Another Liverpool question

[Tdale]

That's ok.

I thought about it, and even if we don't make bikes, the most serious, "die hard" bikers will only ride a Harley Davidson.. Probably has to do with the bike, being a great bike, and that it's an american symbol..

I don't know which part of Scandinavia you visited, but the riding season is a little longer than 2 months Where I live, snow will usually be gone in march, depending on how much there is, and there won't be snow until november, or even later. So I see bikes from at least may until september...or longer.

California, or any of the southern states on the other hand, has driving season 12 months a year....that would be something (even if I don't have a bike)

Tommy

[CaseyJones]

That's ok.

I thought about it, and even if we don't make bikes, the most serious, "die hard" bikers will only ride a Harley Davidson.. Probably has to do with the bike, being a great bike, and that it's an american symbol..

I swear there's more pristine antique Harleys in Germany than there are in California by now.

I like the British outlook on motorcycles. Those guys will hot rod anything. All a Brit needs is some scrap metal, a rented railway arch and a torch and he'll hammer out something that will blow yer mind! Come to think of it all they need is scrap metal, they'll hammer out something anyway.

I don't know which part of Scandinavia you visited, but the riding season is a little longer than 2 months Where I live, snow will usually be gone in march, depending on how much there is, and there won't be snow until november, or even later. So I see bikes from at least may until september...or longer.

I'm thinkin' Finland. I can't claim to know every tree and rock in every corner of the globe even though I'd like to.

Just 'cuz there isn't snow on the ground doesn't mean it's good ridin'. Ever keep honey bees in a cold climate? The sun will come out when there's still patches of snow in the ground and they'll come out of the hive, some will fly off. If the sun goes behind a cloud they'll just die in midair. Early and late season ridin' is like that. 50-60 degrees (Farenheit) feels pretty good after a long cold winter but MAN it gets cold when that sun goes down! Then by late September we've forgotten that lesson, time to freeze after sundown again.

California, or any of the southern states on the other hand, has driving season 12 months a year....that would be something (even if I don't have a bike)

Tommy

Yeah but I pity those poor people out in California. I got all winter to pry fresh tires on my bikes, I'll be hittin' the road with fresh chains and sprockets, I can polish the paint down to bare metal if I'm in the mood.

Ridin' is kinda like sex... sometimes it's better if it's been a while.

[skyboltone]

It's interesting, and a bit hard to understand, to see this debate about Honda/Harley etc.

Coming from a country that doesn't make either cars or bikes, all cars and bikes are imported, so it's not really an issue here

Tommy
Norway

Didn't you guys used to make the best commercial boat motors in the world? Sabb? Or is that the Finns?

[dartanion]

It's interesting, and a bit hard to understand, to see this debate about Honda/Harley etc.

Coming from a country that doesn't make either cars or bikes, all cars and bikes are imported, so it's not really an issue here

Tommy
Norway

Didn't you guys used to make the best commercial boat motors in the world? Sabb? Or is that the Finns?

That's the Swedes'.

Norway is the "Most Peaceful Country" on earth.

[gearhead]

[Norway is the "Most Peaceful Country" on earth.

And a whole boatload of top-notch Winter Olympians.

[dartanion]

[Norway is the "Most Peaceful Country" on earth.

And a whole boatload of top-notch Winter Olympians.

That too. I am 3 generations removed from Norway. All my relatives immigrated to Minnesota and Iowa in the mid 1800s. Lots of square-heads in those parts!!

[skyboltone]

It's interesting, and a bit hard to understand, to see this debate about Honda/Harley etc.

Coming from a country that doesn't make either cars or bikes, all cars and bikes are imported, so it's not really an issue here

Tommy
Norway

Didn't you guys used to make the best commercial boat motors in the world? Sabb? Or is that the Finns?

That's the Swedes'.

Norway is the "Most Peaceful Country" on earth.

Hey Tommy, check it out http://www.sabb.no/eng/contentpg.aspx?zone=12 Norway dude!

[dartanion]

Dan,

You are correct. I thought you wrote SAAB. My bad.

[Tubetwang]

outlaw=old harley or better (indian)
60'=triumph,bsa or better (norton)
not POSING but TRAVELING around the WORLD=BMW

[CaseyJones]

outlaw=old harley or better (indian)
60'=triumph,bsa or better (norton)
not POSING but TRAVELING around the WORLD=BMW

Outlaw = Harley. All the real outlaws sold their Indians to bucks-up collectors when the prices went outta sight.

Street cred means you have an old Pan or a Shovel tucked away in the basement. Knuckles are in the bucks up category. Last time I was out in Sonoma tryin' to find the 101 there was a whole line of pristine Knuckles lined up in front of some upscale wine bar. Knuckles went the way of the Indian, sold to the highest bidder when the prices went up.

