Let's define "modern" as 1990 or newer (because they're not vintage anywhere in Australia [yet?])...
Until last night, I reckon the only current model bikes that are good to look at, are the 2008+ Huskies:
I love the clean, simple look, even though the headlight and rear guard try a bit too hard to be modern and angular (and the guard makes the bike look like it has been flipped).
The thing that changed my mind last night was seeing a pic of a 2010 GasGas:
I might yet change my mind, but I reckon that this is a seriously good looking dirt bike. The black gives it that purposeful, weapons-grade look, while the red stops it looking agricultural.
Then I got thinking about other stuff I like to look at... This came immediately to mind:
The pic is of a 503MXer, although I always wanted the 400EN(duro).
I love the look of these, largely because you can see that they were built to work, not to cut costs. The fact that they're unreliable pigs does not detract from how good they are to look at!
Funnily enough, if I think Japanese bike, then I really struggle to think of a pretty one... Until I remember the last of the 'clean-looking' Jap bikes, before they went to animal print seat covers, and then busy graphics:
But my very favourite is the 1991~93 Huskys:
I can't justify why, I just love the look of them.
Honourable mentions:
06 TM 2-strokes,
1990 KXes (first of the perimeter frame)
and the limited edition (white/red - 2006?) Yamaha YZ250F.
Dishonourable mentions:
The 95~98 Huskies - those radiator shrouds!
The front guards on modern KTMs - all I can see is a kid's paper-plane with a bent nose. Rest of these bikes look good though.
What do you reckon?
