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Post by Ronv69 on Oct 19, 2019 10:54:40 GMT -5
I was always treated like a prince at the BMW dealership, which is where I bought my Triumph. Now the local Harley dealer treated me like crap. The Mancuso family that owns them obviously has some very damaged DNA. Now, Cowboy HD in Beaumont, The local dealer in Kingwood, and especially Cajon HD in Scott Louisiana are very nice people and they are always a pleasure to visit. BMW opened a dealership in the Woodlands and it didn't last 2 years despite being in the ideal demographic location. They were complete shites to all potential customers.
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Post by Ronv69 on Oct 19, 2019 10:56:57 GMT -5
This thread is like the mainstream media news. It started with an exaggeration and went downhill without any brakes to the bitter end. Not in agreement there. The story was first reported by Reuters and then picked up in The New York Times. HD was the source and they chose to be not very clear about the future of their electric bike. Their product is nuisance by virtue of noise. The manufacturer does little to control that. I do not enjoy hearing their product running a half mile away from my location. That is too loud. To be fair, it is not the company's responsibility if some of their customers take a hack saw to the exhaust pipes. Where do you disagree? The Times only covered the story half-arse, which seems to be there SOP these days.
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Post by toshtego on Oct 19, 2019 12:02:12 GMT -5
I was always treated like a prince at the BMW dealership, which is where I bought my Triumph. Now the local Harley dealer treated me like crap. The Mancuso family that owns them obviously has some very damaged DNA. Now, Cowboy HD in Beaumont, The local dealer in Kingwood, and especially Cajon HD in Scott Louisiana are very nice people and they are always a pleasure to visit. BMW opened a dealership in the Woodlands and it didn't last 2 years despite being in the ideal demographic location. They were complete shites to all potential customers. I do not understand why some dealers in cars and motorcycles act that way. The John Deere dealer in Alamosa Colorado is the same way. If they do not know you already, you are no one they want to know because THEY know all the farmers who are credit worthy. After being given the Bum's Rush at the Toyota dealer and visiting the Nissan dealer who would not send out a salesman to speak with me, I went to the Rolls Royce/Land Rover/Jaguar dealer. I was welcomed with open arms, sort of. Dove off with a nice Jaguar which I loved.
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Post by sperrytops on Oct 19, 2019 12:35:45 GMT -5
An endorsement from a Hells Angel. No wonder Harley went in the tank for so long. I hope Harley didn't pay him for that sound bite.
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Post by Deleted on Oct 19, 2019 12:49:21 GMT -5
Motorcycles have become toys for middle aged men with money to drop on them. Maybe it is just where I live but I don't see near as bikes as in years past. The last time I owned a bike was in the 90s they were cheap as could be. I was in the habit of picking a nice dirt bike and thrashing it to the point is was just cheaper to buy a new one. The base price on a Honda/Suzuki 450 is 9000 smackers. Hard to swallow for a toy. Twenty grand will get you a street bike and you and misses can dress alike and eat a burger and smoke a Acid cigar at a out the way burger joint/bar in the country side as you try to recapture youth. I believe my bike days are over as I have enough broken stuff and scars to prove my manhood.
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driftingfate
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Post by driftingfate on Oct 19, 2019 19:25:28 GMT -5
Motorcycles have become toys for middle aged men with money to drop on them. Maybe it is just where I live but I don't see near as bikes as in years past. The last time I owned a bike was in the 90s they were cheap as could be. I was in the habit of picking a nice dirt bike and thrashing it to the point is was just cheaper to buy a new one. The base price on a Honda/Suzuki 450 is 9000 smackers. Hard to swallow for a toy. Twenty grand will get you a street bike and you and misses can dress alike and eat a burger and smoke a Acid cigar at a out the way burger joint/bar in the country side as you try to recapture youth. I believe my bike days are over as I have enough broken stuff and scars to prove my manhood. I, too, don’t care for the orthodontist/bikers dressed alike costume party, but I say live and let live. If it gives them chuckles then good for them. That goes out the window if anyone, for any reason, pulls an air of superiority. Motorcycles are generally luxury items in the States because few actually rely on them for transportation. However a motorcycle will, literally, do amazing things to your brain (don’t wreck) that aligns with moderate exercise and meditation at the same time. Not in urban traffic, but out on the open road one can find a kind of transcendence that pulls you away from day to day problems. One has all extraneous thoughts stripped away to a void at the same time experiencing a sort of hyper-focus. I have experienced few things like it - maybe SCUBA diving in a kelp forest or running a gun at speed over multiple targets, aligning things for the perfect shot while hunting... but all of those are short bursts. A nice ride puts you in the zone for hours. A toy? I will accept that, but a very special, magical toy - certainly much more than an XBox could ever dream of being.