Triumph, BSA or Norton: ROCKERS. Or build a Triton. If you have the bucks buy a Vincent. Park the Vincent next to your Knuckle and your Indian.

BSA: Best Brit from the '50s.

Triumph: Best Brit from the '60s.

Norton: Best Brit from the '70s.

My "combat" spec '73 Commando only lasted a couple minutes. That was typical for those bikes.

Might as well go Italian and buy a '70s Laverda SF. More fun than a Commando and it won't blow up. All you need to do is get your head around that oversized Honda Dream engine!

Travelling around the world and posing: BMW!

The old ones are cool but the news ones are a two wheeled Mercedes. "Upscale bike" is a mixed metaphor.

A couple Brits from Reading broke down a mile from my house a while back, he was riding an old Trident and she was riding an EX500. Of course it was the Trident that broke! As I remember some hardware got loose in the primary case and jammed between the primary chain and the clutch sprocket, it broke a couple teeth on the sprocket. Jammed up the works, the bike wouldn't turn over on the kicker. Easy fix, pop off the primary cover, remove the hardware and move on. Except the hardware had some essential function, I forget what and it came out because it was metric thread stuffed into a standard threaded hole.

ANYWAY they get the Big Balls award, touring North America on an old Trident and an undersized sport bike. They were taking their time, they'd been to Laconia and were making their way towards Sturgis. I don't remember their names but I remember their bikes.

[Tubetwang]

i never saw any Harley rider in Africa, India-Nepal-China, South America.

They are good for noise, vibration, braking down, pretending yar a tough boy... or better yet... posing with your new custom leather chaps at the A&W...


If you want to do some serious mileage get a BMW...

[Lonely Raven]

I'm biting my tongue on the Harley bashing.

I'll just say this...it cracks me up when Harley owners can't spell Harley, and they brag about their USA made bikes that "smoke all the Jap Crap". BUY AMERICAN!

Yeah, like the V-Rod. Motor Designed by Porsche with French Pistons, Japanese Carbs, German gearing and Japanese suspension...

I'll shut up now. We just have a lot of posers and tuff guy wanna be in my neighborhood, one of which tried to knock my fiance off her Kawaski WITH HIS PICKUP TRUCK simply because "buy American and get that Jap Crap out of here".

Again, sorry to derail this thread.

[CaseyJones]

i never saw any Harley rider in Africa, India-Nepal-China, South America.

Damn straight! You know you're in a Third World shit hole when it's a three day ride to the next good bar!

They are good for noise,

Loud pipes save lives.

vibration, braking down,

Must be you're riding yours on crummy Third World roads. It takes me less than a minute on good pavement to get to the nearest bar. Vibration? Hell, I can hit second gear and coast the rest of the way!

pretending yar a tough boy... .

Don't you worry bucko, it ain't an act!

Even if I was a complete pussy it wouldn't matter... I'm one hell of a mechanic, if I can't get the parts I'll MAKE the damn parts! So I got lots of "friends". They know that if they're thin on cash they can show up with a pizza and their scoot will be returned to operable condition.

or better yet... posing with your new custom leather chaps at the A&W...

Know how I dress for Laconia? Khaki Bermuda shorts, a crisp white "T" shirt and flip-flops! 'Cuz it gets HOT over at NHIS.

I've got a surplus Royal Mail rain jacket and a pair of surplus OD bib rain pants in my saddlebags. I've gone two hours in a driving rain in 'em and arrived DRY. I've gone two minutes in a thunderstorm without 'em and done a SpongeBob impersonation.

I'll buy some chaps if I ever get invited to star in the next Village People video. Which ain't very likely!

If you want to do some serious mileage get a BMW...

Yeah, one with four wheels. Augment that with a Triple A card, hotel reservations about 300 miles apart and some traveler's checks for quaint little antique shops.

[Tubetwang]

Not a problem...i'm told Ken was a motocycle buff and knew Indian Larry...

[CaseyJones]

BUY AMERICAN!

Yeah, like the V-Rod. Motor Designed by Porsche with French Pistons, Japanese Carbs, German gearing and Japanese suspension...

Yeah, the V Rod is an interesting piece. Harley managed to nail that mid-'80s Honda Shadow look and feel with that one.

I'll shut up now. We just have a lot of posers and tuff guy wanna be in my neighborhood, one of which tried to knock my fiance off her Kawaski WITH HIS PICKUP TRUCK simply because "buy American and get that Jap Crap out of here"

Yeah, assholes are everywhere. I got one, you got one, there's no need to BE one!

Last guy who sang that "Buy American" song for me was some farmer who didn't agree with the old Triumph I was ridin' that day because of its obvious lack of a "V" motor. He was sittin on a fence and givin' me shit so I asked him "What you got?" and told him "Bring it!" Turns out the best he could to was a show up with a flatbed Dodge farm truck with a 360 in it.