“What? You don’t eat turkey on Thanksgiving? That’s so not right.”
My good friend was shocked during our talk around Thanksgiving, and this led to a talk about going against the status quo and not caring what others think for true success. Of course, this also led to motorcycles that go against the status quo.
Three models in 2020 satisfy this sentiment:
- Triumph Rocket 3
- Harley-Davidson LiveWire
- Aprilia RS660
The original 2004 Triumph Rocket III went against the status quo as an experiment in mammoth bike culture. I loved the idea but hated the bike. Despised it, actually, because it was a super bore.
But that changed significantly for 2020 with the all-new Rocket 3, the roman numeral dropped for the number 3 to show the drastic changes. I rode this month in Tenerife, Spain’s largest Canary Island, and I didn’t want to stop. At all.
That engine is certainly huge. But Triumph engineered the bike to feel like a small cruiser – like Sportster 1200 feeling territory. With 165 horsepower, the thing is an absolute blast to ride.
Looks can be deceiving. And I embrace that.
Next is the Harley LiveWire. This doesn’t so much go against the status quo in motorcycling since electric is nothing new. What it does go against is the status quo of the typical MoCo customer.
I rode this on in the hipster capital of the world, Portland. I expected a dog. The thing was an absolute tiger. Going against conventional thinking never felt so good. Even without the mechanical noise I love.
Next is the Aprilia RS 660. Nobody rode this bike yet – it was just launched at EICMA. The RS 660 goes against the status quo of literbikes and smaller cc sportbikes. This machine will hopefully revive one of my favorite segments in sportbikes – the mid-weight segment that has always been dominated by the GSX-R750.
They may also deny turkey. But for a different reason than me. I don’t eat turkey because I’m intolerant to it. The SOB’s meat upsets my stomach. I never mentioned this to my friend, though.
I also own 10 bikes and not one cruiser, electric bike or mid-weight supersport. The only three bikes that can possibly change that are the Rocket 3, LiveWire and RS660 – bikes that are going against the status quo of modern motorcycle design.