 Friends dont let Friends Ride ?
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Loquacious
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Quote:
Ya know I have been a biker my whole life and among real bikers the knocking is in jest. You get the clueless here and there but for the most part Triumphs are welcomed and in many cases admired at HD oriented events and I do like Hardleys if the truth be known, just not my bike of choice. It is the bike of choice for most of my friends and they have had some nice ones. One of my 1%er friends even said he would ride my BMW and likes it. For the most part any cool old bike is OK. But it has always ,from what I have seen,been a mix of Hardley,Trumpet,Beezer,Snortin Norton,Vincent, and very few AJS,Matchless,Ariel etc.. (frinds don't let friends ride rice.
Got this quote from Ian (The_Dog) on another thread. Having communicated with Ian on a number of topics i know he does not hate Jap bikes, but perfers not to own one. But that is not what this post is about.
I do knock Harley, but in truth it is only in jest. Truth be known if i could afford one i would most certainly have one parked in my garage. If i could afford it I would have a garage full of bikes of all makes and sizes. But i am getting off topic here.
So to get to the nitty gritty. WHY, is there such a anti "Rice" attitude amoungst bikers. I dont get it.
My first bike was Austrian, followed by lots of Japaneese bikes with the odd German bike thrown in for good measure. My Triumph is the first British bike i have owned, and love it, but truth be told it is no better or wrose than many of the Jap bikes ive owned and as i have said before the BMW R100RS i used to have is to this day one of the best bikes i have owned and one of my favorites.
So, why the anti 'Rice'
Discuss.
Arsenalfan. AKA Mark Able
Seller of fine automobiles.
Jaguar, Land Rover, Porsche of Chattanooga
423-424-4000
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 Re: Friends dont let Friends Ride ?
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Monkey Butt
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Monkey Butt
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I myself Hardly bash, but I would own one tomorrow, I just think they are priced too high. I love my America and are lucky enough to own a second bike my 1996 Honda CB 750, which I must admit is a really nice jap bike.
I have a laugh with a guy who owns a 1970's Hardly, and we take the "P" out of each others but we both admit each to there own..
At least we are on two wheels..
Ray(UK)
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 Re: Friends dont let Friends Ride ?
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Learned Hand
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Learned Hand
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Quote:
the BMW R100RS i used to have is to this day one of the best bikes i have owned and one of my favorites.
One of my favourites as well, I used to have a 79 one, you know the last with the big carbs and exhausts,,, I could ramble on. I bash Harleys to, but only in jest with mates, and we ride all sorts. Two wheels is good enough for me, I even like some of them big scooters. I considered a VTX 1300 at the same time as the America, just didnt work out.
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 Re: Friends dont let Friends Ride ?
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Fe Butt
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Fe Butt
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I believe the anti rice goes back to WW2 and after when bike "clubs" started. HD and Brits were OK since we were allies in the war. Don't know how BMW was OK following that logic unless it Pearl Harbor. And true I don't hate jap bikes in truth just joking. I owned a 75 Suzuki 550 triple I still have the 2 GT380s I used for parts and I still have a a GT 750 Water Buffalo. I have no interest in them but I do have them. I had a Hardley and it was nothing but trouble but in all honesty it wasn't the bike as much as the guy who owned it before me, it was a pan. My one friend who I rode all over he11 with rode pans (he had a few) His 50 EL never had an issue I could have dies when he decided to part it out. It was 100% origonal except the tank and clutch/shift set up. He converted it to hand clutch (mouse trap) foot shift but still had the stuff he took off.
I learned all I need to know about life by killing smart people and eating their brains. Eat right ,Exercise ,Stay fit, Die Anyway!
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 Re: Friends dont let Friends Ride ?
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Loquacious
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Loquacious
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From now on, I'm buying American bikes. But still not a HD.
Kevin - Luceo Non Uro
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 Re: Friends dont let Friends Ride ?
