revtothelimit - motorbike forum

I could be wrong, but I suspect the available colours on a given bike are going to be a factor for many people when looking at a new bike. Not necessarily the most important factor, but A factor.

I get that there's not the range available that cars tend to have, plus each manufacturer likes to push its own brand colours as at least one of the options. But take Kawasaki, for example. There'll usually be some hideous green option (maybe bright, maybe dark, maybe with black, maybe with white), and then a sombre black or dark blue. Covers the bases.

Then you take KTM.

I mean, seriously. Who amongst us would choose above all else, garish orange frame, wheels, graphics? Maybe 1%? 5%? So what's the alternative colourscheme they offer most of the time? Orange frame, orange wheels, slightly less garish orange graphics. And maybe a completely mismatched teal tank.

I could go an SDR as my next bike. But I couldn't be seen in public on one, not in daylight. Would it kill them to make a black one? Or grey? Or dark blue? Or anything sensible? And would it seriously not help a relatively niche brand to sell more bikes?

I like lairy colour schemes, if I bought a KTM it would be orange, I really like blue and yellow motorbikes, and have owned quite a few of them, I bought a sedate aubergine FZ750, and changed it to blue, white and yellow, I bought a black Husqvarna and changed it to blue and yellow, dull colour schemes are for dull people.

KTM's are like Vegans

With cars I go the other way.

Due to the way the employee car scheme works I don't get to choose the exact colour of my car, I have to give three preferences. Every car you see these days is either white, black, grey or "primer". So I asked for electric blue, bright red or pearlescent silver.

If KTM painted their bikes normal colours you might notice what an unresolved mess the transformer styling is

Le_Fromage_Grande wrote: Thu Apr 06, 2023 9:08 am I like lairy colour schemes, if I bought a KTM it would be orange, I really like blue and yellow motorbikes, and have owned quite a few of them, I bought a sedate aubergine FZ750, and changed it to blue, white and yellow, I bought a black Husqvarna and changed it to blue and yellow, dull colour schemes are for dull people.

Thing is, I have no problem with the lairy options. It's their definition of 'option' I have issue with.

Mr. Dazzle wrote: Thu Apr 06, 2023 9:10 am With cars I go the other way.

Due to the way the employee car scheme works I don't get to choose the exact colour of my car, I have to give three preferences. Every car you see these days is either white, black, grey or "primer". So I asked for electric blue, bright red or pearlescent silver.

If KTM painted their bikes normal colours you might notice what an unresolved mess the transformer styling is

I respect people who choose bright colours, and I'm truly glad they exist. If I see a sports car in lime green or lava orange I think yeah! You do it, man! Nice one! But I'll always order dark grey or black myself

In all my vehicle buying days I've only ever cared about the colour on two, and that my current ride and the one it replaced.
Got to admit I do like most lairy colour schemes

Slenver wrote: Thu Apr 06, 2023 9:14 am
I respect people who choose bright colours, and I'm truly glad they exist. If I see a sports car in lime green or lava orange I think yeah! You do it, man! Nice one! But I'll always order dark grey or black myself

Dog diarrhea brown (variations of)

It never ceases to amaze me that:
- a car designer thought it a good choice
- management agreed
- blind (must be) feckers choose to buy them

If this had been green I wouldn’t have bought it, makes me smile every time I wander into the garage

I was always a bit Henry Ford when it came to colour schemes, but then I wanted a 690 Duke and had to suffer the orange frame. I then realised I ride it more than look at it and decided not to worry about colour anymore.

My MT09 had bright green graphics which I intended to remove but ended kinda liking them!!

Can a Ducati be anything other than red!

Taipan wrote: Thu Apr 06, 2023 9:54 am Can a Ducati be anything other than red!

Black

Red bikes are faster.


(didn't we prove this way back when?)

I think yellow Ducatis are the most fasterest.

KungFooBob wrote: Thu Apr 06, 2023 10:11 am I think yellow Ducatis are the most fasterest.

Yellow 748 *chef's kiss*

My auld Speed Triple is "Lucifer Orange" and I like the colour very much. I don't like the orange KTMs though

KungFooBob wrote: Thu Apr 06, 2023 10:11 am I think yellow Ducatis are the most fasterest.

They're actually the slowest cos they always have an extra kilo of insects crawling on them.

Black absorbs the most heat which then makes them a bit lighter as heat rises. This is why they're so fast.

This is science.

Slenver wrote: Thu Apr 06, 2023 10:16 am Black absorbs the most heat which then makes them a bit lighter as heat rises.

Just don't forget to increase the rebound damping

Taipan wrote: Thu Apr 06, 2023 9:54 am
Can a Ducati be anything other than red!

I quite liked my Gunmetal Grey one



Although I do now have a red one after the grey one had a lie down

Slenver wrote: Thu Apr 06, 2023 10:16 am

KungFooBob wrote: Thu Apr 06, 2023 10:11 am I think yellow Ducatis are the most fasterest.

They're actually the slowest cos they always have an extra kilo of insects crawling on them.

Knew someone with an ex-AA bike.

Wherever he parked, every insect would scream "Look at that FLOWER!" and make a bee-line

Horse wrote: Thu Apr 06, 2023 10:26 am Wherever he parked, every insect would scream "Look at that FLOWER!" and make a bee-line

I had a Snapdragon Yellow Mini back in the day. Absolute nightmare. If you wanted to wash it you had to swipe your arm across each panel first to remove all the wildlife.

Black or Black. If in doubt Black. If it's not Black just let it get dirty.

In real life I wouldn't go out wearing a yellow blazer, unless it was necessary to prevent me being run down. I don't need to shout how fun I am with my needy outfits like Lenny Henry or Graham Norton. I had a TL-S in BRG once, and a Monster in Silver. Cooo-eee!

It does seem peculiar to bikes, you see so so few lairy paintjobs on cars, it must be a tiny tiny percentage. Maybe us bikers are just dickheads?