Orphans of the 1990s

The 1990s. Not that long ago? Well, when you consider that our television dials were tuned into programs like Frasier, Seinfeld, Baywatch and Beverley Hills 90210, it seems like a distant age indeed.

Back then, a ruddy-faced and weary Boris Yeltsin was wobbling about the Kremlin; Bob, Paul and John shared the big job here; George Bush Snr etched his name in history by setting Baghdad ablaze and Bill 'got a light?' Clinton kept it local and etched his name on a blue dress.

More nobly, Nelson Mandela was elected president of South Africa. And, sadly, Princess Diana met her end.

Computers in the home? Nup. Internet usage in Australia was at a mere one per cent in 1990, but fear of the Y2K bug grew as the decade drew to a close.
A different time? You bet.

More relevant was the fact that motorcycling in the 1990s in Australia was in a pretty poor state when it comes to participation. The slide began in the '80s, but the long-term revival that sees record numbers of both riders and bike sales didn't kick in until the mid-'90s.

This saw a fairly conservative start to the decade in terms of new model releases, but things hotted up as sales began to build toward the end of the decade. So, the motorcycling outlook started badly, but got better. The truth is though, there were some pretty serious sales failures - some warranted, some not.

Let's look at a sprinkling of motorcycles that, through the 1990s, simply didn't cut the mustard with the Aussie bike-buying public…

SUZUKI TL1000R
Brutally big and tough, the TL1000R paid a high price for the reputation of its wayward older brother, the TL1000S, and that bike's inherent handling and rear shock problems.

Introduced in 1998 to compete in the Superbike World Championship (winning one race in AMA competition), Suzuki quickly realised that its racing fortunes would be much better served by the lighter and more nimble GSX-R750 - and the TL1000R was instantly rendered an also-ran in the sportsbike fraternity as a consequence.

It used the same engine design as the TL1000S, but got forged components, stronger internals and a higher compression ratio. The 996cc, 90-degree V-twin claimed 135hp (99kW), but there was simply no getting around the fact that it was porky, at 226kg wet.

The rear rotary damper system was widely criticised, and it compromised the bike's handling. However, the TL1000R had a different frame to the 'evil sibling' TL1000S, and it didn't deserve to be tossed in the same bucket. By this stage, the S had earned itself the title of, 'the widowmaker'. Yep, you can pick your friends, but you can't pick your family…

Despite this, the TL1000R didn't die off never to be seen again. It's gained something of a cult following in more recent times, and has developed a bit of a reputation as a 'man's' bike.

YAMAHA SRV250
Landing in Oz in 1995, the SRV had every right to take the 250 market by storm. It was nicely put together, it looked drop-dead gorgeous and it made use of the venerable 248cc, air-cooled, SOHC, V-twin engine (with the addition of an extra carb) that had taken its cruiser brother, the XV250, to the heights of 'best selling 250' - a position that bike held for many years.

But market success is a tricky thing to predict in Australia. Where this one failed can be sheeted home to the fact it was a very pricey $7151 new. This immediately put it into a class that probably didn't really exist - that of the upmarket learner 'café' bike. In fact, the category never took off and the SRV became a rarity because of it. That's a shame, because it was a very nice motorcycle.

Handling was a strong point, with a fairly conventional twin-shock suspension set-up mated to a featherbed-style double-cradle frame.

At 144kg dry and with a seat height of 770mm, the bike was perfectly placed as an urban cruiser. Top speed was around 140km/h, while the bike's 27hp placed longer runs within reach. Appointments were neat, with chrome analogue instruments, deep lustrous paint (either candy red or deep green) and chic spoked wheels.

It was a very pretty bike that simply failed to gain a foothold.