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Loquacious
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Quote:
I believe the anti rice goes back to WW2......................Don't know how BMW was OK following that logic unless it Pearl Harbor
I can believe the WW2 bit for Jap bikes to an extent. Good example. My first real bike, (my 250cc rather then my first bike which was a moped) my first bike was a Honda CB250RS. When my uncle, (is your grandmothers brother an uncle?), saw it he tore me a new one. Absolutely hounded me for buying it. At the time i did not know why, it was only later that i found out that he had been a prisoner in a Japaneese prisoner of war camp. So i understood his hatered for all things japaneese. But that hatered is from someone was personally involved with the japaneese. 75% of todays 'rice' haters were born a long time after the war, so where does there hatered come from? And i might add. I have known a few vets from WW2 and they do not hold the hatered for the Germans or Japaneese as they did 30 years ago.
And, like you say, how come there is not an anti german bike attitude.
Also, and this is something that just cracks me up when ever i see it. The amount of anti jap bike people i see who have Honda Accords of Toyota Camrys in there drive. Go figure that one. A guy i knew was a harley man through and through. Even had the "I'd rather push my Harley than ride a rice burner" patch on his jacket. Both he and his wife drove Honda cars.
Arsenalfan. AKA Mark Able
Seller of fine automobiles.
Jaguar, Land Rover, Porsche of Chattanooga
423-424-4000
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 Re: Friends dont let Friends Ride ?
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Joined: Jul 2006
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Learned Hand
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Learned Hand
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Sorry, I love 'em. Then again, I'm really interested in what someone else thinks about my bike (unless it is my wife). I've had some really fun rice bikes.
2002 Bandit 1200/ GSXR cams/ 1277 BB Kit/ Holeshot header and can/ 38mm flatslides/ a good head/lotsa hp/lotsa tq- lots of rear tires...
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 Re: Friends dont let Friends Ride ?
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Worn Saddle
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Worn Saddle
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My opinion. Anti jap rhetoric is linked to honest patriotism. Here's why. Up until the 60s, you would usually buy a hardly or trumpet, with a few rare beemers thrown in (the trumpet was seen as at least a poor cousin to our American made bike, as our brothers across the pond share a language and have been our loyal allies in two world wars) When the jap stuff started to get popular in the late 60s, it hurt the sales of hardly and trumpets. Shoot, the introduction of the 750 Honda practically killed sales of the knew 750 Triumph triple. As the admitedly high quality jap bikes started flooding the market, they nearly knocked out hardly and did kill Triumph for a while. Therefore, a lof people who liked to see the American/British bikes succeed, saw them fail, and the obvious villian was Jap bikes in general. No one would ever argue the high quality of jap bikes. But I for one am glad that Hardly quality has increased and my 02 British bike is truly excellent in quality, even surpassing the japs in my opinion!
Fidelis et Fortis
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3/4 Throttle
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3/4 Throttle
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I wouldn't buy a Hardly but that's because I just don't like any of the current models. If there was one I liked (maybe the Rocker) - and had the mazuma I'd buy it. I don't like the touring range of any manufacturer but then I don't tour. My TDM was a stunning bike - and frightened a few ****** in the air power rangers !  each to his own..... 
If you do it today you MIGHT regret it. If you CAN'T do it tomorrow you WILL regret it.
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 Re: Friends dont let Friends Ride ?
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"Lighten up, Francis."
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"Lighten up, Francis."
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Patriotism or sour grapes? Did the Japanese have some kind of an unfair economic advantage in the 60's and 70's or did the Brits just fail to up their game to match the competition?
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 Re: Friends dont let Friends Ride ?
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Bar Shake
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Bar Shake
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Contra todo mal, mezcal; contra todo bien, tambiƩn
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 Re: Friends dont let Friends Ride ?
