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For all you die hard HD fans this is prolly sad. For me I went to so called ''rice burners''
with my first Jap Honda1969/70 K model 750 & never looked back. Think I paid bout $1,200. Helped with the uncrating & assembly. Not much to do.
Soooo far advanced for their time. Did not leak oil, did not shake your fingers numb. Only used a slight smearing of silicone for most gaskets.
Kick the tires & lite the fires & go. Cross country with one carb sync along the way & a couple a chain adjust. Tightened a few spokes along the way.
Love'm still.

You can actually insert links....

Regardless, I will never understand why people buy these overpriced crap motorbikes. I am sure they had their place in 1932 but today they are quieter, more comfortable, and more reliable bikes. Ans at least in Asia they seem to be ridden mostly by knuckleheads.

There's a certain agricultural appeal to them, at least to me. Post 80's HD has gotten much better as a bike itself, and I've seen many HDs pull 100k+ miles with nothing more than regular maintnance. I think it's mostly the crowd that rides them gives them a good or bad image.

Strictly as bikes though, they're still subpar slightly but I'd have 48 over a Shadow, V-Strom, Vulcan etc. any day. Let's just hope they don't have the same problems as Kawasaki did when shifting to Thailand.

My last ride in Australia was a 2006 Honda Shadow 750 ACE and I wouldn't have traded it for any hog at any time. When your bike has to have a "registered sound" to make you feel like a man, it might be time for surgery.

The K & K1 were not my first rice burners. I raced a few Hodaka Ace's 90cc & 100cc smokers in the dirt. Kombat Wombats.
Cantankerous mofos they were but with the right pipe & Klotz they were so much fun & very competitive against much more expensive bikes.

Oh glory days.

AE86 wrote: ↑Thu May 25, 2017 5:14 pm There's a certain agricultural appeal to them, at least to me. Post 80's HD has gotten much better as a bike itself, and I've seen many HDs pull 100k+ miles with nothing more than regular maintnance. I think it's mostly the crowd that rides them gives them a good or bad image.

Strictly as bikes though, they're still subpar slightly but I'd have 48 over a Shadow, V-Strom, Vulcan etc. any day. Let's just hope they don't have the same problems as Kawasaki did when shifting to Thailand.

'' a certain agricultural appeal to them, Never heard that turn of phrase.
From where does it originate? The farm?

'' Let's just hope they don't have the same problems as Kawasaki did when shifting to Thailand.
Which was QC i would presume?

Owned a Kaw 750 triple. Never been more afraid of a piece of machinery. It was on or off.

Luigi wrote: ↑Thu May 25, 2017 7:25 pm '' a certain agricultural appeal to them, Never heard that turn of phrase.
From where does it originate? The farm?

'' Let's just hope they don't have the same problems as Kawasaki did when shifting to Thailand.
Which was QC i would presume?

Just my term. Riding Harleys always reminded me of farm equipment with the super clunky shifts and lumpy idle.

The problems that tarnished a few Kwaks I'm referring to was from 2010? era and the KLR 650s where the timing chain tensioner would give out way early and wreck the whole motor. Not sure if it was supplier or assembly related though.

Luigi wrote: ↑Thu May 25, 2017 7:25 pm Owned a Kaw 750 triple. Never been more afraid of a piece of machinery. It was on or off.

My friend back in West Virginia still has one and regularly pulls 150 mph plus on it. I'm still extremely tempted to bring one over. Besides Super Cubs, they're my absolute favourite bike of all time.

''Just my term. Riding Harleys always reminded me of farm equipment with the super clunky shifts and lumpy idle.


That's what I guessed. My first moto ride ever was a HD Army 45 w/side shift of course.
Being a man of 13 yrs. I needed an orange crate on both sides after someone would start for me. I could go but not stop without fallling over. But I was hooked.

The Kaw 750 had an CDI system that would turn you to gumby for a minute or two if grounded. Wow what a rush!

Once again glory days.

Had one once,NEVER again,
RICH THai's love them but there worthless for long riding/tours

The factory – only the third Harley has built outside the United States – highlights the irresistible draw of overseas plants for US manufacturers, particularly as the Trump administration castigates regional free-trade agreements.

“We are expanding our presence in the Asia-Pacific market by building an assembly facility in the Rayong province in Thailand,” Harley-Davidson spokeswoman Katie Whitmore said.

She declined to say how much the plant was worth but said it would be up and running in “late 2018”.

Read more at http://www.thephuketnews.com/harley-dav ... zYkp5fZ.99