The Worst Motorcycles You've Ever Owned and Younger Americans' Views on Harley Davidson 

Following up on recommendation of South Africa as best adventure destination - ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-RR2bhSmdae0.html

Delighted by TAD. The TMF News Monthly is my favourite commute pod. NOW I've got another great bike conversation to aid me in my 50min trip home in 4 wheels!! Fantastic!! So many points to discuss, but I'll leave you. Also, Triumph Scrambler 900s and just...joy.

I'm 32 and from the U.S. I think it may be a federal law now that you at least have to be 50 years old to buy a Harley. Then, once you've owned 1 Harley, at 60 years of age you can buy a Honda Goldwing 😂😅🤣

Get some ear plugs Freddy. You’ll get permanent tinnitus in your 4o’s otherwise. Bike riding is known for causing tinnitus.

My one bad buy was the Honda VF500F2. I bought it in 1987 and the first thing it did was go back to the shop for an engine rebuild because the cam chain tensioner failed. It’s one of the reasons the gear driven can VFR 750 came to be.

Ohh Freddie, another classic podcast! Excellent questions and answers from the coolest bloke on RU-vid ⭐️🙌

I am from America. 40 years old. I like Harley. I'm afraid that's a very oversimplified opinion. I no longer associate Harley with biker gangs anymore. They aren't as visible in my area as in the 80s. It's just not the majority anymore. People still love baggers for long travel. Now I agree they need to broaden to other styles of bikes as well and diversify. Sports bikes are dying in this country. I think, like many things in the huge US, it depends on where you live. I never see sport bikes at all. Most Harley riders here are young. Retros are big. Some adventure bikes and dual sports. In the US it is just hard to make generalizations as the country is so huge and everywhere and everyone is so different.

Fantastic videos Freddie - this and your main. Always enjoyable and an incredible mix of dialog, smooth music, riding, and scenery. Cheers from Canada.

My first listen to Tuesday at Dobbs’ and really enjoyed it. Great to hear yours and the listeners experiences and opinions.

So many subjects were covered in this one video I literally don’t know where to start ! Motorcyclists certainly are a diverse bunch which is no surprise considering the vast range of different bikes available to us 🇬🇧

I'd definitely pay the premium if bikes were made in their native countries.....I'm excited that companies are starting to listen and brings jobs back home. BTW I wouldn't consider any type of ev regardless where it's made.

It’s rally week in South Dakota… too many Harley’s with loud exhaust.. luckily it’s been raining… less bikes 🤣

A very delightful video. I had a Ducati v4, but found that I couldn’t ride it for more than 90 minutes without needing a break. It’s as if the Ducati was designed to turn you into part of the frame - as if to say “look, the bike is a perfect self stabilizing system, until the rider gets on”. Love both and all motorbikes, but some are purpose built and are not generalists : )

As I've not bought yet my first motorcycle, I did not really focus on the resale price of the bikes. Good to know Italian bikes are keeping their value, having my eyes still on the Moto Guzzi V7 850

That GT1000 is a looker. I never had a problem with carb'd bikes. I'd rather have fuel injected, though. I'd never buy any EV, bike or car. I've never had an unreliable bike in over 250,000 miles. My 390 Duke is totally reliable.

I used to have a small Harley-Davidson tent. It fitted neatly into the top box of my R1150RT :)

First watch of this channel for me, and loved the content (and that of your other channel). I found the last question/answer the most interesting - similarly, I passed my test last March, picked up a Tiger 660 Sport, which I loved, but a few months back traded for a 3 year old T120. Even though the T120 makes me smile every time I look at it and ride it (love the extra torque and the rumble), I do have that serious itch to try a different style of bike already (Ninja 1000SX for longer touring, maybe?) I wish I could afford a second bike, but reality is it's not going to happen. I'm conscious that chasing bikes is only natural when one is looking to find the right style, but it is blinking expensive!