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Adjunct
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Adjunct
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I ride a Jap bike because at the time it was all my budget would allow me to buy with enough money left over to turn it into the Bobber I really wanted. At least I used some Triumph parts on it (handlebars and fork gaiters). Sure I would love to have started with a Harley straight up, but at 3 times my budget just to make a purchase is insane. I did have idea for a Bonnie America but again it was just a few thousand out of reach, so maybe next time. Shame they don't make a bike with a rigid looking triangular hidden shock swing arm... Now that my bike looks the way it does, I have Harley and Chopper guys drooling over it where ever I take it, so I guess if it looks cool enough you'll get some respect. 
1965 Harley rigid Chopper
Perth, Western Australia
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 Re: Friends dont let Friends Ride ?
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Fe Butt
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Fe Butt
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I am not big on jap bikes but thats a sweet ride. Very well done. PSSST.... cut off and smooth the front fender tabs in the lower legs. Very cool ride to be sure.
I learned all I need to know about life by killing smart people and eating their brains. Eat right ,Exercise ,Stay fit, Die Anyway!
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 Re: Friends dont let Friends Ride ?
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Adjunct
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PSSST.... cut off and smooth the front fender tabs in the lower legs. Very cool ride to be sure.
I wanted to, but when I eventually get busted for riding without a front fender and defected, I'll need to put the stock one back on to pass the full inspection that will require. Fingers crossed until that day...
1965 Harley rigid Chopper
Perth, Western Australia
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 Re: Friends dont let Friends Ride ?
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Saddle Sore
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Saddle Sore
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This may tend toward the political, but it is the only way I can express my opinion on the "anti-rice" sentiment... My father, and all the other fathers at the time were the ones who fought in WWII. They were conditioned to hate the Germans and the Japanese - it was a war after all. When the war was over, our government spent lots of American money helping to rebuild Japan, and gave them a lot of manufacturing know-how and equipment to help them as well. Believe it or not, that didn't sit too well with the every day Joe Taxpayer/Veteran.
When the flood of Japanese products began arriving in the U.S., most of it was junk. Cheap flimsy garbage. "Made In Japan" was a derisive term. But the stuff kept coming, and people kept buying it...
It wasn't too long before they progressed beyond transistor radios and plastic items to more big ticket items - televisions, motorcycles, cars, etc. And the first offerings were junk. When it breaks throw it away. American and British products at the time were heavier, stronger, and built to be rebuilt. But the Jap stuff was cheaper, so eventually, it won out. Generations change, and the memories are someone else's.
Now put yourself in this scenario. I risked my very life to defend my country, me and my brothers in arms. We left dead friends and pieces of friends all over the world fighting these people and today they are closing down our factories and we are losing our jobs because our government and big business wants more profit. How would you, Joe Taxpayer/Veteran feel about foreign products? What would you teach your children?
Most guys who consider themselves "bikers" are not 6 figure earners, they are the common Joe Taxpayer/son of Veteran or a veteran of a later war - be it Viet Nam or Desert Storm or whatever. They are the common man - the cannon fodder for the latest war. Riding is an escape for them. Joining a group of their peers is an insulating shelter from the hypocrisy of government and business. "Made in Japan" or "Made in China" is salt in the wounds.
Yes, it's jingoistic, but that's what they were taught in the military. It's hard to turn it off and say everything's wonderful, while you're forced to shop at Walmart because your job just went to Pakistan...
More flags
More fun!
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 Re: Friends dont let Friends Ride ?
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Monkey Butt
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Monkey Butt
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So to get to the nitty gritty. WHY, is there such a anti "Rice" attitude amoungst bikers. I dont get it.
After WWII the British and Americans understood better than anyone else the importance of a national economy. They also understood that if you bought goods from another country that put one of your workers out of work.
There are a few of us that still believe a national economy should come first before global economic factors are considered. Trade imbalance and cheap labor from abroad can break your country. Eventually you build nothing. With nothing to sell as you build nothing you eventually consume yourself to broke.
National loyalty and prejudice because they attacked us caused it also.
