Sachs Madass ?

<applause>

JL

 

<Sigh> That was humour, JL, but if you don't know the history of the
British motorcycle industry, the joke might have passed you by.

Can we assume that you represent Gen-X here (given that you can spell
and you understand grammar)? Baby-boomers (my generation) frequently
don't like Japanese motorcycles not because of some Euro-centric
snobbishness, but because the 1960's / 70's Japanese motorcycles weren't
designed to be durable, they were designed to perform. HD went the other
way.

 

My 1972 750/4 Honda was one of the most durable motorcycles I have owned.

Boxer

 

Rebuke accepted. Honda 4 second only to a Honda Postie in the durability
stakes. I only entered this discussion to challenge generational
stereotyping, and now I find I'm guilty of exactly the same flaw :-(

 

JL wrote:

No, they are much more likely to say "Korean crap" instead in my
experience


G-S

 

OH ! Ooops, well that whistled straight past ! Sorry.

Embarrasingly enough I thought I had a fairly reasonable knowledge of
the British motorcycle industry, Dad has a Meriden Trumpy, I owned one
briefly as well. I've got a passing idea of most of the main brands and
models and the fact they got comprehensively out performed by the
japanese both in specs/technology and price being the main reason for
their downfall.

I wouldn't mind it if you did explain it though. I'm always keen to
learn something.

Yeah, guilty. Not all of Gen Y can't spell tho ;-)

Yeah some truth but a fairly broad generalisation, certainly the cheap
end of the spectrum were built down to a price, and the 60's saw a
fairly wide range of quality, but by the 70's most of the Jap stuff was
pretty good kit, I genuinely think most of the "lack of quality"
comments were more about racism and cultural hostility(1) post WW2 than
particularly factual.

I don't want to upset Pishead so I won't nibble on that bait

JL
(1) Which isn't to say that that emotive reason isn't as good as any
other to choose not to buy a bike, however quality criticisms were I
think mostly justification of an emotive position rather than a real fact

 

That's because the shops make more money out of late model bikes and
most city dealers won't put stuff on thier floor more than about 5 years
old or with much more than about 25000kms on it. There are shops around
that sell older jap bikes though.


G-S

 

In aus.motorcycles on Mon, 10 Apr 2006 21:30:16 +1000

I think it was a hangover.

There most definitely was a time when "made in Japan" was synonymous
with "cheap crap" the way "Made in China" has been for a few years, or
"Made in Taiwan".

As their manufacturing sorted out and they made new factories and
really got into it, that changed. But in the 60s and 70s plenty of
people still considered Japanese made things to be rubbish because
they had been.

The rep was lost by the mid 70s, and "Made in Japan" started to mean
very good indeed.

I expect there was racism, especially in America and probably here
(more so than in the UK), I used to race with someone who refused to
have Japanese bikes or tools, so much so that when his kids were doing
80cc MotoCross he personally imported European bikes so they didn't
ride Japanese....

Zebee

 

<grin> With good cause ;-)

JL
(I'd buy a Hyosung 650 if I wanted a commuter bike)

 

~
Yeah go on and rub it in you "Generation" bastards!
Why don't you all just hold hands and have a big fuckin' party where you
all join together and sing songs with fake stuttering and don't invite
people who are generationless..... [sob]

 

i'd buy a cheap GPX if i wanted a commuter bike

 

I count myself as a child of the sixties...

 

...and, once you get the holes in the carbie bits filled up, you'd
probably enjoy it, too!

regards,
CrazyCam

 

I reckon the Kwaka Z1's would have to give the Honda 750/4's a run for
durability too actually.

The old GS1100/850 Suzuki's and the more modern VFR750's aren't any
slouches either.


G-S

 

For a while there Clem they were referring to us as "The forgotten
generation"!

G-S

 

I suspect I'd buy a trail bike, much easier to get up and down the kerbs
and gutters to park them. Although in Sydney (without footpath parking)
that probably isn't a big factor.


G-S

 

In aus.motorcycles on Tue, 11 Apr 2006 00:26:33 +1000

I bought the mighty scooter - way more fun than a GPx as a commuter.
Why be bored on the ride to work any more than you have to be?

Zebee

 

Hehe I'm way too transparent to you, aren't I Cam ?

JL

 

Alll together now, "Awwww, group hug !"

So are you now very young baby boomers or what ?

JL
(I'm sorry you missed out Clem)

 

<Whistles Age of Aquarius.>

I'm a pre-boomer. A war-child.

Theo