What if Buick developed a motorcycle?

saaboo · Jan 30, 2013

...perhaps a question that nobody will ever ask. But until they do, the notion has been a fun thought ever since riding in my Grandfather's '83 Buick Century T-Type, '86 Century wagon, and '91 Park Avenue Ultra as a kid.

This is a slightly ludicrous blue-sky proposal of mine for an extreme long-haul Buick boulevard bruiser. It includes all the requisite Buick components, including high-tech versions of TT Dynaflow and Dynaride. And proportionally speaking, it's quite a handful. During the rare event that you need to steer, this is achieved via dozens of micro hyper-reactive hydraulic twist servos, embedded within each tire for the ultimate in response (or insert another BS explanation here

).

Overall, it's more of a sculptural exercise than a practical one, inspired by early 50s Buicks, with a touch of WWII & Cold War aeronautic military symbolism. Anyways, thought I'd share with you all.

Test-ride one today...ish!

Seabird · Jan 30, 2013

A minute and a half of anticipatory music and the sound of a turbine winding up and we don't get to see to it GO?...

DISAPPOINT!!!!!!

Cool rendering, though.

gsprobe · Jan 30, 2013

( here goes nothing... )

To me, Harley Davidsons are like Buick's motorcycle. Big American boaty slow over priced comfy not as reliable as the japanese counterparts... Both Buick and Harley are somehow still selling a product to aging consumers who were only intersted in them many many years ago.

Seriously, if you told me that secretely GM owns Harley Davidson, I wouldnt question it.

patrikman · Jan 30, 2013

gsprobe said:
( here goes nothing... )

To me, Harley Davidsons are like Buick's motorcycle. Big American boaty slow over priced comfy not as reliable as the japanese counterparts... Both Buick and Harley are somehow still selling a product to aging consumers who were only intersted in them many many years ago.

Seriously, if you told me that secretely GM owns Harley Davidson, I wouldnt question it.

How many fingers am I holding up? Who is the president?

cityjohn · Jan 30, 2013

^ Well, the seating position is the same, including the reach for the ape hangers/Roadmaster steering wheel.

whitejeep1989 · Jan 30, 2013

gsprobe said:
( here goes nothing... )

To me, Harley Davidsons are like Buick's motorcycle. Big American boaty slow over priced comfy not as reliable as the japanese counterparts... Both Buick and Harley are somehow still selling a product to aging consumers who were only intersted in them many many years ago.

Seriously, if you told me that secretely GM owns Harley Davidson, I wouldnt question it.

Harleys are anything but "Quiet-Tuned"!

Cool renderings and presentation.

I used love design projects like this in school.
"What if Mercedes designed and manufactured____?"

AKADriver · Jan 30, 2013

whitejeep1989 said:
Harleys are anything but "Quiet-Tuned"!

Stock ones are amazingly quiet and smooth-sounding. It's the dealers and owners that remove the baffling and turn them into blatty pieces of crap.

spockcat · Jan 30, 2013

cityjohn said:
^ Well, the seating position is the same, including the reach for the ape hangers/Roadmaster steering wheel.

What ape hangers? Do you even know what they are? :screwy:

FastGTi · Jan 30, 2013

spockcat said:
What ape hangers? Do you even know what they are? :screwy:

I assume he meant the ape hangers on a Harley and the giant steering wheels on Roadmasters.

TurboWraith · Jan 30, 2013

FastGTi said:
I assume he meant the ape hangers on a Harley and the giant steering wheels on Roadmasters.

Factory HDs, specifically the ones that the OP design here would be compared with, don't even have ape hangers.

Factory Ultra Classic:

Aftermarket ape hangers:

saaboo · Jan 30, 2013

Seabird said:
A minute and a half of anticipatory music and the sound of a turbine winding up and we don't get to see to it GO?...

DISAPPOINT!!!!!!

Cool rendering, though.

Yeah, the buildup is a bit pretentious, especially when there isn't a real payoff. I'm working on modeling humans so I can insert one into a riding scene. 3D humans aren't exactly my strong suit. For now, this just serves as a showcase to describe the design.

Good thoughts about Harley being the "Buick of motorcycles". While I agree that they have a reputably smooth ride, and that their current product is leaps and bounds ahead in refinement from where they were, their past is steeped in raw, brash power. It's a hitch I still struggle to get over. Buick, on the other hand, has always been about smooth, seamless performance and comfort, which drove my choice to use the brand for a long-distance luxury cruiser. And given GM's deep R&D pockets, could make for a more complete, full-featured motorcycle than previously possible, imo.

xdre · Jan 30, 2013

I'm not entirely fond of it--some things are over-the-top retro, but that might have been your intention--but there are a number of touches that just *ooze* sex. :thumbup:

SCIROCCO SPEED · Jan 30, 2013

I hear Peyton Manning already signed on to do the commercials.

jzobie · Jan 31, 2013

Might be a dumb question but can auto manufactures start building motorcycles to help with CAFE mpg figures?

spitfirevr6 · Jan 31, 2013

jzobie said:
Might be a dumb question but can auto manufactures start building motorcycles to help with CAFE mpg figures?

I'd guess not or else honda's mpg would be amazing

NashGTI · Jan 31, 2013

me no likey, really I've never understood the idea of making massive and overly lengthy motorcycles in the grand american car style. Motorcycles to me are supposed to be about lightweight and small size, quick actions and direction changes and above all simple. Cars are what is supposed to be big, cushy and overly complicated.

Aonarch · Jan 31, 2013

:thumbup::thumbup:

FreshBaked 24 7 · Jan 31, 2013

izzo · Jan 31, 2013

If that's the future of motorcycles, please give me a few feet of rope to hang myself right now.

saaboo · Jan 31, 2013

izzo said:
If that's the future of motorcycles, please give me a few feet of rope to hang myself right now.

Loving the responses, positive or negative. I understand this isn't everyone's cup of tea. Personally, I wouldn't want to pilot anything this large, which is why it remains within the confines of the CAD world. :thumbup:

Thanks!

What if Buick developed a motorcycle?

saaboo

Seabird

gsprobe

patrikman

cityjohn

whitejeep1989

AKADriver

spockcat

FastGTi

TurboWraith

saaboo

xdre

SCIROCCO SPEED

jzobie

spitfirevr6

NashGTI

Aonarch

FreshBaked 24 7

izzo

saaboo

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