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Post by Ronv69 on Oct 19, 2019 19:31:53 GMT -5
The longer we ride our trike the less we want to stop. It is a zen experience. I don't mind the pirate costumes, just the pirate pipes.
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Post by trailboss on Oct 19, 2019 20:05:30 GMT -5
Motorcycles have become toys for middle aged men with money to drop on them. Maybe it is just where I live but I don't see near as bikes as in years past. The last time I owned a bike was in the 90s they were cheap as could be. I was in the habit of picking a nice dirt bike and thrashing it to the point is was just cheaper to buy a new one. The base price on a Honda/Suzuki 450 is 9000 smackers. Hard to swallow for a toy. Twenty grand will get you a street bike and you and misses can dress alike and eat a burger and smoke a Acid cigar at a out the way burger joint/bar in the country side as you try to recapture youth. I believe my bike days are over as I have enough broken stuff and scars to prove my manhood. I, too, don’t care for the orthodontist/bikers dressed alike costume party, but I say live and let live. If it gives them chuckles then good for them. That goes out the window if anyone, for any reason, pulls an air of superiority. Motorcycles are generally luxury items in the States because few actually rely on them for transportation. However a motorcycle will, literally, do amazing things to your brain (don’t wreck) that aligns with moderate exercise and meditation at the same time. Not in urban traffic, but out on the open road one can find a kind of transcendence that pulls you away from day to day problems. One has all extraneous thoughts stripped away to a void at the same time experiencing a sort of hyper-focus. I have experienced few things like it - maybe SCUBA diving in a kelp forest or running a gun at speed over multiple targets, aligning things for the perfect shot while hunting... but all of those are short bursts. A nice ride puts you in the zone for hours. A toy? I will accept that, but a very special, magical toy - certainly much more than an XBox could ever dream of being. I envy that, at 58 I figure the horse has left the barn... the last time I rode on a bike, I was doing motocross at 15, came over a hill due to inexperience, my right leg acted as a shock absorber, my hydraulic fluid in the knee bled out and major knee surgery took place.... balooned to the size of a small watermelon. I was never afraid of getting on a bike mind you, just was never a priority, and I see too many stupid people that don’t look out for bikes... a lot of my colleagues ride though. Pretty cool the experiences you shared.
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Post by toshtego on Oct 19, 2019 20:13:46 GMT -5
I would love to have another one. Even a 500 cc single. Not possible and I am sorry for it.
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Post by monbla256 on Oct 20, 2019 15:07:18 GMT -5
Having ridden scooters for about 20 years, 5 of them as my only means of transportation I would'nt anymore. Remember, EVERY cage driver is out to run you over and kill you. Had some good times when I rode but with all the dooleys and giant station wagons, called SUVs, out there you are in a loosing situation! The times they are a changing !
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Post by Deleted on Oct 21, 2019 16:16:27 GMT -5
That Electric bikes' silent running strikes me as dangerous for the operator, pedestrians and animals.
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Post by oldcajun123 on Oct 21, 2019 16:31:16 GMT -5
 You got to know when to hold em, and when to fold em!
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Penzaholic
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Post by Penzaholic on Oct 21, 2019 17:07:53 GMT -5
Can't imagine HD making a silent motorcycle, as the loud exhaust attracted many buyers
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Post by trailboss on Oct 21, 2019 18:28:38 GMT -5
Mount some speakers and crank your favorite tunes!
I would like to see a Hells Angel on a silent bike cranking AC/DC Highway To Hell. Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap would work too.
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Post by toshtego on Oct 21, 2019 19:11:04 GMT -5
Can't imagine HD making a silent motorcycle, as the loud exhaust attracted many buyers We have so many of them here running straight pipes. This is illegal and really annoying. The owners do not care. "Look at MEEEEEeeeeeeeeeeee." that seems to be the message.
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Post by Deleted on Oct 21, 2019 19:15:24 GMT -5
That Electric bikes' silent running strikes me as dangerous for the operator, pedestrians and animals. will also make a stealthy tool for burglars, dope dealers, and all manner of perps.
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Penzaholic
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Post by Penzaholic on Oct 21, 2019 20:09:38 GMT -5
That Electric bikes' silent running strikes me as dangerous for the operator, pedestrians and animals. Been proven, loud pipes do not save lives.
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Post by Ronv69 on Oct 21, 2019 20:34:18 GMT -5
That Electric bikes' silent running strikes me as dangerous for the operator, pedestrians and animals. Been proven, loud pipes do not save lives. Amen.
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