English Bikes?
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Joined: Dec 2002
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From: Princeton, MN
English Bikes?
They are around, I know a guy who has rebuilt a few triumphs. I have seen him with all of the pieces that he had in his possesion (some were out getting painted etc.) laid out in perfect order so when they were all there he could just put them together and have a bike. I think he has done 4 of them. Don't know any specifics etc about them, he is one of those guys who can get a little fuzzy in the details even if HE honestly believe its right, but they all looked good when he was done.
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Joined: Sep 2002
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From: Langhorne, PA
English Bikes?
No, Kawasaki and Harley. But there was a good TV show on last night( 2-10-03)about the history of various bikes. The History Channel did a 1 hr. program about the motorcycle and how it has evolved from a biker-gang thing to a respectable way of getting around town. They talked about how the english bikes were technologically way behind the japs(Honda) in the late 60's and early 70's. It seems that if you owned a Norton or Triumph in those days you were likely to end up pushing the bike home!!!They didn't have much to say about modern english bikes, But beware anything from the 70's!!! My friend just got screwed over by a triumph dealer(Nov 2002). He ordered a new bike(Bonneville? I am not sure if that is the name)and waited 4 months for delivery. When the bike came in, he went to the dealer to finalize the sale, and triumph said they couldn't finance him., his credit wasn't good enuf!!! (so why did Triumph let him special order the thing anyway???) My friend must have had good credit because he went right over to the Harley dealer and bought a brand-new 2002 Dynaglide.
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From: 5600 feet high
English Bikes?
My buddy's dad had a BSA, and it was cool enough, I guess. First street bike I ever rode. The guy looked like a monkey dominating a football when he rode it, though, so he sold it to a dude who had a petite ol' lady.
Personally, I think that those old Brit bikes are cool, but hardly functional in North America...I would rather ride a Yamaha.
And I'll never buy a Harley....I want to stand out from the crowd. Everybody and their trendy rich cousin rides a damn Harley anymore, and they really aren't that great to begin with.
Just my opinion...
BDV
Personally, I think that those old Brit bikes are cool, but hardly functional in North America...I would rather ride a Yamaha.
And I'll never buy a Harley....I want to stand out from the crowd. Everybody and their trendy rich cousin rides a damn Harley anymore, and they really aren't that great to begin with.
Just my opinion...
BDV
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Joined: Apr 2001
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English Bikes?
Fact: Along with a tool kit, brand new Triumph bikes used to come with another nice accessory, a drip pan. Typically British thinking - design it, build it, but heaven forbid, never improve upon it. Despite their flaws, they were fun machines during the early sixties.
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From: US
English Bikes?
My friend's first bike was a late 60's BSA that he bought in 6 milk crates. He worked on that thing for 2 years. When he was done with it it was extreamly nice. New chrome everywhere, Canary yellow metal, on a blood read frame. It was a 650cc rigid fram bike. he won a few trophies with it then he sold it for a lot less than he wanted to buy his first Harley. When he wass done with that bike it was twice as nice as that BSA.
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Gone but not forgotten.
Joined: Jul 2001
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English Bikes?
I've had a few - 2 650cc Triumphs (Bonneyville and T110), '59 BSA 650cc Roadrocket, '59 BSA 500cc Goldstar single.
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Joined: Jun 2002
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From: Burlington USA
English Bikes?
Were basically a English bike family I own a '66 Norton Atlas 750 Chopper. One of my dads buddies Tom Wagner owns twelvish Harleys. I riden some of the and never cared for them.
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From: 5600 feet high
English Bikes?
I don't ride a Yamaha...I was using it as an example.
But still, I think I would rather ride a Jap bike than a Yuppie-Davidson. I used to have to serve booze to a "motorcycle club" that had their meetings at my bar. They were an ABATE chapter, and boy were they tough in their leather and boots! Then they would come in midweek driving a Mercedes and wearing Italian loafers and a suit. It made me laugh; what a bunch of R.U.B.S.
And every one of them had BRAND new Harleys with all the chrome they could buy, and cute leather tassels on the grips.
I will quantify my opinions a bit: my brother and father are both Harley technicians, and all I have heard and seen over the years has made H-D very unattractive to me, along with the "bikers" that "ride" them.
Maybe I'll buy an old Triumph or BSA just to **** off my old man...then I'll ask him to help me work on it!
BDV
But still, I think I would rather ride a Jap bike than a Yuppie-Davidson. I used to have to serve booze to a "motorcycle club" that had their meetings at my bar. They were an ABATE chapter, and boy were they tough in their leather and boots! Then they would come in midweek driving a Mercedes and wearing Italian loafers and a suit. It made me laugh; what a bunch of R.U.B.S.
And every one of them had BRAND new Harleys with all the chrome they could buy, and cute leather tassels on the grips.
I will quantify my opinions a bit: my brother and father are both Harley technicians, and all I have heard and seen over the years has made H-D very unattractive to me, along with the "bikers" that "ride" them.
Maybe I'll buy an old Triumph or BSA just to **** off my old man...then I'll ask him to help me work on it!
BDV
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From: mesa, az
English Bikes?
Big Daddy FYI...
R.U.B.S. by definition are not necessarily "bikers"... a $20,000 HD and 2000 miles dont make someone a "biker"....
As a "biker" Ive long ago learn not to judge a book by its cover...we call it a "mudcheck"...
One of the most righteous "bikers" Ive had the pleasure to know, rode a 20 yr old honda...
Ive work as a bouncer in a bar that catered to all types of riders and I never had trouble with "bikers"...rubs, posers and wannabes, jocks and skanks yes....but never "bikers", although they did cover my back on occaision...
It aint about what ya ride, where ya work, who ya know or what ya have...it's about who ya are...to quote the $8000.00 T-shirt I got with my free Sportster..."If I had to explain...Ya wouldnt understand"...But I guess ya already knew that...
by the way...top grain cowhide is rated for 90 feet of slide..ie leather jackets/boots...sometimes even R.U.B.S. do something right, even if they dont know why...Im still trying to figure out why some riders are wearing tennis shoes...traction maybe...?
R.U.B.S. by definition are not necessarily "bikers"... a $20,000 HD and 2000 miles dont make someone a "biker"....
As a "biker" Ive long ago learn not to judge a book by its cover...we call it a "mudcheck"...
One of the most righteous "bikers" Ive had the pleasure to know, rode a 20 yr old honda...
Ive work as a bouncer in a bar that catered to all types of riders and I never had trouble with "bikers"...rubs, posers and wannabes, jocks and skanks yes....but never "bikers", although they did cover my back on occaision...
It aint about what ya ride, where ya work, who ya know or what ya have...it's about who ya are...to quote the $8000.00 T-shirt I got with my free Sportster..."If I had to explain...Ya wouldnt understand"...But I guess ya already knew that...
by the way...top grain cowhide is rated for 90 feet of slide..ie leather jackets/boots...sometimes even R.U.B.S. do something right, even if they dont know why...Im still trying to figure out why some riders are wearing tennis shoes...traction maybe...?
Last edited by wabiker; Feb 12, 2003 at 10:29 PM.
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