Triumph bikes in Thailand

[In Search of Space]

Everyone's knocking the British bikes, but I've fallen in love with my old AJS 350 16M, while at home gave it a facelift, new bars, levers, headlight, a big clean. It may be right-foot gear and may not go fast, or reliable, but it is fun. It looks nothing like an AJS, with aprillia upside-down front forks & disk brakes.

Well, so much teasing and no pictures?!?

You asked for it, but as another said, everyone to their own, it will go one day !!!!

[In Search of Space]

Sorry TV wouldn't take the picture, put one up tomorrow, promise

[JonnyF]

I cannot be sure but I thought KTM were actually manufacturing here. Why anyone would spend 800K on a Triumph amazes me, again the same and more spent on Harleys, they are shit compared to any mainstream Japanese bike. You may as well spend 50K on a Platinum or similar Chinese piece of scrap and keep the rest in the bank to replace all the bits that fall off over the first few months. Give me Honda, Kawasaki or Yamaha any day. If it wasn't for the Japanese the British bikes and the old Harleys would still essentially be a design from 1950 like an old BSA or a Pile of Plates, side valve pushrod pieces of junk that wouldn't get you to and from the local market without breaking down 5 times on the journey. Harley, Triumph and Norton needed a sidecar to carry all the necessary spares to repair them on a 50 mile trip.

Stop talking out of your ar$e!

Bikes are individual to everyone, what is good for one may not be good for another person. Comparing Jap bikes with Triumphs, Harley's or Dukes is like comparing apples and pears. I'v had bikes all my life from being a nipper and owned all sorts, a 10 years ago I was riding a Suzuki K3 Thou in UK and loved it when they first came out - Totally mental bike and a Rocket ship, great whip around the dales on a Sunday blast. But fast forward a few years and I got a VFR 800 as always fancied one (reputedly one of the best all round bikes ever made - pre V-Tec Fi model) yep was good and all that, could do a bit of everything but I ended up losing my Mo-Jo and got board and thought about giving bikes up, then one day went for a blat on a Triumph T100 Bonneville, came back from the run with a Smile from ear to ear. Bought one brand new October 2013 in UK paid £7200, absolutely love it and my mojo is back big time.

See is not a speed thing or what ever, is all about what you want out of a bike, so have your opinion mate, everyone is entitled to that but don't talk $hite about a bike you obviously know FA about.

You guys prob know far better than me the Bonnies are assembled here in LOS (all parts shipped over) Got to say I still impressed with mine and the quality bar the handle bar controls are just basic Jap fair. So as they are assembled in Thai factory is that why the possible reduction in price?

Well. 30 years ago we were riding Suzuki 280 GSX, Honda CB500 shaft drives blah blah blah...30 years ago not ten! When I was 5 I was on a BSA 500, when I was ten we had a sidecar. You are obviously too young to see the kind of junk that was turned out by Norton, (Commando) BSA, JAL Pile of Plates, back in those days, so don't try and argue about something you never experienced, Back in the early 70's British Bikes and Harleys were shit! It took the Japs to wake them up.

Unfortunately my arse has no vocal chords unlike yours so I am unable to converse in your anal language. Indeed comparing Harleys and Triumphs with Honda, BMW, Kawasaki and Yamaha is indeed like apples and pears, it is like comparing 1950's crap with modern technology. Do you for one minute think you would have fuel injection, O2 sensors and the level of technology we have now if we waited for British bike manufacturers? We would still have the same old shit they sold us in the '60's, Harley Davidson still sells overpriced JUNK to idiots that think they are buying a real bike. The only reason we have decent bikes today are because of the Japs, same as the cars, you would still be driving round in some piece of shit from British Leyland and BLMC if it wasn't for Japs, the cars/bikes in the US are even worse, emission complying junk.

A British vehicle could never get you from A to B without a major service on the road, they were just complete shit! Harley rested on their name and delivered shit, Ducati are a bunch of faggot specialists, their shit bikes will die after 30Km in Thailand. Like most Itie shit, built for looks never for endurance. Stick with the Jap bikes, they are number one for performance.

BSA were still trying to flog their bikes in 1970+ along with Norton that were based on the same SHIT designs that were being produced in 1950, CRAP BIKES, CRAP Technology, CRAP outdated design. Harley was the same only more bits fell off their crap bikes. That was why they nearly went bust... they shipped shit!