SUZUKI RF900R
While not a dismal failure in regard to sales, the RF900R gains a place on this list due to the fact it should have been a rip-roaring success and wasn't.
Released in 1994 at $13,999 (when its main competitor, the Kawasaki ZX9-R was going for $15,590), the RF900R should have attracted 'bang for buck' buyers in droves. The bike was still a very reasonable $13,990 when discontinued in 1999, so it can't blame overpricing for its underwhelming sales performance.

It has to be said it was quirky to look at and that may account for its lukewarm buyer take-up. It had a tailpiece reminiscent of the rear end of a Cadillac, with a sea of brake lights at a time when lighter and littler was the order of the day.

The louvered main fairing has aged well, but was considered a little over the top at release. A skinny 170-section rear tyre, when the craze was for big fatties, added to the odd-looking rear end.

What the bike didn't lack was grunt. The liquid-cooled, 937cc, 16-valve, four was good for 135hp (101kW) at 10,000rpm, and 135.9Nm at 9000rpm. Yep, it was a rocket - everywhere except the sales charts.

BMW R 1200 C
In the late '90s, BMW knew it could no longer ignore the popularity of cruisers around the globe. So, in 1997, the R 1200 C burst onto the world scene.
And BMW spared no expense getting the thing noticed, gaining more brand exposure than the bike deserved via an advance promotional placement in the James Bond film, Tomorrow Never Dies.

Well, while tomorrow may not have died for James, it certainly did for the R 1200 C. Rest assured, somewhere on the planet there is a warehouse wall to wall with what is left of the 40,218 examples produced by the Munich-based firm.

The bike had 'love it or hate it' styling that really set it apart. With the brand's relatively new single-arm Monolever swingarm rear suspension and the fully exposed Telelever front suspension with its separate spring/damper unit, the thing looked like it had been designed by a committee. I actually remember writing of the bike at launch, "It will be nice... when it's finished". Cruel, but my sentiments were in the majority.
BMW increased bore and stroke over the earlier 1100 engine, but knocked back valve sizes in the Boxer 1200 C engine. The result is more bottom end, but a third less peak power.

Make it slower?  That's an odd choice right there - and you can start to see why the bike was shunned here in Australia.

When BMW wound up production of the R 1200 C range, Dr Herbert Diess, (then) President of BMW Motorrad, cited a prime reason for the bike's discontinuation as the apparent unsuitability of the 1170cc, 61hp (45kW) engine for then current market tastes and the unavailability of a suitable available engine for further development, but did not rule out BMW pursuing a reinterpretation of the cruiser idea at a later date.

The final model of the R 1200 C to be produced was the commemorative Montauk model, of which 350 examples were built.

MOTO GUZZI CENTAURO
Moto Guzzi has always been, well… different. The Mandello del Lario-based Italian manufacturer has offered avant-garde styling ever since it began messing about with motorcycles way back in 1921. We've come to expect and embrace the unique offerings from the Guzzi mob. In that light, let's investigate the Centauro of 1997.

The Centauro is based on the Daytona RS, evolving from the earlier-model Daytona using the same frame and four-valve-per-pot, fuel-injected, 992cc engine. The five-speed gearbox is complemented by the same double uni-joint shaft you'll find on the Daytona and 1100 Sport.

The bike was offered at a pretty hefty $21,295 new and that put it into an elite class - strictly for the cashed-up buyer.

It asked a lot, given its looks were stylishly Euro-quirky. That didn't make it ugly, but a buyer was making a statement that excluded all but the extrovert.
You got a lot for the money though. Suspension is WP Racing gear: a 40mm upside-down fork and a remote-reservoir monoshock on the back. Compression and rebound damping adjustment is available at both ends, with preload on the rear.

Brakes saw four-spot Brembos on the front (320mm discs) and a twin-spot item at the back (282mm disc). The classy Marchesini wheels were fitted with sporty Pirelli Dragon rubber.

This one attempted to cross the wide gulf between sports and cruising. On that front, it was a little before its time and it suffered in the showroom because of it.

