A couple of thoughts on this thread. First, the Japanese had a history of producing some great specialized technology even prior to WWII. Read about the development of their airplanes and what our pilots thought of the first Mitsubishi Zero planes they had to fight. The Japanese also had some world-class battleships, submarines, etc. Before that read about swords and steel. In any case, technology all around the world always borrows from available technology, just like I'm sure cave men would examine carefully the stone spear heads of rival tribes.
Second, Japanese motorcycles were just coming into their own in terms of power and design at the same point that for various reasons British and U.S. motorcycles were on the decline in terms of design, engineering, and quality--mirroring our car industry at the time. I suspect there is always a danger when companies dominate a market, like Harley in the USA (or U.S. car companies), to rest on your laurels and keep doing the same-old, same-old. Then instead of competing by making better products there is a huge temptation to boost profits by cutting costs--spending less and less on design, engineering, and quality. Other European motorcycle companies and car companies were also making quality products, but they were very European and generally quirky. BMWs with their cylinder heads sticking out either side weren't exactly rocket ships at the time, and were more for long-distance touring. Ducatis, Moto Guzzis, CZs, Puchs, and such were temperamental beasts with parts available only by air mail.
Plus, remember Harleys back then were still associated with real motorcycle gangs that were pretty nasty, like the Hells Angels. Average people did not dress up like pirates and pretend to be in gangs--it could get you killed to show up at a roadside cafe looking the part. A college kid or a family man wanting a motorcycle but not wanting to be part of an outlaw gang wouldn't want a Harley for the most part--it was asking for trouble.
Quote:
The X6 hustler was a most incredible motorcycle.
And it was! A 250cc, six-speed motorcycle that could out-hustle many bigger bikes and most average cars, was cheap enough to purchase by high school kids, and didn't require frequent trips to the shop. It also had Suzuki's two-stroke oil injection system so no mixing of the gas was required--a pain on many 2-strokes at the time.
Second, Japanese motorcycles were just coming into their own in terms of power and design at the same point that for various reasons British and U.S. motorcycles were on the decline in terms of design, engineering, and quality--mirroring our car industry at the time. I suspect there is always a danger when companies dominate a market, like Harley in the USA (or U.S. car companies), to rest on your laurels and keep doing the same-old, same-old. Then instead of competing by making better products there is a huge temptation to boost profits by cutting costs--spending less and less on design, engineering, and quality. Other European motorcycle companies and car companies were also making quality products, but they were very European and generally quirky. BMWs with their cylinder heads sticking out either side weren't exactly rocket ships at the time, and were more for long-distance touring. Ducatis, Moto Guzzis, CZs, Puchs, and such were temperamental beasts with parts available only by air mail.
Plus, remember Harleys back then were still associated with real motorcycle gangs that were pretty nasty, like the Hells Angels. Average people did not dress up like pirates and pretend to be in gangs--it could get you killed to show up at a roadside cafe looking the part. A college kid or a family man wanting a motorcycle but not wanting to be part of an outlaw gang wouldn't want a Harley for the most part--it was asking for trouble.
Quote:
The X6 hustler was a most incredible motorcycle.
And it was! A 250cc, six-speed motorcycle that could out-hustle many bigger bikes and most average cars, was cheap enough to purchase by high school kids, and didn't require frequent trips to the shop. It also had Suzuki's two-stroke oil injection system so no mixing of the gas was required--a pain on many 2-strokes at the time.
