Quote:
Originally Posted by jimjamuser
That was a classic top 10 post. It made clear what I was trying to say about how I felt about Harleys versus smaller more approachable, quieter, less vibration, user friendly, and better gas mileage"as you say" "metric bikes". Many years ago I admired and coveted a BMW motorcycle, but it was out of my league from a cost perspective. I ALMOST purchased a long time ago a Russian-made copy of a BMW 2 cylinder with a horizontally opposed motor. Some guy in Miami had some for sale at a reasonable price. I read a story about some Canadians liking the bike for snow driving. I could be wrong, but I think that they somehow got the front wheel to drive also. I even went to the address of the seller in Miami once after work, but they were closed. It was basically a "fly-by-night small operation out of a small rental warehouse. I started thinking about how HARD it would be to get parts and I never followed through on the idea.........I kind of regret that, but then I have a lot of those.......regrets.
So sorry for digressing, I will call myself on it because I know some others might also. But, Harleys are an IMAGE THING. I think that Marlon Brando made a movie wearing a black leather jacket and riding a Harley with a gang -
where he was some kind of an antisocial rugged anti-hero and I IMAGINE that it made an impression (pro-Harley) on some people needing to be "rebels without a cause".
........Thanks again for saying in a much better way what I was TRYING to say.
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I believe you are attempting to speak of the Russian made URAL. You might want to Google it, so you can better understand them. That they are sold all over the place, including the U.S. and are used in many countries. They have been around for over 80 years. As for finding spare parts, you will find parts for the Ural in most other countries easier than finding parts for Harley motorcycles. I've seen plenty of them in my travels but I have never operated one. I do enjoy operating different motorcycle brands and do not disparage one over another, like some uninformed dabblers. Some folks accuse HDs of leaking of not being reliable, but that was the old models, like many other brand bikes. None of the four HDs I have owned leaked or ever broke down on the road. I have owned and operated several different "rice burners" to use the non-PC term for Asian made bikes, and have owned and operated Britt made bikes.
This is off the actual subject, but I found it worth responding to. Harley Davidson motorcycles are not loud when they come from the factory. They do have their own distinct sound. Some folks believe that "rice burners" sound like sewing machines or chain saws, but most just have a distinct metric sound. I know many folks that have modified their metric bikes to make much louder "music" than those that own HDs.
The OP question was whether or not he should consider bringing his bike down here for a week visit. My answer is that it depends on what he is seeking in his visit; to learn about the Villages or to tour the area on his bike. If he wishes to ride his bike, then he is warned of the inherent dangers of senior vehicle operators in the area. There are hundreds of bike owners in the Villages that have NOT been involved in a traffic accident while operating a bike. I would venture to say that there are far more Villagers that have been victims of scams since they have moved here.