Past Perfect
PAST PERFECT
CW THE ART OF COOL
R nineT designer Ola Stenegärd believes the future of motorcycling lies in the past
OLA STENEGÄRD is no stranger to Cycle World. Back when he was a custom builder making a name for himself in his native Sweden, his Honda VTR1000-based power cruiser was featured in our popular "American Flyers" series. Educated at the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, California, he did stints at Saab and the late Indian Motorcycle Company before winding up at BMW Motorrad, where today he is head of vehicle design. At the R nineT press intro, we cornered him to get his thoughts on the state of motorcycling...
ON SOME BIKES, I APPRECIATE ELECTRONICS. The power is getting more and more extreme, so you need traction control. It’s a safety thing. I do trackdays on an S1000RR. When I can power slide like Casey Stoner, that’s cool. Highsiding hurts! It’s nice to take that out of the equation.
THERE’S ALSO THIS CROWD THAT’S OVERWHELMED BY TECHNOLOGY. Some guys don’t ride that often. They work hard and have two weeks’ vacation. When they get on their bike, they can’t spend five days figuring out the electronics. I think that’s why a lot of these young riders gravitate toward old bikes. They’re simple.
THEY APPRECIATE THE MECHANICAL PURITY. They like to see how things work. And they appreciate quality. Like in the old days: I know my dad got my grandfather’s bootshe just got them resoled. Those things were made for generations. There’s something cool about that, and it’s getting lost.
ELECTRIC BIKES ARE FOR COMMUTING. That's why we did the C Evolution scooter. These customers don’t know what’s under the body, anyway. They just want the powerto be first away from the red light. With motorcycles, it’s not so easy. Guys like us like motors. Even the young guys want to get their hands dirty. They want the fumes, the sound.
A BIG PART OF PRODUCT PLANNING CONCERNS RULES AND REGULATIONS. Compared to the car guys, when I see what they have to work around and they still make bitchin’ cars, it gives me hope. It doesn’t matter what rules and regulations they put out; if you’re clever, you’ll find a way to work around them.
THE R nineT WILL NEVER HAVE A WATER-COOLED MOTOR. It’s like a Harley: They’ll go through fire to keep them air-cooled. The new Indian showed it too: That motor isn’t built for a 10-year cycle; it’s built for a long time. The boxer motor is bulletproof. There’s no problem with the regulations; we can keep it going foralong, longtime.
BC