And when I started on Bikes a Bonneville was a throwback to the 18th century, people were buying riding and dying on the new Kawasaki Z1R, that machine took a few of my mates out, but compared with a Bonneville, it left the Bonny standing. a thumper, not a fast bike. (no speed is not everything - take the Yamaha RD 200 a small bike with a bit of get up and go, the Norton Commando 750 was like a slug compared to this! The Yamaha 50 FSIE in the 1980's would leave any of your "Big Bikes" Standing from a standing start, and they had pedals!

Senility is a terrible thing. Best of luck.

[PMZ]

It is my understanding that when the Tax rules changed last year, which Ducati reacted to and lowered the price of the Thai built bikes, that BritBike cold have also done the same, but that he chose not to, even though his company tax on the Thai built bikes has reduced substantially.

If this is so, then the original post was correct, it is about a personal choice of BritBike.

If Triumph UK has pushed this forward, I applaud them.

I heard that the dealer for Thailand kept those high prices because he wanted Triumph bikes to be a luxery item for the selected few.

Perhaps Triumph UK have pulled the plug on this guy as Ducati did, and just see how well Ducati Thailand are doing now.

This has nothing to do with artificially inflated prices and everything to do with taxation.

[Brasilouro]

Got me thinking now I was going to buy a triumph last month but couldn't do it as it was to over priced so I have been waiting for the new Ducati scrambler to arrive in Los as I thought It would be simmler priced to Europe .. but if this is true the triumph is looking good ...

[Fab5BKK]

Have you ever approached a SpeedTriple? You know it's a Triumph...

One of the best roadsters available (FYI, I had few bikes before: ZZR1100, ZX9R, etc. all full power)

Before talking nonsense (I'm trying to stay polite), plse update your "knowledge"

I cannot be sure but I thought KTM were actually manufacturing here. Why anyone would spend 800K on a Triumph amazes me, again the same and more spent on Harleys, they are shit compared to any mainstream Japanese bike. You may as well spend 50K on a Platinum or similar Chinese piece of scrap and keep the rest in the bank to replace all the bits that fall off over the first few months. Give me Honda, Kawasaki or Yamaha any day. If it wasn't for the Japanese the British bikes and the old Harleys would still essentially be a design from 1950 like an old BSA or a Pile of Plates, side valve pushrod pieces of junk that wouldn't get you to and from the local market without breaking down 5 times on the journey. Harley, Triumph and Norton needed a sidecar to carry all the necessary spares to repair them on a 50 mile trip.

Stop talking out of your ar$e!

Bikes are individual to everyone, what is good for one may not be good for another person. Comparing Jap bikes with Triumphs, Harley's or Dukes is like comparing apples and pears. I'v had bikes all my life from being a nipper and owned all sorts, a 10 years ago I was riding a Suzuki K3 Thou in UK and loved it when they first came out - Totally mental bike and a Rocket ship, great whip around the dales on a Sunday blast. But fast forward a few years and I got a VFR 800 as always fancied one (reputedly one of the best all round bikes ever made - pre V-Tec Fi model) yep was good and all that, could do a bit of everything but I ended up losing my Mo-Jo and got board and thought about giving bikes up, then one day went for a blat on a Triumph T100 Bonneville, came back from the run with a Smile from ear to ear. Bought one brand new October 2013 in UK paid £7200, absolutely love it and my mojo is back big time.

See is not a speed thing or what ever, is all about what you want out of a bike, so have your opinion mate, everyone is entitled to that but don't talk $hite about a bike you obviously know FA about.

You guys prob know far better than me the Bonnies are assembled here in LOS (all parts shipped over) Got to say I still impressed with mine and the quality bar the handle bar controls are just basic Jap fair. So as they are assembled in Thai factory is that why the possible reduction in price?

Well. 30 years ago we were riding Suzuki 280 GSX, Honda CB500 shaft drives blah blah blah...30 years ago not ten! When I was 5 I was on a BSA 500, when I was ten we had a sidecar. You are obviously too young to see the kind of junk that was turned out by Norton, (Commando) BSA, JAL Pile of Plates, back in those days, so don't try and argue about something you never experienced, Back in the early 70's British Bikes and Harleys were shit! It took the Japs to wake them up.

