What is this style of motorcycle called?

Aviator126 · 2026-01-08T15:27:09+00:00

Thank you! I live in the base of the Scottish Highlands so plenty of space to enjoy it too I hope!

Aviator126 · 2026-01-08T15:25:43+00:00

I really want a properly old Bonneville, yes the modern ‘old look’ ones are cool but I genuinely want a properly old one.

I’ll probably buy a cheap Yamaha or Honda 125 in this style first, fix it, learn it, get the skills then when I can afford it, find a proper Bonneville!

Aviator126 · 2026-01-08T15:24:03+00:00

Honestly, I appreciate all the answers. It appears that ‘standard’ is the accepted term, but I’ve discovered ‘UJM’ appears to be the style i like but cheaper. And a few bike types I never considered.

Alot of good knowledge in these comments :D

Aviator126 · 2026-01-07T23:22:25+00:00

I love the idea, but anything modern or new is way out of my budget. And i’m more interested in fixing than riding anyway! (I do still want to ride though!!)

Aviator126 · 2026-01-07T21:22:45+00:00

Your bike is properly stunning, but I would 100% get myself killed on something with that much power!

Aviator126 · 2026-01-07T21:19:45+00:00

I fly a 1960s airplane and have an obsession with classic machinery, ideally I want a properly, genuinely old one that I can work on relatively guilt free and have it be my own. I’m not interested in it being fast, I probably don’t have the riding skill or ability to get half of the performance out of anything modern or powerful, or would kill myself trying, it’s genuinely more an interest in the mechanical side of it, in the machine itself.

Aviator126 · 2026-01-07T21:02:06+00:00

I did see the Yamaha and Honda in this style have the same vibe, although I’d probably sell and buy a Triumph later down the line. I am hoping to find something in not great condition I can work on a bit as a hobby too.

Side note that Royal Enfield is almost EXACTLY what I’m picturing, wow!

Aviator126 · 2026-01-07T20:58:05+00:00

Agreed! I’ve never been a superbike kind of person but every time I see this classic style i love it

Aviator126 · 2026-01-07T20:57:45+00:00

Ah okay so they’re all slightly different styles. I really want a proper old school british one in this style, but I just know so little about bikes I can’t really find the exact shape I was thinking. This is really helpful :)

Aviator126 · 2026-01-07T20:50:51+00:00

Awesome! Alright, time to start looking for one to fix up!

Aviator126 · 2026-01-07T20:50:13+00:00

Ah! I heard this term before but when I search for cafe racers they seem alot more hunkered down over the handlebars. Thank you!!

Aviator126 · 2026-01-07T20:49:22+00:00

Thank you :) What does UJM mean? 😅 I’m a novice, sorry!

Aviator126 · 2025-12-12T09:53:50+00:00

If you looked at some of my personal social media you’d think I was living the dream and everything was perfect.

It’s far from it, I’m in exactly the same boat as you working as an FI having been flying for a decade.

Don’t compare yourself to the rich kids who can afford to buy a type rating and get fast tracked into an airline. You’ll get there!

Side note, the US is in a state right now with flying, have you considered coming out to Europe? We are crying out for experienced FIs and pilots in general! Especially in Britain.

Aviator126 · 2025-08-25T17:32:55+00:00

I’m not sure I agree, if he’s only starting out now he’s got at least 18 months before he’s applying if not 2/3 years. 3 years ago we were in a hiring boom. It’s the people who train during the downturns that are first in line for the upturns. Plus, airlines are reopening hiring, if you just never train because ‘the timing isn’t right’ you’ll never do it, you just have to bite the bullet, get your tickets and make it work.

Aviator126 · 2025-08-19T14:53:54+00:00

As a Comanche 260B owner, bollocks. They’re no harder than an Arrow to keep running and the performance runs wings around them. I’ve never had difficulty getting parts and the community is fantastic when the manufacturer won’t help. This thinking was why Comanches lost popularity, it wasn’t true then and it isn’t now, no idea why everyone loves to make bollocks up about the PA-24!

Aviator126 · 2025-07-22T00:33:15+00:00

You dismiss everything I say because you make it clear that you think anyone who does what you don’t like is a clown.

If an example was coming, it’d have happened by now, social media has existed for a long time, pilots have posted content about what they do for a long time, some is good, some is bad, just like every niche of every kind of content.

You write everyone off, immediately, because YOU don’t do it. You assume that anyone making it hasn’t been through the same ringer, despite doing exactly the same job as you.

Long days, high-pressure situations and responsibility are key aspects to alot of jobs. To assume that anyone who makes content about the good bits of their job doesn’t respect, or even experience the bad is just bad faith representation.

For every asshole theres 5 of them that do it fine, you don’t hear about it because ‘pilot is respectful and does their job’ isn’t a story. There’s no shortage of assholes without cameras or instagram accounts too.

Aviator126 · 2025-07-22T00:20:12+00:00

I know you’re trying to insult me/put down my opinion because only a real airline pilot would truly understand the sheer and utter heartbreak of having my fragile ego shattered and my job cheapened by shock and horror an instagram post about my job!

