08-20-2024, 10:13 PM
(08-20-2024, 08:02 PM)cookiemech_imp Wrote: I'll never buy a motorcycle made in China, and that includes BMWs made there (I own four BMWs, all made in Germany, as they should be for the price).
Never ever another Moto Guzzi (have owned two). First was a V-50 III, second worst piece of junk I ever owned (#1 is the Ural I currently own). Moto Guzzi doesn't support its dealers or customers in terms of parts and warranty service, in my experience. Good designs poorly executed.
No Aprilias, though it really doesn't matter, as they don't make anything for my types of riding. From what I am reading, they have treated employees pretty badly lately.
No more Urals. I am on my second (first was a terribly rusty 2014 Gear Up, gifted to me, that I completely refurbished over a winter, so its failings might not have been representative). I bought my current Gear Up new in 2020. It has had more (and serious) failures than ALL of the motorcycles I've owned in 45 years. Ural loyalists love to make excuses for the brand, but they are just plain junk. Only reason I still have it is that there is no other sidecar motorcycle that is manufactured as such. I do not want a sidecar that is grafted onto a motorcycle (which is not designed to work with a sidecar). Again, a Ural is a good design, but horribly executed. Very poor quality control (or none at all).
Funny to see all the negativity about Harleys. Expensive, yes, but in my experience (I've had five and currently own two), the quality of late model ones is high and once owned, easy and cheap to maintain if you do your own work.
I'd own any of the four Japanese brands, any (older) BMW (obviously), modern Triumphs (I've had old ones and they are beautiful, but no, thanks), and a Ducati (had a Monster 1200 that was truly gorgeous and well-built, but that type of riding just isn't for me; the quality was superb though).
Oh, no Royal Enfields from what I've seen. Cheap. I don't like cheap and I can afford better. Nice looking bikes, though.
My impression of Urals was always that you're basically buying a bike with authentic 1960s engineering. They were soviet copies of the contemporary BMW bikes weren't they? Only they never really changed or advanced over the years. Considering most bikes during that time except for the up and coming japanese brands constantly broke down, that might explain all the mechanical failings.