Unfortunately my arse has no vocal chords unlike yours so I am unable to converse in your anal language. Indeed comparing Harleys and Triumphs with Honda, BMW, Kawasaki and Yamaha is indeed like apples and pears, it is like comparing 1950's crap with modern technology. Do you for one minute think you would have fuel injection, O2 sensors and the level of technology we have now if we waited for British bike manufacturers? We would still have the same old shit they sold us in the '60's, Harley Davidson still sells overpriced JUNK to idiots that think they are buying a real bike. The only reason we have decent bikes today are because of the Japs, same as the cars, you would still be driving round in some piece of shit from British Leyland and BLMC if it wasn't for Japs, the cars/bikes in the US are even worse, emission complying junk.

A British vehicle could never get you from A to B without a major service on the road, they were just complete shit! Harley rested on their name and delivered shit, Ducati are a bunch of faggot specialists, their shit bikes will die after 30Km in Thailand. Like most Itie shit, built for looks never for endurance. Stick with the Jap bikes, they are number one for performance.

BSA were still trying to flog their bikes in 1970+ along with Norton that were based on the same SHIT designs that were being produced in 1950, CRAP BIKES, CRAP Technology, CRAP outdated design. Harley was the same only more bits fell off their crap bikes. That was why they nearly went bust... they shipped shit!

And when I started on Bikes a Bonneville was a throwback to the 18th century, people were buying riding and dying on the new Kawasaki Z1R, that machine took a few of my mates out, but compared with a Bonneville, it left the Bonny standing. a thumper, not a fast bike. (no speed is not everything - take the Yamaha RD 200 a small bike with a bit of get up and go, the Norton Commando 750 was like a slug compared to this! The Yamaha 50 FSIE in the 1980's would leave any of your "Big Bikes" Standing from a standing start, and they had pedals!

[Lokie]

I cannot be sure but I thought KTM were actually manufacturing here. Why anyone would spend 800K on a Triumph amazes me, again the same and more spent on Harleys, they are shit compared to any mainstream Japanese bike. You may as well spend 50K on a Platinum or similar Chinese piece of scrap and keep the rest in the bank to replace all the bits that fall off over the first few months. Give me Honda, Kawasaki or Yamaha any day. If it wasn't for the Japanese the British bikes and the old Harleys would still essentially be a design from 1950 like an old BSA or a Pile of Plates, side valve pushrod pieces of junk that wouldn't get you to and from the local market without breaking down 5 times on the journey. Harley, Triumph and Norton needed a sidecar to carry all the necessary spares to repair them on a 50 mile trip.

Stop talking out of your ar$e!

Bikes are individual to everyone, what is good for one may not be good for another person. Comparing Jap bikes with Triumphs, Harley's or Dukes is like comparing apples and pears. I'v had bikes all my life from being a nipper and owned all sorts, a 10 years ago I was riding a Suzuki K3 Thou in UK and loved it when they first came out - Totally mental bike and a Rocket ship, great whip around the dales on a Sunday blast. But fast forward a few years and I got a VFR 800 as always fancied one (reputedly one of the best all round bikes ever made - pre V-Tec Fi model) yep was good and all that, could do a bit of everything but I ended up losing my Mo-Jo and got board and thought about giving bikes up, then one day went for a blat on a Triumph T100 Bonneville, came back from the run with a Smile from ear to ear. Bought one brand new October 2013 in UK paid £7200, absolutely love it and my mojo is back big time.

See is not a speed thing or what ever, is all about what you want out of a bike, so have your opinion mate, everyone is entitled to that but don't talk $hite about a bike you obviously know FA about.

You guys prob know far better than me the Bonnies are assembled here in LOS (all parts shipped over) Got to say I still impressed with mine and the quality bar the handle bar controls are just basic Jap fair. So as they are assembled in Thai factory is that why the possible reduction in price?

Well. 30 years ago we were riding Suzuki 280 GSX, Honda CB500 shaft drives blah blah blah...30 years ago not ten! When I was 5 I was on a BSA 500, when I was ten we had a sidecar. You are obviously too young to see the kind of junk that was turned out by Norton, (Commando) BSA, JAL Pile of Plates, back in those days, so don't try and argue about something you never experienced, Back in the early 70's British Bikes and Harleys were shit! It took the Japs to wake them up.

