Buy American!!

[DirtyNasty]

So there I was...minding my own business on my way to work on my 79 XS1100 Special. I start to pass a Tundra pulling a bike trailor with a nice HD Bagger on it. As I am passing this moron he yells out the window "Buy American"! I laughed and stayed with him yelling "is that the new 2012 Ford?" he turned his head in disgust as I blurted out "You should try riding it..or does it not work?" I left him and his "dragger" behind to lick his wounds. I seriously just don't get some of these guys. It's like 50% of them ride HD to cover up their lack of manhood. I buy shirts and my helmets from a chopper shop here in Richmond Hill, GA and they of course service mainly HD, but they love when I bring my special over to the shop. Unlike if I took her to a HD shop....I'd probably have to park out back..ha ha just sayin!

[DGXSER]

Reality of it is, that like all vehicles today, probably over half the elecronics on those bikes are mfg over seas. I recall a study done about ten years or so ago on the vehicle with the most American assembly done on it, and the winner was the Honda Accord built in Marysville Ohio.

But, yeah, to be driving a Tundra and holler that out the window. I would have just laughed my azz off at the idiot.

[old_chopper]

I have a HD jacket that is pretty water resistant. It's still in good shape and I'm a tight wad so I will continue to wear it until it's shot. I've been riding my XS and wore the above mentioned jacket a couple times lately (rain). I know it's going to hit a nerve when some rub see's me disrepecting the "Mother Company" by wearing HD and riding a "piece of jap crap". Funny thing is I have 2 HD's in the garage but have been enjoying the Yamaha lately. And I did buy American, I bought the Yamaha from a brother in our group and he's as American as a non Native American can be!

[Rickrod3]

Buy American

What does that actually mean?

As others have stated, Most have parts manufacuterd other places.
Why is that? Cheaper labor I supose.
So these people who chant buy American and feel like better Americans; could be suporting someone who does not give a crap about them or their jobs.

As an American I enjoy the right to think for myself.
That said I'm getting a Harley so they will wave back to be

Rick

[XSive Okie]

I'm all over the place as well. I drive a Chevy 4X4, but work for a Toyota dealership (parts dept.) and I wear Harley Davidson t-shirts, but ride a Yamahammer! And to be somewhat be in defense of the Tundra, most of them are built in Texas.

[xs11lover]

Buy American? I didn't know we made anything these days.

[tom clisham]

American?

Wander through a Harley store sometime & check out where all those chrome doodads they sell are made.
The HD riders spend a small fortune on those things. I've never seen one made in USA. I used to have a chrome shop for a customer in Milwaukee that sold stuff to the mother company. Not any more.

[patk12345]

Man, you dream about moments like that. Ha! Beautiful!

[TADracer]

Not all Harley people are like that anymore....only the die-hards and the wanna-be bad boys. Most know from where their parts and their riding heritage come from as alot of them started on an old Honda 50.

Two weekends ago I watched a fellow miss a turn and go into a ditch on his Kawasaki so of course I stopped to assist. He was lucky and only had a small cherry on one of his knees and what felt to him like a cracked rib. Shortly there were four harley riders passing and they turned around and came back. They were all very cordial, helped me get the mans machine out of the ditch and up onto the shoulder of the road to load on a trailer.

One of the guys was intently looking over my SF so I asked them all (since I had them captive) what they thought of my old machine. All were very complimentive and the fellow who was looking over my bike said, "I love this. Had one like this when I was twenty". I mentioned that for the first twenty years I rode that most harley guys would shoot me the bird when they passed and another guy said "I dont care what kind of bike I ride, as long as I am riding".

So, with the infiltration of foreign parts and bikes into the American landscape, the times they are a chang'in. Take it in stride and just take your shot when one of the posers give you some flack about riding an old machine that can still take a big bite out of the a$$ of their two-lunger.

[bikerphil]

Anytime a Harley rider gives me any crap about riding a Jap bike, I just tell him that HD's were a piece of crap in '79 when these bikes were built. That usually shuts them up.

[ShootersHoliday]

yup, just about every part I've taken off my AMERICAN Dodge has said, "Made In Mexico" on it...

People like that are dumb and ignorant.

[crazy steve]

Anytime a Harley rider gives me any crap about riding a Jap bike, I just tell him that HD's were a piece of crap in '79 when these bikes were built. That usually shuts them up.

That's a true story....

When I was looking at new bikes in '78 (wanting to 'move up' from my 650), I asked around about new bikes, and Harleys in particular. This was the low point in the AMF years, and even the Harley guys were pretty disgusted with their then-current offerings; very few of the HD riders I knew would recommend one. Not until they came out with the EVO motor would they start to shake off that reputation; my '93 Sporty has been the most reliable bike I've owned so far.

Buy American? I do try, but you'll have to hunt to find anything that's still wholly built here, and if it's a vehicle, forget it. Harleys have a lot of 'import' content, including their carbs (before EFI), shocks, forks, gauges (all out of Japan) and cast wheels (Australia). I will say this; IMO if you can find (and sometimes afford) an American-built product, it's usually as good or better as it's imported competition...

[fredintoon]

yup, just about every part I've taken off my AMERICAN Dodge has said, "Made In Mexico" on it...

Hi Shooter,
so?
Along with Canada and the USA, Mexico IS a part of North America.

[Pat Kelly]

My 68 Ford F100 might be made in America. Probably not any replacement parts though.

[mharrington]

A co worker builds EXPENSIVE custom bikes that use an aftermarket V twin. He gives me friendly crap about my bike leaking rice and being made of plastic. Awhile back I asked him how big does his Harley V Twins need to be to make 95hp and he said 1900cc makes that. I told him my engine is ONLY 1100cc all stock making that. I know most Harley people may be OK but I get SOOOOOOO sick of the Harley ignorance and arrogance. Harleys are not the only game in town for petes sake!