ACHTUNG!!!

I work for a Deutsch GMBH equipment manufacturer in the states, and yes the Germans are notorious for high parts cost, market control, and proprietary fitment. But they make superior stuff. As we say in our industry; You can pay average prices for average equipment, or you can pay extraordinary prices for extraordinary equipment. I don't work for this company because they don't make money .

 

Icht iz not zee flaw in our product, it iz you lack of understand zee company's greatness.

 

Well, I need to point out this weren't in the Mittle of America, the Corporate Culture of H-D had percolated all the way to Surrey! That's Surrey, England, not Surrey, BC, BTW.

 

Never mess with a man who drives a Dodge. He's pissed off already. Al Bundy drove a Dodge on the TV show, Married, With Children. It was part of the joke.

OK, back to the BMW.

 

Admittedly, Honda, and after a while, Kawasaki made high quality big 4 stroke bikes in the 70s. But I reckon BMW were at least as well made, but came at high cost. And for long distance rapid touring, very few bikes could match an R100RS back in the 70s. Goldwings had high speed stability issues, and the other japanese offerings were not that great in that respect either. Maybe a Guzzi Le Mans was the next alternative for serious mile munching.

 

Re: The Plymouth/Dodge thing: Try explaining to a hard-core Chevy man that a GMC pickup is identical except for badges or vice-versa. I bought them interchangeably depending on who had the best deal for many years when I was a GM Man.

There are reasons there will NEVER be another GM product in my yard, but that's getting into touchy territory.

 

Re: Das Deutschers

First, Ich bin ein Deutscher, which explains a few things, but...

HUGE technology geeks, whether it's necessary or not. Their cars/engines/motorcycles are engineered to within an inch of disaster, are expensive and difficult to work on, are MARVELOUS when they work, and a nightmare when they don't.

This approach extends to software as well. The cannery I worked for bought into the SAP management software that computerized EVERYTHING! Of course there are advantages to tracking maintenance procedures, intervals, and parts inventory, but they just went nucking futz with it. Once I had a middlin' fair idea of how everything worked, it STILL took me 15-20 minutes to pull a fuse out of stock, log the repair, the manhours, the tech that did the work, reorder the part if needed, etc. etc. God forbid we should decide to change the manufacturer, model, hp, or electrical requirements of a motor on something...

 

And just like that, ThatXS650Guy decided he would never own a BMW...

 

Ha! Uncle Sam has plans for my disposable income!

 

Hi Pete,
back when i was modestly wealthy (after I'd got an inheritance & before my bitch-ex left me) I had a financial advisor.
He said:-
The Canadian Government is very frugal so that only 50% of what they spend is totally wasted.
Income tax only brings in 30% of the money the Government spends.
Thus if I pay no income tax at all they are still 70% ahead, right?