Divided we fall

[ChipBeck_imp]

Chip, I'm glad to hear a positive outlook on American-made quality. I know we don't do a good job with our cars. Everyone seems to know that GM makes shoddy products, but still buy them blindly. It's that that I don't understand.

Also, I think you read the first line of my statement in a different tone than I meant to exert; I'm saying that Japanese cars are excellent and are a much better alternative to vehicles such as Kia (which you're indicating is stylized as KIA, and I'll take your word for it).

I respectfully disagree with your comment about Ford's quality; my wife worked for many years at a plaintiff's firm that mostly handled injuries caused by vehicular defects, and Ford comes in strongly in the number one position for flawed vehicles. I recall one anecdote where, before entering the court room, a paralegal was asked to take the roof of a Ford vehicle to the judge and flex it in front of him. She, being a smaller woman, was sure she wouldn't be able to do so, and was disgusted at how easy it in fact was. Ford shaves that metal to a grade just thicker than aluminum foil for the sake of saving weight. There's also the abysmally narrow Explorer that's certainly claimed more lives than any other SUV, particularly any still in production.

As far as bikes go, a Rocket III Roadster and (hopefully) my dad's '74 850 Commando (currently owned by my uncle) will be mine, as well as many other bikes that have caught my eye. I'd even like to test ride a Forty Eight, even if Sportsters are apparently not "real" H-Ds.

"Everyone knows..." the start of many a fallacy.

Quote:I recall one anecdote where, before entering the court room, a paralegal was asked to take the roof of a Ford vehicle to the judge and flex it in front of him. She, being a smaller woman, was sure she wouldn't be able to do so, and was disgusted at how easy it in fact was. Ford shaves that metal to a grade just thicker than aluminum foil for the sake of saving weight.
So does every manufacturer. It is completely useless to waste material on the roof skin. The cross member that is part of the unitized body underneath that skin is where the strength comes from.

Quote:There's also the abysmally narrow Explorer that's certainly claimed more lives than any other SUV, particularly any still in production.
Have you seen an Explorer lately? It's not even remotely related (other than in name) to the thing that Ford first introduced ~1990. If you're referring to roll-over risk (I have to assume, since you made sure to mention it was "abysmally narrow"), that had nothing at all to do with the design of the Explorer, but rather the recommended tire pressures printed on the door jam, and is the main culprit in you and I now paying extra for government-mandated tire pressure monitoring systems in passenger vehicles. The early '90's Ford Explorer was barely an inch narrower than its main competition, the Chevy Blazer, meaning, it wasn't particularly narrow at all.
I like all bikes; all riders on the other hand...

Weirdly, and pertinent to this post, my wife used to work in a biker bar and knows quite a few of the guys you folks would call the "pirates" or people wearing costumes (Lord knows *I* look like a Power Ranger in my Alpinestars gear) and I have met many, many of these guys. So many of them are unbelievably nice, would help you with anything in the world (I recall a bunch showed up at a friend of a friend's place after her house had burned down offering free furniture, food, etc.), and don't give a rat's ass about the kind of bike you ride. Many started riding a small displacement Honda themselves because Harley's are simply too expensive a bike to start riding on.

Let's try not to tar & feather an entire group of folks simply because they ride a certain bike not like ours, kind of like that lady did to the OP.

That being said, there is a certain group of self-righteous a$$hole whose ego is so wrapped up in their brand of their [insert motorcycle, watch, shoes, sunglasses, whatever) that they can't fathom some other competing product could ever come close to, or possibly surpass, the qualities of their chosen brand. These people are complete dickheads and they exist for every brand that exists so just ignore them and move on with enjoying your ride and let them waste time hating.

AzBob,

You probably live real close to me. I'd like to buy you cocktails sometime. What a great post you put up. Thanks for taking the time to write that. Right on bro.

Chip