Brand Saticfaction

[djh3]

Although this is not the article I saw this AM on Yahoo. It shows the same facts. HD is not the top reliable brand. LOL Like we all knew that. Not saying they are a bad bike by any means. But the mystic has long slipped. Just not the T-shirt shops.

[Great White]

Al those ratings are to be taken with a grain of salt IMHO. Their reliability survey pretty much inverts the satisfaction one:

 

http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/news/2015/04/who-makes-the-most-reliable-motorcycle/index.htm

 

So, are owners more concerned with using them.....or looking good on them?

 

Pass the salt please.

 

[djh3]

Yea know what you mean. Data is all subjective and vulrnable to tweaking however the user wants to show it.

[Freebird]

Those types of comments always amuse me. I'll never understand why owners of one brand are always so quick to categorize owners of another brand as posers, squids, followers of the crowds, whatever.

 

I love bikes of all kinds. American, Japanese, English....whatever. I have owned several first and second gen Ventures. I have owned a few Harleys. I've owned a few of the other brands. I've actually owned probably 30 bikes of various brands and types. I can honestly say that I enjoyed them all. Some more than others. The first gen Venture just didn't fit my body and that was the only reason that it ranked a bit lower than some on my list. I wanted to love it but my first trip of any distance, only a couple hundred miles, made me realize that it was not the bike for me.

 

I replaced it with another Harley, an '86 FXRD. I truly enjoyed that bike but the FXRD was somewhat of a rare breed and finding any type of accessories for it was probably even harder than finding accessories now for the first gen Venture. After riding it for maybe a year, Yamaha came out with the second gen Venture. I bought a brand new one in May of 1999 and loved pretty much everything about it. I rode it until I bought my new Harley Road Glide Ultra in 2013. There was still absolutely nothing wrong with the '99 Venture but I was just ready for something else and the Road Glide was what I decided on.

 

I have no regrets with the Road Glide. I've owned it just a little over two years now. Didn't put as many miles on this this year as I hoped to because of other things going on but I tell you, I have never had a problem of any kind with it. It has never been back to the shop since I bought it except for the very first service which was part of the deal when I bought it. I've done the service since then. There has never been a recall on it. Zero mechanical problems. No screws have vibrated out. No parts have fallen off. It's one of the most comfortable bikes I've ever ridden. The only thing that may have been equally comfortable to me was the '99 Royal Star Venture. My wife says that the Road Glide is more comfortable for her though.

 

As for generalizing the rider of any bike for being more concerned with using them or looking good on them is just nonsense. If it was about that, I can honestly say that I got more looks and positive comments on the RSV than any bike I've ever owned. Probably because they were and remain so uncommon that people don't see them every day. The RSV is, in my opinion, still one of the best looking bikes on the road in spite of the design being almost 16 years old. It is a classic and will always look fantastic.

 

I love the RSVs and it will always be one of my all time favorites. I am under no illusions about the mechanical longevity of the Yamaha as opposed to my Harley. I've seen a number of Ventures, first and second gen, with over 200,000 miles on them and even one with about 400,000 miles on it. There is no way that a Harley is going to go 200,000 miles without some engine work. That's just a fact. I know that 100,000 miles is possible though if they are taken care of and not souped up beyond what they can take. I knew that when I bought it though and accept the facts for what they are.

 

The bottom line is, I could give a rat's behind how good I look on it. I could give a rat's behind if it's faster or slower than a Venture. I love the cruiser style. I love the low RPM torque. I love the way that off balance V Twin sounds. Just as I love so many things about the RSV. I could care less about following the crowds or fitting in with the Harley crowd. I ride the bike that brings me joy at a particular time in my life.

 

If Yamaha comes out with another Venture. If it's based on the 1700 VMax engine and maintains the cruiser styling, you may well see me on another one. It's certainly a possibility. Of course first I will have to find a mirror and see how I look on it.

[Great White]

Dude, what was that all about?