We can't escape globalization but can be loyal to our national economy. For me, my next bike will be Victory. They are built here by American workers. Honda is also built here so that would be an option. My wife now has a Toyota because I refuse to by Mexican cars and I am about to buy a Tundra because it will be built in Texas again employing an American worker.
I don't always succeed but try not to consume things where the bulk of it was made or assembled by slave type labor allowing the CEO and Board of Directors to pocket big profit on the backs of the starving. In doing so I also support the economy where I live.
I try to aggravate one person a day. Today may be your day.
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 Re: Friends dont let Friends Ride ?
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"Lighten up, Francis."
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"Lighten up, Francis."
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So if everyone was "trained to hate the Germans and Japanese after WWII" how did the German automotive industry (and BMW Motorcycles) come out of it so much better than the Japanese? Better design? Build quality? Pearl Harbor?
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 Re: Friends dont let Friends Ride ?
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Loquacious
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Loquacious
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For me, my next bike will be Victory. They are built here by American workers. Honda is also built here so that would be an option.
 You won't be disappointed. The build quality and performance of the Victory bikes is second to none. Victory came in first in the JD Power motorcycle surveys the past 2 years. My Kingpin is fast and handles great. My Vegas is so fast it should really come with a seatbelt. Handling is superb.
I may be wrong, but I thought Honda is closing the Ohio Gold Wing plant?
Kevin - Luceo Non Uro
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 Re: Friends dont let Friends Ride ?
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Worn Saddle
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Worn Saddle
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I may be wrong, but I thought Honda is closing the Ohio Gold Wing plant?
Yes, they're moving the workers over to auto production once they get their all-under-one-roof mondo plant finished in Japan. I've been very pleased with my Hondas, Yamahas and Kawasakis in the past and wouldn't hesitate to recommend any of those to another rider. My experience is that they never fail to start or run even with minimal maintenance and you can beat them soundly and they still work.
So few of the components are country specific anymore I don't really see that as a buying point rather I look for handling and styling, both major reasons I chose Triumph. I wish the Victory line was more appealing because they have a great reputation; they're just too clunky for me, kind of like sensible shoes IMO, angular instead of graceful.
A positive attitude may not solve all your problems, but it will annoy enough people to make it worth the effort. Herm Albright (1876 - 1944)
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 Re: Friends dont let Friends Ride ?
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Loquacious
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Loquacious
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The anti-Japanese thinking is only in the cruiser community. The other segments of the market are dominated by Japanese makes and the love for them.
In the cruiser segment I see it as three sides. One side is brand loyal but can appreciate what the other brands have and will look at another bike for it's ups and downs but when it comes time to buy will go back to what they have always preferred. The second side has no brand loyalty but does have preferences. These people will look at all marquees and decide on what they like when they need it. The third side are the fanatics, they have chosen a brand and refuse to even acknowledge the fact that other brands will even run. My personal experience is that these types have bought more into the "lifestyle" than the experience of riding. The majority are Harley riders yes, but I have met others who ride other brands and almost subconsciously they have taken on the same attitude to sort of balance the scales.
Me, I don't care what you ride I'm not crazy about some of the Japanese bikes but that's because they seem more of a copy then a try at something original. I like Harleys but I just can't see myself paying that much for a bike. I like the looks of other bikes and I could see myself getting another brand if I wanted but I would give strong consideration to another Triumph first. I don't see a reason to close myself off to other possibilities.
John
Like a dog on a car ride with my tongue in the wind
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 Re: Friends dont let Friends Ride ?
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Loquacious
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Loquacious
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I wish the Victory line was more appealing because they have a great reputation; they're just too clunky for me, kind of like sensible shoes IMO, angular instead of graceful.
WHAT? I'm guessing you're thinking of the old Touring Cruisers. This ain't no shoe. lol 100+ HP, 100+ ft lbs of tourque. 
Kevin - Luceo Non Uro
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 Re: Friends dont let Friends Ride ?
