Jamerican

[kawashima]

There's a word "Jamerican" here.
It's J-American = J-Cruiser.
I understand it's
Normal bike + upper handle bar + stepped seat (+ non-forward steps)
(examples)
GL400 Custom
CBX400 Custom
250T LA Custom
GX400SP
XS250SP
XJ400SP
GS400L
GSX400L
Z400LTD

Recent cruisers are very low and long, and has forward steps.(-> instant hip pain).
I think J-American riding position looks far comfier than these recent ones.

I wonder why makers don't make J-American style bikes again.
What do you think?
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own:2020 Serow 250
owned: 2012 YB125SP, 2008 TDM900, 2005 W650, 2002 LS125R, 2002 CB400SF, NS50F, C50 / Trip to UK(2009), Hokkaido touring(2013)

[kawashima]

I haven't tried above example bikes yet.
What kind of riding position was it like?
I had W650. Was it like W650?
____________________
own:2020 Serow 250
owned: 2012 YB125SP, 2008 TDM900, 2005 W650, 2002 LS125R, 2002 CB400SF, NS50F, C50 / Trip to UK(2009), Hokkaido touring(2013)

[nowhere.elysium]

[kawashima]

[Robby]

There is a bit of irony in place, where the Japanese cruisers become ever more extreme to fit the long and low image, the bulk of Harleys retain a more upright and comfortable riding position.

Japanese manufacturers try to out-Harley Harley, and take it too far. And their bikes sound wrong.

[Shaft]

I've always been a fan of what I call US customs, the combination of high bars and comfy seat, with straight back and conventional foot position, I find very comfortable.

The biggest issue (for me) was interpretation of the design, which some got right and others badly wrong. To my mind, the most successful range were the Suzuki 'L' bikes, from the small, but perfectly formed GN250 up to the muscular GS1100L, they always seemed to get the proportions just right.

Kawasaki did quite well with their bigger bikes, but the Z450LTD looked like a cartoon, probably the closest you can get to an off-the-shelf Bosozoku special.

Hondas were hit and miss and most of the Yamahas were a bit half hearted, with bars that were too low and tanks that were barely changed from the 'normal' version (SR650 looked good though).

I don't remember seeing hundreds of any of them on the road at the time and there's not many genuine UK bikes left now (a few more imports) so I imagine they weren't popular at the time; in my experience, the combination of longer and spindlier forks, mated to the standard, early 80s chocolate frames, didn't exactly enhance the handling and contemporary magazine write ups usually panned them.

Still love my Z1100A though, great thing for just tooling around on, very comfortably.
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[Tarmacsurfer]

[Hortone23]