wide tire on Roland Sands’ Hypermotard and the KTM have got to go. What is with this “compensating” design flair that also removes handling capability? I saw the KTM at the Seattle show and the single-sided swingarm is too low. It looked like it would dig right into any slanted left-hand corner. No wonder some of these bikes get tagged with the derogatory “poser” label. They deserve it.
The open pipes must go, too – nothing like taking a well-engineered engine and making it sound mechanically-off. It is analogous to a bad stereo with blown speakers turned up too loud.
The HD sound has deteriorated not because of HD, but because of their owners. It is refreshing to hear an HD with the right volume.
Robin Dicken says
I can see that it’s wise to put some sort of rear view capability on bike (monitor on gas tank perhaps) and turn signals are too as some cagers are blind (or ignorant) of hand signs. I just hope that I can get my bikes DOT approved with out too much hassle. My bike will be automatic so as to give people that have never ridden before a much more enjoyable (safer) experience. Hidden expansion chambers (tunable) would do the trick on noise. What you do to your bike after you buy it should be your right. The venerable chop/bob got it’s start this way. As far as the noise, that is going to reflect the attitude of the biker involved. Loud to the point of being obnoxious is probably their personality too. That usually comes back on them.
Jeffreyvan says
mmmm Armpit hair I like to shave it or style it myself I see both sides of this argument and I agree with both sides. I dislike the look of dot and I believe that it is an oportunity for the truly creative to flourish in designing functional yet either invisible or aesthetic TS&M.but this is a staple of the after market industry those cool LED tail lights that do signals too and the minimized licence plate brackets. this is where Opus P bikeowner gets to spruce up his (or her) own ride diminimus custimizationous. My point is its better to have em and not need them than to not have them and need them.
taxman says
i’ll have to admit when i look at a bike at a show i generally don’t pay attention to whether or not it has TS&M. in fact here in michigan they are optional. the law does state that you do have to signal a turn, but that can still be done with an arm help up in the old fashion. we are required to have a headlight and a tail light.
the thing that i do notice about show bikes that completely turns me off is the inability (to me at least) to actually use the bike. i can’t tell you how many bikes i see that have no front brake (or no brakes at all), or no gauges to tell you how fast you are going, or a riding position that only gumby would say is comfy. everyone has different tastes in style. but we should all strive to prefer vehicles that can actually be used to some level of safety.
another irk of mine: copycats. i’m tired of bikes built almost exactly like other bikes with the only thing different being color choices(the chopper croud seems to be the worst offenders). granted i live in a smallish town and our local motorcycle shows are small. but when is a complete one off that looks exactly the same as the other its boring. if all you did was build your bike from a kit or online schematics, all you’ve really done is the next level of lego’s. show me something innovative.
taxman says
i will admit that there is starting to be a wider style at most motorcycle shows. some of the bigger names in the industry are looking at other styles. and i like that.
Mark L. says
As an engineer working on the VROHR bike with Walter, you are in for a staggering amount of work to fully certify a bike to be road legal in the USA. Kudos to all that actually do it. Now, try putting a blower on it……!
Regards,
Mark
Csmith says
How can i get a dot /epa inspection so that i can get my bike registerd ?