I seem to have no shortage of these types of things.

Got in an argument with someone over whether or not my Buell Lightning was naked or not.  I say yes, he says no.  Why?  Because it has one of these:




Is the existence of bodywork, not including fenders/tail-surrounds/wind-screens, immediately make the bike no longer "naked"?  If you compare my Lightning to a firebolt, which has a two piece fairing comprised of an upper wind fairing and the lower chin fairing, I guess my Lightning is more "topless" than "naked", but what else would you call it?  He described "naked" as being like when someone wrecks a sport bike and instead of repairing it strips the bodywork off and runs it like that.  At that point there are no more radiator surrounds or anything, it's a naked sport-bike.

My definition is more or less just a "dressed down" version of a sport bike.  Take a sport bike, remove the main wind-fairing, and if you add some body accents it doesn't turn it back into a sport-bike.  It's still a naked bike...

I think him and I would both agree the GS500E is naked, but he would not have called my CB500F naked because there are radiator surrounds, while I would because the CBR500R is the same bike with a full fairing.  We'd probably agree on a naked SV650, but not the SFV650.  Same with the GSX-S750, I'd say yes and he'd say no.
Said he hates how the industry is "redefining the term" and using it as "blanket marketing", but I think he's too pedantic (which, honestly, is something I'm usually known for).


Lets take this one step deeper.
Despite me thinking to be "naked" there has to be a "sport-bike" going hand in hand, I'm not exactly hard wired in that definition.  For example, I still refer to the Ducati Monster as naked despite there being no fully faired versions of that motorcycle.
Ducati has the Panigale as their sport-bike, and the Monster is NOT a naked Panigale, but if you think back to, say, the S3 the Monster was literally the same bike without a fairing, so even still today the Monster is a naked bike despite being developed as it's own line.

However, I'd be less inclined to call the Yamaha FZ-07/09/10 bikes "naked".  They're more "standards" than anything else, nothing else in the Yamaha lineup is comparable.  They aren't naked R1/R6s, they are their own entities.  So they're standards...

Does anyone agree with me?  Does anyone have a dissenting opinion?

I consider that naked. Put some clothes on!

I always thought the term "naked" meant any bike without fairings. That does not rule out those with body panels, and thus the E qualifies. Examples are the Ducati Monster, Triumph Street Triples, Yamaha FZ07, Honda CB500 and the SV650.

So yes, I would say that your bike is naked.

And also the term "naked" and "standard" are really synonymous.

Just my $0.02.

I'd probably use the term "semi-faired" if we're being particular. To me, that term is inclusive of bikes like the SV650 aren't fully faired, nor are they naked. That being said, I typically would use the term "standard" to describe most naked and semi-faired bikes in this category (more based on the riding position than the amount of plastic around the bike).

Quote from: barry905 on December 09, 2016, 03:51:14 AM
And also the term "naked" and "standard" are really synonymous.

I always thought "standard" was about riding position (which a GS500 really is not exactly, anyway) and "naked" was about the lack of fairings.

So, for example, a GS500E with CBR rearsets and clipons is not a standard bike, but it's a naked bike. An NC700X would be a standard bike that's not a naked bike. I guess a V-Strom is also a standard/not-naked.

Interesting to see how varied the term is to people, even with such a small sample.

I never thought to use Adventure and Standard to describe the same machine, re: NC700X.  That's a new one for me.

Quote from: Watcher on December 09, 2016, 10:01:42 AM
I never thought to use Adventure and Standard to describe the same machine, re: NC700X.  That's a new one for me.

One of the motorcycle mags included the NC700X along with the Gladius, ER6n, FZ-07 all in a "middleweight standard" shootout IIRC...

I guess it's all about how you slice it up.

I have extremely limited experience but as a recent shopper of motorcycles it seemed to me that from a marketing perspective, "standard" refers to riding position and control placement, somewhat like a Triumph Bonneville (or maybe a Honda Nighthawk). "Naked" refers to a bike which is derived from a sport bike but comes sans fairings.

"Adventure" is a dual-sport bike, most of which are standards in terms of riding position and control placement but not all of which are lacking fairings and they generally have no relationship to a sport bike.

Many "naked" bikes are essentially sport bikes under the covers, since the lack of fairings is more or less the only thing that distinguishes them from their sport-bike siblings. From a marketing perspective, to me as a buyer, it also seemed that most "naked" bikes served up a slightly more upright position than their sport siblings by virtue of the handlebar height alone (much like a GS500), but would not qualify as true "standards" which would have mid-set foot controls.

I mean, is a Harley Sportster a standard? naked? cruiser? Or the Harley Street 750. Or one of the new Rebels. They don't have fairings, but we would feel weird calling them "naked street bikes" because they are really middleweight cruisers, due almost entirely to riding position, seat height, control positioning, etc. What about a Ducati Scrambler? Sure looks like a naked bike to me but it has no "sport" sibling and it has purely standard (/adventure) riding position, so it's a "standard" but probably not "naked" in the strict sense (and Ducati don't market it that way).

Of course once we buy and start modifying these things, it becomes blurry. And manufacturers are putting out bikes that really don't fit a well-defined category. I mean, Honda calls the Grom a "sport" bike.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Types_of_motorcycles

Not that its a true authority, but Wikipedia says standards are "recognized primarily by their upright riding position, partway between the reclining rider posture of the cruisers and the forward leaning sport bikes. Footpegs are below the rider and handlebars are high enough to not force the rider to reach far forward, placing the shoulders above the hips in a natural position." It also says that "standards usually do not come with fairings or windscreens, or if they have them, they are relatively small." And it says people use the term "naked" as a synonym, but I don't think that's accurate. You can have "naked" bikes that aren't standards (streetfighters, choppers, etc.), and you can have standards that aren't "naked" (CB500SW or the version of the SV650s without the side fairings [although, the SV is a bit sportier than most standards]). To me, naked basically just means "without fairings" but I think its usage should usually be applied to a non-faired version of a bike that is also available with fairings (SV650, GS500, etc.). Like mr72 said, I wouldn't refer to the Sportster as a "naked" bike even though it technically is "naked" in the sense that it has no fairings.

Regarding your bike, I guess if I want to get pedantic I would say I would have to agree with rscottlow. I would consider your bike "semi-faired". I'm not sure I'd even call the firebolt "fully-faired" since it doesn't really have any side fairings.

The SV650 has 3 versions that really demonstrate where I fall on this:

SV650:



I'd call this a naked bike.

SV650S:



I'd consider this "semi-faired" or "half-faired"

SV650SF:



My favorite of the bunch, which I would consider fully-faired.

Of course HD Sportsters aren't naked, they're cruisers, I don't know anyone who would call one a naked bike.
Ignoring the fact that there aren't any race faired versions that aren't custom fabrications, the whole posture of feet forward is pretty standard "cruiser".

Not that there aren't categories of cruisers, but that's a whole different discussion.

"Topless" is also good!
Bahahaha

Naked..... a bit like. .. cafe racer.... bound to cause opinions to get all bent up!