Thanks for the insight into the different ways to purchase Freddie interesting stuff as well as all the other bits you covered ,not sure which direction I am going to go in yet needs much more thought .I do have a bike which I won't be selling so not in a big rush ,and it has carbs 😁which now need work ! . Great pod 👌👍

Very interesting about the SuperSoco e-bike. I remember all the Moto vloggers testing that bike and giving it praise. I’ve got a 2007 Bonnie carbs and it’s great. You just have to take care of leaving the bike off the road for long periods, more preparation needed. Keep up the good work!

I have ridden a Zero …. It is a heavy two wheeled milk float with a short range and a price tag not far short of Harley.

I'm 76 years old now. The worst bike I ever owned was a 'Super Scooter' that was designed as a survival vehicle for paratroopers. It had a Clinton 2 stroke lawnmower motor that had probably around twenty horsepower, so it was really fast on takeoff, but the top speed was around 50 mph which made it dangerous to ride on public roads (because of the possibility of getting run over from behind). The second worst bike I owned was a Harley Davidson 165 2 a stroke bike that had probably around twenty horsepower which made it dangerous to ride on the streets as its top speed was around 60 mph. But it looked good and attracted girls so I was really lucky to have it. The third worst bike I owned was a Honda XR600. It was wwwawaaaaay too big and heavy for woods riding, plus it put out a massive amount of heat so that riding it during hot weather was absolutely miserable. The fourth worst bike I owned was Honda XL350. I had a single cylinder four stroke motor that probably had around 30 horsepower. It's top speed was around 100 mph which made it a really fun bike to ride on the streets, but it was too big and heavy for the woods. All of the other bikes I had were Honda CR250's that I hopped up and adapted for woods riding. I had three of them over a period of five years during the 80's and early 90's. Then I bought a 1993 XR600 and I made it street legal and rode it on the street. It was a stoplight racing champion. Then I bought a 1987 Honda VFR 700. It had 95 horsepower and would go 157 mph. I loved that bike but I had to sell it because I was having to outrun the cops all the time and I was afraid I was going to wind up under the jail (or dead). That was in the early 90's.

Zayn might be as well looking at the ferry directly from the south of England directly to northern Spain rather than the ferry to France and then the additional expense of the toll roads. Arrive in Spain fresh for adventure...just food for thought?

I reckon the makers of loud pipes came up with the saying about them saving lives.

The worst motorcycle I have had was a 1983 Triumph TSX which I bought brand new, the TSX was manufactured at Triumph's old Meriden works near Coventry. The men at Meriden went bankrupt in February 1983, I bought the TSX as a last gasp to get my hands on one of the last of the 750cc twins, unfortunately the machine was very unreliable and I couldn't rely on it as daily transportation. The best motorcycle that I've owned was a 1980 Laverda 1200T, the build quality was amazing when compared to the Triumph. Laverda's were never cheap motorcycles due to their high build quality, the Laverda was fast and furious, but it was rather thirsty only giving 27 to 30 miles from a gallon of 4-star petrol. The Laverda gave me more smiles per mile than any other motorcycle that I've owned in almost fifty years of riding.

I'm afraid I'm old school .If you cant fix it yourself at the side of the road at midnight in a thunderstorm with a hammer a screwdriver and a rizzla paper You shouldnt be rideing it . Upon saying that the worst bike I ever had was a Kawasaki Z400 which I set on fire because it let me down so often .

I started riding in the 1980s, so all of my bikes, up until my present Royal Enfield Scram, have been carbs. By far my least favourite bike was a Kawasaki Eliminator 900. Very fast in a straight line, terrifying in corners and had a tank range of just over 50 miles! Hated it and sold it on after 6 weeks The Triumph, I believe that they were made in the UK until about 2008/9? I owned a 2005 Speedmaster and that was UK built.

Cracking podcast again sir…👍🏻🍺

Had an XS650 that was great when it ran properly but most days was a question of what will fall off or break today. I rebuilt the engine and totally rewired it and It did half a dozen trips between Norfolk and Cornwall but was still unreliable. Ultimately it was the bike that made me get a car, unforgivable. Its ok though I have bikes again now !

