Episode 31: The Anatomy of a Cult Classic: What Makes a Motorcycle Unkillable?

Why do some slow, clunky, or objectively flawed motorcycles become absolute legends, while technically superior bikes are forgotten? On this episode of the Bore and Stoke podcast, Ryan, Dennis, and Troy break down the mysterious recipe behind "Cult Classic" motorcycles. Dennis kicks things off with a look at some news topics to kick things off, including a new Suzuki with an old Suzuki engine, plus some corporate news from Indian and Harley. Then, Ryan and Troy talk about cult bikes: what is it about these machines on the road (or trail) that converts mechanical flaws into "personality"? The guys debate the fine line between true character and overhyped nostalgia, call out a few famous cult bikes that they think are wildly overrated, and draft their picks for future cult classics you should buy right now before prices skyrocket. Drop a comment below: What motorcycle do you think is a true cult classic, and which one is overhyped garbage? 00:00 Intro 00:36 Advertisement 01:12 Go watch our past shows! 03:03 THE NEWS 03:30 Suzuki’s bringing the SV7GX and SV7GX-V to the States 06:16 Indian’s trimming the Scouts 08:52 Harley’s Q2 Numbers 13:30 Cult motorcycles — Let’s get into it 14:00 What’s the definition of a cult bike? 21:36 How does a bike reach cult status? 29:55 Ryan’s cult bike history 35:20 Troy’s cult bike history 39:08 Offroad cult bikes 41:45 Advertisement 42:24 Why do people like the KLR650 so much? 45:55 Where do Moto Guzzis fit? 49:49 We’ll look past a lot of stuff for Ducati Monsters 51:05 Overrated vs Underrated bikes 01:00:30 What are some future cult classics? 1:08:00 Tell us about your cult bike (and leave us a rating!) 1:10:28 Advertisement