Author Topic: "Why don't you buy American?"  (Read 37343 times)

Offline Lannis

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Re: "Why don't you buy American?"
« Reply #180 on: June 03, 2017, 07:38:58 AM »
I am enjoying this thread.

As I mentioned earlier, two weekends ago my little Honda 500 and I went on a trip with 5 Harleys.  They were all great guys and for the size of their bikes I was pretty impressed at how well they went in the twisties. In the last few years I haven't had a single Harley rider not wave back to me so I am concluding that it is a very very low percentage of Harley riders that are obnoxious.....

For me, it's really nothing to do with "Harleys" ... it's the guys on big longitudinal V-twin cruisers, among which Harleys are highly represented, but ALL the manufacturers make something like that.

At a Guzzi rally, I meet almost nobody who is using his Guzzi to try to "Pretend" to be something that he isn't really.   They are RIDING long distances, they are wearing whatever gear is protective and comfortable for them regardless of how "stylish" it is, and when we talk, we have a LOT in common regardless of what brand of bike we happened to ride to the rally.

In other venues, I meet a disappointingly large number of people that are Pretending to be a Son of Anarchy, or a Hell's Angel, or a Long Distance Rider (on a 4 year old bike with 2000 miles on it) or a Certified Bad-Ass.   I have nothing at all I can talk to them about, since my command of Bad-Ass dialect is very rusty, and I know little about Billet or Fringe or accelerating down the straight and tiptoeing through the curves.

Maybe, when I ride my Guzzi or my Norton or my BSA, I am not only enjoying the ride but I am trolling for like-minded people, who understand what I'm doing because they enjoy their ride the same way I enjoy mine, and so we have something to talk about?

Perhaps talking to others, and meeting new people, isn't so important to some riders ....  I just know what's always worked for me, and, try as I might with 3 different Harley-Davidsons, the ride isn't as much fun as on a Guzzi or an old Brit.

Lannis
"Hard pounding, this, gentlemen; let's see who pounds the longest".

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Re: "Why don't you buy American?"
« Reply #181 on: June 03, 2017, 07:57:02 AM »
  I don't ride long distance and have always considered bikes for shorter duration sport riding. But more than that I enjoy working on bikes and making modifications....I have little interest in touring bikes or sport bikes with bolt on modifications.. I do have interest in most non Japanese vintage bikes .....Very few bikers seem to share my interests...My friends think a 70 year old guy should be enjoying retirement and not working on bikes or old Jeeps......
  If I find myself in a group of cruiser riders there's always something to talk about that may be interesting.... Like going to a wedding where you know very few people, just talk about whatever comes up...
  When I met Kev at the Curtiss museum last year we both managed to find some common ground   :grin: :grin:

Offline Lannis

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Re: "Why don't you buy American?"
« Reply #182 on: June 03, 2017, 08:04:44 AM »
 
  If I find myself in a group of cruiser riders there's always something to talk about that may be interesting.... Like going to a wedding where you know very few people, just talk about whatever comes up...
 

That's very true, and it's good to civil and open at a wedding where you don't know many people.

But I for SURE do not look around for weddings to go to because I enjoy weddings .... !   Same for cruiser conglomerations.

I have to go to one (wedding, not a cruiser meet) today.   A nephew.   I like him fine but I'll be trying to get home 30 seconds after I get to the reception ... !

Lannis
"Hard pounding, this, gentlemen; let's see who pounds the longest".

Offline JJ

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Re: "Why don't you buy American?"
« Reply #183 on: June 03, 2017, 08:10:02 AM »
Good morning from the East Coast!!
Well....let's see...if I had to buy a bike....





