Reply to thread

Here in Canada few people have a motorcycle as their main vehicle because two-wheeled vehicles are not good in winter. 


For any vehicle having local parts and service is very important so your father’s advice sounds very sensible.


In western Canada we had large NVT dealers.  The place where I bought mine was huge and sold NVT products as well as one of the Japanese brands.  When I bought my bike the prices I remember are; $2795 for a CB-750 or Commando, about $3500 for a Sportster or Z1, and about $4500 for an Electra Glide.  Big European bikes were also expensive.  Even though the purchase price of the CB-750 and Commando were about the same the Honda parts were twice as expensive but didn’t last any longer.  My cousin drove a CB-750 for years and we saw each other often and compared notes. 


As a happy Commando owner of 36 years I can tell you there is a lot of good stuff posted on this site and a couple of fellows post things that cannot be found anywhere else. 


Even though there have always been good local repair places for British bikes I have always done most of my own work because I am allergic to paying workshop rates.  Anything over $20 per hour makes me nauseous.  With the old bikes the owner always had the option to do most work at home.  That is just not possible with many, if not most, newer vehicles.  My poor nephew has a very modern and sophisticated HoYaSuKa 600 cc with 130 h.p. and it developed a slight tick.  The dealer did not even have to crack the case to quote a $2000+ repair bill.  My nephew had no choice but to pay that amount because every dealer quoted about the same price and it is not really possible to repair the machine at home.  The corporation that made the bike has a noose securely attached around his testicles and he must pay their price or park the machine.  He can choose to switch to a different brand but that would just replace the current noose with one of a different colour.  My young nephew may never be free of the noose, poor fellow, because that wouldn’t be modern.


Back
Top