From: randy@megatek.com (Randy Davis)
Subject: Re: XLH vs Big Twin
Reply-To: randy@megatek.com
Organization: Megatek Corporation, San Diego, California
Date: Thu, 19 Nov 1992 02:50:26 GMT

In article <1992Nov17.163419.12704@Pacesetter.COM> lynn@pacesetter.com (Lynn E. Hall) writes:
|>Randy Davis                            Email: randy@megatek.com
|>ZX-11 #00072 Pilot                            megatek!randy@uunet.uu.net
|>DoD #0013                                     ucsd!megatek!randy
|
| I've been reading your messages for a while now and you are pretty biased
|about your bike. Thats ok.

  One way of looking at it...  If being happy with what I ride is "biased",
then OK, I'll accept that.  I don't feel that my bike is God's gift to
motorcycles, any more than *any* motorcycle is, despite how some riders act.
I try to recognize the strength's and weaknesses of different bikes in general
based on what is important to me.  I am not "biased" in the sense that I
cannot recognize provable differences in different rides.  But, yeah, to me,
its the best presently made, and better than I or anyone I know could modify
anything into.

| Since I don't know much about UJM's since I am
|an American by birth and I would never buy a product from a country that
|started a war with us, what is a ZX-11 ?

  You are SOOOOO funny, Lynn...  (Although you *have* seemed to mellow out
since those posts in rec.motos about a year back).  If you don't know what
a ZX-11 is, then I guess you've been fairly out-of-touch, possibly because
of your interesting idea of patriotism.  I would have thought that someone
that keeps a reference to NOS in his signature would at least know the
players in the high power motorcycle game, unless the NOS has nothing to
do with the cheap horsepower gains provided by Nitrous-Oxide injection
systems.  Kind of makes your reference to NOS less credible.

  A ZX-11 is, as you guessed, a motorcycle after the "sportbike" style,
with at present (and for the last three years) the highest horsepower,
acceleration, and top speed than any other production motorcycle irreguardless
of maker or country of origin.  Not a style (or especially a brand name) that
many readers of this particular newsgroup are likely to be interested in,
granted.  However, even though the top speed isn't very usable, the horsepower
that is a big factor in allowing it to achieve that speed is extremely
enjoyable to have and VERY usable.  Although I don't enjoy the feel of a
Harley, it may be very well similar in my way of perceiving it that those
that like Harley's enjoy the "feel" of the big twin.

| I assume it's another product from a foriegn country.

  Just a *little* more than a Harley is (if you are terming the non-American
content of the various parts).  If you are meaning who gets paid to build it,
perhaps you might be surprised to know that a bunch of people up in Lincoln,
Nebraska, get together and build them - Americans, even.

| What is this "pilot" thing you sign after the ZX-11?

  A euphemism?  Yeah, thats it...  However, since we are on the subject, what
is the NOS in your signature supposed to refer to (since you don't seem to
know high-power motorcycles)?

|Does this signify that a ZX-11 is a plane? I'm being serious...
                                            ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
  (If you say so...)

  Not really.  I started signing my postings with the "Pilot" trailer in 1986
after a poster in the autos newsgroup was using "Mopar Pilot", simply because
I liked it.  Make of it what you will.

|  What is this Dod thing? Thats a totally 'wanna-be' a biker thing I've
|seen all around the *motorcycle* boards.

  Must be...

| I've even seen a graphic thing
|that looks like a 'patch' come across the net.   Let me give you netters a
|hint on motorcycle patches. If you wanna-be's start up a club and fly a
|patch, be prepared to defend it.

  Wanna-be's?  Don't worry, we are no more wanna-be motorcyclists than you are.
I don't beleive ANY of us are wanna-be biker "gang" members - it all depends
on your definition of "club".  Some clubs are more accurately called "gangs".
I find it silly to compare a club with patches to a "gang" with colors.  I've
never heard of any of the various motorcycle clubs that display patches getting
attacked over turf wars - the GoldWing riders club, the various BMW clubs
(such as the Hill Country Riders in Austin), have all been free of incidents
with gangs as far as I know, and most of those clubs display patches on all
their jackets.

| Thats right. There are rules taht apply to
|all who wear a patch AKA flying colors.

  Point made.  Although I think your preception of the world is a bit different
than mine, it may be accurate.  I don't think our "joke" of a club and its
equally trivial patch is going to elicit a challenge over turf wars from a
*real* biker gang, but thanks for the warning.  At least, I put my patch on
a bag since I don't wear patches on my riding leathers.  Either way, I have
yet to hear of anyone get challenged over the silly patch.  I do usually travel
equipped to handle a certain amount of trouble, but I never intentionally cause
any (despite those in this group who think I live for criticising stupid brand
comments).

| Judging by the replys and messages
|send across the net, none of you are aware that being in a club has a
|liability. You are all responsible for EACH and everyone who flys your
|patch. If just one person fucks up - you all will pay the price. Something
|to think about before you get too involved in it. 

  Lighten up, Lynn...  I see where you are coming from, but I really don't
think its going to apply - I can't really see anyone *defending* the patch,
and that is what it comes down to, in my second-hand experience.  Perhaps,
since I seem to recall you live in L.A. where this is more serious, you might
be intimately aware of how the protocol with colors is handled, but I
seriously doubt that most bike gang members would take this club seriously.
Sure, I could be wrong, and your warning may be a very valid one for anyone
that displays the patch on riding leather and rides through areas known for
a gang presence (neither of which I do).  I'm not planning on testing it,
anyway.

|                             Lynn Hall - NOS Bros

Randy Davis                            Email: randy@megatek.com
ZX-11 #00072 Pilot                            megatek!randy@uunet.uu.net
DoD #0013                                     ucsd!megatek!randy

Newsgroups: rec.motorcycles.harley