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Old Hand
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Old Hand
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For me, my next bike will be Victory. They are built here by American workers. Honda is also built here so that would be an option.
There is still a difference, where the profits go. The US is committing national suicide by having money for their primary export. I don't care much for far east imports. That goes back to just after VJ day when someone gave me a friction powered toy car made in occupied Japan. About the third time I ran it, the bottom fell off and the sharp edges cut my finger. I fixed that and the wheels got loose on the axles. I glued them in place and the flywheel came loose from the motor shaft. It was completely useless in maybe 2 weeks. The diecast Hubley DeSoto taxi I'd had since early '42 was still just fine. I had a Honda 350 Enduro for a short time. When it blew a piston (piston crowns were 1/4 as thick as a real motorcycle) I tore it down for repair and found that the cheap case hardened cam was crumbling. I had a couple of bummers, an R75/5 and R90/s. They ran well enough, not as much power as I expected and no personality. It was like a ridable kitchen stove. On the R90, I had to take off the fueltank to check the front brake fluid. That was not a very good design. Most problems with older Harleys are the result of poorly done modifications or repairs. I put around 1/2 million miles on an AMF build Ironhead Sportster with little trouble. The main problem with the newer ones is electrical faults but, since American sources have been driven out of business by far east market dumping, HD is using the same electrics as Japan.inc bikes. If Honda, Suzuki and Yamaha aren't having the same problems, that means the suppliers are deliberately sabotaging Harley by selling them third rate parts.
Let's hope there's intelligent life somewhere in space 'cause it's buggar all down here. -- Monte Python
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 Re: Friends dont let Friends Ride ?
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Joined: Mar 2006
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Loquacious
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Loquacious
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So if everyone was "trained to hate the Germans and Japanese after WWII" how did the German automotive industry (and BMW Motorcycles) come out of it so much better than the Japanese? Better design? Build quality? Pearl Harbor?
I have to agree with your analogy here. The Yellow scare of the Japanese that was propagandized into America prior to and of course during WW2 was indeed racist in its intensity when compared to those other enemies the Germans. Even though both were equally the enemy and at the time equally reprehensible.
I have heard it said that if the choice to use the bomb during WW2 being what it was ...was easier in terms of using it on Japanese cities as opposed to European cities.
That could be debated but it seems to ring true to me. The hatred of the Japanese was much more visceral perhaps in part due to Pearl Harbor. The Japanese cultural ideology of Bushido did much during the war to create more hatred of Japanese due to their "take no prisoners" attitude and their cultural hatred for all things not Japanese.
The treatment of American POW and civilians in the Phillipines also did nothing to incur any semblance of sympathy within the heart of the average American citizen.
...........................................
Brit bikes must have been in great supply shortly after the war in the ten years or so following 1945? I remember from the movie "The Wild One" with Marlon Brando that most of the bikes were Triumphs.
"Proud to be an Infidel" ... "100% pure American Jingoist"
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 Re: Friends dont let Friends Ride ?
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Joined: Apr 2006
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Loquacious
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Loquacious
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Quote:
The main problem with the newer ones is electrical faults but, since American sources have been driven out of business by far east market dumping, HD is using the same electrics as Japan.inc bikes. If Honda, Suzuki and Yamaha aren't having the same problems, that means the suppliers are deliberately sabotaging Harley by selling them third rate parts.
Interesting. I've wondered about this for some time.
Kevin - Luceo Non Uro
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 Re: Friends dont let Friends Ride ?
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Loquacious
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OP
Loquacious
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I had a couple of bummers, an R75/5 and R90/s. They ran well enough, not as much power as I expected and no personality. It was like a ridable kitchen stove
Ooh, I have to disagree with you on that. The R90S was plenty powerful for its day and was at the time concidered quite a potent sport bike. I have always felt that the Boxer BMWs have bundles of character. I dont care to much for the K bikes, but the R's are fantastic. Ive had three Beemers, a R80RT, and R100RS and a K100. As I mentioned earlier,
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the BMW R100RS i used to have is to this day one of the best bikes i have owned and one of my favorites.
