SuzukiSavage.com
/cgi-bin/YaBB.pl
General Category >> The Cafe >> Well dern....
/cgi-bin/YaBB.pl?num=1397502999

Message started by Pine on 04/14/14 at 12:16:39

Title: Well dern....
Post by Pine on 04/14/14 at 12:16:39

I ended up on the otherside of town ( the rich side) and decided to drop by the Triumph dealship....

all the bikes are padlocked and chained together. The Dealership is giving up on Triumph and waiting for them to come get their bikes.

We talked a bit. He's not mad, maybe a little sad. The Jackson Market is just to small/poor to support these bikes is his claim. My opinion ( which I offered to him) is that Jackson ( and MS) is just completely bought into the "GO USA GO HD" mantra. Sure the metrics sell, but Triumph cant/wont compete on price with them. So you get a share of HD wanna be sells. then of course there are those that cut thier teeth on metrics, and remember when HD was just a part of AMF Voit Black and Decker....  But the history of Triumph and MS??? there just isnt one that I know of.  And sales reflect that.

Anyway, thats the only triumph dealer in the state... not sure where the next closest is.. Memphis  TN or Baton Rouge LA is my guess.

just an FYI down here


Title: Re: Well dern....
Post by justin_o_guy2 on 04/14/14 at 17:32:39

Ive kicked myself for years for not dropping the hammer on buying a TRiumph. I coulda handled one of those,, not too tall, not too heavy, not too hot,, I Shoulda done it back in the 70's, when I was stout & had a good paycheck comin in,, I dont know why Americans are so into the HD thing,, I do like the sound, but theres a LOT more to deciding on whose machine to ride than the noise it makes..
One things for sure, if youre riding a HD & you want it to be "different", someone makes what ya want,, The Savage? You want it "different",, ?? YOu better get ready to DO something on yer own,, OR, well,, theres always a RYCA,, but, arent they a lot alike?

Title: Re: Well dern....
Post by arteacher on 04/14/14 at 17:45:14

I never understood the "gottahavaharley"mystique either. It's like they think that you are not really riding a bike unless it's a Harley.
I have a relative who bought a honda shadow about the same time I bought my S40. We used to ride together quite a bit. Now that he's got a harley (and his wife too) I never get asked to ride with them. Maybe it embarrasses them when I walk away from them off a light. ;)

BTW I looked very closely at a new Triumph America, and was very impressed.
I kind of like the uniqueness of my S40.

Title: Re: Well dern....
Post by oldNslow on 04/14/14 at 17:56:42

There are two dealerships near me that sell Triumph. The larger one sells HD, Triumph and all the metric bikes except Suzuki. The other, not as big, sells Triumph, all the metrics and a lot of 4-wheelers and snow machines.

I know they both sell some Triumphs because their inventory is always changing and both shops always have several different models in stock whenever I check. Sometimes as many as ten or so at the larger place.

But...
When I'm out and about 75 -80% of the bikes I see are Harleys or big metric cruisers. The rest are mostly sport bikes of one kind or another. I am as likely to see a Triumph on the road around here as I'm likely to see another Savage. (and when it comes to Savages I've seen exactly one - mine)

Probably don't mean a thing. Just one guy's observation. Somebody around here has bought a Triumph from one of these shops. I'd just like to know where he's ridin it !

Title: Re: Well dern....
Post by nickeynicknick on 04/14/14 at 18:46:12

I'll chime in here on the HD thing, as well. For sure, most of the bikes I see here in Arkansas are Harleys or big metric cruisers, some sort of V-Twin. And if not, a sport bike of some sort. I have seen another Savage at a bike rally last year. I do see a few Rebels from time to time.

I got to take little ride on a Sportster Nightster last year. It was ok. Not enough time on it to get a feel for a Harley, but they do sound nice! The vibrations alone would keep me from getting one, though. And then theres the price.

Title: Re: Well dern....
Post by justin_o_guy2 on 04/14/14 at 18:53:20

"Round here I see lots of guys with their G/F or wife with them,, He on his HD, she on hers. I cant tell you the times Ive looked in the eyes of a woman on "her Harley" & I KNOW she was wishing her old man had gotten her a bike like mine,, something easy to hold up, quick & nimble,, & good lookin,,

Title: Re: Well dern....
Post by MMRanch on 04/14/14 at 19:44:12

I would have gotten a Triumph Speedmaster instead of the Sportster but the Belt (Sportster) -vs- Chain (Speedmaster) was the decideing factor .

And then there was the thing about the Push-rods and Hydrolic lifters ! -vs- CamChain and adjusting valves ...  

One more thing  ....  in 2004 the sportsters went rubber mounted motors so they doin't vibrate your rearEnd off anymore.    Thinking of vibrating ... I've had a 2004 1200 and a 2007 883 ... The 883 doin't vibrate any at all compaired to the 1200 , seems the engine was blanced for the 883 pistons and the larger 1200 pistons throws the blance off.

:)

Title: Re: Well dern....
Post by WD on 04/14/14 at 23:43:11

When you're ready to come up and go to the Triumph-Polaris-CanAm stealership, let me know. I'll try to get the day off. Very easy to find, right across the road from the HD stealership... who tried to get me to drop $14K on a USED Crossbones...   >:(

My last 2 Triumphs were a pair of 1964 T120C "Boney Viles"... literally gave them away in July 99 when I moved from MS to TN. Military associate of mine got them, he tried to swap me an 1100 Lead Wing Aspencade for them... not only no, hell no... I wouldn't have another GL1100 if it was free and flawless, let alone the decked out version...

