02-01-2018, 06:03 PM
I understand that the build quality of the Thailand Triumphs is top notch. But again, if I'm being totally honest I'd find the bikes more appealing if they were still built in England. If I was shopping for a Harley Davidson, I'd prefer that it be built in the USA. I'm glad that the CB1100 is built in Japan. That's not meant as a knock on bikes built in other countries. But if for me, that direct lineage to a company's manufacturing heritage is important, especially when it comes to bikes like Bonnevilles, CB1100s and most HD's where the company is banking on their heritage as part of the the appeal of these bikes. I understand that some people don't care about this sort of thing and that's okay. Everyone else is free to spend their money as they wish, that's as it should be of course. But when it's my money that I'm spending, I tend to pay attention that kind of thing.
As far as Harley Davidsons go, the only time I personally have found myself really tempted by one is when they released the XR1200R. I really like the concept of that bike, a visual tribute to the XR750. Had that bike featured at least 18" wheels front and back to give it a bit more of flat-track vibe I would have found much harder to resist. When Triumph slapped 17" wheels on the front of the Bonnevilles a few years back I was similarly disappointed. For that matter I feel the same way about the CB1100 RS. Not that it's a bad looking bike, it simply doesn't look retro enough for me. If I were to give up the 18" hoops I'd probably opt for the CB1000R (provided I could find a low enough seat for it that is, lol). That bike is probably as close as Honda is going to come to another Hawk GT.
Basically, if I'm going to spend my money on a motorcycle, it's definitely going to have to appeal to my visual tastes. I tend to be that way with all my vehicles. But when I finally do find what i like, I also tend to stick with my cars, trucks and motorcycles for a fairly long time (well over a decade on average). I realize that I tend to be an exception with regards to a lot of this stuff, but hey it works for me.
As far as Harley Davidsons go, the only time I personally have found myself really tempted by one is when they released the XR1200R. I really like the concept of that bike, a visual tribute to the XR750. Had that bike featured at least 18" wheels front and back to give it a bit more of flat-track vibe I would have found much harder to resist. When Triumph slapped 17" wheels on the front of the Bonnevilles a few years back I was similarly disappointed. For that matter I feel the same way about the CB1100 RS. Not that it's a bad looking bike, it simply doesn't look retro enough for me. If I were to give up the 18" hoops I'd probably opt for the CB1000R (provided I could find a low enough seat for it that is, lol). That bike is probably as close as Honda is going to come to another Hawk GT.
Basically, if I'm going to spend my money on a motorcycle, it's definitely going to have to appeal to my visual tastes. I tend to be that way with all my vehicles. But when I finally do find what i like, I also tend to stick with my cars, trucks and motorcycles for a fairly long time (well over a decade on average). I realize that I tend to be an exception with regards to a lot of this stuff, but hey it works for me.