Quote:
Originally Posted by Panhead Boris  Disk Brakes....Electric start......Oil tight engines.
Is it japanese then? Definitely not a proper motorsickle. |
Tongue in cheek I presume Boris, since a well-sorted 70's Shovel or Ironhead would fulfil all three of your criteria, at least for short periods between rebuilds?
I often wonder if there's a hint of inverted snobbery in all this; those of us who own and ride older iron can easily fall into the trap of looking down our collective noses at people who simply buy into it. Pretty similar to the "cheque book custom" scenario really.
In a sense it's also similar to "coming up through the ranks" in the armed forces; officers who joined as rank and file tend to be given more respect than those who went in as graduates at Sandhurst, simply because they have jumped through a lot more hoops to get where they are. Likewise the old geezer with the battered 45 will command more respect and admiration from those who are really "in the know" than the millionaire who buys a perfectly-restored example, no matter how genuine his motives and enthusiasm may be, and no matter how many rallies he goes to.
I make no secret of the fact that my own preference is for bikes that look "lived in" and tell their own story. Yes, I can (and will) admire an immaculate "100 pointer" because I appreciate the sheer persistence and determination which goes into making a bike that way, even if it means that personally I'd be reluctant to actually ride the thing in case it got spoilt. What doesn't do it for me is bikes like the one Baza describes; they're as authentic as a quartz Rolex.
In short, it's as much, if not more, to do with the owner as the bike he rides; which happens to be the essence of HDRCGB's culture.
Just noticed Kiwi's post; yes sir, that is
DEFINITELY my kind of bike!
