Stripped of Amenities, ‘Naked’ Bikes Travel the Comeback Trail

‘The Naked Motorcycle” sounds like the title of a lost Jacqueline Susann novel.

But instead, “naked” is the new designation for a type of motorcycle whose history stretches back to the vehicle’s beginnings in the 19th century. It is still a relatively no-frills bike with little body work and an upright seating position in all likelihood influenced by how people rode horses and bicycles.

“Just an engine and a frame,” said a motorcyclist pal after he took a spin on the Buell Lightning X1, one of the new crop of naked bikes.

He happened to be smiling broadly when he said it. Despite their humble beginnings and relatively plain appearance in an age of flashy bodywork on motorcycles, the naked bikes are making a comeback for good reasons--they are lightweight, nimble and speedy demons that are a kick in the pants to ride.

“We didn’t set out to make a racing bike or a touring bike or any of those other specializations when we designed the X1,” said Erik Buell, whose Milwaukee-based company introduced the naked model as part of its 1999 lineup. “We wanted to make a motorcycle that was for real-world riding and really a lot of fun.”

It’s not, by any means, a motorcycle for all situations. Without a fairing or windshield, it offers almost no protection against the wind that constantly pelts a rider at freeway speeds. And it’s not comfortable enough for a long tour or even a full day of riding.

But if you do your riding for a few hours at a time on country roads where maneuverability is more important than raw speed, naked bikes such as the X1 or others in the class--the Ducati Monster line and Suzuki Bandits are key examples--might be just the ticket.

For decades, such models were simply called standards, a term that hardly fit bikes that had names such as Lightning, Monster or Bandit.

“It was thought that modern motorcyclists didn’t want to say, ‘I have a standard,’ ” motorcycle industry analyst Don Brown said in an interview last year. “It didn’t fit the image. So terms like ‘naked’ became more popular.”

“Standard” is a term still used by some motorcycle magazines and manufacturers to differentiate these bikes from the more aerodynamic sportbikes, which feature a forward-leaning sitting position and plenty of plastic bodywork. The other major classifications are laid-back cruisers (which situate a rider’s feet forward) and touring motorcycles (which are built for comfort over long hauls).

Buell said the X1, a revision of the S1 model his company offered during the last two model years (it won Cycle World magazine’s award for best standard for 1998), was designed to be able to handle less-than-optimal road conditions.

“These days, companies put out sportbikes that are racing replicas,” said Buell, himself a former racer.

“But a racetrack is a perfect road. If you take one of those super sportbikes low around a curve on a regular roadway and then suddenly hit some wet leaves, it’s a thrilling experience. A lot more thrilling than you probably want,” Buell said.

The X1 has an extremely potent 1,200-cubic-centimeter, 101-horsepower engine made by Harley-Davidson, which owns 98% of Buell’s company. It offers lots of torque for plenty of quick power. But without the aerodynamic advantages made possible by modern fairings, the X1 doesn’t reach the high speeds achieved by many other bikes with smaller power plants. That’s OK with Buell.

“This motorcycle is for the kind of riding I like to do,” he said. “It’s for taking slightly slower roads with skill, so that a ride becomes a kind of ballet dance as you move in and out of curves.”

It’s best if those slower roads are nearby. On a daylong test ride of the X1, I found that a stretch on the freeway was not much fun, given the full force of the winds. And in traffic, I did appreciate the X1’s nimbleness--but not the rumbling and vibration of the big motor when at a stop.

In short, the X1 or another naked model might make a perfect second bike for the rider who already has one for freeway commuting and tours. It will also probably find favor with Harley fans who do not want to stray far from their beloved manufacturer when getting a second, non-cruiser bike.

The X1 is, however, on the high end of naked bikes when it comes to price--suggested retail is $10,599. Ducati’s 900-cc Monster goes for $9,745 and its 750-cc model for $7,495.

The relatively bargain-priced Suzuki Bandits are $7,199 for the 1,200-cc model and $5,699 for the 600-cc version.

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Two-Wheel Ride surveys the motorcycle scene in Southern California. Times staff writer David Colker can be reached via e-mail at david.colker@latimes.com.