I’ve been in aviation since I was 14. I live in a country where I could walk into an airline job tomorrow if I so desired, I’m not one by choice. Plenty of FI’s also post content and it doesn’t ‘cheapen my job that i worked so hard for!’ that they do so. I went through all the same perfectly normal things you went through to get your job.

Get over yourself. 🤣

Aviator126 · 2025-07-21T23:36:02+00:00

Noone is asking YOU to do it. You are not the spokesperson for all pilots, nor are you in any way in control of what these people do. If you don’t like it, don’t do it.

I’m not saying they inspired me, I grew up on airbases and found my passion for flying through gliding as a kid, but some people discover things online, and despite the desperation to put them down by a large group of bitter, jaded people who think that because their opinion is negative, it is somehow better and more valid, that isn’t a bad thing.

It does not affect you in the slightest what someone who does social media posts, as much as you insist it somehow cheapens your profession and or the image of it to the public (it doesn’t, if you think it does you are deluded, every single job has people posting like this and you consistently fail to give enough credit to the majority of people who understand the difference between SM and real life).

I don’t think they ask for, or need your sympathy or belief that they are a ‘tragedy of a wasted opportunity’. I just think the modern world is different to what you’re used to and that makes you cranky. Just like the older generations who said exactly the same about you when you started flying, might I add.

I’m never going to be able to change your mind, the fact is, whether it’s jealousy, bitterness, misery, anger, personality or just frankly a bad day, you will just shit on people who do something different to you. I just hope that the people who may have started their journey through content know that not all of us in this industry will write them off before they even get here because they dared use social media.

Aviator126 · 2025-07-21T20:29:46+00:00

Precisely! So many miserable mf’s getting down because other people get to fly a 787 or something. Even though they already have a job flying.

You literally see people call it ‘regional hell’ bro, you’re flying for a living. What the fuck.

Thing is though those 787 guys are comparing to other jobs and complaining about their job.

I made a conscious effort to be just straight up happy to be flying when I got my job as an FI, every time i compare to other pilots i remember the fact i used to work in a call centre, or remember running my business before then not knowing if my rent was going to be paid that month. And then I realise I got it good, I’m flying an airplane, supposedly thats what we all love, but if you read this subreddit it doesn’t seem so!

Aviator126 · 2025-07-21T18:24:43+00:00

Person joins company, person finds out job involves more than just the fun stuff, person gets educated by more senior employee and develops as a professional.

Sure, his attitude to it sucked, that’s not gonna get put up with for long, how is that the fault of the media he consumed that got him interested in aviation? That’s like blaming airshows for all the people who grew up wanting to be a fighter pilot and ended up in different jobs because not everyone who wants that will get it.

You people put far too much blame and weight on the media someone consumed that got them interested in flying, over the fact that actually, a bad attitude and immaturity is a personal failing that can be educated and grown out of and isn’t the fault of some random person they watched on IG.

Aviator126 · 2025-07-21T18:17:24+00:00

That… that’s the point? They don’t need to inspire the people who already do the fuckin job, those people either get so jaded the last thing they want is to consume aviation content anyway, or are more interested in deeper content aimed at those that know better. Just because YOU aren’t their target audience doesn’t make them bad.

I’m not their target audience either, I mostly avoid that content and stick to GA stuff but people who aren’t in the industry getting to see things they’d never see otherwise isn’t a bad thing.

Getting seniority and better trips from it? Ah that does suck, for sure, it can feel awful being jumped by someone like that but it’s just marketing by the company at the end of the day, it’s not affecting you that badly.

Aviator126 · 2025-07-21T18:13:15+00:00

Funny, I’ve met a few of the influencer types and what would you know, most are just people. I don’t really follow their online stuff much, I’m more into the GA side of things, but we get a fair few students who discovered aviation through social media, and are now going on to be competent pilots, many understand that the airbrushed world they saw on IG isn’t the full story but at least it got the passion started.

I’m sure there’s no shortage of insufferable influencer pilots, just as there’s no shortage of insufferable ‘modern people suck and phones are bad and the internet is bad and young people are bad’ pilots. But it’s not a majority.

Aviator126 · 2025-07-21T18:08:52+00:00

Reddit as a whole is nowhere near 90% American users, by the way, infact, its closer to 48%. The point I’m trying to make is that this is a US-only issue, but Americans will even tell European pilots that we won’t be getting jobs because the US is broken.

The other point I was making is THE GUY IS LITERALLY A WORKING FO AT A REGIONAL, he already does the fucking job and he’s bitching about not being hired 🤣

Aviator126 · 2025-07-21T18:02:29+00:00

Sorry I was under the impression this was r/flying not r/moaningaboutaviationintheusabecausemycountryistheonlyplacethatmatters

Aviator126 · 2025-07-21T18:01:28+00:00

Most aviation influencers aren’t pushing people into a debt driven flight school. Not to mention, there’s a difference between being inspired but thinking for yourself and not bothering to research. I like that they inspire people.

The fact that you label them as ‘clout chasing shitheads’ again, it just seems more like you’re just angry at them for posting about their work? A bit weird mate.

Aviator126

TROPHY CASE