I own the Honda GB500 and it's a very relaxed, incredibly rideable bike with a unique sound. I love the GB 500 not only because it's a real head turner but because it brightens my soul and makes me smile every time I go out. I bought it by accident and it was perhaps the best coincidence one can have. When I want to feel adrenaline I ride my Kawasaki Z900RS, when I want to calm down I ride the Honda GB500. Incredible bikes.

….as a postscript. I started biking in 1974 on a Honda SS50. I wish I’d kept all of my bikes, including the SS50, as I would now be well off 😮

Really enjoyed the mixture of topics Freddie.. l need to think of a question to ask.. l'm still a British manufacturer so i'm pro UK products when they can be sourced.. all the best

Had a bunch of bikes, never a bad one. Started riding again jn 2004 after a hiatus of 30 years. First bike a Harley Low Rider. Then a Ducati 749s. Over the years a Honda Fireblade 954, two Sportsters, a Ducati Panigale 1199 and a HD Softtail. All great bikes. Now a retired expat living in Thailand. Have two bikes- a RE ContinentalGT650 and a 2004 Honda CB 400 Super Four. Both have been great, no issues. Great riding here. Ride safe.

The Norwegian tax system is nothing compared to the Danish. Examples for 2023 models. BMW K 1600 Grand America ....price quoted in UK £ ......................... £ 54.783,- without equipment. Ducati Panigale V4R, £85.266,- Harley Davidson FLHTK Ultra Limited, £ 73.613,- Honda GL 1800D Gold Wing Tour, £ 70.572,- Lets take a few cheap ones: Kawasaki Z400, £ 9.173,- Kymco XTown 300i ABS, £ 6.233,- Royal Enfield Himalayan, £ 7.880 Moped: Vespa Sprint 50ccm 4T, £ 4.120,- 125ccm: KTM RC 125: £ 9.410 Dig that! Taxes here are insane. And then 1 Liter of gasolin cost £1,77 Beside all that we have the road taxes. And one hour in the workshop is around £117,-

Re de-cat 2021 T120.Freddie I fitted an X pipe from motone customs ( de-catted) along with their great sounding but not overly loud pipes, bit of a faff but it's definitely improved mid range and smoothed out the low end pick up. Software updates are not required the electronics resets itself by starting and running from cold and waiting until the cooling fan cuts in and out without touching the throttle before switching the bike off hope this helps cheers

Hi, just a couple of comments. I prefer the RU-vid version. If you had started with this and thought of doing a podcast, I would have asked why! Secondly, I am 60, bought my SV650 on PCP with no intention of swapping after 2 years or paying a balloon payment at the end of the agreement. I paid it off at the 2 year mark in full, therefore having the bike I want as I won’t be looking to change at all….. it suited me on a monthly basis……. PS, I enjoy the visual aspect of this incarnation….. excellent, as I soak in visual and sound rather than sound only 😊

Freddie, if you want to talk about unreliable bikes, you should hlave a chat with my dad. He had two used Duo Glide with foot clutch and Handshift and a brand new electra Glide 1200 with foot clutch and Handshift. He drove 500 000 km mostly with the Electra Glide and he can tell you about it's reliability. :-) 🙂

44:30 besides older character I personally appreciate my classic 350 for ease of repair, low cost to maintain and run, and especially the satisfaction that I’ve arrived somewhere with minimal use of fuel/pollution

Freddie. On the Bell Bullet. I have one and it is a great looking and well constructed and finished retro helmet. Great visibility as well. Just beware of the fit. I fit Arai round oval head shape very well my bell is more for a round head shape so i get pressure points on my forehead.

Harley Davidson has become a mockery of itself. This brand that once prided itself on being by, of, and for the common man is now more or less the complete opposite. I think there are many parallels culturally between HD and Moto Guzzi. The difference is, Guzzi has remained true to its roots and still makes affordable, well-made motorcycles. Harley on the other hand wants $40,000 for a Road King. It's simply outrageous.

