Why numbers don't tell the whole story

Even though I know I'm at least a couple years from seriously buying a new bike, I'm still always shopping. With the internet as my primary shopping tool, I find myself boiling bikes down to the numbers. On paper, Bonnies, Sportsters and others aren't terribly impressive. However, in their day they were fast as hell. Now, we've got street-legal machines that can do 0 to speeding ticket in a few seconds. The dealers might as well take the license plate brackets off and throw in free tire warmers because these new machines are designed with the nearest track in mind.

In case you can't gather from my moto-related posts, I'm a Triumph fan. From the huge Rocket III to the CBR-beating Daytona, to the retro-king Bonneville, I love them all (and can't wait to ride them for myself!). So, it's not a shock that I "liked" Triumph on Facebook. A recent post of theirs showed a beautiful 1949 Triumph 6T Thunderbird. 

below the picture, they listed the specs: 34bhp; 650cc; 4-speed transmission; Top speed of 100mph; Specs that sounded nearly identical to my VLX. I've discussed my thoughts on the VLX before but despite it's faults, it's still a great bike to ride at normal below-interstate speeds. 

When you look at the numbers, most bikes sound slow compared to the crop of supersports we have available now a days and it's totally true; They are slow (compared to supersports). The new Daytona 675 (not the R version with the quickshifter, stiffer Ohlins suspension and misc carbon fiber bits) will do 0-60 in 3.5 seconds under the control of an experienced rider. To put that in perspective, a new Nissan 370z or Ford Mustang GT will do that same stretch in 5 seconds flat and they're not exactly considered slow. 

A friend of mine reminded me about a point I forget from time to time when thinking about motorcycles; It's not about the numbers. It's about how much you enjoy riding that bike, nothing more. Bikes are made for different purposes. I wouldn't want to hit the trails with a GSXR or ride across the country on a CR250r or take an Harley Road King to a track day (but wouldn't that be a sight to see?). However, you have to evaluate your needs, your wants and buy what fits somewhere in the middle.

In shopping around, I've been looking for something significantly faster than my VLX. I commute to work near daily, I like to ride but I'm not exactly dragging my knee just yet. I like quick acceleration and decent power to get away from crazy drivers in traffic but outright "speed" isn't my thing. 

I keep coming back to the Bonneville (or it's sexy sportier cousin, the Thruxton) but then I'll get the feeling I'll want something faster like a Daytona or Street Triple (or Z1000, zx-6r, CBR, Gixxer, Monster, etc). Then I'll think I want something bigger like a Thunderbird Storm (or a Wide Glide, Street Bob, V-Rod, M109r, Victory Judge etc). But I keep coming back to the Bonneville when I remember how much I loved riding that bike. It handled like a dream, was plenty powerful enough for my riding style, had timeless looks to boot and it's cheaper than some of the bigger/faster options mentioned above.  

I did something similar when researching cell phones, actually. The iPhone 5's specs on a paper make it sound like the battery sucks, the CPU is slow, there isn't enough RAM, and the screen is too small but that's only when you're comparing it to other Android devices. When you actually use one, it's just as fast. The battery life is just as good (probably even better) and the screen feels about perfect. It's a good compromise between screen size and ability to hold in your hand without discomfort. They just got it right in my opinion. 

I'm getting off on tangents. My point being is that whatever you're shopping for or thinking about getting, don't get caught up in the numbers and data or the ever differing opinions of random people on the internet. While others' insights can be helpful, they should be taken with a huge grain of salt. They're not you. You're going to be the one riding that motorcycle or using that cell phone. Get some seat time (literally and figuratively, item pending) and just ask yourself "Am I happy with this one?" For a motorcycle, if you're smiling the whole time, the answer is likely yes. So, next time I'm watching a review of a motorcycle on Youtube or checking out Dyno ratings, I'll have to remind myself that the numbers never tell the whole story.