 

I was commenting on the surveys, not what a guy choses to ride.

 

[Freebird]

Don't take everything so personal. I was addressing comments that always come up. Not specifically yours, though it did fit the pattern. It's not just about Harleys either. It's about oil leaking/vibrating Harleys, Tupperware clad Goldwings, etc.

 

Of course this forum is about the Venture and Royal Stars and obviously that is the favorite bike for most people here. It's understandable that folks will defend what they own and ride but that can be done without criticizing what others ride. There are a lot of folks here riding other brands now also and they are still part of the great family.

[WildBill1]

It was a riders honest opinion about his bike and previous owned bike. That's what that was about.

[cowpuc]

But still,, even with all the tweeks, twists, skewed stats and hidden business agenda's, with all this happening its still fun to read all the hype - THANK YOU @djh3!! Just remember this one point thru it all, when it comes to non-hype internet facts about hot dogs and Hot Dogs NO ONE can compete with a Puc's Greet - Meet and Eat Meat occasion here in the great State of Michigan!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!:happy65::happy65:

 

:think:Nothing like blowing my own horn eay

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

:think:Sorry about the hi-jack Deej:motorcyclehelmet:, sometimes my fingers get me in trouble:doh:

Edited November 23, 2015 by cowpuc

[Great White]

Don't take everything so personal. I was addressing comments that always come up. Not specifically yours, though it did fit the pattern. It's not just about Harleys either. It's about oil leaking/vibrating Harleys, Tupperware clad Goldwings, etc.

 

Of course this forum is about the Venture and Royal Stars and obviously that is the favorite bike for most people here. It's understandable that folks will defend what they own and ride but that can be done without criticizing what others ride. There are a lot of folks here riding other brands now also and they are still part of the great family.

 

No this is not the first time I've made a simple!e comment and you've come out full attack.

 

Only seems to be with my comments, anyone else can say pretty much whatever they want and nothing.

 

At least not a response rife with distain.

 

Anyways, it is what it is.

 

I'm out.

[Freebird]

LOL....Puc comes through again. It's all good my friends. The main thing is to RIDE RIDE RIDE...well....after that snow machine gets shut down.

[Freebird]

No this is not the first time I've made a simple!e comment and you've come out full attack.

 

Only seems to be with my comments, anyone else can say pretty much whatever they want and nothing.

 

At least not a response rife with distain.

 

Anyways, it is what it is.

 

I'm out.

 

Sorry you feel that way.

[mraf]

As you say. Its not about style its about fundamental functionality.

[cowpuc]

Oooopsssie Daisy,, just finished posting that last post up - started it earlier before all the stuff about who rides what and why and all that..

In the mood for a poem,, lets see..

 

I like 2 strokes, 4 strokes, turbo's and more.

right side shifts, left side brakes I guess I'm hardcore.

Long bikes with springers and bobbers so short,

it's make riding em so twitchy that some will abort.

 

Old beat up mopeds or a brand new Roadglide,

they make my face glimmer with a smile real wide.

Suzuki's, Kawasaki's, Triumph's or a Vic,

Indians, Can-Ams they all flik my Bic.

 

I once had a War Bike that was oh so sweet,

but still love my Helix who's ride is a treat.

My V-Max is fast but there's faster out there,

but I'll go race anyway because I really dont care.

 

To show you how much this really is true,

I'll tell you of Tweeks before I am thru.

A Yamaha brand if you really must know,

but it takes more than them to make that ol girl go.

 

She was made in Japan, to that we agree,

the relic's an immigrant, its easy to see.

But her soul is American cause that's where she's been,

the folks who have helped her are North American men.

 

She's worn out, tattered and covered in fun,

just like your bike or your bike no matter which one.

In the end it don't matter which breed that we ride,

cause we are ALL bikers and THAT is our pride!!!!

[cowpuc]

[ATTACH=CONFIG]102400[/ATTACH] As you say. Its not about style its about fundamental functionality.