PCP and finance have grown because of a decade of low interest rates . That’s changing. In my view it will always be more expensive to buy on finance due to any accrued interest - aka it is a loan by definition. Same with cell phone plans vs sim only. Plus you never own the bike so it’s like renting

I know this is some weeks behind the curve, but I wanted to share my experience of riding in Europe. I’ve been riding motorbikes since passing my test in 1987, and put myself through university by working as a dispatch rider for four years in London and then did the same in Manchester. I’ve ridden in North America, South America and Australia. I have friends and family all over Europe, and so have travel by bike there, at least once a year. I’m quite surprised by your idea of having to “blast through France”, as I think that France has quite a bit to offer (I don’t have any French family). If you want to wild camp, it’s a great place, although admittedly not as good as some other countries, but as far as camping in official facilities, it can’t be beaten - cheap, welcoming and great facilities. If you do need to get past France, and down into Spain, and are travelling from Calais, I would highly recommend taking the motorway down to about Rouen, and then coming off the motorway toll roads and taking the A roads. Before Rouen , there are too many roundabouts to make travelling long distance pleasurable, but after that, it is spectacular, and the same goes for Spain. Frankly, unless we are visiting people in other countries, we know between those two countries you can pretty much find everything that you might be looking for in an interesting and fun road trip (same goes for Scotland). If you just want a bike touring holiday you really don’t need to go that far.

I started biking in the mid 70's with a AMF 750 , bad electrics, later after several bikes including a monkey bike not good as i am 6' 1....lol, cb900 bad in rain as the plug wells filled with water, just sold my Royal Star and at 66 looking for a trike.

I remember not long ago, I was looking at a Honda VT1000 SP2 in white for £6k - I looked yesterday and they are now double 😮 I should have bought it. My old 2013 Ducati Monster 1100 EVO is also going up in value now. I own as you know Freddie a Yamaha MT10SP 2017 model and I’ve seen dealers asking second hand 13/14k now for these 😮 I only paid 12.5k - glad I kept it. New bikes are increasing in price this year affecting second hand market and driving prices up. New Ducati Multistrada V4 £27,644 😮 next year new bikes will tip into 30 + k for sure

i have had at least 15 bikes with carberators and no problems.

Mr Dobbs, if you ever get to Wales and want to have a good test of my Moto Guzzi Bellagio, please get in touch, it would be my pleasure. Love this podcast, look forward to this every Tuesday now 😁

I know people love them but the 1200 bandit was the worst bike I ever owned, two wheel sleeping tablet, i only owned it for a month and it was for sale for three weeks of that, i bought it to use for work and avoid piling commuting miles on my RSVR, I was overjoyed when the bandit sold and I went back to commuting on the Aprilia.

Hi Freddie, coming to you from aus i have a kawasaki er650n 2012 great allrounder bike can't fault them.

Never had a problem with carbed bike from asia.. There was no efi in my time anyway.

That's my baby Motp Guzzi V7!

The worst bikes for me have been those that were too thirsty. 1) Suzuki Gt550K a 3cyl two-stroke (no wonder!) 2) Bmw R80St (1984) drank like a seaman that hasn’t seen land for 6months Thanks for your reviews 😉

Years ago I had test rides, back to back, of the ER6F and the, then, new MT07. There was such a gulf in performance, I was amazed. The MT was by so far the more engaging bike with a much, much, better, peppier and torquey engine. The 650 RS actually has less HP than the ER6 and is, pretty much universally, considered to be dull and way past it's sell by date. A very strange recommendation, IMO.

