Bonneville America Forums Forums Off Topic Discussion Forums Lounge Imagine

Imagine if you will that people from far away lands such as Japan, Italy, Baravia, and Milwaukee visited this forum. I believe they might go away with this impession of our bikes.

- AI system must be ripped out

- Handlebars are too wide, too far away, too low

- Seat sucks and must be carved, added to, taken away
from, thrown away and replaced

- Mirror are round and that's bad

- Shock absorbers stink

- Chain guard is suspect and lethal

- Console lights are to dim

- No center stand

- Bridgestone tires are the worst made and should
be replaced

- Fork springs are horrible

- Exhaust sounds like a Singer sewing machine and
must be altered or replaced

- An engine that only produced 5? hp (a fact that
only reveals itself after purchase) and must be
bored out to 350ci in order to operate as a mid-
sized cruiser.

But thats all right Bunky, because it's a....

TRIUMPH

All these things happen to other motcycles as well. l

I've been thinking about replacing my big round mirrors and my big orange pumpkins, but I think they're starting to grow on me.

I imagine that the "visitors" are impressed that every rider sets up their bike to suit their own personality and physical needs and doesn't just go with the herd.

Kinda reminds me of the 60s. Conform to the custom look everybody else has.

Corbin, small signals, louder pipes, Kuryakyn grips and pegs, AI, K&N, re-jeting, different mirrors. There is a basic theme he is hitting on.

I imagine that just about every website for every model and brand has a different list of common concerns and modifications.

What was I thinking? I shoulda bought a Harley. They're perfect right out of the box.

notice almost all of these have to do with personal choice, none have anything to do with mechanical issues. i know of other sites where almost all they talk about is mech. issues and very little about comfort issues.

No no no you've gone over the cliff in your thinking.

Isn't that what dropping $18-20k on a Harley is like? Going over a (financial) cliff?

- Definitely remove the AI

-Had risers, went back to oem on my SM

-Still on my stock seat and commute 80 miles and do full day rides

-Never understood why someone would put square mirrors on a bike when everything else is round

-Shock are bad but I live with it

-Keep it tight

-Definitely dim but I do not really use them

-Belt conversion

-SM with Metzlers

-Same as shocks

-Well the motor sounds like a sewing machine and the modified exhaust hides it

-Power to weight is fine for a cruiser... unless you need to go on a diet

However you look at it it's all right

You know, I've done a lot of things in my life but buying a Harley is not one of them. It is a thrill that has eluded me.

I like the mickey mouse ear mirrors and the big orange pumkins. although I may move the pumpkins someday.And maybe I'm a hard a** but I have no complaints about the seat either.

Well, lemme see.....
I like the round mirrors. Had round ones on the Velocette, '49 Triumph, '39 HD flathead and '57 Panhead.
The AI doesn't count. It's a gummint mandat6ed thing and must be removed for the sake of freedom for the masses.
I like the stock seat so much I put one very much like it on my Night Train.
Ford would agree about Bridgestone considering the millions they cost them.
I don't have any issues with the suspension.
Had a centerstand on the Velocette and hardly ever used it. Had a couple of Bummers that had to be on the centerstand because they come with macaroni sidestands. After those, I don't even want a centerstand.
I have enough power to get a speeding ticket anywhere in this country except Bonneville.
Except for some of those cheap tincan imports, it is mandatory to modify motorcycle engines. That's how you can tell the real bikers from the wannabes.

I am sure all the other forums for otehr bikes just might sound very similar, a dozen or so things that must be upgraded or changed, when in reality they really don't (and especially with our bikes they don't.. except maybe for yanking the AI).

Soren

... and the blasted thing requires fuel, too. What a heap!