At the end of the day, both good bikes.  Biggest differences is for the HD, there are dealers / service / parts all over the USA...and with Guzzi...well...they are somewhat.... "limited" (lol)  :rolleyes: :shocked: :laugh: :grin: :wink:




BTW, great choice Kev! Maybe, one of these days, we'll get to see it in the flesh steel  :wink:
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Re: "Why don't you buy American?"
« Reply #183 on: June 03, 2017, 08:10:02 AM »

Offline Motogogo

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Re: "Why don't you buy American?"
« Reply #184 on: June 03, 2017, 08:10:34 AM »
Why a Guzzi?
Just listen to these RPMs man ....
Vrooooooooooooooooo m ba-ba  :bike-037:

Mostly because I like riding better than wrenching, is that your hoggy, there on the flatbed?
again Vrooooooooooooooooo ooooom ba-ba  :bike-037:

Well I only paid $300. for this bike and been running it for 30 years. I'd consider an American made if I could ever wear this damn thing out.
Vrooooooooooooooooo ooom ba-ba  :bike-037:
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850 T crusty specimen
Welch, Minnesota

oldbike54

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Re: "Why don't you buy American?"
« Reply #185 on: June 03, 2017, 08:30:47 AM »
 One of you smart guys photoshop an interesting background on the 1400 pic , I think some of you are actually not seeing the HD , just the backdrop . Photographers trick .

 Dusty

Offline Two Checks

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Re: "Why don't you buy American?"
« Reply #186 on: June 03, 2017, 08:40:48 AM »
Harley riders dont wave, they point two fingers at the ground.

A few years ago i met up with a friend in Bardstown , KY who is from Knoxville (Yam Road Star).
He brought ywo of his friends from Cincy who were on HDs.
Nice guys.
In our jaunts we all decided to have a little drag race.
The big engines took the early lead as I was forced to short shift. Engine flat out shut down at high rpm.
Got into 5th and ai started pulling away umtil we ran out of road.
Later that night the HD guys started looking at the Cal III and started asking questions, mainly about the drive traain.
I described it all and then it came...how many cc's
When I told them 949 they asked if it was stock. Yep. Then the reply..."man that thing runs".
Fat forwatd to next year. Same bikes except the HDs had carbs and pipes. I had a new stock air filter. The bike revs now.
Same road, another race. It was no contest. The Guzzi won.
They all swore I did something to it. No way their bikes got slower.
I told em to turn their engines the right way it might run like a Guzzi.
1990 Cal III f/f  "Il Duce' III"
1987 1000 SPII "Il Duce' II"

Online Luap McKeever

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Re: "Why don't you buy American?"
« Reply #187 on: June 03, 2017, 09:01:02 AM »
So the dude was surrounded by buddies and probably had some liquid courage installed into his system.  I'd smile, walk by, and leave as if I was a president of some country and too good to answer his question. 

If he was by himself and asked me that, I'd invite him on a ride along to the twistiest road in the county, his pick even. 
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Offline flip

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Re: "Why don't you buy American?"
« Reply #188 on: June 03, 2017, 01:28:37 PM »
I love riding motorcycles with 90 degree v-twin engines. There are none made in the USA that I am aware of.

I've ridden singles, parallel twins, 45 degree v-twins, inline triples and fours, v-4 and 90 degree v-twins. Most bikes vibrations causes my right hand to go to sleep after a short distance. The least bothersome for that have been the 90 degree v-twin engines. Plus, there is something about the frequency of the vibes on a 90 degree v-twin engine that somehow seems to relax me and put me in a good mood. I know that simply being on a bike should do that but for me, there is just something special about the 90 degree V!
« Last Edit: June 03, 2017, 04:56:36 PM by flip »
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Offline nsmith

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Re: "Why don't you buy American?"
« Reply #189 on: June 03, 2017, 02:51:22 PM »
I was asked once why I bought the Bassa instead of HD  I simply said "because
The Bassa will show me 100 miles per hour in most of the gears, will yours do that?"
He just looked at me like I was nuts. I never said it was actually going that fast
 But the speedometer said it was. 😜
Neil formally from South Dakota now living it up in Arkansas

 

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