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Marv Hushman posted:Have you been inside of a Yam/Suz/Kaw/Hon dealership in the last three decades? For the last three decades Yamaha, Suzuki, Kawasaki, and Honda have been playing follow the leader to Harley in the cruiser market... in NORTH AMERICA. In the rest of the world, they actually try to do more of their own thing when it comes to making a cruiser.
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Sep 10, 2010 17:08
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I bought my boulevard 109 specifically because it looked distinctive and different than the various cruiser clones. Though, that's at least in part because it was used and had some tasteful mods on it that made it look less like a hog and more like a triceratops. Plus Goldwings seem to do alright. They're the ultimate definition of the term cruiser, I would think.
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Sep 10, 2010 18:02
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this is a semantic argument i know, but i always believed a cruiser meant a harley or a bike that looked like a harley. a goldwing would be a touring bike.
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Sep 10, 2010 18:07
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The rules I've always used to distinguish them are by the seating position and the location of the controls. Sportbikes are leaned forward, with rearsets. Standards are upright or slightly leaned forward with mid controls, and cruisers are upright with forward controls. The MSF book had a great little picture of the differences, but it seems like they replaced it in one of the revisions of their guide book.
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Sep 10, 2010 18:17
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I find the harley thing tiresome, and would love to do anything to undermine it by applying the terms they use in their brochures to everything else I can think of. Starting with the DN-01.
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Sep 10, 2010 18:17
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TheCosmicMuffet posted:Plus Goldwings seem to do alright. They're the ultimate definition of the term cruiser, I would think. naa, they are just 900lb sport bikes
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Sep 10, 2010 18:23
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Coredump posted:For the last three decades Yamaha, Suzuki, Kawasaki, and Honda have been playing follow the leader to Harley in the cruiser market... in NORTH AMERICA. In the rest of the world, they actually try to do more of their own thing when it comes to making a cruiser. Interesting. In Mexico, which is in North America the last time I checked, easily 75% of the Japanese product offerings have you sitting bolt upright. For bikes actually on the road, I'd wager the percentage is higher, based on personal experience and witnessing some of the most hellacious traffic carving on the planet. Granted, they're in the sub-250cc range, but it works for the market and this is about ergos, not powerplants. Categorization is a pointless conversational sinkhole, regardless of the topic. That said, I do agree with the gist of what you're saying, and wish they'd float more of the JDM stuff our way.
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Sep 10, 2010 18:24
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Marv Hushman posted:Interesting. In Mexico, which is in North America the last time I checked, easily 75% of the Japanese product offerings have you sitting bolt upright. For bikes actually on the road, I'd wager the percentage is higher, based on personal experience and witnessing some of the most hellacious traffic carving on the planet. Granted, they're in the sub-250cc range, but it works for the market and this is about ergos, not powerplants. You're saying that 75% of Japanese product offerings have you sitting upright, so it sounds like the majority of the Japanese bikes sold in Mexico are not cruisers, maybe they are UJM or standards. Which makes sense, its probably the same story in the US and Canada, where most of the bikes sold that are Japanese are NOT cruisers due to the fact that if people are going to buy a cruiser they tend to buy Harley. I wish that wasn't the case because I want to get away from so many of the douchey trends that Harley promotes. But Harley is the best at what they do because other motorcycle manufacturers won't grow a pair and do their own thing here and insist on trying to out-Harley Harley Davidson and its just not going to work.
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Sep 10, 2010 19:39
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Cruisers aren't about sitting positions so much as looking like Harleys or more specifically older American made motorcycles, a rut that Harley has never succeeded in breaking out of. Content:
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Sep 10, 2010 20:10
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Whats with the training wheels and the....metal bar thing? I'm guessing its some sort of TV/Movie trailer rig.
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Sep 10, 2010 20:28
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wormil posted:Cruisers aren't about sitting positions so much as looking like Harleys or more specifically older American made motorcycles, a rut that Harley has never succeeded in breaking out of. I'm going to have to disagree with you and follow what Z3n posted with the ergonomics of the bike determining whether its a cruiser or not. I think that Harley is just one style of cruiser, and the most popular style. But I don't think that style defines the whole genre.
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Sep 10, 2010 20:33
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Coredump posted:But Harley is the best at what they do because other motorcycle manufacturers won't grow a pair and do their own thing here and insist on trying to out-Harley Harley Davidson and its just not going to work. No argument here re: cruiser market share, even if the link doesn't support it (18-34 isn't exactly the Road King target crowd--these people are buying Sporty variants.) Whether that's a matter of taste or finances, only Eaglemark Bank knows for sure. But if the Japanese couldn't turn a buck, they'd have cut and run during the tariff wars of the 80s. Maybe it's strategic and they fully recognize the folly in trying to be #1 in 'Merkuh (witness Toyota). God knows it's not a technical/engineering limitation. I'm less annoyed by them copying HD than I am with them copying each other. Do we really need a Suzuki cruiser that's indistinguishable from a Yamaha cruiser, etc? If they're truly in semi-collusion, couldn't they be smarter about it and trade segments with one another, making room for the sorts of bikes we all clearly prefer?
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Sep 10, 2010 20:37
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TheDon01 posted:Whats with the training wheels and the....metal bar thing? It's Keira Knightley for a commerical or something.
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Sep 10, 2010 20:42
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Marv Hushman posted:Do we really need a Suzuki cruiser that's indistinguishable from a Yamaha cruiser, etc? The problem is, if they don't bother with the C version of their various big bikes, where the vstars look like the boulevards look like the vulcans look like the whatever, then they basically cede all the sales in that price range (harley davidson bike - 8000$) to the competitors that stay in, or to harley. Or, god help us, Kymco.
