the hardly and Triumph banter has been going on from the very beginning i would venture to guess. My dad used to ride in the 40's-50's and used to tell me about how him and his buddy's use to screw with each other about the difference but have always run together. there was a time when the jap invasion was just setting in that the two were even more respectfull of each other but still bantered about who was better. my dad would admit that he knew the English bikes handled way better than the h.d.'s and were quiker but, that the h.d. would take most at topend speed. when i was in Cali. i wondered into Huntington bch and the town was full of Angels partying for the wknd and being that this was in the 70's i am sure if i had been on a suzuhondaha i might have been in trouble but being that i had ridden a "dirt bike", (as quoted by an Angel about my Triumph) i was welcomed and had a great time. so the banter between h.d. and Triumph is a time honored tradition and should be taken as such. but the young posers and wannabes and weekenders dont know about anything but h.d. and anything less is just that to them. i laugh when somebody ask me "what kind of harley is that" like h.d is the only maker of bikes. but that is what they know. its like when you ask them why they ride a h.d the typical answer is "because its a harley" its like asking "why do you drink coke" its what they have been programed to believe. but ask any old timer and they will tell you that Triumph and h.d. have always bantered and when push come to shove its us against them jap bikes everyday. BMW was always the profesers bike, duc,s were for raceing but the bikes that were on the street with bikers on them were English and American (Indian,& h.d)
