10+1 Brilliant Motorcycle TV Adverts that will definitely brighten up your day
What does it take for an advert to stand out and make us sit up and take notice? We've compiled these 10+1 Motorcycle Adverts that either made us laugh, groan or feel the feels.
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54 years 8 monthsCare-free, open roads, raw power... we all have our reasons for purchasing a motorcycle but getting these tropes across into advertsements can seem, well, generic - or at least it would be if firms still felt there to be enough value in advertising on the television.
Unfortunately the art of selling motorcycles with a TV spot seems to be a thing of the past - seriously, when was the last time you saw a motorcycle advert between halves of Corrie?
That hasn't always been the case though and thankfully time has brought us some corkers that lurch from heartwarming to damn cool to skirting the rules of what is permissible... let's just say we're fairly certain a fair few of these couldn't be made today!
Anyway, if you're feeling glum, allow these 10+1 Motorcycle Adverts to put a smile right back on your face...
"AN EMERGENCY STOP FOR A MAN WHO HAS DROPPED HIS BADGER" - Triumph
THE greatest motorcycle advert ever made, the very British Triumph taps into some very British humour with its mock infomercial showing the absurd process of building a first generation Triumph Rocket 3.
Among the dozens of RP-delivered punchlines, we get to see a demonstration of how fun is added via osmosis and classic TV comedies, why each model must pass the test of an eye-popping gurner and find out adding too much Ragu could cause a Rocket 3 to explode... this is the best 2mins 41secs you'll spend today and every other day.
DINNER FOR RR - BMW
Look, we'll just say it, we've largely included this advert to give the salty response video below some context.
Don't get us wrong, it's reassuring to know the BMW S 1000 RR's power delivery is so smooth that it won't ruin your grand banquet when it snags the tablecloth - I mean, who hasn't experienced this relatable situation when hosting a dinner for the Ambassador of Liechtenstein? - but we all know our guest is more of a Ducati and a Ferrero Rocher guy...
WINNING IS OUR TALENT - Aprilia
If you own an Aprilia, then chances are you won't know any European aristocracy... probably because the RSV4, for all of its qualities, will almost certainly ruin the romantic dinner you've inexplicably set up in the damp basement of an NCP car park.
Which is perhaps just as well because the moist mildew setting is giving off distinct kidnap-hostage situation vibes... speaking of which, has anybody checked on the whereabouts of Max Biaggi recently?
WHATEVER IT TAKES - Suzuki
WARNING: If you are watching this in a quiet place with the volume up, at work or near someone with a nervous disposition, turn this down or find some headphones because it gets a bit ‘screamy’…
Maybe skip this if you are a (tiny) dog person. This wouldn't get green lit today...
REAL BIKES FOR REAL MEN - Aprilia
Handsome man, smart house, tiny coffee mug, what begins as a Gillette advert ends up as a Saturday Night Live sketch. Remember it's not the size that counts... though there is a limit.
SPERM BANK - Aprilia
Another entry here from Aprilia and the hardest working ad team in motorcycling, if the above ad reeks of toxic (im)masculinity, then this spot is the complete opposite as our protagonist - let's call him Jack - is left, ahem, gushing over the RSV 1000 Mille... literally.
LEAVE HOME - Royal Enfield
It isn’t always easy to break away from the usual motorbike advertisement tropes (like the Triumph spot below) but Royal Enfield deserves credit for thinking way outside the box with its ‘Leave Home’ ad, which elicits a rollercoaster of emotions from us that veer from amusement to just feeling weird. So weird.
IT'S ALWAYS GOOD TO MAKE FRIENDS - Kawasaki
Enjoy this because there is no way Kawasaki could get away with doing this advert again, such are the stricter rules preventing them from showing big top speeds as your primary selling point.
Regardless, Kawasaki were kings at bringing humour into promoting its Ninja, but this has to be our favourite because it’s just so darn cheeky!
PMSL - Kawasaki
Kawasaki nailed a series of similar in theme but each individually eye-catching ads that raised a smirk amongst us so we’ve included the entire compilation. Interestingly, you only ever actually see the Ninja in one of the ads – alongside a Porsche letting itself down - so we’re not sure if we’re hankering for a Kawasaki or a lime green tractor now.
VALENTINO ROSSI - Honda
Valentino Rossi could be in a loo roll ad and it’d be cool (note to self: devise a Rossi-Andrex puppy ad pitch] so it is no surprise Honda capitalised on the power of his brand and image to shift a few more cars back in the early 2000s.
While it doesn’t exactly sell the Honda Civic Type-R he’s driving – not least because he is doing it very slowly - the ad amused us nonetheless.
ALL THE FEELS (our title, not theirs…)
You may or may not have seen this advert on Visordown already (it’s consistently one of our most read articles) but if you haven’t then be warned - it strikes all the feels!
The premise is a little slow to get going but once it does it’ll warm your heart, even if you will no clue what it’s actually advertising until right at the end.
It’s long but if it doesn't raise a smile by the end, we don’t know what will…