And what country can preserve its liberties if their rulers are not warned from time to time that their people preserve the spirit of resistance? Let them take arms. The remedy is to set them right as to facts, pardon and pacify them. What signify a few lives lost in a century or two? The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants.
My biggest problem with Harleys here in the UK is that most of the old men who ride them don't open the throttle enough. A neighbour has one and he's like the rest: drag pipes and rides around with that awful bobble bobble sound shaking the houses. Hint: get an XR750 and rev the tits off it. That's how a V twin should sound if it's not a Ducati!
The Merlin has a distinctive sound but Harleys are still here while Royal Enfield went under, their tooling was sold to India and they now pretend to have a historic lineage. I'm told the high end models can produce 17 bullock-power.
"A loud bike is a safe bike." Well, go be f#ckin' safe on your own street. That crap makes me and my dogs nuts when you ride by. Most of y'all ride like clueless teens anyway, so it's only a matter of time until you're dead or leave most of your skin on the pavement anyway.
Actually, I have always wondered if a loud bike IS a safer bike. Are there some sort of accident statistics, broken down by motorcycle brand, proving that the louder ones are involved in fewer crashes?
After reading that, this uncouth American is gonna puke.
ReplyDeleteMy biggest problem with Harleys here in the UK is that most of the old men who ride them don't open the throttle enough. A neighbour has one and he's like the rest: drag pipes and rides around with that awful bobble bobble sound shaking the houses. Hint: get an XR750 and rev the tits off it. That's how a V twin should sound if it's not a Ducati!
ReplyDelete(ducks below parapet and waits for incoming)
DeleteI outgrew Harley's back in my teens. Wrote about it over on AD years ago.
ReplyDeleteRoyal Enfields are antideluvian. Typical Brit Victorian design.
ReplyDeleteStill ride my 82 Sportster. I will outlive me. - Snakepit
ReplyDeleteThe Harley sound can't hold a candle to a Merlin.
ReplyDeleteThe Merlin has a distinctive sound but Harleys are still here while Royal Enfield went under, their tooling was sold to India and they now pretend to have a historic lineage. I'm told the high end models can produce 17 bullock-power.
DeleteNoisy exhausts are a safety device, if they don't see you coming they'll damn well hear you.
ReplyDelete"A loud bike is a safe bike." Well, go be f#ckin' safe on your own street. That crap makes me and my dogs nuts when you ride by. Most of y'all ride like clueless teens anyway, so it's only a matter of time until you're dead or leave most of your skin on the pavement anyway.
ReplyDeleteActually, I have always wondered if a loud bike IS a safer bike. Are there some sort of accident statistics, broken down by motorcycle brand, proving that the louder ones are involved in fewer crashes?
ReplyDelete