Nearly Normal
New Member
Interesting article...and as one would expect, some stereotypes come to the surface as a result. (And some stereotypes DO have a little truth behind them.)
As an 'old guy' with a few miles under my belt, and a long list of bikes owned, I thought about my own 'best/worst' list...one brand missing from my list is BMW...just too dang far to find a dealer and ever make a trade for much of my riding days...now I just don't have the 'wants' for one. I've owned Hondas, Yamahas, Harleys, KTM's, Huskys, Kawasakis, Bultacos....ahhh, cant' remember the rest, I guess. Both Harleys had parts replaced under warranty, nagging things that never left me stranded...but after paying a premium for the bikes, that was unacceptable to me. All my Hondas were incredibly reliable except for one, with an old CB750 being the 'king of reliable', racking up the most miles...and owing me nothing. I did have a CRF 450 that WOULD NOT hold a valve clearance setting, pretty common, and very irritating. The Bultacos seized everytime the weather changed, no surprise...the Huskys were better but far from perfect, although one of them stands out as an all time favorite...an old CR 390 that was magnificant. Currently, my '08 Concours is a 'love/hate' relationship...awesome bike and easily the fastest, most capable street bike I've ever owned, 140 RWHP = great fun. On the other hand, it had a rear brake recall, has had warped front rotors, re-occuring air in the brake line/clutch line, tire pressure sender failure (battery)...ugh. I'd rate my Harleys as a C-...the CB750 was an A+...the Concours is both....and the Bultacos were an F (and I wish I still had one).
I guess I believe that newer is NOT necessarily better...and that every brand has a few issues...maybe some more than others. Still, I'll take any of those bikes over being 'bikeless'. To each, his own... (Anybody want a Concours????)
As an 'old guy' with a few miles under my belt, and a long list of bikes owned, I thought about my own 'best/worst' list...one brand missing from my list is BMW...just too dang far to find a dealer and ever make a trade for much of my riding days...now I just don't have the 'wants' for one. I've owned Hondas, Yamahas, Harleys, KTM's, Huskys, Kawasakis, Bultacos....ahhh, cant' remember the rest, I guess. Both Harleys had parts replaced under warranty, nagging things that never left me stranded...but after paying a premium for the bikes, that was unacceptable to me. All my Hondas were incredibly reliable except for one, with an old CB750 being the 'king of reliable', racking up the most miles...and owing me nothing. I did have a CRF 450 that WOULD NOT hold a valve clearance setting, pretty common, and very irritating. The Bultacos seized everytime the weather changed, no surprise...the Huskys were better but far from perfect, although one of them stands out as an all time favorite...an old CR 390 that was magnificant. Currently, my '08 Concours is a 'love/hate' relationship...awesome bike and easily the fastest, most capable street bike I've ever owned, 140 RWHP = great fun. On the other hand, it had a rear brake recall, has had warped front rotors, re-occuring air in the brake line/clutch line, tire pressure sender failure (battery)...ugh. I'd rate my Harleys as a C-...the CB750 was an A+...the Concours is both....and the Bultacos were an F (and I wish I still had one).
I guess I believe that newer is NOT necessarily better...and that every brand has a few issues...maybe some more than others. Still, I'll take any of those bikes over being 'bikeless'. To each, his own... (Anybody want a Concours????)