North Harbour Yamaha gone

[gammaguy]

Hard to find a more knowledgeable fellow than Andrew Lawrence that's for sure. Nice guy to boot. Pretty handy on a motorsickle too.

and has a lovely kwaka triple

[Harry up]

Just called TMG Yamaha in Takanini, they're closing end of this month as well.

I might as well have a go at servicing this bike myself.

For f$&?s sake, what's going on Yamaha!

[Harry up]

Anyone can/will service any make/model.

And still cover the new bike warranty....?

[Zedder]

Na, just don't like what the japs did to the british motorcycle industry. I find some pleasure, ok almost delight nowdays that the preverbial boot is on the other foot.

Recently I busted a headlight on the roadking. Went to the local HD dealer, they asked is it a jeweled, patterned or smoke lense, I said was a clear one, which was the jeweled one. They went out back got a new one in a box and all it cost me was $70 which included a new bulb and plug.

I wonder how much one is for a FZRRRRRRR and if there is even one in NZ?

Yeah, but it wasn't just the Japs doing though. Lack of support from the British Government, post WW2 conditions, petrol rationing plus poor management and production systems etc didn't help.

I always remember being a bit bemused about HDs being built under license in Japan from 1929-1958. Hard case.

[gloplg]

Na, just don't like what the japs did to the british motorcycle industry.

When I worked at Whiting and Waltho in the early 1970's EVERY British bike in the showroom had at least one drip tray under it. NONE of the Hondas etc needed a drip tray because the machining tolerances of the Japanese bikes was so much better that they didn't leak.

The British were using clapped out production machinery to make motorcycles which dated from the 1930's. They shot themselves in the foot by not updating either their machinery or the bikes themselves. The Japanese produced far better bikes with good performance at a good price.

In 1971 a cb350 cost just under $1000.00 wofed, regd, with a full tank of petrol. A cb750 was just under $2k.

Sorry Phil but the Brits did it to themselves.

[Maha]

And still cover the new bike warranty....?

Yip, I bought my bike from North Harbour Yamaha, but got the first service done here where I live, I did ask the question before doing so.

[Crasherfromwayback]

and has a lovely kwaka triple

Didn't know he was into them. Which model? I'm guessing an H2?

[Robert Taylor]

For f$&?s sake, what's going on Yamaha!

I think people have to just get used to the fact that there actually need to be a lot less motorcycle dealers because as has been particularly evident ( with Yamahas example but not confined to them ) operating costs and razor thin margins on many products ARE UNSUSTAINABLE.
With a lot fewer dealers there would be a lot more business for each dealer, making it sustainable.
One of the biggest dealers in Christchurch had his annual premises premium rise from 15k per annum to 30k, that has to be reflected in what he charges. Too many people have no conception of what it costs just to open the doors...
When I see emotive comments about being ''arse raped'' by the dealer I think well, lets scrutinise the industries that the accusers work in...

[Edbear]

I think people have to just get used to the fact that there actually need to be a lot less motorcycle dealers because as has been particularly evident ( with Yamahas example but not confined to them ) operating costs and razor thin margins on many products ARE UNSUSTAINABLE.
With a lot fewer dealers there would be a lot more business for each dealer, making it sustainable.
One of the biggest dealers in Christchurch had his annual premises premium rise from 15k per annum to 30k, that has to be reflected in what he charges. Too many people have no conception of what it costs just to open the doors...
When I see emotive comments about being ''arse raped'' by the dealer I think well, lets scrutinise the industries that the accusers work in...

Yebbut that would spoil a good rant, wouldn't it?

[actungbaby]

[QUOTE=Flip;1130460944]Na, just don't like what the japs did to the british motorcycle industry. I find some pleasure, ok almost delight nowdays that the preverbial boot is on the other foot.

The british bike industry well the bike brands themselves didnt
Re invest enough money back into new models
And new production plants
The japenses took o ring tech and turned the bikes from

Beiing oil leakers and made affordable motrobikes and turned bikes main stream transport .

People scoffed at early honda bikes at the island man tt
they didnt few years later

am not biased mind you never owned anything but jap
Bikes i like new truimphs think there great.
My understanding kawaski hleped with engine design on first truimph tripples
And the supply brakes and susension parts so dont think there any nasty
attitudes on behave japenses industry to the west, mind dont think too keen
On the koren indusrty
But unfortunly the bristish car industry went same way in the 80s

[Crasherfromwayback]

Na, just don't like what the japs did to the british motorcycle industry. ?

The Poms didn't nead any help fucking themselves. All the 'Japs' did was teach every other cunt how to make reliable motorcycles that didn't leak oil.

[merv]

Flip seems to have forgotten it took a while for Harley Davidson to discover the secrets of "total quality management" as practised by the Japs with a little help from the Merikans after WWII (Demming).

[Zedder]

Flip seems to have forgotten it took a while for Harley Davidson to discover the secrets of "total quality management" as practised by the Japs with a little help from the Merikans after WWII (Demming).

Bizarrely enough, Demming wasn't listened to in the USA initially but the Japs idolised him.

[ktm84mxc]

The Japs might not have invented the motorcycle but sure as hell made it better and reliable for the masses.
That's the Japanese strength to take an idea and improve it every cycle.

[GrayWolf]

Na, just don't like what the japs did to the british motorcycle industry. I find some pleasure, ok almost delight nowdays that the preverbial boot is on the other foot.

Recently I busted a headlight on the roadking. Went to the local HD dealer, they asked is it a jeweled, patterned or smoke lense, I said was a clear one, which was the jeweled one. They went out back got a new one in a box and all it cost me was $70 which included a new bulb and plug.

I wonder how much one is for a FZRRRRRRR and if there is even one in NZ?

Mate I started my biking career in the mid 70's in the UK. I owned 4 brit bikes (Tiger Cub sport, James Captain and 2x 1960's Bonneville's. Then I 'got wise' and went to a Kwaka H1
My trade was a Toolmaker (means I made the complex one off's rather than production stuff) my 2nd Bonny had a morgo 750 hop up, guy who owned it was mid 30's and a Trumpy 'nut' I took the casings and covers to work and machined them. Side covers were distorted noticably (either constant overtightening to stop oil leaks, poor original machining, or, both... engine case mating sirfaces were not 'true' either) After this the Trumpy only leaked an odd drip BUT still effin leaked.
The Japs didnt 'do it' to the Brit bike Industry. Poor management did... proir to NVT Norton had been conglomerated and was the 'money maker' of the group, so it's profits were syphoned to support it's 'ailing brethren'..NVT>? The Trident was ALMOST equal to the Nonda 750/4 but too expensive and still needed modifying (no electric start etc). By the time the T160 was in production it was too late, and if the 900 triple or the Quadrant could have saved the industry is an arguable point. Management made the stupid decision for 'financial reasons' to stay with the Bonny..... The 350 fury/bandit was rushed into prototype/ pre-production and was almost ready, management 'canned it' and it WOULD have competed with the Jap 350/400's of the day "Launched in 1971 the 5-speed, 349cc double overhead cam twin cylinder Triumph Bandit delivered 34bhp and could reach 110mph. Essentially the same motorcycle as the BSA Fury, the Bandit represented the factory's last attempt to compete against Japanese imports." There was also the Norton Wulf 500 2T, yes you read that right a Norton 2T, canned with only 1 or 2 pre production bikes made... Dont blame the Jap's. Blame the piss poor management, coz there were guys with some really shit hot ideas in the Brit bike industry.

the rest is History