Of all the bikes i have owned this is the one bike that i still miss and would love to find another one. I love the way they vibrate from side to side, and how the shaft lifts you up and drops you down. And it had so much touque, it was the closest thing i have ever ridden to a automatic bike. You could drop down to tickover in top and it would still pull hard. It handled extreemily well and even allowing for its lean forward riding postion was very comfortable on long runs.
The other thing i loved about that bike. 70,000 miles in a year and she never let me down once. Oil changes and new tires was all i ever did to that bike, and i rode her hard.
Arsenalfan. AKA Mark Able
Seller of fine automobiles.
Jaguar, Land Rover, Porsche of Chattanooga
423-424-4000
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 Re: Friends dont let Friends Ride ?
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Nice job. ever see the 'hot saki' bike built by cobra customs? it's on their web site....it's the best metric custom I've seen. (imho)
-Tony
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-Tony
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Learned Hand
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Learned Hand
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I have had several Japanese bikes that were fun to ride and performed well until breakdowns which by poor design required catastrophic labor to repair. My Honda Interceptor comes to mind, great bike. Second gear went out and the bike was junk. I don't mind pulling the entire engine/tranny out or even paying $190 for the fork and gear,(thank god I can do the job myself). However, the resale value of the bike rendered such an undertaking frivilous. Early Gold Wing charging systems, numerous Japanese starters, etc. require extensive dismantling of the machine. I'd rather sell whacks at it with a sledge hammer. For a country with such engineering expertise it sure seems like they come up with some glittering blunders. I absolutely believe that the best motorcycle built in the world, and I've earned the right to say this by restoring and building bikes from all over the world is Harley Davidson. There I said it ,open the floodgates. 
Strangler
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no floodgates but i'd say they are easier to work on then alot of other bikes but I wouldn't say they are the best built.
-Tony
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 Re: Friends dont let Friends Ride ?
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Loquacious
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Loquacious
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Nope no floodgates. I think any bike out there can be picked on in terms of Engineering issues et al.
We can look at almost any bike made and find issues that were clearly designed based on ease of manufacture and or cost issues as opposed to customer needs.
Even our BA and Speedies have items that were engineered in that could have been improved but were clearly done the way they were to faicilitate cost savings.
What would our bikes cost if they were fully engineered for a maximum suriveability and duration in terms of all critical detail components?
I have heard plenty of complaints from Harley owners about the lack of ease of maintenance of their bikes...especially for the average garage do it your selfer.
"Proud to be an Infidel" ... "100% pure American Jingoist"
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 Re: Friends dont let Friends Ride ?
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Learned Hand
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Learned Hand
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no floodgates but i'd say they are easier to work on then alot of other bikes but I wouldn't say they are the best built.
Tony, I know I was asking for it by saying that, And I love Triumph. But, I wish they had seperated the fluid cavities for engine oil, tranny, and primary. Something about running engine oil through everything else doesn't sit well with me. For all of people's complaints about H.D. most failures I've seen are self induced. The new ones run like a timex ever since '92 when the Evo became a head breather. Don't worry my Speedmaster is,and will always be, my favorite bike I've ever owned (I've had over 50 bikes in my life; have seven now) 
Strangler
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50?
yikes!
I have to catch up!
-Tony
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 Re: Friends dont let Friends Ride ?
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Loquacious
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Loquacious
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glad you like your speedie. Our Triumphs are just PRETTIER than Hardley Davnidsons are.
Too many of the Harley look like tractors on two wheels.
"Proud to be an Infidel" ... "100% pure American Jingoist"
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 Re: Friends dont let Friends Ride ?
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Posts: 4,541
Loquacious
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OP
Loquacious
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 4,541 |
Quote:
(I've had over 50 bikes in my life; have seven now)
What are the seven you have now?
