Sachs and TMKIWI

[ford832]

If it were a little easier to do I'd send you both a good Nova Scotia beer so you could toast Yamaha's 50th Anniversary in GP racing.
You could also toast Ben Spies' victory in Assen.I sense the age of total Yamaha motorcycular domination is upon us.Join the revolution or get left behind.    

On another note,cool colours eh?    http://fb.me/BH9XQMw5

[SachsGS]

Walter Kaaden would be proud.

In my group of riding buddies there are TMs,KTMs,Gassers,Maicos,Huskys,Betas,Husabergs and not a single Yamaha so whatever their apparent racing success it hasn't translated into sales in my neck of the woods.Therefore it might be said that in that regard Yamaha has been left far behind.The revolution is with the Euros and that's all us baby boomers are buying these days.

Being one to rarely turn down a beer I might just take you up on your offer if I'm ever in the Maritimes.Maybe TMKIWI could hop in his boat and pay a visit.

[ford832]

Your neck of the woods sounds very similar to the type found in "Deliverance" 
All you old buggers want obscure Euro bikes.Fortunately,I already went through that stage but have now started getting younger
Honestly,I loved all three Euro's I had but was always disappointed when getting on friends Yamaha's and Honda's at how inferior my suspension was in comparison-even after having it revalved.On the other hand,now that I've reached the point where I've slowed down and will continue to do so,that level of suspension performance isn't that critical anymore.
The beer offer is always open though I'm not sure TMKIWI could handle a Canadian beer-being a Fosters fan and all that.

[SachsGS]

Deliverance? I recently spoke to a new neighbour and he said that he observed there were two groups of people in our area - those with teeth and those without.

I'm not a fan of the WP stuff either.Ohlins,Rieger and some of the Marzocchi suspension can be made to work very well.

Right now I have a Yamaha ATV parked in the woodshed,there are three Yamaha snowmobiles that locals gave to me cluttering up the backyard and there are Maicos and a TM parked in the workshop.I've also owned (and raced) Yamaha motorcycles and have the highest respect for the durability of Yamaha products.But,as in romance,I need something more when I participate in motorsports.I don't really remember anything about riding a Yamaha but a Maico 500 is never forgotten.

What I'm hinting at is that it will be necessary for you to spend some quality time on TMs and Maicos for this whole conversation to work.KTMs are very different from the other Euro bikes and the Husaberg is a 4T so they can't really be compared to bikes like the Maico or TM.

"Slowed down".Your membership with Old Buggers International is henceforth put on probation.

We can always have root beer ready for TMKIWI.

P.S. Gotta find me an IHC Scout like Burt drove in the opening scenes of "Deliverance".

[TMKIWI]

The beer offer is always open though I'm not sure TMKIWI could handle a Canadian beer-being a Fosters fan and all that.

I have shot people for saying things like that.
I would rather drink my own urine thanks.

As for Yamaha's, They are like the slightly plump girlfreind you had in highschool.
You know she will always be around, She is nice to spend company with , She will always do as you ask and all your mates will not be asking for a ride all the time.
But always in the back of your mind you are wishing you were with Nastassja Kinski (TM).
Far more desirable with a better chassis,Better ergonomics and far better performance.
You know she wont always do as you ask, that all your friends(and some people you don't know) will want to have a ride and it wont last as long, but it will be a hell of a ride.
Then after the heartbreak, the good memories will still be with you as you wake up each morning with the same Yamaha.

And you wonder to your self, But only if I gave it a try.

[Coop]

If free beer is involved I can become a Yamaha fan  .

[maicoman009]

Walter Kaaden would be proud.

In my group of riding buddies there are TMs,KTMs,Gassers,Maicos,Huskys,Betas,Husabergs and not a single Yamaha so whatever their apparent racing success it hasn't translated into sales in my neck of the woods.Therefore it might be said that in that regard Yamaha has been left far behind.The revolution is with the Euros and that's all us baby boomers are buying these days.

Being one to rarely turn down a beer I might just take you up on your offer if I'm ever in the Maritimes.Maybe TMKIWI could hop in his boat and pay a visit.

Sachs a helluva lot of us Gen Xers are getting smart & buying the Euro brands! I only bought Suzukis when I was younger & could'nt quite afford a Euro bike except the good ol' '81' Maico-490 mega that I bought when I was waaay to small & skinny for all of that wicked/sweet power! I've always loved the Euro brands since I was very young & of course my favorite has always been Maico then KTM's & Husqvarnas but I still like all of the Euro brands & I don't think I'll ever go back to the Jap brands!..................Actually I know I'll never go back to those bikes.....................

[SachsGS]

The Japanese have given up on the 2T so for me there is nothing to go back to.

[ford832]

I'd agree in a way that a high maintenance hot chick is more desirable than an average but steady and reliable one.The time will come though,when you'll crave the latter and tire of the high cost of the former.
All of my Euro's required a fair bit of work from brand new to solve design/set up/manufacturing etc flaws.Some took the best part of a year to get all the niggling issues sorted-some less than that.
Once sorted,I liked them all-but still craved the suspension of a Japanese.
The YZ really does nothing brilliant in any one area,it's just good everywhere.What the YZ primarily lacks is the appeal of owning a less common machine.Owning an rare machine shouldn't be confused with owning a better machine.
I like the Euro's.I'd like to,and may yet have a TM,GasGas,Husky etc and I know for a fact I'd stand back and stare it and think what a freakin' cool machine it was.At the same time,I also know that when riding it I'd think-I wish it did this or that as well as the YZ.
I'm old enough to have no interest whatever in image but rather am primarily concerned with function-which is why I still have the YZ.
That may change when the mid life crisis kicks in-or not.We'll see.
For those Euro faithful,have a look at your machines and see how many Jap parts are on them.Surprising isn't it?
Sachs,the YZ250's are in at my local dealer,you want me to put your name on one?
TMKIWI,I still have a hard time trusting the judgement of anyone who drinks that Fosters horsepi$$.Don't deny it,I know the truth
Maicoman,over the years,many a rider has said"you'll never see me on a piece of that Jap crap" but in the end,they all were.Give it time
Coop,you just have to fake being a Yamaha fan and the beer offer is open

[TMKIWI]

The time will come though,when you'll crave the latter and tire of the high cost of the former.

