Are we there yet?

[Lao Jia Hou]

Back in the day, motorcycling was:

1) mixing oil in with the gas (2 stroke smokers);
2) seriously burning every part of your body on various engine/exhaust parts (while #3 ...);
3) learning mechanics on the side of the road, during ANY trip over 50 miles;
4) being screamed at by your mate's parents to park your bike down the street because it leaks oil;
5) being screamed at by your own parents because your bike leaks oil, is too noisy and is a family embarrassment;
6) carrying extra oil, just in case (and oil came in tin cans, so you also need a can opener);
7) Oil filters are what? No, seriously, this thing has an air filter? Really?
8) riding on tubed, bias-ply tires, usually mounted on wheels missing a spoke, or two;
9) surviving ownership of a Kawa 750 triple (aka the widowmaker);
10) mistakenly buying any continental Europe bike, which completely disintegrated after a few months;
11) never being caught on anything Made in Japan (unreliable sewing machines);
12) learning that a warranty meant the only "guarantee" you have is to be told to F Off by the dealer ... except with Japanese bikes;
13) finally buying a Honda CB750 because, well, it was so much better;
14) knowing how to true a wheel, adjust carbs, and weld pieces back together;
15) ATGATT was an open face helmet, sunglasses, work gloves, Dayton boots and Levi jeans;
16) swearing that as soon as you can afford a car, you're dumping the f'n PITA, POS bike, and never looking back;
17) changing your mind about the car, and buying an XT250 because it is more "practical" and more "sensible";
18) only knowing "bad" girls because "good" girls would never ride on a motorcycle;
19) learning that "good girls" actually aren't (i.e., once no one was watching); and,
20) god dammit - I swear I'm getting a car as soon as possible.

Today, motorcycling is:

1) cars on 2 wheels, with available air conditioning, air bags, 8 speaker stereo systems, sat radio, GPS, ABS, shaft drive, electronically-adusted windscreens, hydraulic center stands, power mirrors, liquid-cooled engines ... and the list goes on;
2) Protective riding gear that rivals Ice Hockey gear;
3) Pretty girls in dealerships (ANY girl in a bike shop during the 70s would've probably been ... well, you know);
4) 20K (or more) maintenance intervals;
5) tubeless tires;
6) accessories / add-ons that, collectively, cost as much as (or more than) the bike;
7) color-coordinated everything;
8) prices that rival cars; and,
9) still learning about the "good girl" / "bad girl" conundrum.

Now, I enjoy the creature-comforts (and minimal maintenance) as much as the next guy, but ...

... riding Chinese bikes kinda reminds me of the old days ... riding around on bikes that are cheap, unreliable, poorly made, dangerous, out-dated technology, and only for the bad boys or the poor boys.

But this is changing fast, even in China.

Let's enjoy the crap while we can! It is what memories are made of.

PS: By the way, did I miss anything?

[bikerdoc]

Think you covered everything there, kewl... had a chuckle to myself with some of the observations...
hehe...

Though I'd say that motorcycle pricing not only rivals cars in some sections and categories, but even surpasses in some instances. It seems to me that the polar opposites are occuring with greater frequency in terms of pricing. BAck in the day new car MSRP were way ahead of motorcycles where today that is often not the case. I bought a brand new FJ1200 at the time for way below what an average top of the line XXX model car would cost. Considering that the FJ1200 then was the top of it's lineage (I'd previously owned the XJ650, XJ750, XJ900 and FJ1100 before arriving at the purchase of the FJ1200).

[TexasAggie]

David Thomson 026.jpg

Christmas 1970, my first ride with ATGATT.

[Lao Jia Hou]

.. I'd previously owned the XJ650, XJ750, XJ900 and FJ1100 before arriving at the purchase of the FJ1200.

Another yammie-man! I love those bikes. In the 80s, I had the XS400, XS650, XS1100, several Viragos (750 & 920 - with the cool LCD dash which was very high-tech at the time) ... and a few years ago did a West Coast tour on an FJR (my oh my, what a beautiful bike). Also had a smattering of Yammie XTs. Probably had some other Yamahas that I have forgotten about right now. Great, great bikes. Those were my 80s bikes, the 70s were largely Kawasaki, 90s were Hondas ... and usually a HD getting repaired in the shop, throughout.

Christmas 1970, my first ride with ATGATT.

