I've been over in LA/SF for a week and was struck by the ancient metal from HD's to BSA's. I saw very few new bikes at all, I think three or four race reps and a couple of commuters. The climate seems to preserve bikes to an amazing extent despite the proximity of the Pacific. A YDS7, an early RD400 and a Starfire, all looking unrestored but sitting with *perfect* gleaming chrome and frames, only the paintwork being a bit faded. Early BMW K's, the ones with the (usually) furry engines looking like late 80's showroom exhibits, white ones in particular. HD's appear to have a completely unlimited lifespan. I always wondered how the likes of D&K got all that clean looking old Jap iron, now I understand. Notable was the boy filtering briskly down the 5 through LA in blistering midday heat. Immaculate GPZ750 Turbo. Shorts, trainers, bandana, shades and pudding basin, nowt else. Class act. I drove up Highway 5 to SF and can almost see the point of the many HD's, Wings, Voyagers and Royalles. Hours without a bend in sight. Beer fridges and music systems do seem more relevant than ground clearance. They run up some impressive mileages on the engines. It's almost too bloody hot for motorcycles though. The speed Nazi's have completely taken hold. What can you expect in the State where it is illegal to job discriminate against 30stone freaks. They were having Zero Tolerance days, issuing tickets for *anything* over the limit. No sign of actually making people drive competently though (natch). Even Montana has crumbled I was told, last bastion of limit free highways. It's completely bizarre, Massachusetts legalizes queer marriage, one has the right to carry a wide range of firearms, pornography is the largest business in CA but driving 2 mph over the limit on a traffic free 100 mile long 4 lane straight is frowned upon. Fortunately the SHP waived the opportunity to jail the Scot and the Irishman in the hire monstertruck for 90 in the 65. Ah those Auld Alliances! Sneaky buggers only demount the light bars sand stow them on the back seat! Sadly the days of everything seeming cheap in the USA seem to have passed. Even with improvements in exchange rate the differences in earning power (or summat) make prices seem similar.