KAWASAKI GPz1100
Kawasaki must have been tempted to throw its hands up in the air and wander off into the middle distance after it released the GPz1100, which failed the hit the mark despite all the heritage and kudos of the famous GPz name.

The GPz moniker had represented the Big K's hero sports offerings right through the '80s. Rekindling the GPz name in 1995 with a bike that was a little down-spec for a world now used to lighter and more nimble offerings (like, for example, Honda's benchmark-defining Fireblade) saw a very lukewarm response from Aussie buyers.

Upon launch it was priced at $13,990. To keep costs down, Kawasaki opted for a steel backbone frame, rather than an extruded aluminium twin-spar unit.
The liquid-cooled 1052cc, 16-valve, four-cylinder engine owes it roots to the venerable ZZ-R1100, but with 4mm smaller carbs and no ram-air, the whole deal was aimed at improved mid-range power to please the sportstouring fraternity. Kawasaki claimed 130hp (95kW) at 9500rpm and 98.1Nm at 7000rpm - reasonable figures.

The whole deal felt a little budget-built. Fit and finish was a little scratchy (especially around the dash area), the front suspension had no adjustment and handling was at best 'reasonable', due the bike's hefty 242kg dry weight.

While the idea seemed good on paper - cash in on a much-loved model designation with relatively modern technology - the bike failed to resonate with a wary bike-buying public - a public that wanted more from that famous GPz name.

LAVERDA 750S SPORTS
Laverda made a return to mainstream motorcycle production in the mid '90s, bringing out a host of offerings based around the twin-cylinder 500 Montjuic from way back in 1977.

The 750S Sports was released in 1997 at $16,495. It was powered by a liquid-cooled, fuel-injected, 747cc, parallel-twin.

The bike dripped with lovely examples of quality Italian hardware: Paioli suspension, Brembo brakes and Termignoni carbon exhausts to name but a few. At 185kg dry, it was a true sports bike and no-one ever complained about the way the 750S handled.

A 225km/h top speed, rock-solid sports operation from a brand with real integrity and prestige, coupled with the best bits in mainstream motorcycling. Sounds like a no-brainer, doesn't it?

So, why didn't the thing sell like hotcakes? Well, the answers lie in three areas. First of all, the dealer network was pretty sparse for Laverda and marketing was pretty limited. So, actually getting your hands on one was an issue at that time.

The engines proved unreliable and that probably hammered home the last nail in the Laverda coffin. Plus, who at that stage wanted a parallel-twin sports bike? After all, V-twins and in-line fours were winning everything there was to win in road racing circles at the time. From the outset, this model was catering to a very limited market.

As one of motorcycling's iconic brands, it's a great shame the effort never saw the Laverda phoenix gain lift off.

YAMAHA TDM850
Yamaha's TDM850 first saw the light of day Down Under in 1991 at a price of $14,999. Yamaha aimed the bike as a sort of dualsport, and the bike can lay claim to being one of the first to enter the relatively new (at the time) big-bore dualsport sector. It had strong on-road manners and a degree of off-road ability, helped along by an 18-inch front wheel and long-travel suspension.

The engine was sourced from the Ténéré and bored to 849cc. For the 1996 model year the bike received a 270-degree crank, which was also used in the much-loved TRX850. The firm's Deltabox frame kept the whole shebang together.

Parallel-twins have a reputation for vibration, but Yamaha got around this by fitting a pair of counter-rotating balance shafts, which all but cured the TDM of this affliction.

The bike's cosmetics were its Achilles heel. Many consider the TDM to be pig ugly, citing the swoopy half-fairing as the main culprit. This didn't stop the bike selling in big numbers in Europe, where it was a big favourite.
Interestingly, while support for the bike never replicated that of European markets, owners here often go on to replace their TDM with - another TDM. It has a dedicated but small following.

The 900 version (released in 2002) is still in the Yamaha range, and to date has enjoyed a far wider uptake than the 850 ever did.

-- story courtesy of Motorcycle Trader