Best engine design for a motorcycle?

[boraticus]

Originally Posted By: Steve S
Motorcycles are a vehicle of passion, what is your passion?


I ride. I don't rub.

Most people I know who own expensive bikes tend to wash, polish and stare more than they ride. My friend with the Harley won't ride with us on paved twisty secondary highways. "Don't like back roads" he says. Reality is that he get's bugs on his bike and sometimes there's sand on the road.

My other friend with Vulcan will ride anywhere on his. I'll take the Valkrie with the wife on board and he'll ride two up on the same secondary roads with no hesitation. If a road doesn't have some twists, turns and hills in it, the ride is pretty boring.

My friend with the Vulcan and I took the big bikes for a 1000 mile ride last summer. One of the best parts of the ride was a 15 mile piece of road with something like 45 tight curves in it. We were riding with our wives on board and big packs on the back. We really enjoyed it. When we got home, we told the friend with the Harley about that section of highway. A couple weeks later, he goes for a ride by himself an takes the same route. When he gets back he tells us that he didn't like that part of the ride because he was steadily gearing down and braking for the curves and almost rode his Harley into the ditch twice.

Gearing down for curves with a 1500 cc Harley? Nearly riding it off the road? After that, I understood why he polishes more than he rides. Guys like that are better off with a car.

 

[SWSportsman]

Originally Posted By: boraticus

It's abundantly clear in your posts that you are vehemently anti-Japanese.

I see things the way they are. Not the way I like to see them.


Actually, you just see things in your usual narrow-minded way, trying to turn nearly every motorcycle discussion into some Harley bashing.

Why on earth could it be "abundantly clear" that I'm anti-Japanese? I may very well have owned more Japanese made bikes than you have. I raced them from the time I left Bultaco and have owned an example of most of their street/touring bikes, and now own a Shadow 1100 and a KLR. I've enjoyed all but a couple of them, but I've never tried to fool myself into thinking I got BMW or Harley quality when I paid the Japanese price. I don't have to try and justify their purchase though by bashing other's brand choices. That's a sign of immaturity and insecurity, as well as a Wal-Mart shopper's mentality.

Don't get so defensive. I respect your right to your opinion, but strutting around declaring it all as "fact" is pretty darned annoying and lacks credibility.

 

[SWSportsman]

Originally Posted By: boraticus
I ride. I don't rub.

Most people I know who own expensive bikes tend to wash, polish and stare more than they ride..... After that, I understood why he polishes more than he rides. Guys like that are better off with a car.


Thankfully, most motorcyclists don't display such gross intolerance and understand that you can buy a motorcycle and ride and/or polish as little or as much as you want. Imagining yourself as some sort of super-motorcycle rider because you managed to enjoy a 1000 mile ride on a dirty motorcycle is sort of pathetic.