Unfortunately my arse has no vocal chords unlike yours so I am unable to converse in your anal language. Indeed comparing Harleys and Triumphs with Honda, BMW, Kawasaki and Yamaha is indeed like apples and pears, it is like comparing 1950's crap with modern technology. Do you for one minute think you would have fuel injection, O2 sensors and the level of technology we have now if we waited for British bike manufacturers? We would still have the same old shit they sold us in the '60's, Harley Davidson still sells overpriced JUNK to idiots that think they are buying a real bike. The only reason we have decent bikes today are because of the Japs, same as the cars, you would still be driving round in some piece of shit from British Leyland and BLMC if it wasn't for Japs, the cars/bikes in the US are even worse, emission complying junk.

A British vehicle could never get you from A to B without a major service on the road, they were just complete shit! Harley rested on their name and delivered shit, Ducati are a bunch of faggot specialists, their shit bikes will die after 30Km in Thailand. Like most Itie shit, built for looks never for endurance. Stick with the Jap bikes, they are number one for performance.

BSA were still trying to flog their bikes in 1970+ along with Norton that were based on the same SHIT designs that were being produced in 1950, CRAP BIKES, CRAP Technology, CRAP outdated design. Harley was the same only more bits fell off their crap bikes. That was why they nearly went bust... they shipped shit!

And when I started on Bikes a Bonneville was a throwback to the 18th century, people were buying riding and dying on the new Kawasaki Z1R, that machine took a few of my mates out, but compared with a Bonneville, it left the Bonny standing. a thumper, not a fast bike. (no speed is not everything - take the Yamaha RD 200 a small bike with a bit of get up and go, the Norton Commando 750 was like a slug compared to this! The Yamaha 50 FSIE in the 1980's would leave any of your "Big Bikes" Standing from a standing start, and they had pedals!

Wow, like you really lived the dream ehh Albert? maybe should have had a few Doobies and chilled out a bit more instead of pushing all them Ol piles of plates about back in the swinging 60s. The OP is about modern bikes not what your babbling on about, I simply pointed out you was talking crap and stand by that as you were. You will find the current 865cc pararell twin offered in the Bonneville range are a pretty good bikes and value for money, comfartably and give enjoyment to ride and look straight out of the 60s, all the looks without the oil leaks etc.

IMO yes Honda make the best built bikes overall on average (finish/quality etc) is not a pi$$ing contest mate just think you are bashing the current Triumph range based on bikes from a bygone era... Yes the RDs were amazing of course, X7s weren't behind the door either, FSIEs had a copule of them at 16, AP50, TS50ER (bit younger than you, does it really matter?) Facts are the Japs have sat back on thier laurels in last few years and the Europeans and to an extent US builders have raised thier game, this gives us all some intresting options to ride/buy, do it Albert, Go have a ride on a new injected Bonneville, come back, have a coke and a smile and shoot the breeze mate!

As a side my first car was an Austin Maxi 1750, bought for £110 with 10mths tax, had it 3 years with no issues - British Leyland at its best lol!!

[Globeman]

Wow, that's quite some news.

Would hate to be one of the guys who just bought one for almost 800k...

Agreed, but I never understod why those guys paid so much in the first place unless you are swimming in money.

Gold can be bought at too high prices and then it's better to just walk away.

I heard that the dealer for Thailand kept those high prices because he wanted Triumph bikes to be a luxery item for the selected few.

Perhaps Triumph UK have pulled the plug on this guy as Ducati did, and just see how well Ducati Thailand are doing now.

Are the Tiger 800 made here?

Ducati started doing well because they built an assembly factory here and started producing the Monster in Thailand - bringing it under the tax radar and reducing the price considerably. The majority of their sales are still Monsters - though local manufacture of other models has also brought those prices down... Ducati also did a good job of marketing the bike and it suddenly became the prestige brand to have for young Thais who had never heard of Ducs before - and in many cases didn't have the skills to handle them properly either. Ducati had a lot of returns from young rakes who rode maybe a few hundred kms couldn't stop shi**ing themselves and packed it in - almost always with some other lame excuse other than admitting incompetence.

[jacko45k]

Oh dear...one of those could surely tempt me at a reduced price.

[seedy]

Being from the wrong side of the pond, what is a nob ?

