Re: Harley comment

["Barton P. Chambers" <bartonc@annap.infi.net>]

(ahem...)

Gee, fellow Q-heads, I know this is late, but my Syncro was down for a few days
and the dog ate my homework.  But to add even more list relevance, a new coil 
worked wonders at re-introducing fire to the cylinders of the Audi I-5 in the 
Syncro...

Ok, Ok, I *don't* have a dog either...

The truth is, that I've held this, wracking both of my remaining functional 
neural synapses in an admittedly futile attempt to work a NASCAR reference to 
this (otherwise fascinating and illuminating) Harley thread.

> >Except the Bimmer whistles.  Still, the sound of the harley chain coming 
> >loose *is* unmistakable.
> 
> Uhhh...errrr...Sorry Unka Bart, but Harleys use belts...and they just snap!

(Damn!  Eric has the buzzer, just when I need it the most...)

Harleys have not always used belts, and most of the old-timers are still on the 
road (OK, parked outside the beer-joint along with the belted wonders, but you 
knew what I meant...)

When I returned from south-east asia, back in '71, I bought a used '69 CB750 
Honda in San Francisco.  This, you may recall, was the first example of the 
Japanese multis.  I spent the next 6 months traveling on this great machine, 
coast-to-coast and half-way back.  (Ran out of coins in beautiful downtown 
Lawton Oklahoma, and had to sell the scoot to get some loot.  But I digress...)

Many times I'd run into other riders out in the open spaces of the heartland, 
and ride a ways with them for company/comradship.  Sometimes, 200-300 miles
(much of a day's ride), usually in the 70-80 mph cruising range (sometimes it is
worth slowing down for the sake of companionship).

Unless, of course, the others were mounted on Harleys instead of motorcycles, in
which case, we were never together more than 20 miles or so (the limit of my 
tolerance for riding under 65 mph while travelling the open road).

Actually "instead of motorcycles" is not a good choice of words, but Yer Kindly 
ol' Unka Bart can't seem to find a better way to convey the fact that Harley's 
are to M/Cs as a '50 Buick is to an Ur-Quattro.

Which is not quite fair to the '50 Buick (the car I cut my teeth on), which 
unlike the Harley, definitely will *NOT* shake the operator to death at 
velocities over 60 mph.

And one is left to wonder, given the attention that Harley has devoted to 
protecting their "image," such as trying to patent their distinctive sound, just
exactly how do they manage to achieve that distinctive oil-stain up the back of 
the rider; with the new belted models?  

Do they now sell "Pre-Stained" clothing at their boutiques...?

Yer Kindly ol' Unka Bart