Topic: Harley vs Honda (or other Jap bike)

[KeithTurk]

I've owned most of them over the years.... and I have to admit a true fondness for the sound of a well tuned 2 stroke... ( 2/3 cylinder 350 up junk  ).....  Had an A7 350 Kawasaki as a kid... Loved that bike... but it was never much more then a toy compared to the RD's and H1's that would spank it's butt.....

I've ridden these 550's till the cows come home and there is simply nothing as smooth...  just a wonderful thing... as long as Power and speed aren't your gig... and they are Dirt Cheap....  which adds this incredible appeal to me....  The CB 750's are a lot like my Z1...  they are simply a Heavy bike in comparison to the 550's... and I just don't find them as much fun for the dollar....  Having just got the Z1 running well.... I can tell you I was truly surprised that it's as powerful as my Buell Ulysses ( hi perf. sportster motor ).... and while it's heavy.... it's sporty... I can see why folks fell in love with the 900 Kawasaki.... Still not as fun as the CB550's....

Harley's are Heavy and the breed is perpetuated by a large quantity of Rub's that look like Pirates on a Half shell....  Check your brain at the leather shop's door and get your vest with Ass'less chaps here!!!!...  Arrrrrr Mateeeey

[Bob Wessner]

Ha, have to tell you I got a kick out of "pirates on a half-shell." 

[dave500]

Well said mate, and it's good to know that my early memories of motorcycling are similar to yours. While I was in total awe of the CB750 and then the Z1 when they were first released, many of the old Japanese four stroke twins were absolute slugs in comparison to Yamaha, Suzuki and Kawasaki two strokes, they were wicked.

There were plenty of US and Brit bikes in my home town, not to mention a few BMW's as well, and I often wonder where they are now, I knew two brothers who between them had 4 Vincents, an Ariel square 4 and a couple of Matchless 500's, I'd love to get my hands on them now!

i was in total awe aswell terry by those behemoths,the "kwaka 9" and the "seven fifty four",but i was mesmorised by dirt bikes,mini bikes and the likes of dt 60 and sl70,my older sister had a boy friend with a 450 dohc,he rode it from adelaide to melbourne when we moved,i thought that was a massive effort in the day,harleys just wernt in the equation then,too dear and jap stuff was the tough look in australia,and fast,i think australia took up new technology way back then,we never saw harleys around.

[Terry in Australia]

Yeah mate, those were the days, my mate Davey has still got his Blue CB750K2 that he bought new in 1972 and racked up over 100,000 miles without ever taking the head off, before retiring it in 1985 for his ex-Milwaulkie Police Department Harley Electra Glide, which he still rides today.

I was raised in a farming community when farmers were making enormous amounts of money, so every farm boy of age had a CB750, (my mate Malcy Waller bought a K1 at 15 years of age, I bought it from him when I was 20) or a Z1, a H2, GT750 Suzy, Ducati 900SS, or a Shovelhead Harley.

I lost 13 friends in motorcycle crashes over 5 or 6 years, and my Dad told me that my mum couldn't relax until I got home after a ride, and funnily enough she's still like that now, even though I've been riding motorcycles regularly for the last 41 years.........