it's probably because the baja is lacking any "element" of the old husky bikes, or old dirtbikes in general.
- it does not have "old-style aesthetics" (this bike does, for example).
- it does not have "old-style technology" (a twin-shock concept and a conventional fork would have made a big difference; see this bike, for example).
- it does not have the "old-style performance and fun factor" (with the 449 engine, it would).
the only similarities between the "baja concept" and the "400 cross" are the fuel tank color and graphics. i do not really see the "design role model" that marketing claims, so i can't really understand why they chose this name.
naming this bike "baja" is "preloading" the opinion/impression of the bike with so many emotions and expectations, which the bike cannot fullfil:
there's a photo in the "mcqueen's machines" book that shows him on a 400 cross at the elsinore grand prix. the text to this photo is: "the two-stroke husky had recently appreared on the scene, sporting a massive amount of power and superb stabilty [...] thanks to these fast and sturdy swedish bikes, the days of the four-stroke desert racers were numbered". i doubt that the "baja 650" will make anyone wanting to ride in the desert bare-chested
if they would have called it "scrambler", then everybody would have looked at the bike differently.
r
