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The question...

I guess your MIL has never spent any time in a BMW. I hate when anyone uses the phrase "It's the Cadillac of.........." Personally, I still find Cadillac just to be another p.o.s. Chevy pig, in a tuxedo. Though they are much better in the last few years, Cadillacs, when compared to their similarly priced, European competition, just don't quite cut it.......

Unfortunately, in this situation where these people do not know or believe BMW makes motorcycles is just another example of the "BLISS" the vast majority of the people on this planet live in. I too have experienced the "They make motorcycles?" person here or there. My response usually is, "No. They make excellent motorcycles"
Wrong. My MIL has ridden in my car all over the place.She is 88 & didn't grow up around an area that has BMW's,etc.. It's a matter of a "non car person's" perspective and thats easy to come by from many people out there. As to the BMW/Cady comparison-I worked on owned BMW cars since 1969-LOTS OF THEM!!! I am a greasy guy that works on cars. My CTS is a very nice car that has some negs vs the BMW's (mostly 3 series I've owned in more recent years) and some positives, believe it or not. The handling is a bit less responsive in the sporting sense and the engine(V-6 in mine) a bit buzzy compared to inline 6 but the slab road comfort is superb as is the seating and as with most late models the qtr vision is horrible as is the rearward vision. The luggage space is good, the interior storage space is bad to non existent. It does have a spare,lug wrench & jack which can be handy & lacking with BMW. The best BMW I have owned was my Bavaria after that the 1969-2002 then the 6 series coupe . The new ones drive nice, cost too much and are throw away cars. Honestly, I will not buy another cady but like to drive the car. Damned if I know what car comes next, as they are all becoming obnoxious in many ways for a greasy guy like me.
As to it being a POS, well I'm not bothered , it's just a machine after all:scratch:p
I'd apologize for the acronym for mother in law but you did call my car a POS, so it's your problemo!
 
Hey, hondarider,

When I was young (11-15) and rode on the back with Dad on his R50/2, we ran with HD groups many times. Dad was a criminal defense attorney, and wound up defending a few of them (Hell's Angels) and when I turned 16 even I had some fun with them (not fit for this forum).

Meanwhile that was NY. Here in AZ, we BMW riders have our clubs, but few HD riders note we exist.
 
Cadillac vs: BMW

Kantuckid

Now that you have opened that door I offer the following; Way back more years ago than I want to remember, I worked for an Oldsmobile dealer when the Rocket engines first came out. On occasion we would get a Cadillac in for Hydramatic service, we felt they were simply built to be quiet, everything else was trash compared to the Oldsmobile.

Taking this a step further many years later I asked a friend of mine who was deep into General Motors Research and Development, what is the best car on the market today? This was 1986, his reply in confidence was Lincoln MKVII. So I bought one, a great car, should have kept it but traded in on a 1994 Cadillac Eldorado with the star fire system or whatever it was they called it. My wife and myself both hated it, the only thing it did better than the Lincoln was come up out of the hole, the technology and quality was so far behind Lincoln it was unbelievable. Back to Lincoln we went.

I never owned a BMW automobile, I likely never will but I have heard many good things about them. I am a gear head such as your self, I spent my last 41 years before retirement in marine diesel engines.
 
I was tire kicking the new Caddy ATS online yesterday ( they look "pretty"on TV) & learned they have a "new"2 liter engine or a 3.6 to choose from. Now I understand why Buick is advertising such good mpg's compared to my car. You still have the option of a spare tire,jack & lug wrench which mine has& that BMW's lack!
Not that I'll ever buy another Caddy, but mine drives great. I get ticked off every time we take a trip in it as when your cupholder is used for coffee there is only the TINY! door cubby hole & an even smaller console for everything else you've got. My door , on a trip runneth over! Also too many buttons-like many cars. Makes you miss a tank bag.
When mine went in for HL recall(to keep it from catching on fire) I asked why the WS defects & learned they aere the "sound reduction" wiggles in the glass on each lower quadrant of the WS.
FWIW, MY MIL drives an Olds, or at least owns one & her sister drives it now.
Now, I'm going to go wash the bugs off my bike.
One of my mentors during apprenticeship, "Oscar" was a former Olds mechanic & one of the truly best that I worked under/with. Another was a former aviation mech who's nickname was "Pxxxy Inspector" which was proudly displayed on his locker. They were both from the "Greatest Generation"!
 
"Is that, like, an airplane engine?"

You must admit it starts conversations though. One of my favorites . . .

I was camping in a remote part of Vermont, and went off on my R80ST in search of cell service. I rode for 25 miles, stopping at every high point and village, and still no service. I was stopped at a general store, pondering where to look next, and a young guy on a 25-year old harley rode over. He thought I was getting gas ..

"So does that thing run on coal?"
-No, gas.
"Like seriously, what is that?"
-BMW.
"I never saw one. Is that, like, an airplane engine?"
-Sorta. It's called a boxer.
"Like an old VW, right?"
-Yeah . . .
"Hey those are really good engines. Porsche used them too. . . "
and so it went from there. I asked about the harley, which had collision damage on the right side.

"Yeah i was going over appalachian gap and a car in the other lane forced me into a guard rail"
Yikes. Did you get hurt?
"It knocked my kneecap around to the back but I managed to keep the bike up. I knew I wasnt going to be able to walk so I just rode all the way home, 60 miles."

Turned out to be a really nice kid, didnt own a car, insisted on riding with me to a spot where he knew there was cell service.
 
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