from unamerican to unjapanese

has anyone else here had any insults thrown at them for being unjapanese or unamerican because you are riding a chinese bike ? growing up i learned on a suzuki TS185 then a honda CL350 then started racing so i rode a CR125 then a KX500 . while riding those bikes I always found myself being insulted by Harley riders for being unamerican . Afew days ago I was insulted and almost got into an argument with a guy because I was riding a chinese bike and not a Honda or one of the other unamerican bikes . He said doesnt matter if it rides , looks even sounds like a honda it still isnt one and that it was insulting to have the bike even infront of him . Funny thing is most harley riders I meet noadays actually like my bike and think its good that i am sticking to "THE MAN " for riding a bike that gets 70+ mpg's

[jkomp316]

People will always try to convince you thier stuff is better, or thier opinions are better then yours. Tell them to shove it and laugh at them for paying 4x more $. Then tell them their $90 Nike shoes are made in china, but instead of getting them cheap, they just handed $80 to Nike instead... oh and another thing, all the AMERICAN Harley guys, they spend hundreds on chrome addons and accessories for thier bikes... all that stuff is made in china too.

[Jim]

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[RPM]

Shake it off and rub some dirt in it, like coach would say. These guys are just showing you how uninformed they really are.

Insensitive remarks like that is just a part of the riding experience, unfortunately. I have been riding for about 35 years now and still hear the same old crap. I take road trips every year on my Honda Valkyrie and folks want to know why I don't get a Harley, it's American.
Well, do a little research and you will find that the Valkyrie is more American than the Harley! Actually, the only American road bike, that I am aware of, is the Victory. My horizontal 6 cylinder bike was built in Maryville, OH and has "made in the USA" stamp on the engine block. The Harley is built with parts from all over the world: shocks are Showa (a Honda company), wheels from Germany and Italy, wiring from Taiwan or China (yes, China), leather from Europe (they don't have barbed wire to scar the surface) and the list goes on and on.

At least, you know where your bike was from, 100% of it. When the gas here gets close to $4.00 this summer, you will have guys asking you where you got it! You are a part of the beginning of a huge faction of bikers about to explode in this country just as the Japs did in the 60s. The old saying still applies, you must know your history or you are doomed to repeat it. These bikes are a ways away from performance machines, but for the intended purpose they are built for, they pay for themselves in a very short time.

Have fun, ride safe and try to enlighten all the idiots you come across with the best of your abilities.

[NewEnglandTrails]

Lol,

I joined Atvoutdoors.net and they just can't help but insult you even when they think they are being nice, serious prejudice against the "MIC"
Made in China products.

Just remember if you constantly look for approval from others in life rather than being satisfied with your own decisions you may never find inner peace.

Finding a great deal of satisfaction in owning 3 MIC products that didnt require taking on payments to obtain makes up for any insults. Crossing streams, climbing hills, making new discoveries and washing the mud off after the rides with no major breakdowns, reinforces the decisions made in purchasing them. I have paid no more or no less attention to them as I did my first real bike.... a Suzuki TS185. In Fact... I don't miss the 2 cycle oil at all... lol...

Don't sweat it..

Live Free and Ride.....

NET

[katoranger]

There is much made in America anymore. Most stuff has china on the back. I you want to hear ironic. I just bought my lifan today from a custom harley shop.

The owner swears by the lifans. I can't wait to get it home and start the mods.

I don't like payments and I actually paid more for my china bike than my car.
:wink:

Allen

[justjoe]

I was thinking a similar thought in regards to the put-downs of MIC machines

I am old enough to remember the japanese entry to the US market and it was met with the same barbs as MIC is today exceptthey were coming from HD,BSA,Triumph etc

The status Quo never likes being challenged

oh well the more things change................

[culcune]

I think that the whole unJapanese insinuations are a crock! Last year on TT, there were people practically crying that Japanese companies would be potentially put out of business due to all the Chinese products, including bikes.

Growing up in the 80's, I remember reading and watching the news about how Japanese products were practically dumped into the US with little to no reciprocity for US goods. Our manufacturing was, and has been, continuously decimated by Japanese dumping; and don't get me started on Korea. We are not on equal trading footing no matter how often the terms "trading partners" or "free trade" are used, and that pretty much goes for products from pretty much anywhere coming to the US and our products, well, stopped by pretty much any and every other countries' restrictive import barriers and tariffs.

I say, enjoy the heck out of these Chinese bikes. Use them guilt-free. There is not one US company producing small enduros, or any enduros, with the exception of ATK, a very premium company. In other words, not only enjoy your bike, but think of how much less the terrorists are pocketing every time you commute on a small scooter or 200cc enduro.

OK, its time to get off my soap-box.

[katoranger]

, but think of how much less the terrorists are pocketing every time you commute on a small scooter or 200cc enduro.


I have to agree with that. I don't buy citgo gas either. I rather support China and help them grow their economy.

Of course I run a mercedes diesel on vegetable oil too. I don't spend much for fuel, just upkeep.

Allen

[AZ200cc]

This is just one small mountain to climb, I read on other forums that China bike owners are commies. That made me laugh out loud, I suppose I am also a commie because my alarm clock, Shoes, Socks, Shirt, Jeans, Telephone, ETC ETC are all made in china. I grew up on Hondas and Suzukis..My father was a proud Indian owner in his Younger days. He purchased a Suzuki 750 and loved it. I just cannot bring myself to pay the over inflated price they ask for a jap bike. Sure the Jap bikes are put togethor better and have go faster...But if they can just show me why a Honda costs $4500.00 dollars more I would love to know. It just makes no sense. I am happy with my lil China bike..Sure it could be better, but in time I am sure these bike will rival any Jap bike on the market.

[Jim]

har har har, what I think is funny is I posted a picture of my kawasaki vulcan on a different message board, and the next reply said something about how nice it was to see some american iron running down the road :roll:

[ambassador]

I ride my bike everyday and get comments all the time, not one negative yet and even if I did, who cares, It's mine and I like it... I've explained to people about the Jap/American times and they don't really seem to care so I don't explain anymore, they like my bike...

[TheOtherRide]

I just got a FieldSheer mesh jacket (which is AWESOME, by the way) made in China. It's my summer replacement for a Harley jacket I have...which an old boyfriend got in Thailand. Yeah, it's an American Legend all right, 'legend' being another word for 'fairy tale'.

Let's face it, if ANY company/country made a bike of comparable value in this price range, we'd be all over it. :wink:

Jim, where did you get your sticker?

[SamM]

Harley-Davidson just inked a deal with Zongshen to produce Harley-Davidson motorcycles in China for the Chinese market. I'd be willing to bet that in a few years, you'll be able to buy one of these bikes in the American market. It probably won't have H-D on the tank though. Harley will see how well the Chinese will build these machines and be tempted to bring them to the US to increase profits. Whether they will remains to be seen! Some people wouldn't mind. Others would have kittens over it.

On the other hand, how funny would it be to have Zongshen import H-D motorcycles to the US market? Part of the deal is probably that they can't do that, but it's nice to think about!

[Jim]

Hey Pauli, sorry missed your question, I searched on ebay for "helmet sticker"

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Custo...17675237QQrdZ1

Thats probably the actual one I got it from, you choose 6 stickers... Kind of hard to read some of them in the pictures