What a fine, strappin' young fella. Nice shoes! And check out that skid plate (what kind of bike is that?). Pencil rear shocks with the full length wire springs (I remember those).

Damn, we must be about the same age. Who would have ever guessed that 40 years later we would be in Communist China? Life changes alongside motorcycles. No regrets.

[TexasAggie]

What a fine, strappin' young fella. Nice shoes! And check out that skid plate (what kind of bike is that?). Pencil rear shocks with the full length wire springs (I remember those).

Damn, we must be about the same age. Who would have ever guessed that 40 years later we would be in Communist China? Life changes alongside motorcycles. No regrets.[/QUOTE]

It was a Spanish Bultaco Lobito 100cc. I rode and raced Bultaco's in the 70's. Still have my 1970 Bultaco 360 El Bandito back in Dallas. We restored it in 1997 and put it in storage. Moved to Honda XR600/650's in the 80's and 90's. Started my street riding on a Harley sporty in 1990, moved to a Triumph Bonneville, and then onto a couple of Honda Valkyries. Moved to BMWR1200GSA in 2009 and love it the most. Of course I have also done the CJ750 and now the JH600 here in the middle kingdom.

Let's just say I am closer to 60 years old than I am to 50 years old.

You are spot on about China. I never dreamed I would be working here while married to a local gal back when that picture was taken.

I look forward to meeting you some day face to face. I bet we have a lot in common. (I still even have some of my pirate gear back in Dallas) Let me know if you are ever in Nanjing.

[Lao Jia Hou]

It was a Spanish Bultaco Lobito 100cc.

You won't believe this, but I was going to guess a Bultaco - because of the engine case - but I didn't want to appear that senility is setting in!

Let's just say I am closer to 60 years old than I am to 50 years old.

We were probably matching each other in the same grades in school. Vintage 55 is a good year.

I look forward to meeting you some day face to face. I bet we have a lot in common. (I still even have some of my pirate gear back in Dallas) Let me know if you are ever in Nanjing.

Ditto - but no foreseeable trips down South ... there be dragons! You need to high tail it up to the North, land of wonderful mystery.

========

Some of you folks probably also remember the Honda Trails - CT90, CT110, etc. I never owned one, but relatives/friends/neighbours did. We used them on our farm, along with the classic 90 step-throughs - cheap and virtually indestructible. We kids would deliver food to/from the trucks/combines during planting & harvesting seasons, until we were old enough to drive the big machinery (usually about age 12 - haha). They took a bashing on every trip, but always kept on ticking. I recall watching a Mythbusters (or Top Gear?) where they dropped one off a tall building, and it still ran.

Anyways, it has recently got me to thinking - why isn't there something like that being made now? I've heard that Honda still makes/sells them in NZ/Oz to sell as Posties and "Agricultural Vehicles", but only in NZ can you get the legal-on-road Trail 110 with the dual-range gearbox. Getting them into China, though, would be a nightmare.

I saw that Yamaha has just brought something similar to the market in Thailand.

http://www.gizmag.com/yamaha-off-roa...21978/pictures

In the last few days, I've been on some roads around Beijing on which these things would shine. They are so light & nimble, and that switchable gearing allows one to climb virtually anything/anywhere. And if you drop the thing down a ditch, it is possible to manhandle the thing back onto the road. And it opens the market, as 99% of dirt bikes are simply too tall for most Chinese and, especially, female riders.

An ADV scooter is, quite frankly, perfect for secondary road touring in China. Those dying CJ shops should switch from chroming, to ADV-reinforcing things like the Suzuki Neptune. They'd sell a ton.

[bikerdoc]

...I saw that Yamaha has just brought something similar to the market in Thailand.
http://www.gizmag.com/yamaha-off-roa...21978/pictures
An ADV scooter is, quite frankly, perfect for secondary road touring in China. Those dying CJ shops should switch from chroming, to ADV-reinforcing things like the Suzuki Neptune. They'd sell a ton.

Finally a manufacturer has heard my mantra that I've been drumming on about on various motorcycling forums. Just hopeful that Yamaha can get passed the concept stage, and that production follows including a few variations e.g. large capacity engine. Fingers crossed.

[TexasAggie]

http://www.gizmag.com/yamaha-off-roa...978/pictures#3

Very interesting indeed!