@OrlinEngh bringing Moe home from the pet shop when he (Moe - not Or) was just a baby

[Sailor]

Getting back to surveys and polls. We hired one well known outfit to find out public opinion on a subject. They asked us what we would like the poll to show. They said they could tweak it any way we want to get the results we want.

I saw a poll put out by our management one time. You had a choice, their performance was good, very good or excellent....pick one.

[jakester]

Polls and results...weldin , I will speak for myself. There are not too many bikes out there that I don't like. So many that I haven't tried yet. I think I like them all... I think that I want to try them all... I do not know how to put that in a poll. Maybe we all need to take a nice long therapy session/ride. That sure seems to settle me down a bit.

I would like to wish everybody a nice, restful, safe thanksgiving. GOD Bless us all..

Bill

[BigLenny]

I'm an all kind of brands and styles of bikes lover too. I can get just as jazzed up about a feet forward cruiser/tourer, as I can about a crotch rocket, as I can about an adventure bike, as I can about a sport tourer, as I can about scooter, as I can about a trike, etc...... Staying with one brand or style of bike forever equates to complete boredom to me. But that's just me. I like variety in my life. I could get diagnosed with ADD. LOL. And, I have never understood the immature folks who act like their brand or style of bike is superior to others. Appears they never made it out that high school clique mode. In the end, it ain't gonna mean a d*** thing whenever we're all 6 feet under.

 

But, that's just me.

[Sailor]

I figure everyone needs a stable of bikes. A big cruiser, a sports bike, a crotch rocket, off road bike and then there is the one you just park because it is so darn purddy.

No way are you going to find them all in one or even two bikes so don't expect to.

[Goose68]

I figure everyone needs a stable of bikes. A big cruiser, a sports bike, a crotch rocket, off road bike and then there is the one you just park because it is so darn purddy.

No way are you going to find them all in one or even two bikes so don't expect to.

 

Could you please explain this to my wife lol

[cowpuc]

Could you please explain this to my wife lol

 

Take a reread in your "Married Man's Rules Of Engagement Code Book" Goose, look under section 36A, amendment 26B, article 9. There you should read "it's easier to ask forgiveness than it is to get permission", its the code. I had a buddy who had missed that section years ago in dealing with buying new guns. He tried to explain to his wife how lonely guns in the gun safe get if new ones are not added in frequently. He made a deal with his wife that whenever she noticed a new gun in the safe she could get a new sewing machine. Poor guy about went broke making unnecessary purchases of sewing machines.

I know guns and motorcycles are different in some ways BUT, the neat thing about "the code" is that it has many many applications

[Barrycuda]

Hey boss,

 

I am am offended that you called my GW Tupperware clad. I am offended that I have to write this. I'm offended that I'm offended.

[Sailor]

Sorry Goose68, no can do. I am still trying to explain the 4X4, motorcycle, rat rod, motor home, sailboat and canoe.

[djh3]

WOW Didnt mean to stir up so much !@$#. LOL But some of you guys are cold and got nuttin else to do anyways.

[Du-Rron]

Oooopsssie Daisy,, just finished posting that last post up - started it earlier before all the stuff about who rides what and why and all that..

In the mood for a poem,, lets see..

 

I like 2 strokes, 4 strokes, turbo's and more...

 

Dang Puc, that was great!!! You are the master! (must be something in my eye.... sniff, sniff)

[bj66]

Getting back to surveys and polls. We hired one well known outfit to find out public opinion on a subject. They asked us what we would like the poll to show. They said they could tweak it any way we want to get the results we want.

I saw a poll put out by our management one time. You had a choice, their performance was good, very good or excellent....pick one.

 

Bought a vehicle from a dealer a few years back. Had to fill out a survey on my experience with the dealer. Salesman said to please consider how I fill it out. Any answer less than exceptional on my form isn't good for him. He said he gets reviewed on it.......talk about a good way to manipulate some answers. Just pull out the sob story.