[Strangebrew]

Nothing like a good old Harley Fat Bob Forget trump's and rice rockets Better yet an Indian is also good too. But have to be Vintage Did find one at Fortune town few years back 1926 Scout restored, well passable restore still needed some tweaking to get it right. Like Old school Bikes Noticed a lot of Brit's in the UK have been buying Harleys too.

[kerrysum]

I heard that the dealer for Thailand kept those high prices because he wanted Triumph bikes to be a luxery item for the selected few.

Perhaps Triumph UK have pulled the plug on this guy as Ducati did, and just see how well Ducati Thailand are doing now.

This has nothing to do with artificially inflated prices and everything to do with taxation.

Yes a very good fact indeed, one would really wonder, but I think your comment was straight on!

Thailand has always been this way, let us face it, if you do not make it here, be willing to pay....

Kinda unfair wouldn't you say? Just my thoughts......

[Briggsy]

So, back on topic, when can we expect the new price list?

[pokerkid]

This has nothing to do with artificially inflated prices and everything to do with taxation.

no, KTM is pulling the same stunt

Are KTMs manufactured here? If so, i did not know that...

what i meant to say is that KTM also keeps their prices artificially high because they want to be seen as a high end luxury project.

[ll2]

So, back on topic, when can we expect the new price list?

At moto expo at impact arena at the end of this month.

I hope daytona 675 also gets pricr decrease and be around 450 k - 500 k thb!

[JonnyF]

So, back on topic, when can we expect the new price list?

At moto expo at impact arena at the end of this month.

I hope daytona 675 also gets pricr decrease and be around 450 k - 500 k thb!

Unlikely given that it's 920,000 baht at the moment. I'd be interested in the Street Triple if it was sub 500k though so let's hope.

I'd say the best we can hope for is 200k off the current prices but let's see...

[AllanB]

The best bike I ever rode was a '79 Bonneville kick start, handled well, balanced, a real pleasure I have not experienced since. With no licence and no biking experience I rode it for 10 days in the UK and had only one issue...I ran out of petrol on the M4.

My dad also had a Maxi 1500 for 5 years and an Allegro for 6 years with absolutely no issues, so there were/are a lot of myths flying about as to what is good and bad. Best company car I ever had...an Alfa 33 green cloverleaf, fast, 100% reliable and that twin Webber / boxer engine sound track.

Cars and bikes used to be interesting back then, now they are dull as ditch-water, we traded the reliability myth for everything is the same and DULL.

Just look at Thai roads, Jeezus it makes you weep for something different, all the Jap crap is the exactly the same and you guys wet your pants if Honda stick an extra bit of plastic on the side to make it look different from a Yamaha.

Now we are being sold this battery powered bike BS, so we can also look and feel like Toyota Prius dullards, green my arse.

The 60's were the good old days, a 100mph from a cheap motorbike, when you dad's car would barely do half that, the Japs just came along copied everything and spent their money on production development, pirates, just like the 19th century English.

I saw a new SR400 in Khon Kaen.."money for nothing, unfortunately no chicks for free", revive the 1980 Bonneville, I say.

[RubberSideDown]

^

Which current (something made this century, at any rate) motorcycles have you owned (or at least ridden extensively) that are your basis for comparison?

BTW- I'm impressed that you were able to have your cave wired for the Internet...

[DILLIGAD]

Being from the wrong side of the pond, what is a nob ?

Knob = idiot

[MAZ3]

I heard that the dealer for Thailand kept those high prices because he wanted Triumph bikes to be a luxery item for the selected few.

Perhaps Triumph UK have pulled the plug on this guy as Ducati did, and just see how well Ducati Thailand are doing now.

This has nothing to do with artificially inflated prices and everything to do with taxation.

It's to do with both. Unless Yamaha are selling the MT-09 at a loss.[/quote

Probably is both,I heard somewhere that Britbike wanted to keep their profit high per bike.

The quote was,why sell 500/1000 bikes,when you can get the same money for selling 50/100. Makes business sense for them,but I hope Triumph have realised they can sell a lot of bikes here at the right price.

[RCP]

FOR THE HD RIDERS THAILAND http://bangkok.coconuts.co/2014/01/22/explode-space-harley-davidson-coming-thailand

[rambling]

Japan imports should see some real improvement in their margins now. The Yen has been crushed recently, dropping about 18% in just 4 months. It hasn't been this low since 2007..

I wonder if they'll update prices at some point.