"Real" Sportsters have a left foot brake, right foot shift from the factory. So... they quit making them end of production year 1974, when the USDOT mandated every bike sold stateside had to conform to FL placement and shift pattern. That was the death knell for the Sportster and most British twins. Any made model year 1975 and newer are bogus.

;)


Title: Re: Well dern....
Post by Arnold on 04/15/14 at 07:47:04

You may remember how I lost that opportunity on the craigslist 74 Sportster for 2k :)

Title: Re: Well dern....
Post by old_rider on 04/15/14 at 10:05:17

Guy who runs the "Scooter Store" down the road from me is supposed to be getting in some Enfields  and or Triumphs here soon. I'm going to be checking in there just because he sells used bikes and the mechanics are kinda old school.... they can make it work without charging you an arm and a leg.

I don't get the Harley "mantra" either.... but I did go see the state troopers do their competition riding last weekend... those guys and gals rock!  Seen a gal bout 5' 6" maybe 110lbs dancing around an expert course with a full dresser, made me feel embarissed I ever dropped mine. Neither one of the two gals dropped their rides and only one of the two knocked over a cone..... couple of tennis balls off the top came off though.

Title: Re: Well dern....
Post by stinger on 04/15/14 at 13:56:21

Justin I know what you mean. A couple of years ago I saw a guy I play pool with trying to teach is wife to ride around this empty lot on his big ol Harley bagger. She was struggling with the size and weight not being a very large woman.  She was not having any fun at all and what I saw on her face was fear. I let her take a spin around the lot on my bike and she had no problems at all. She came back with a huge smile on her face and would not get on the Harley again.  Within a week she had a new LS650. Fortunately for her, her husband cared more about her safety rather than what she rode  But too many Harley riders there is no other bike, and be darned if their woman is going to ride anything else!

Title: Re: Well dern....
Post by Pine on 04/15/14 at 14:12:19

well now... this wasn't really suppose to be a "lets dump HD" thread.

I was just musing as to why I personally thought Triumphs were doing so poorly in this area.  Hey we have to admit that HD has done one hella job with name recognition.  As far as I can tell.. there are dern few really bad bikes out there these days. If I had been raised to like HD like I like my metrics... I am sure I would be one happy camper.

And when a metric comes out with a low enough seat with a good ole I4... I will jump ship to that! ( aka the new Honda 1100 but with a lower seat)

Title: Re: Well dern....
Post by WD on 04/15/14 at 17:51:27

In all seriousness, if you like Triumphs, come on up. Plus you need to sit the 03 Slopoki with its new today bars and grips... put a set of Italian made grips on it, and a take off late model FL touring handlebar. It's like a whole other bike, more 1958 DuoGlide than 70s Sportster.

Just out of curiosity, how long since you drained the puke tube under the airbox? Had probably the better part of a cup of oil come out of there... really clean, really thin oil at that. Trying to get a baseline for this bike's oil consumption. No two Savages are alike, the 98 didn't use any at all, and the oil only got changed once a year or so.

Title: Re: Well dern....
Post by pgambr on 04/15/14 at 18:04:02


Quote:
Anyway, thats the only triumph dealer in the state... not sure where the next closest is.. Memphis  TN or Baton Rouge LA is my guess.


Hattiesburg Cycles carries, Triumps, Indians, and Victories as well. I've been saying I would make the trip for a while now.  I never do though.   :D

Title: Re: Well dern....
Post by WD on 04/15/14 at 18:14:58

Hattiesburg? That's almost all the way to our other house... and I do need to get to the coast and get a handful of baby gators to toss in the pond up here... hmm...  :-/

Title: Re: Well dern....
Post by Pine on 04/17/14 at 09:10:17


4E5D190 wrote:
In all seriousness, if you like Triumphs, come on up. Plus you need to sit the 03 Slopoki with its new today bars and grips... put a set of Italian made grips on it, and a take off late model FL touring handlebar. It's like a whole other bike, more 1958 DuoGlide than 70s Sportster.

Just out of curiosity, how long since you drained the puke tube under the airbox? Had probably the better part of a cup of oil come out of there... really clean, really thin oil at that. Trying to get a baseline for this bike's oil consumption. No two Savages are alike, the 98 didn't use any at all, and the oil only got changed once a year or so.


ACKKKK

Probably last Sept or so. Check that oil is polluted with gas!!! I might have forgotten (since i didnt ride it, wife did) to close the petcock. Now that its a Raptor.. I worry all the time about gas getting in the crankcase. I think it did do that once,,and I drained it before riding it. But I had not checked this year.

Title: Re: Well dern....
Post by WD on 04/17/14 at 09:53:52

IF there was any fuel in the crankcase, the first oil change got rid of it. Going to pull the drain plug for the airbox again and see how it looks.  Switched it back to 15W40 after one day on T6.

Got soaked with fuel last night. Fueled up, kept the level low, stood the bike upright and, you guessed it, overflowed...  Forgot how hard it leans over with taller rear shocks and a stock kickstand...  ;D And of course, last night was COLD. Beautiful day, bitter cold riding home after 11 pm.

Title: Re: Well dern....
Post by Dave on 04/17/14 at 12:32:47


1A094D0 wrote:
Got soaked with fuel last night. Fueled up, kept the level low, stood the bike upright and, you guessed it, overflowed...  


I hear rumors that Serowbot :)TM is trying to stop smoking......wonder if the fuel thing has anything to do with it?

Title: Re: Well dern....
Post by verslagen1 on 04/17/14 at 13:17:33

Naw, it's because when that big white helmet fills up with smoke... people recognize him...

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2662/5765536939_9389b7350b_m.jpg

SuzukiSavage.com » Powered by YaBB 2.2!
YaBB © 2000-2007. All Rights Reserved.