"Downgrading"- When most people (random non-motorcyclists) think "European Motorcycles", they probably mostly think BMW or Ducati- one is known for reliable go-anywhere motorcycling, the other is has a reputation for "performance". These people don't follow the ins and outs of motorcycle technology or reliability, they just know what they've heard- and what they've heard must be true, because typically, such machines are more expensive than the equivalent Japanese machines, so obviously :huh: they're higher quality. As for motorcyclists, it's not hard to get sucked into a "we're better than them!" mindset. (You can see it here, too. Yes, I like my FJR, but all I'll say is that currently, it's the best touring bike
for me- each rider should make their own decision.) The mindset thing is especially important to people who buy a more expensive machine, because they need justification for having spent more than they might have for an equivalent, or even superior, machine that happened to be cheaper. (I don't need to justify picking an FJR over a Concours- I've
ridden a Concours... :lol: ) Once they've spent that money, it's even harder to admit that something else might have been better for them.
If you've gone from a BMW touring bike to a Japanese one, then, you must have downgraded...
As for HD people, there are two types. There are the people who have ridden them forever, and are bemused by the whole "lifestyle" thing. I get along with these people. The people who are in it for the "lifestyle" are the ones that I just don't get. To me, they're pretending to be something they aren't- either they should go *be* that thing, or they should admit that it's not really them, and get on with being who they are... Me? I like riding motorcycles. I have no interest in "being a biker".
Re: Chrome vs. Farkles. First, Definitions:
Farkle- a modification [typically to a motorcycle] which improves it's performance or utility.
Bling- a modification to a vehicle which improves looks and may or may not improve performance or utility.
Chrome is bling and rarely has any benefit to the performance of a machine. Farkles, while they may be bling (StainTunes, SS brake lines), always have some utility. Some Farkles (Russell seat) are, in fact, anti-bling.
I'm down with farkles. I don't understand chrome, and nothing on my bikes is chrome unless that's the only way to get it. (No, nothing on any of my bikes is chrome- the StainTunes on the FJR and Aprilia are polished SS, but I'd be just as happy if they were brush finished. That drives my skullcap wearing, chromed out apehanger riding, Rugged Individualist Lifestyle Biker ChromeHead neighbor nuts.
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