Thats why I said 'After the heartbreak'.

The YZ really does nothing brilliant in any one area,

Thats why I would rather have a RM. They handle brilliantly.

Back to the subject of BEER, Are you a Labatt's or Molson drinker.?
Trying to get a handle if you are equivalent to a Fosters drinker.

[SachsGS]

My Maicos don't have a single Japanese part on them.Last I checked,the Japanese were still using hard anodized shock bodies which do not stand up as well as the steel sleeved Euro units.The last Suzukis I rode were inferior reliability wise to any of the Euro bikes I have owned since.The Yamahas are tough but they are not tougher then a TM for example.

The beauty of a Maico,anachronisms that they are,is that while they are competent in most areas,like a Yamaha,they are also probably the best in engine tractability and chassis competence.And this is what endears them to me,some days when everything just "clicks",the satisfaction I receive from riding one is at an elevated plane I can't reach on a Yamaha.This is what riding is all about.

Ford,you are right about one thing,for a bucket of Warsteiner you'd have me singing "Yamaha blue".I have my price.

 

[TotalNZ]

I'd agree in a way that a high maintenance hot chick is more desirable than an average but steady and reliable one.The time will come though,when you'll crave the latter and tire of the high cost of the former.
All of my Euro's required a fair bit of work from brand new to solve design/set up/manufacturing etc flaws.Some took the best part of a year to get all the niggling issues sorted-some less than that.
Once sorted,I liked them all-but still craved the suspension of a Japanese.
The YZ really does nothing brilliant in any one area,it's just good everywhere.What the YZ primarily lacks is the appeal of owning a less common machine.Owning an rare machine shouldn't be confused with owning a better machine.
I like the Euro's.I'd like to,and may yet have a TM,GasGas,Husky etc and I know for a fact I'd stand back and stare it and think what a freakin' cool machine it was.At the same time,I also know that when riding it I'd think-I wish it did this or that as well as the YZ.
I'm old enough to have no interest whatever in image but rather am primarily concerned with function-which is why I still have the YZ.
That may change when the mid life crisis kicks in-or not.We'll see.
For those Euro faithful,have a look at your machines and see how many Jap parts are on them.Surprising isn't it?
Sachs,the YZ250's are in at my local dealer,you want me to put your name on one?
TMKIWI,I still have a hard time trusting the judgement of anyone who drinks that Fosters horsepi$$.Don't deny it,I know the truth
Maicoman,over the years,many a rider has said"you'll never see me on a piece of that Jap crap" but in the end,they all were.Give it time
Coop,you just have to fake being a Yamaha fan and the beer offer is open

Maintaining my TM is no more costly or complicated than my CR.

[VintageBlueSmoke]

I never was a Maico guy (Husky faithful). Rode a 501 and it scared me, though I want one now to add to my collection. However, I have to agree with SachsGS. The Maico motor is surpurb. After Husky became Italian, I converted to Yamaha and never had the grunt of the Maico/Husky/CZ/Can-Am.

I liked the Yamaha but I still believe there is little or no difference between the brands. After proper setup, my lap times didn't change so it just comes down to sponsorship/contingency/support or color.

My favorite engine? The long stroke Can-Am 250. Rotory valve, great HP, pulls all the way through the powerband and forgiving as hell. I never tried the ATK 2-stroke but I wish I had one now. (ATK used the same engines and they even had a water cooled version).

[SachsGS]

It all comes down to satisfaction.The Euros cost a little more but I find them to be much more entertaining.Will it be a BMW or a Ford Taurus? You are just driving to the corner store for a carton of milk.

Some of the 80's Armstrong Can Ams were liquid cooled.Last Winter I just missed a 1986 Can Am 250 ASE LC.

[ford832]

I'm an RM fan as well TMKIWI.The crappy clutch bothers me but not enough not to buy a new one-which I did way back when.
As for beer,Coors light lemon of course....... J/K,that's Western Canadian beer.My two are Keiths and Moosehead.
It's good to see you're a booze 'Ho like the rest of us Sachs
I never found my Euro bikes to be harder or more expensive to maintain than any of my jap bikes.With the exception of stock plastic and graphics,they were actually much cheaper.Not because of less issues,the parts were just cheaper.All of the bearings could be had from any bearing supply place as they were just standard sizes,unlike the jap which were always just  marginally larger or smaller and specific to that application.
On the other hand,as delivered,my euros always had far more issues to sort out to get them working properly.Once that was done,suspension aside,they were good.You'll notice I keep coming back to the suspension thing.Imo,that's the most important part of the bike by far,and the euros I've owned or ridden are typically lacking in this area.
As for the BMW/Taurus thing,hands down I'd take a Taurus.BMW's are an overpriced,poorly built,thundering POS.A Mercedes,Acura,Lexus or  Jag will give you what you want in that price range but I wouldn't give you a pinch of coon sh!t for a BMW.