MBs -- little brother to the Harley's

[Mountainman]

I live in a town where there are a lot of Harley riders
these guys love my little motor bike
as we know
there's someTHING very special about a small one lunger MB
pushing us around town

two guys on Harleys passed by me the other day
one guy was smiling at me
gave me the tumbs up
and almost fell off his Harley
as he was trying to get his buddies attention
so as to point out the little -- bad to the bone motor bike

yes - I have owned a few Harleys over the years
and although I would not call many motor cycles
little brother to a Harley
these motor bikes seem to be just that

ride that THING

 

[MotorMac]

Harley

How true!! when people come up to me and say "thats a nice bike" I just say this is "my Harley"!!

 

[wheelbender6]

Same thing happened to me last weekend on a ride to the Santan Park.
I think the Harley guys/gals study motorcycle history a lot more than riders
of more recent makes. They have seen the early Harleys in museums and books that
are very similar to our motorized bikes, including separate chains for pedal power and engine power.

 

[bikebum1975]

Hey the best part is they are a heck of a lot cheaper to own and put together

 

[Mountainman]

yes -- wheelbender

I think the Harley guys/gals study motorcycle history a lot more than riders
of more recent makes. They have seen the early Harleys in museums and books that
are very similar to our motorized bikes

yes -- so true wheelbender

those old Harley's and Indian's were motor bikes
and so cool they were are still are
all two wheel riders back then and now
love looking at those old THINGS

years ago a Rebel of a guy down this old dirt road
had a lot of small Harley's and Indian's
I was amazed how many different models he had
the guy got into some trouble as happens with Rebel's sometimes
I heard that he had been put away for an extended stay
I wonder where those motor bikes are today

would love to ride one of those THINGS

 

[duivendyk]

Early motorcycles evolved from MB's, which had fairly large low rpm,200 cc + engines with lots of low end torque,an atmospheric intake valve and good for something like 2 HP at 2000 rpm max.Pedal assist with a built in freewheel (to get started) , a compression release and of course magneto ignition.Actually not a bad setup really for an MB, if you only have a single gear.

 

[Mountainman]

yes -- those first built old motor bikes were sweet
not sure about long time many miles reliable -- but very sweet

have you all seen that 10 or 12 thousand dollar motor bike shone somewhere on site ?

that THING is the kind

I would like to have that
but that's also around the price of a really nice used Harley these days

mean while -- let me go jump on my 1.6 hp Robin THING -- dream on Mountainman

 

[ZnsaneRyder]

Early motorcycles evolved from MB's, which had fairly large, low rpm, 200 cc + engines with lots of low end torque

Seems like the right idea. Need that torque for takeoff.

 

[RLK]

In 1948 Honda started making MBs. The Type A was a 2 stroke, looks like 80cc or so. Website dosen't give the displacement. The first commercial success for the Honda Motor Corp.

When I think of Harlys I think of bar-hopping goofballs in assless chaps and leather fringe pirate costumes that spend more time polishing chrome than riding. The bikes' technology was outdated 40 years ago, pushrods and 2 valve per cylinder. They recently came up with some sort of throttle body fuel injection but on other products that was outdated in in 1987.

If you are brave, point out that the entire fuel and ignition system on "modern American made" Harleys are all Japaneese parts, made by Denso and Mikuni. If that dosen't earn you a mouthful of knuckles point out that the 600cc motor in a Suzuki GSXR can make 120 horsepower while the 1200ish Harley motor might make half that on a good day and the bike weighs twice as much.

They are good at turning gasoline into noise though.

I must have got up on the wrong side of the bed this morning. I'm grouchy for no reason. :-/

Attached is one of the first Honda products I mentioned.

 

[Mountainman]

hey RLK

man oh man -- that Honda at least in my book is a SWEET looking THING
wish that they would turn out one almost just like that today -- but 4-stroke
which for Honda as we know -- would be no problem !

yes - I understand all about what you are saying about Harley's
I have also had many motor cycles that would blow a Harley far far away

but there's someTHING special about a Harley hard to understand
even though they are known to break down a lot
would still be my two wheel choice to ride across this land

as I ride that loud THING