Would you buy it?

[makenzie71]

Or, more so, do you think it's a good idea to pursue?  This is far outside of my ability, but I do love to dream.

The idea is a cheap motorcycle akin to the Hyosung GT250 and GS500 and the new Ninja 250.  The frame would be steel, the engine would be a simple oil-cooled thumper (ideally), and the geometry would be aimed more toward sport riding while being a fully capable beginner's bike.  The price would be closer to Hyosung's GT250...between $3500 and $4000...but the fantasy includes things like (at least) pre-load adjustability on both ends and fuel injection.  It would be a naked bike with NO body work...only enough plastic to form fenders and and a plate hanger and the small necessities.  Goal weight is 300lbs wet.

The hardest part, in my mind, is the engine...it'd be a new design, no getting around it.  I have an interesting idea for the engine that I would LOVE to see done...but it probably wouldn't work...but it would simplify the entire model line and make the thing a lot more versatile, in my opinion.  The base engine is a single thumper, but the case will be designed so that a second and third cylinder could be, basically, bolted on...I mean it'd be an ordeal to add the second and third cylinders after the fact but still.  It's an interesting idea, to me, to just pull a cover off, bolt your new cylinder on, pull the right engine cover off and route your appropriate cam chain, and bam you've gone from a 25whp 250cc thumper to a 50whp 500cc V2 or a 75whp 750cc V3.  If anyone has ever seen torque curves for a V3...awesome...like V twins on steroids.  Of course, I'm not looking at modern supersport horsepower, so there's a lot of sacrafices that can be made to make the engine work.

Big things I want incorporated are recycled parts...wheels and steel, mostly, as there's not a whole lot out there that CAN be recycled but anything helps.  I would even love it if there was an incentive like "bring in some wheels for a $200 discount" or something.  To add, after the bike is paid off, I would love to have it set up so that you can get a large discount in the price of a new bike should you bring your old on in as a trade-in.  The old bike would then be torn down, inspected, rebuilt, and updated to the new model's specs.

There's a lot of ideas floating around my head and I have a bunch of drawings of the engine and concepts of the "bike" I'll probably post later, but that's not all that important.  The important thing to me is knowing...

What's most important to me is knowing whether or not other motorcyclists out there would be interested in buying a bike that's unproven and a little more expensive just because it's made in America, by Americans?  That's my dream in the simplest form...to see something interesting that the average Joe can buy come from America.

[scottpA_GS]

Its not cheap or easy to manufacture your own reliable, insurable bike in the USA... Look at Cannondale 

[makenzie71]

If it was easy, wouldn't anyone do it?  I didn't ask if it were easy.  I asked if the product had appeal.

[yamahonkawazuki]

Appeal yes, BUT cost can kill appeal though. hell, id buy it

[08GSSteve]

You have a bold vision and 2 thumbs up for your ideas I hope one day your dream becomes reality if only on small scale.

In this day and age cost plays a major factor in peoples purchases.  The Japs, Chinese, Indians, etc etc etc can build good quality gear (to customers spec) for a cheap price mainly due to wages.

Look telling you simply here and now.....If I had loads of spare cash to toy with I would buy one.  As I am an "Average person" I don't have loads of extra money laying round so I would buy a proven built and cheaper bike instead of taking a gamble on unproven gear (thats why I have a GS).

Keep your dream alive as one day you may find a way to make it happen.  Good Luck

[ohgood]

fuel injection, and you want a $3500 price point, in the us ? dude, the dollar is worthless !

maybe $5000, with 400cc's, and 30 hp. ya, there is interest !

[bettingpython]

fuel injection, and you want a $3500 price point, in the us ? dude, the dollar is worthless !

maybe $5000, with 400cc's, and 30 hp. ya, there is interest !

Just make sure you manufacture in a non union state using immigrant labor, you can get it at $3500

[makenzie71]

That's the dream, python...paid for the work and, ideally, it'd be done in Texas which is 100% at-will employment.

I can see hitting $3500 really, really easily if an existing motor were used...which would be the way to do things, really, as a fledging venture...but that means it'd likely use a motor made overseas, which would disapoint me.  I would love to see it being 100% US made, but that's also a goal that coauld be worked toward.  The dream wouldn't have to be realized all at one time.  The plus-side would be that the start-up costs would be cut in half.

When you look at it as the sum of it's parts it's easy to see just how inexpensive the bike could be.  There's only a frame, a seat, a tank, forks/triples/bars/wheel, swingarm/wheel/shocks, the brake components, simple wiring, and a motor.  Everything necessary, and nothing that is not.  While the bike will be built as purposeful streetbike, it will be simpler than your average dirtbike with lights.

[bettingpython]

Product liability insurance is your great variable issue that shite's expensive.

[jserio]

the idea appeals to me. a beginners bike (that also has the ability to still thrill me as i "grow"), fuel injection, and under 4k otd.