04-19-2017, 09:34 AM
I've often wondered what constitutes character myself Cormanus, but in talking with guys who say their bikes have character, they are usually the bikes that exhibit the tendencies of those I described above.
Honda's are known to be oil tight, smooth, and reliable with a strong dealer network, as famed mc writer Peter Egan once said he" has never had a Honda that failed to bring him home". Yet Honda's are said to have no character.
His Norton had character, yet it left him and his wife stranded on a west coast trip and had to be freighted home while he took a greyhound back home to Wisconsin.
Guys on Harley's like to say their bikes have character, yet they vibrate and leak oil (at least they used to), and sometimes break down on the side of the road. Used to be they were downright cantankerous, Hard to start, Bad brakes. Stiff clutches. Character I am told.
Moto Guzzi's are said to have character, but they are not the most reliable mills out there (until you get them sorted I often hear.. personally I like to buy my bikes pre-sorted). You gas them and they twist to the side. They don't look Japanese. I read in that other thread Frulk said of his Moto Guzzi
"The Guzzi is a 2013 bought new and now has 7006 babied miles on it. My dealer folded up shop about a year ago. The rear running lights don't work (but brakes/license plate and blinkers do). It's slowly leaking some type of oil around the rear drum. I've checked all the fluids and can't trace it down. After I get back from Europe in Sept I plan to ship it to Harper's Moto Guzzi in Missouri for an overhaul and to have a number of issues addressed i.e. new tires/front fork cartridges installed/ routine maint/oil sump installed etc. After that it will only see the road on Sat/Sundays on short jaunts over the mt's and to coffee shops"
If my "un-babied" CB had had those issues at 7000 miles and needed to be shipped someplace for an overhaul just so I could ride it on short jaunts on Sat/Sun I wouldn't consider my bike having character, I'd consider it having a "For Sale" sign on it and I'd be looking for another model of motorcycle (no offense Frulk)
My son's Ducati, another brand that supposedly has character, was bought brand new, babied and yet had electrical problems, persistent oil leaks and the transmission locked up causing multiple trailer trips to the nearest Ducati dealer 2 hours away (our Cincinnati dealer folded tent and left after 2 years). Rare? He sent me a link one time from the Monster forum. 5 of the first 6 threads were complaints that their Ducati's suddenly quit running. I'm not joking. I personally know 3 people who have owned Ducatis, 2 of them relatives, all 3 have had issues enough that 2 of them got traded in on another brand of motorcycles ( a KTM and a Triumph) Character I guess.
I don't know.. the character thing confuses me, I don't confess to understand it, but listening to people who have bikes that supposedly have character, that's how I came up with my description above.
Honda's are known to be oil tight, smooth, and reliable with a strong dealer network, as famed mc writer Peter Egan once said he" has never had a Honda that failed to bring him home". Yet Honda's are said to have no character.
His Norton had character, yet it left him and his wife stranded on a west coast trip and had to be freighted home while he took a greyhound back home to Wisconsin.
Guys on Harley's like to say their bikes have character, yet they vibrate and leak oil (at least they used to), and sometimes break down on the side of the road. Used to be they were downright cantankerous, Hard to start, Bad brakes. Stiff clutches. Character I am told.
Moto Guzzi's are said to have character, but they are not the most reliable mills out there (until you get them sorted I often hear.. personally I like to buy my bikes pre-sorted). You gas them and they twist to the side. They don't look Japanese. I read in that other thread Frulk said of his Moto Guzzi
"The Guzzi is a 2013 bought new and now has 7006 babied miles on it. My dealer folded up shop about a year ago. The rear running lights don't work (but brakes/license plate and blinkers do). It's slowly leaking some type of oil around the rear drum. I've checked all the fluids and can't trace it down. After I get back from Europe in Sept I plan to ship it to Harper's Moto Guzzi in Missouri for an overhaul and to have a number of issues addressed i.e. new tires/front fork cartridges installed/ routine maint/oil sump installed etc. After that it will only see the road on Sat/Sundays on short jaunts over the mt's and to coffee shops"
If my "un-babied" CB had had those issues at 7000 miles and needed to be shipped someplace for an overhaul just so I could ride it on short jaunts on Sat/Sun I wouldn't consider my bike having character, I'd consider it having a "For Sale" sign on it and I'd be looking for another model of motorcycle (no offense Frulk)
My son's Ducati, another brand that supposedly has character, was bought brand new, babied and yet had electrical problems, persistent oil leaks and the transmission locked up causing multiple trailer trips to the nearest Ducati dealer 2 hours away (our Cincinnati dealer folded tent and left after 2 years). Rare? He sent me a link one time from the Monster forum. 5 of the first 6 threads were complaints that their Ducati's suddenly quit running. I'm not joking. I personally know 3 people who have owned Ducatis, 2 of them relatives, all 3 have had issues enough that 2 of them got traded in on another brand of motorcycles ( a KTM and a Triumph) Character I guess.
I don't know.. the character thing confuses me, I don't confess to understand it, but listening to people who have bikes that supposedly have character, that's how I came up with my description above.