Thanks for the advice Freddie 💯 will keep it as simple as possible traveling through France, looking at pricing and availability it seems like the ferry is the best option, once I've met the group a wingman road kitchen is provided as is food each morning and evening so should be able to travel fairly light, the tour ends at the wheels and waves festival in Biarritz I'd imagine anything additional i could need for traveling back will be there, will keep you posted 🤙👍

First of all thank you for the advice. And your advice was the same way I was thinking. Cause ....originally ,before I bought the TDM ,I was looking for an older version for Transalp ,but couldn't find a good deal here in Latvia,so I went on looking for something similar and went across the TDM and immediately loved it ,the sitting position was on spot ,its big enough cause I'm 1.92 tall. And yes ,the looks was also there ,sporty looks ,but not too aggressive and has the 90s, I could say vibe to it ,you know(thats what i loved the most). The power is ,yes,more the enough ,I have more than enough power on the highway and a reserve. The only downside ,kinda , it has carbs ,i started the season now ,for example in 16 of March still around -1 ,0 and some days + 8C ,when its colder ,its not like it doesn't starts ,no ,but the time and fuel spent just to heat it up to riding temperature ,thats the only downside i see with carbs. But to round it up . The TDM was a good choice i love the bike it does the job more than i could imagine and the service for the TDM also was nothing ,cause i only did pre-season things oil,brake fluid, coolant and carb sync and some small things ,nothing major basically. Anyhow ,Thank you at this point I'm happy with the bike ,but now i know that the Transalp is the way to go when its time or when i fell like it. Rinalds,Latvia.

The worst bike I have ever owned was a 1984 Suzuki XN85 Turbo. It looked amazing but was totally gutless. It felt like a soft 500 that became an average 650 when the turbo kicked in. It was also fitted with 16" wheels, which caused the bike to sit upright when braking in a bend. I dumped it after 3 months.

MZ 125TS fitted with factory teflon tyres

Carburetors are much easier and cheaper to maintain. But I ride a vintage bike.

Considering all your adventure freddy i reckon a adv bike is what you need.

Never ever had a bad unreliable bike that I was glad to see the back of, probably because when bought new I'd personally maintain it but there's been a couple that I've shed no tears over when they were sold, one being a top heavy Triumph Trident 900 and the Honda X11 missile that was just to much for me, should have stuck with my Honda Hornet 600. I now ride a 1972 Honda CB450 K5, yes it has twin carbs, no problems, also I like to wear my open faced helmet sporting my industrial safety glasses when pottering around on nice sunny days.

Worst bike I've ever owned was a 2006 HD Duce. Great looking bike, put it was a pos and I hated riding it.

My worst bike ever: 'N' reg Benelli 250 2C two stroke twin. Horrible electrics, seat and finish, shot lived engine with respect to crankshaft life. Petroil lubrication. Excellent chassis and brakes and electronic ignition though. 2nd place goes to my Moto Guzzi V50 II. Poor build quality and very poor reliability. Great handling and good performance though.

oh freddie, they weren’t called ‘tedium’s’ (TDM) for nothing! 🤣

Years ago a Honda CB360 G5 my worst Bike Probably worth good money Now

Great video and some interesting thoughts. I've had around 20+ bikes, as I tried different style bikes over the years and can say with certainty I will never will I have an electric bike, they are soulless and pointless, and will make the future of owning a bike a missery. Riding by subscription. Zero has an app which allows you to get upgrades, turn stuff on and off, so tell me who really controls your bike and where does it end, pay extra for head lights, motorway speeds!!

My moto Guzzi Stornello is a bike I regret buying and I’m currently trying to sell. Terribly underpowered for a 749cc engine and very heavy for a scrambler. The gear box is wonky at best, false neutral, short gearing. It’s lovely to look at but unfortunately doesn’t fit my needs.

BSA .Best Scrap Available . Youngsters have no idea how bad they were.

I own a Moto Guzzi 1100i sport corsa. Only 200 made, 36 in the uk, but, the prices these bikes just about touching £7000. Not sure why it doesn't make more?

GPZ600R - not my best but the most exciting. A 600 with the performance of the 750’s, lighter and race derived geometry and the only bike I ‘might’ have seen 130 on the clock. Worst, has to be a Yamaha Diversion 600, sport derived engine ‘re-tuned’ for torque 🤣🤣 - long story but bought to tour down to Spain, gutless and cramped, and then watched my mate on his heavy BWM 850 walk away from me over the Pyrenees.

the way i look at the t120 over the interceptor is. a new interceptor is £6600. but u can get a 2nd hand t120 for just over £7000. with low milage. and i think a t120 wins all-day long.