[In Search of Space]

Everyone's knocking the British bikes, but I've fallen in love with my old AJS 350 16M, while at home gave it a facelift, new bars, levers, headlight, a big clean. It may be right-foot gear and may not go fast, or reliable, but it is fun. It looks nothing like an AJS, with aprillia upside-down front forks & disk brakes.

Well, so much teasing and no pictures?!?

[MAZ3]

Careful,Triumph might nick your idea and make it their new single model ;-)

[thaiguzzi]

I cannot be sure but I thought KTM were actually manufacturing here. Why anyone would spend 800K on a Triumph amazes me, again the same and more spent on Harleys, they are shit compared to any mainstream Japanese bike. You may as well spend 50K on a Platinum or similar Chinese piece of scrap and keep the rest in the bank to replace all the bits that fall off over the first few months. Give me Honda, Kawasaki or Yamaha any day. If it wasn't for the Japanese the British bikes and the old Harleys would still essentially be a design from 1950 like an old BSA or a Pile of Plates, side valve pushrod pieces of junk that wouldn't get you to and from the local market without breaking down 5 times on the journey. Harley, Triumph and Norton needed a sidecar to carry all the necessary spares to repair them on a 50 mile trip.

Yawn...

Lets go to the other side of the fence. Hate Jap bikes. UJM's with no soul, no character, no class.

And as a typical Jap bike owner, you do'nt have much technical nous about yourself. OHV's have pushrods, sidevalves do not.

[thaiguzzi]

Everyone's knocking the British bikes, but I've fallen in love with my old AJS 350 16M, while at home gave it a facelift, new bars, levers, headlight, a big clean. It may be right-foot gear and may not go fast, or reliable, but it is fun. It looks nothing like an AJS, with aprillia upside-down front forks & disk brakes.

Well, so much teasing and no pictures?!?

Looking good. Very nice.

[ll2]

I cannot be sure but I thought KTM were actually manufacturing here. Why anyone would spend 800K on a Triumph amazes me, again the same and more spent on Harleys, they are shit compared to any mainstream Japanese bike. You may as well spend 50K on a Platinum or similar Chinese piece of scrap and keep the rest in the bank to replace all the bits that fall off over the first few months. Give me Honda, Kawasaki or Yamaha any day. If it wasn't for the Japanese the British bikes and the old Harleys would still essentially be a design from 1950 like an old BSA or a Pile of Plates, side valve pushrod pieces of junk that wouldn't get you to and from the local market without breaking down 5 times on the journey. Harley, Triumph and Norton needed a sidecar to carry all the necessary spares to repair them on a 50 mile trip.

Yawn...

Lets go to the other side of the fence. Hate Jap bikes. UJM's with no soul, no character, no class.

And as a typical Jap bike owner, you do'nt have much technical nous about yourself. OHV's have pushrods, sidevalves do not.

If you have no soul and character, so does your bikes.

It is all about the rider at the end.

We ride bikes for fun mostly - which is in the eye of the beholder - not bc they shake or they break down or they feel like hot iron.

Or we buy bikes according to our needs.

[AllanB]

^

Which current (something made this century, at any rate) motorcycles have you owned (or at least ridden extensively) that are your basis for comparison?

BTW- I'm impressed that you were able to have your cave wired for the Internet...

Not a whole lot as it happens, Honda Wave, CBR250 and an ER6N, I also own a 1983 Honda 43hp NV400 and these are all good machines, but without an ounce of soul or character. If you want to ride to work pick any one on the Jap list, trouble is RSD, your mind works in only one dimension, molded by the marketing men and you rush from A to B on your 1300cc whateveritis without seeing or feeling anything,.... probably with you knee down.

How many of these Jap bikes will be collected in 30 years time, when all the old British and American bikes are still running and still putting a smile on the faces of their owners and are still being admired by people they pass? "Technology" is a bullshit word for what they are trying to sell you today. Lawrence of Arabia was getting his kicks doing 100mph on his Brough Superior over 80 years ago, so how far have your Jap friends bought us since then? ABS, EFI, BUW and now battery bikes.

Wining, high revving same-same sewing machines with bits of plastic waving around in the wind, we used to call them "Rice Bikes" because rice is also effin boring. I am no big Harley fan but I do get it, laid back riding position, cool gear, with your mates, cruising along at 60mph with that deep throbbing engine note and a real history behind it. Okay we Brits are trying to relive the Cafe Racer days, those great engine soundtracks and okay a couple of spots of oil on the road, but shit it has to be better than this mindless crap they pump out of Japan year on year.