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Sep 10, 2010 21:25
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frozenphil posted:I'm reposting this because someone posted it on my local sportbike site again and it makes me laugh every time because it is so accurate. All of our group rides are posted with the expected rider threat level color. It really helps new people to the group understand what kind of behavior is acceptable on any given group ride. I'm pretty much always at orange on a pushbike... minus the burnouts of course.
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Sep 10, 2010 22:21
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Budgie posted:I'm pretty much always at orange on a pushbike... minus the burnouts of course. How are you speeding? Do you only ride in trailer parks?
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Sep 11, 2010 00:19
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Slim Pickens posted:How are you speeding? Do you only ride in trailer parks? I used to regularly speed on my pushbike; though the highest speed limit where i live is 35mph, with a few 25s thrown in, so it's actually pretty pathetic. Edit: Obviously now I have a motorbike, I speed pretty much all the time, but so does everyone around here.
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Sep 11, 2010 01:29
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I've been pulled over on my pedal bike  Content:  Service roads for cell towers are extra fun because you still get service. I've been browsing Google's satellite/terrain maps, looking for interesting poo poo. It'd be nice to have a small air compressor for the on/off road switch. Knobbies handle surprisingly well at higher pressure. VV just a warning VV GI Joe jobs fucked around with this message at 09:38 on Sep 11, 2010 |
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Sep 11, 2010 02:34
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Getting a speeding ticket on a bicycle is even lamer than getting a DUI on one(or a skateboard, for that matter).
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Sep 11, 2010 03:09
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Slim Pickens posted:Getting a speeding ticket on a bicycle is even lamer than getting a DUI on one(or a skateboard, for that matter). The only time I've ever run from police is when they tried to pull me over for speeding on my mountainbike at NAU. 
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Sep 11, 2010 07:32
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BlackMK4 posted:The only time I've ever run from police is when they tried to pull me over for speeding on my mountainbike at NAU. Did you get away?
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Sep 11, 2010 09:24
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Gullous posted:Service roads for cell towers are extra fun because you still get service. I've been browsing Google's satellite/terrain maps, looking for interesting poo poo. Also, all the cell phone tower access roads near me are fenced off, with 'no trespassing' signs all over them. Though, truth be told, around me most of them are pretty short, I think.edit: here's an example of how close you can get. 
Fantastipotamus fucked around with this message at 15:33 on Sep 11, 2010 |
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Sep 11, 2010 15:28
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wormil posted:Did you get away? Of course, I went supermoto on those bitches as I ditched the road and went offroading.  Brapppp
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Sep 11, 2010 17:34
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Marv Hushman posted:No argument here re: cruiser market share, even if the link doesn't support it (18-34 isn't exactly the Road King target crowd--these people are buying Sporty variants.) Whether that's a matter of taste or finances, only Eaglemark Bank knows for sure. Bullshit: Harley’s young-adult market share and other damned lies This is an article from Hell For Leather which calls bullshit on Harley's claim from earlier this summer. Looks like I was totally wrong. I feel strangely relieved about that.
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Sep 11, 2010 18:09
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Coredump posted:
Your conclusion was actually correct, but you got swindled by MoCo stats. Shame they don't publish sales figures by model, because I'd be interested to see how they count Sportsters. Do they dare call an Iron 883 a cruiser? All good--if it weren't for this discussion, I would have never known about this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YxHFH6ffDJk&feature=player_embedded Now if you'll excuse me, I have an abandoned velodrome to find...
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Sep 11, 2010 19:04
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So, I'm looking to upgrade my KLR's headlights a little bit and- 
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Sep 12, 2010 00:41
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sklnd posted:So, I'm looking to upgrade my KLR's headlights a little bit and-
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Sep 12, 2010 02:31
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The headlight sucks at highway speed. On superslab I always feel like I'm overrunning it. Random internet forums suggest that the wiring harness is the limiting factor as far as powering the headlight goes. I might get out the multimeter and see if I can't build a better harness to hang off the battery if indeed the stocker isn't all it can be. Aftermarket stuff is about $50, and I think I can do as good for less. After that, the bike is capable of powering a better light, so upgrading that and the housing to handle more heat is an option. And yes, I posted the image because it is hilarious.
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Sep 12, 2010 02:41
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 I hope the riders of this thing weren't planning on having kids. More.
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Sep 12, 2010 12:40
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Is the fuel tank between the engine and the rear shock there?
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Sep 12, 2010 12:44
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No, it's in the bash guard you can see the filler cap on the left.
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Sep 12, 2010 12:46
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anothertenbux posted:Is the fuel tank between the engine and the rear shock there? Overflow bottle.
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Sep 12, 2010 12:53
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Whoa...that single sided swing arm front end. The frame geometry, the engine. Everything is just weird. That's what I call exotic.
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Sep 12, 2010 15:05
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2ndclasscitizen posted:
Holy poo poo, the big thick, almost comstar-like spokes on those wheels are sexy as hell
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Sep 12, 2010 18:49
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That picture came from here: http://moto-works.bravejournal.com/ There is a shitload of awesome pictures there.
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Sep 12, 2010 20:57
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I wonder how hot that gets for the rider.
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Sep 13, 2010 01:56
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Its getting me hot just from looking at it
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Sep 13, 2010 02:13
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BlackMK4 posted:That picture came from here: I love the billet-framed monkey bikes at the bottom.
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Sep 13, 2010 02:40
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The proper way for supermotos to take every corner. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=blHB-7GdG4U&feature=related
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Sep 13, 2010 02:59
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MrZig posted:The proper way for supermotos to take every corner. I noticed today when I was coming back to the house that there is a growing collection of arced tire marks outside the last corner to my house 
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Sep 13, 2010 03:05
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