Freddie Help me ... I want get 125 and want to classic cool looking bike,I like the AJS tempests and Mut mastiff. Could you do something on classic looking 125, l value your opinion. I am 55 years young and have had only mopeds , when I was 17/18. I want it to go to work on and to have fun at weekends around the Cotswold and beyond. Love your blogs and podcast, Ken👍

great vedio keep going

Freddie Do those Road Classics give you that wet grip you want? I mentioned on the last vids comments that the stock tyres on my T120 weren’t great, but options seem limited due to being tubed. Thanks Denis

I had a AMF Sportster.Junk .But the 850 Norton was the worst junk i ever seen.

Just read a book about carbs. Ain’t that hard

Always best to read something with open eyes 😂

cx500 maggot, or the 650 ‘turbo’; CB250 wet dream.

Vehicle financing is pretty much the silliest thing you can do if you have the cash to avoid it. Think about it. There are finance companies that are the other side of your deal. They don’t do this out of the kindness of their hearts, but rather because they make money of it. The only question you need to ask is: can you make more money investing the money you’d pay cash for elsewhere than what you’re paying for financing. The answer to that will be NO because if you as an amateur could reliably do that, you can bet your rear that the finance company could do that as well. And if they could then financing would have to be more expensive for them to be worth it for them to do. In short, the only ones benefiting from vehicle financing are the finance company (interest) and the manufacturer (sell more bikes). As a consumer you’ll always be better off if you can buy cash. That being said, there is a reason to finance: and that is if you cannot buy with cash. If you need/want a vehicle and cannot buy with cash, you will need to finance somehow. At that point PCP/HP might make sense. Cheers

lol. your viewers worst bikes are all my lots favourites, n whats so hard about a bucket with a hole in, you adjust the hole n the fuelling changes, a comment on Fi. its easier and more reliable, UNTIL................ at least with a carb you can work on it

Hi Freddie, listening to the Vlog it amazes me how blinkered people can be. BMW and all of the Italien Bike manufacturers couldn’t meet deliveries during Covid because of the lack of parts being delivered from China or Taiwan. In reality, a BMW built in Germany from Chinese parts or a Triumph with British identity built in China or India, I fail to see the difference!

BMW now manufacture in countries where labour costs are very low.

Freddie, for anything other than slow town riding, regardless of the exhaust noise, ear plugs are a must. The reason I'm saying this is because I've not heard you mention that as part of your safety kit. Yes, safety kit. Not only to protect your ears from damage, which will occur if you ride above town speeds without them regardless of how quiet your helmet is after a prolonged time, but also to help with removing the distracting noises and being able to focus more/be more aware of what's happening around you.

I’d recommend paying the deposit for the Speed twin and taking out a personal bank loan for the remaining £9500 over 60 months. £180 a month and it’s yours! If you change your mind within that period of time, sell the bike and clear the outstanding balance

callum could go for the Yamaha Fazer cheap good first bike and plenty of parts available

That confuse me because triumph clothing is just two expensive and its made in cheap labour countries i would expect it would be made her because of the cost , dose not make sense, i dont buy into life style biking due to thecost , have just bought a new gsx 8s for 8000 pounds, made in japan best bike i have had in a long tim3 and i dont buy suzuki clothing etc

Freddie, et al, do you know, has the gearbox/gear selector problem ever been sorted out on the bonneville models either by the replacement of the gear sellector or in recent years of manufacture [if so then when] in such a way that the issue won't reoccure? As regards to the electrics, they'd be more accepted if ppl weren't forced into them by currupt governemnts (that think they can change climte but can't solve real problems like homlesness, drug adictions etc) and corporations with vested interests depriving us of freedom to chose best available options. Now we are forced to give up something that works in exchange for something that is yet to be invented to deliver similar level of usability by a fixed date. Understandably, this is causing a litlle frustration and anxiaty for the older, wiser genenerations or simply working people with kids and families (which exlcudes gorss majority of single self serving progressives) that see their right to live, freedome and property reduced while working hard to provide for their families and the younger generation they carry on their shoulders, who want to change the climate, save the world from boiling at somone elses expence and not willing to cut down on consumption, while they cant even keep their bedrooms tidy. If that's not cutting their nose dispatie their face like useful idiots in the hands of corporations, than what is it? And the roards in the UK, I always thought the pebbley rough tarmack surface is deliberate to maximise grip during the fine wet UK weather days. The smooth continetal surface doesn't inspire as much confidence in the wet, especially for the first few minutes of a downpour, dose it?