This morning I looked around the bike showrooms in KK, Honda, Suzuki, Kawasaki, I had to look at the badge to tell one from the other, up until the time I dozed off........ My fear is that Triumph are trying to copy this crap, Harley are already building a battery bike, hopeful Obama will put a Fatwa out on the culprit.

[ll2]

^

Which current (something made this century, at any rate) motorcycles have you owned (or at least ridden extensively) that are your basis for comparison?

BTW- I'm impressed that you were able to have your cave wired for the Internet...

Not a whole lot as it happens, Honda Wave, CBR250 and an ER6N, I also own a 1983 Honda 43hp NV400 and these are all good machines, but without an ounce of soul or character. If you want to ride to work pick any one on the Jap list, trouble is RSD, your mind works in only one dimension, molded by the marketing men and you rush from A to B on your 1300cc whateveritis without seeing or feeling anything,.... probably with you knee down.

How many of these Jap bikes will be collected in 30 years time, when all the old British and American bikes are still running and still putting a smile on the faces of their owners and are still being admired by people they pass? "Technology" is a bullshit word for what they are trying to sell you today. Lawrence of Arabia was getting his kicks doing 100mph on his Brough Superior over 80 years ago, so how far have your Jap friends bought us since then? ABS, EFI, BUW and now battery bikes.

Wining, high revving same-same sewing machines with bits of plastic waving around in the wind, we used to call them "Rice Bikes" because rice is also effin boring. I am no big Harley fan but I do get it, laid back riding position, cool gear, with your mates, cruising along at 60mph with that deep throbbing engine note and a real history behind it. Okay we Brits are trying to relive the Cafe Racer days, those great engine soundtracks and okay a couple of spots of oil on the road, but shit it has to be better than this mindless crap they pump out of Japan year on year.

This morning I looked around the bike showrooms in KK, Honda, Suzuki, Kawasaki, I had to look at the badge to tell one from the other, up until the time I dozed off........ My fear is that Triumph are trying to copy this crap, Harley are already building a battery bike, hopeful Obama will put a Fatwa out on the culprit.

if technology is nothing for you, stop using computers along with electricity and start to ride a bicycle.

feeling, soul these are bs if you ask me in motorcycling. just a political way of saying 'my bike is crappy rocking hot piece of iron breaking down all the time'

i value human and technological advancement not crappy machines breaking down or shaking what you guys call soul and character. i call it old tech, inconvenience, disturbance and ineffeciency.

different folks look different things on bikes, you cant judge people on what they want or like.

you find racing or superbikes boring but they are the most advanced bikes and they dictate the advancement and technology and these generally get filtered down to real world bikes such as your laid back harley has overhead cams and liquid cooling now.

[RubberSideDown]

^^

Collected? Who cares? Bikes are meant to be ridden.

As I suspected, you've never ridden anything but very basic bikes, so you really have no clue as to what you're talking about (just the fact you have no idea what bike I ride after interacting with me many times on this forum speaks volumes- I'm well aware of your Wave-Phantom-NV400 progression because im interested in bikes as a whole, which is why my knowledge of them extends so far past yours- you don't care, so you don't know, but you don't let that stop you from passing off your comments as having a basis-in-fact). I also know you read the 'knee down' thread (because you commented on it) where I said I don't try to put a knee down on the street, but you still have to toss out your usual (totally incorrect) party line. My mind actually works in many dimensions and I'm constantly learning new things- yours is a 'closed shop'.

Bikes are about performance more than anything else- that doesn't necessarily mean 'high performance', but, rather, bikes that perform well in their particular niches. The bikes you think are so great have crap brakes, crap suspension, crap electrics, etc- they may have been goo in their day, but that day is long over.

Current motorcycles (from all over the globe) are so much better from a performance standpoint they're almost from a different planet than the bikes you're so fond of. That said, I see the attraction of the older bikes, but I also have a realistic view of them- there's nothing you could get before that you can't get now, only these days the bikes will start, run great, and stop on a dime without your having to worry about it.

Remember old Lawrence died on his Brough Superior- the chassis and brakes let him down- had he been riding one of today's bikes, he might have lived a bit longer...