Whatever happened to rear seats and rear cowls?

[SirFallalot]

Not for every bike nor every style, but it looks to me like nakeds and sports have ever shorter seats and many no rear cowl at all, almost like all the bikes are halfway to a bobber or chopped café seat.

My eyes see it as unproportional, like something is missing. E.g. the xsr900 looks like a triangle, big fat tank, slimming seat, nvm the 2022 model... yikes. Some of the nakeds I test sat and rode, if you're not careful or hit a bump, the pillion is gonna end up on the rear wheel.

This then causes the need for the fugfly extended plate holders that most people remove asap.
Most earlier bikes had a longer seat, or a cowl, or grab handle, or all of the above me thinks...? I need a z900rs
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Lexmoto Valiant 125; 94 CB400; 96 CB750F2; 81 CB750 (restoring, lol not gonna happen); 2001 ZX9R(It's about to go :c); 2012 R1200R; 2015 R1200RS

[Bhud]

Pre-war: common man's daily transport, as cars were relatively expensive luxury commodities. Big rear seat, and often a sidecar. Sidecars a common sight, often carrying wares or tools rather than the rider's wife.

War: lots of uses for bikes. From carrying VIPs to munitions, or even being outfitted with a sidecar gun. Mostly courier use though.

Post-war: bigger and more powerful engines. Lots of disposable income for young working men. Interest in motorsports. A tiny minority into road racing and speed - the ton-up boys and cafe racers, but mostly a big motorsports scene. All sorts of new bike competitions. The beginning of the leisure use of motorcycles. Still, most had seats for a pillion and sidecars weren't uncommon.

1970s: influence of American motorcycle culture. Mix of rock music, festivals and counterculture, bringing a bit of the "ass, gas or grass" thing. 1974: helmet law comes into effect, to much outcry and protest. The first big milestone in bikes being urges to be seen as lethally dangerous and not a mainstream means of transport any more. You had to get armoured up, girls shouldn't just hitch a ride with stranger-danger, a coffin awaits, etc.

1980s to 1990s: common mass car ownership. Cars became reliable and seen as safe. Relatively cheaper than in the early 20th. Carry more stuff and people. Leisure use for the whole family, new expectations of family life, etc. Bikes much better and faster on average, but starting to become a solo pursuit of thrills. Not really as accepted as they were.

1990s to now: mass-produced leisure accessory doesn't show what a special and unique snowflake rider is. It has to look like the rider's aspirations of heritage, mechanical and riding competence. Pillion passengers are rare. Easiest way to look different is to remove rear seat. Also may be thought to help in signalling to someone or the other that: "this is not my common man's transport- it's a reflection of my tastefulness!"


Truth is, I don't really know. But that's one possible history. The majority of users of "mororcycles" are scooterists, and scooters have a rear seat. Almost all the chopped-back-end bikes are owned by newcomers, and look weird if you're used to seeing normal bikes.

Aerodynamics: may be better to have no rear seat than an unaerodynamic tail, but in that case you would also have a full front fairing.

[Robby]

It's the current fashion. You can create a very clean-looking concept bike with a short seat and an exposed wheel with no mudguards.

Then reality and legislation hits, and you need a number plate arm and some sort of mudguard. So you get all of the downsides - tiny seat, a dirty back - without the clean styling.

It will pass.

[c_dug]

Probably a few things at play.

I'm sure first and foremost it's just a stylistic thing, particularly with sports bikes there is a general design aesthetic of the 80's-early 90's (square and angular), late 90's - early 00's (round and bulbous), late 00's - mid/late 10's (sharp and pointy), late 10's onwards (glitchy robot with random protrusions, supposedly 'aero').

Also, metallurgy and technology have improved so you need less structure to support a pillion/luggage.

Also, the core of the bike weighs more with emissions control and safety features so there is pressure to shed weight wherever else feasible.
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I am a bellend, I am a man of constant sorrow, I am a gummy bear, I am a rock.

[grr666]

[stinkwheel]

Does nothing for the aerodynamics and therefore performance and fuel consumption either. You'll not see a GP bike without a tailpiece and hump behind the rider to smooth the airflow.

Also stops the back of your jacket inflating.
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“Rule one: Always stick around for one more drink. That's when things happen. That's when you find out everything you want to know.”
I did the 2010 Round Britain Rally on my 350 Bullet. 89 landmarks, 3 months, 9,500 miles.

[Bhud]

[chickenstrip]

I guess younger generations probably don't find the look that odd, since it's what they've grown up with.
For me, cutting my biking teeth on designs from the 70s and 80s, they look unfinished. Styling may not be the most important thing, but I don't mind a bit of form over function if the bike is still generally good. I don't need the ultimate in everything for a road bike.
First thing that gets me about any bike is the look. I can put up with imperfections on that score as long as there's nothing glaringly obvious. The uglier a bike is, the better it had actually be to ride!

In my mind, the main thing that harmed bike styling, or where it began at least, was beam frames that drew a straight line from headstock to swing arm pivot. That limited styling options a lot. Well, never mind, I got used to that, and it's still possible to have a nicely sculpted tank, although difficult to carry flowing lines through from front to back.

But yeah, bikes that look like they have no rear end don't grab me on that crucial first look.
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Chickenystripgeezer's Biking Life (Latest update 19/10/18) Belgium, France, Italy, Austria tour 2016 Picos de Europa, Pyrenees and French Alps tour 2017 Scotland Trip 1, now with BONUS FEATURE edit, 5/10/19, on page 2 Scotland Trip 2 Luxembourg, Black Forest, Switzerland, Vosges Trip 2017
THERE'S MILLIONS OF CHICKENSTRIPS OUT THERE!

[chickenstrip]

[chickenstrip]

[Bhud]

Millions of years ago, a common ancestor we share with all hominids was born without a visible tail. This may have been a mutation or tails might have been getting shorter anyway up to that point. However, the cafe racer thing seems too extreme and reactionary to be an evolutionary process.

I blame Kim Kardashian and pop culture. Compare Kim Kardashian before "enhancements", and after. Before: attractive, relatively unknown. After: not really attractive, highly popular and all over the internetz. That's a cognitive aberration that might cause young people to overreact and take the most powerful tool in their arsenal (angle grinder - cuts anything!) to the an inanimate object (e.g. bike) over which they exert complete domination and control.

[chickenstrip]

[t121anf]

Why do I want a pillion seat if no one sits on it, most bikes I see what 1 person on them too.

Yeah it might come in handy once or twice, but I’ll happily buy a single seater for now.

[chickenstrip]

[grr666]

[Bhud]

[SirFallalot]

All insightful posts, cheers for sharing
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Lexmoto Valiant 125; 94 CB400; 96 CB750F2; 81 CB750 (restoring, lol not gonna happen); 2001 ZX9R(It's about to go :c); 2012 R1200R; 2015 R1200RS

[stinkwheel]

Of course, the most important thing is having somewhere to strap your beer on.
____________________
“Rule one: Always stick around for one more drink. That's when things happen. That's when you find out everything you want to know.”
I did the 2010 Round Britain Rally on my 350 Bullet. 89 landmarks, 3 months, 9,500 miles.