It's surprising how many folk I talk to now under 40 who say "Never heard of them".
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I rode my Thunderbolt to work a few times and a couple of my co-workers looked at it and asked what make it was. Was parked with a Japanese cruiser style and a Honda 750/4 from the early 70s. Went to start it at the end of the work day and got a comment about starting it "old school."
Once I stopped at a place to get fuel and the sales clerk there made a comment about my "Harley".
People have no clue unless it can go warp speed or is the size of a small car (HD).
Reminds me of when I stopped at Stirling services in the ?early 90s on a Jupiter 350 (2 stroke twin) with a sidecar attached and someone asked me "is that a Harley?" Maybe some people just pluck a name out the air and throw it out there at random :o
I was at a warbirds air show on Saturday and got the best compliment for my A10 Golden Flash, when a father with his two young sons walked past, and he said to his sons ("Now there's a proper motorbike") I thought that was really nice.
Quote from: TTJOHN on 12 Aug, 2026, 16:38 I was at a warbirds air show on Saturday and got the best compliment for my A10 Golden Flash, when a father with his two young sons walked past, and he said to his sons ("Now there's a proper motorbike") I thought that was really nice.
I'd nipped to the local shop on my Victor S at the weekend and two lads on those growly little retro 125s pulled-up for a look . They loved it , though they did initially ask if it was one of the "New BSAs".
Talking of the new ones a mate is friends with the editor of one of the bike magazines who had been loaned a 350 Bantam on a two week road test. My mate did the riding for the photo shoot. Not known for his restrained riding style he sent me a photo of the poor little thing rocketing over a bridge with the front wheel in the air!