In a message dated 97-05-07 13:33:05 EDT, you write:
<< I remember an ad I saw on British Television about 1970. It started with
a
voice saying "How one starts a British motorcycle" and showed a man walking
up to the bike, pulling out the kick starter and, after 8 or 10 tries and
much manual fiddling, finally getting the thing to start. The next scene
had a voice saying "How one starts a Japanese motorcycle" and showed
someone walking up to the bike, getting on, hitting the starter button and
riding off. The conclusion regarding why the British motorcycle industry
was in steep decline was obvious.
>>
Obviously they used an actor in the commercial, not a real motorcyclist.
If I ever had to kick my 1964 N-15 Norton over 3 times (cold) to get it to
fire, there was a serious malfunction. In fact, I have, shortly after tuning
up the beast, started it with my hand, one quick snap of the kick starter
lever and VROOM.
The real conclusion is that the Jap bikes were NEVER inovative, always
immitative and prone to have gross exagerations made about them by unknowing
and generaly less than honest ad types.
Oh, for what it is worth, the 64 Norton could run rings around the new 750
Hondas (mid 70's). The terms rings is not a pun, as the Norton could out
handle the buggers too.
Rick
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