Arsenalfan. AKA Mark Able
Seller of fine automobiles.
Jaguar, Land Rover, Porsche of Chattanooga
423-424-4000
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 Re: Friends dont let Friends Ride ?
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Joined: May 2007
Posts: 6,432 Likes: 1
Worn Saddle
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Worn Saddle
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 6,432 Likes: 1 |
He' got a beauty of a Norton for one...
A positive attitude may not solve all your problems, but it will annoy enough people to make it worth the effort. Herm Albright (1876 - 1944)
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 Re: Friends dont let Friends Ride ?
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Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 1,284
Learned Hand
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Learned Hand
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 1,284 |
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glad you like your speedie. Our Triumphs are just PRETTIER than Hardley Davnidsons are.
Too many of the Harley look like tractors on two wheels.
I agree on both counts! Of course my Harleys look awesome! 
Strangler
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 Re: Friends dont let Friends Ride ?
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Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 18,825
"Lighten up, Francis."
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"Lighten up, Francis."
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 18,825 |
Ya know, the more I think about it the more I believe Pearl Harbor probably was the tipping point in our national attitudes. I don't believe the Germans actually attacked US soil (it's been a long time since I studied WWII) but the Japanese did and we all know how that turned out. Once that die was cast, everything else fed that hatred (the problems people people had with Japanese bikes as noted above being just one example). I also like the point that was made about it being a cruiser-community thing. What percentage of cruiser riders are veterans and patriots? Quite a lot I think.
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 Re: Friends dont let Friends Ride ?
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Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 23,243 Likes: 64
Fe Butt
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Fe Butt
Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 23,243 Likes: 64 |
Paul , it's funny you say that, my 75 Suzuki GT550 starter never failed. My friends Gold Wing alternator did though. Those suck to work on, had to take half the darn bike apart to fix it. I agree with your oil assessment too. I didn't buy a new Triumph twin right away because i figured the clutch dirt was going to cause problems like when HD did it. I never had any problem with checking the 3 oils in any of my old Triumphs or even the old Suzukis or Yamahas I had ( those had 2 oils). Or my BMW that I love and is one of the best bikes I ever had except very slow until I get the rubberband wound up.That has engine oil, tranny oil, and Differential oil.
Really don't like Victory, don't care about speed or power when its ugly. Don't like the lines, don't like the square engine with total lack of any kind of style. I wish they made a better looking bike since they seem well built and are US based with a good warrenty.
I learned all I need to know about life by killing smart people and eating their brains. Eat right ,Exercise ,Stay fit, Die Anyway!
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 Re: Friends dont let Friends Ride ?
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Joined: Jul 2006
Posts: 879
3/4 Throttle
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3/4 Throttle
Joined: Jul 2006
Posts: 879 |
Quote:
Patriotism or sour grapes? Did the Japanese have some kind of an unfair economic advantage in the 60's and 70's or did the Brits just fail to up their game to match the British arrogance I'm afraid.
competition?
Bit of sour grapes that the japs stole our (and others designs and improved on them along with an improvement in build quality and efficiency. They also spent money on R&D that we wouldn't.
In the case of MZ "Kaaden's protege, Ernst Degner, defected to Japan and sold Kaaden's secrets to Suzuki, who then went on to world championship status . Degner later committed suicide .... Who says there isn't drama and intrigue in old motorcycle history?"
...and a huge slice of British arrogance...........

If you do it today you MIGHT regret it. If you CAN'T do it tomorrow you WILL regret it.
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 Re: Friends dont let Friends Ride ?
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Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 7,702 Likes: 22
Monkey Butt
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Monkey Butt
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 7,702 Likes: 22 |
Speemaster05, I know full well I won't be disappointed in Victory. Just have not gotten around to buying it. They are making very serious motorcycles now.
I try to aggravate one person a day. Today may be your day.
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