Worst bike I ever owned . A Cleveland Cycle works Heist . It was a 250cc chopper Chinese made . Cool as hell biggest piece of Crap i ever owned

Zero doesn't have a demographic problem. It has a range problem, Especially in America which has long distances and long commutes. The only thing a Zero is good for is a commute. I can go on a sunday ride and easily do 100-200 miles. That means If I'm on a zero, I can't get home without stopping for a charge and then waiting an hour for the charging. If I'm off avoiding highways on country roads, that is even farther. Zero actually got me excited about motorcycles, after driving cars only for the last 20. But then I quickly realized, the cost, range and charging situation are all sub-optical. I could instead pick up a decent daily for $5k-8k, less than half the price and which has none of the other issues. On a Petrol Motorcycle, you stop for 5 minutes. May be another 10min for coffee, and thats it. You could be riding all day mostly.

Hi Freddie, BHP, your right and wrong, on A roads 60BHP is fine, on the motorway I found my 175BHP Aprilia amazing for its acceleration on the overtaking lanes. Having said that, my NC 750X with its 58 BHP is fine 95% of the time,

Carbs - they're the future 😉🤣

Worst bike? Honda Benley 200. God knows what drug I was on the day I bought that thing 🤣

Worst bike - Honda CB350SG. Best bike - Moto Guzzi V7 850

Oh dear,.......... ''Without Satnav its no fun' - exactly the opposite to my experience. Best advice you gave 'don't overthink'. Just get on the bike and go. It's Europe not Outer Mongolia.......... Good luck with getting to Egypt and back in 2 weeks from the UK , think you'll find a few difficulties getting a ferry - and remember the carnet is the most expensive in the world - x8 value of the bike - try Tunisia much easier....... do the research...

There’s nothing wrong with carburettors, you just need to know what you’re doing.

A 500 h 1 Kawasaki 1972

35 y/o from usa. recently purchased my first harley. the brand image of hard men doing hard things is appealing. i’d rather the tough image than some sissy marketing to softies.

The milquetoast 30 year old’s rabbiting on about Harley’s perception at home vs the ROW is slightly skewed. Not all biker gangs are criminal, not all members are ipso facto rapists and murderers. A simulacrum to your point over in the U.K. here would be the connotations of certain brands of clothing and football hooliganism (Stone Island) and gangs in London (Canada goose, Moncler). Not all who wear these brands are by association the things that the worst in society do while wearing them. And they are closely knitted, to use a pun, to those specific groups who are often criminally engaged. In fact, everyone wears these brands ubiquitously, they are selling more than ever. I know it’s not a like for like comparison, but seeing say, Freddie, on a Harley.. you know he’s not a Hell’s Angel and about to rape, murder and pillage. It’s the rider mate, not the bike and it’s connotations. And perceptions change .. once upon a time here in the 80s Dr Marten’s boots were the indication of skinhead culture (racist, taking the culture that influenced them - Jamaican - and railing against it, and violent), Ska, and now, they’re just cool and times have changed, and perceptions along with it.

No one in America says it either that Harleys are cheap reliable. Almost everyone knows they're are simple machines, but thats about it. They are overpriced, they break down and they now have an image problem and no one wants them (except for the old timer Harley audience). In America also every one recommends getting a japanese bike because they last forever and need very little maintenance and they hold value.

I hate loud pipes! Your not in the minority! Loud pipes are like Liberal women, all the sound and none of the fun.😂 I have more comparisons, but I don't want to be banned yet.😅