I posted this on the RAT site and will just cut-and-paste what I said there:
You know things could be a lot worse - look at MG for example. Another long time British icon that is now owned by a Chinese company that plans on re-starting the brand with Chinese built vehicles. There was even a rumor that they may build a plant in Oklahoma to build vehicles. A "British" vehicle, owned by a Chinese company and built in Oklahoma. Don't know what to think of that.
Or how about Mini and Rolls-Royce, which are owned by BMW. Even though they are still assembled in England, ultimately the profits go back to Germany. FYI, BMW also owns the trademark for the Triumph Motor Company, in case they ever start building Spitfires again...
Bentley is owned by VW. Jaguar and Aston-Martin are owned by Ford (although, maybe not for long). Norton trying (and failing?) to get going again by a U.S. company.
Yeah, building bikes in Thailand is the end of an era, and it sucks. But lets get real, that era really ended 20 years ago and this is the most noticeable sign of it. I was never part of that era, so this doesn't bother me too much. The world moves on, and I'm young enough to move with it. I'm sure in 20 years, I'll be the cranky old fart yelling at kids to get off my lawn and telling people about my "classic" 2004 Triumph Speedmaster and how that was a "real" bike.
I think everybody should happy that the company is still an independently owned British company and that the profits still go back to the U.K.
