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Vicious Rumor from HD Biker

I'm glad BMW left the chrome off their bikes, that way you have nothing to polish. My 2005 R1200RT has 43,500 miles on it already and I can count the washings on one hand, with change. At least BMW give you something for the money they charge. How about Hardleys?
 
I am having troubles laying my hands on the various press releases and news articles that go into making a rumor like this. VERY roughly, in no particular order and off the top of my head:

I believe it was March that I posted a press release from BMW about the opening of a Club Motorrad in Beijing. The Chinese company Chiang Jiang is working with BMW on this. They are ChinaÔÇÖs second largest motorcycle manufacturer. Their product line runs up to 250cc bikes. The press release argued they and their dealer network would help introduce larger BMW motorcycles to the Chinese market. The second thing Chiang Jiang was to help with was sourcing help for parts manufacturing.

Chiang Jiang is in litigation with the Brazilian government. They have a deal to purchase the equipment in an automotive plant that BMW shut down. It is not clear who owned the plant, BMW or a contractor. Chiang Jiang wants to bring the equipment to China to set up manufacturing there. Brazil wants the plant to remain in Brazil, protect Brazilian jobs and has offered to set up preferential terms for export to China.

Several auto blogs have suggested that BMW intends to produce and market a hybrid in China for China and the Asian market. I have seen some BMW press releases that may have something to do with this.

BMW manufactures cars in many different countries. The most recent expansion is in India. It is even rumored that they build cars someplace in a southeastern state with Carolina in it, some where in the United States. You know Americans canÔÇÖt produce cars so the BMW Bimmer mystic is definitely at risk.

The BMW motorcycle plant has excess capacity at this time. Part of its production time is currently used to make parts for other product lines. The assembly plant can make more so there seems to be no need for moving motorcycle manufacturing to China from a production point.

The Husqvarna purchase would speak against a move to China. Their plant has excess production capacity and would seem a logical place to build the production 450 and perhaps some of the 650 line.

Take a snip from any of the above paragraphs combined with a bit of speculation and who have a H-D rider waving good bye to the BMW mystic.


I believe it was BMW that owned the plant in Brazil. The plant made engines for the Mini and has since been sold back to the plant.

Regards,


Randy Kasal
 
"some how, BMW with crossed roses tattoo'd on my shoulder doesn't do anything for me"

Agreed, but if I were into tattoos I could see doing the roundel with Luftwaffe wings.
 
You know what? I have a whole bunch of bikes. Sportbikes, dirt bikes, cafe bikes, vintage bikes, etc. Just about every kind of bike but a cruiser. IME, the owners of only two brands of bike give a rat's ass about what anyone else rides, what anyone else thinks of their ride, or whether or not they wave to one another, wave to each other, or wave at their friggin' grandmothers.

BMW and Harley-Davidson. Get ****ing over it. It's downright embarassing. It doesn't matter WHAT you ride, just THAT you ride.

And fwiw, BMW and Harley Davidson BOTH source parts from manufacturers all over the world and have for years. You think that ZADI ignition switch, Domino throttle, and Bosch FI was MANUFACTURED in Germany? Wake up. It's 2007.
 
I'm glad BMW left the chrome off their bikes, that way you have nothing to polish. My 2005 R1200RT has 43,500 miles on it already and I can count the washings on one hand, with change. At least BMW give you something for the money they charge. How about Hardleys?

Harleys deliver a fantastic ride. Been the most reliable make I've owned among many makes over many years.
 
You know what? I have a whole bunch of bikes. Sportbikes, dirt bikes, cafe bikes, vintage bikes, etc. Just about every kind of bike but a cruiser. IME, the owners of only two brands of bike give a rat's ass about what anyone else rides, what anyone else thinks of their ride, or whether or not they wave to one another, wave to each other, or wave at their friggin' grandmothers.

BMW and Harley-Davidson. Get ****ing over it. It's downright embarassing. It doesn't matter WHAT you ride, just THAT you ride.

And fwiw, BMW and Harley Davidson BOTH source parts from manufacturers all over the world and have for years. You think that ZADI ignition switch, Domino throttle, and Bosch FI was MANUFACTURED in Germany? Wake up. It's 2007.

+1
 
Back in the early 80's I worked for a company that supplied plating fixtures to the York, PA plant.

Even back then HD used parts from Over the seas. Gas tanks from Italy, lower fork castings made in JASPAN and even the electrical system came from some place else.

So check where thing come from, the new buss words, ASSEMBLED IN THE US of A.

:banghead
 
We made hydraulic presses in the 80ÔÇÖs. HD bought a 400 ton press for stamping out fenders. I suppose these are cheaper to make locally since packing them would leave a lot of extra room in the container. Shipping air can get expensive.
 
You know what? ....IME, the owners of only two brands of bike give a rat's ass about what anyone else rides...BMW and Harley-Davidson.

While I respect your opinion, me thinks you should go troll some of the metric forums out there. There are owners of every brand of bike that are...militant...in their belief that they ride the best and others don't, wasted money on a more expensive bike, didn't make a wise brand choice because it isn't the same as the choice they made in a bike...etc. That is not limited to the HD or BMW crowd. In fact, I know a few Honda owners you need to meet. ;-)

That all being said...I'm with you on the notion that it doesn't matter what you ride, but that you ride. Folks should ride what speaks to them.

Peace.
 
Either way, I still can't seem to be bothered to wash my bike. How hard is it to keep that RT clean? It's got all sorts of nooks and crannies in that fairing with the panels that "hover" out a bit.


Keep an RT clean? What are you? Anal?:wave

I don't worry too much about it. My bike hasn't been washed since before I rode to the Rally.

Guess I'm just not a "real" BMW owner. :)
 
China AHAHAH!:banghead We need to start writing our politicians and demanding mirror trade policies. If a country adds 20% import tax to our goods we should do the same to theirs. The American worker and consumer had better pull their collective heads out of you know what or Chinese and the rest of the up and coming 3rd world industrial nations will end life as we know it in America. Our ability to manufacture and produce goods will be gone! But the corporate geniuses who have sold their soul and ours for higher stock prices by moving our factories and plants overseas will sleep with a clear conscience because at the end on the day the stock price is up.

Sorry for the out burst.

I ride both BMW and Harley Davidson. I donÔÇÖt do it for the lifestyle. I just like the motorcycles. The friends that I ride with our just that, friends it doesnÔÇÖt matter that we all ride different brand bikes. We just like motorcycles and enjoy riding.
 
While I respect your opinion, me thinks you should go troll some of the metric forums out there. Peace.

Thanks, but I've got way too much to do to actively search for narrow-mindedness. I don't doubt what you say, but this much I know: When I'm riding any brand BUT a BMW or Harley EVERYBODY waves, except for most people riding BMWs and Harleys. :wave
 
Oh No! The wave thing

When I'm riding any brand BUT a BMW or Harley EVERYBODY waves, except for most people riding BMWs and Harleys. :wave

Can't say I disagree. If my experience it's the HD and BMW camp that wave the least. (In the case of the BMW crowd thought it had to do w/ the R1200C I ride)

I'd include the Ducati crowd as far as the brand snobbery ... but they do wave.
 
based on my regular travels from mem to central texas and phoenix, I dont see any brand specific patterns; the sport bike crowd seems to wave the least to me but I think its more riding position that affects that. however the two times that I came across very friendly drivers (not that kind...:laugh ) they happened to be on pan heads!? must be the reciprocating harmonics:rofl
 
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