Sonny Barger Quote..... (Original president of hells angles)

[smokey422]

He said it, I read it right in his book "Hells Angel". And he's right, I've owned 3 Harleys and enjoyed the ride but hated the breakdowns and maintenance. I had 70,000 miles on my last Harley and had to take the exhaust off and weld up the cracks more often than I changed oil. I ride with a bunch of Harley riders and you wouldn't believe how much time they spend talking about their breakdowns. I don't know anything about Victories but I would be the first one to cheer if they cut into Harley's market.

[Reveen]

It wouldn't surprise me if he said it. In the book Hunter Thompson wrote about his time with the HA he himself rode a British cycle and describes several of the others also riding British bikes. This was in their early days and the Harley mystique had not set in for them yet. Here's an interesting article on Barger and what he's up to (as of 2010) also what he rides.

http://articles.latimes.com/2010/jul/06/entertainment/la-et-sonny-barger-20100706

I read that book while on a trip to Jamaica a few years ago and loved it. I'm a big HST fan.

[moosewing3]

It wouldn't surprise me if he said it. In the book Hunter Thompson wrote about his time with the HA he himself rode a British cycle and describes several of the others also riding British bikes. This was in their early days and the Harley mystique had not set in for them yet. Here's an interesting article on Barger and what he's up to (as of 2010) also what he rides.

http://articles.latimes.com/2010/jul/06/entertainment/la-et-sonny-barger-20100706

[John Hopkins]

I would be suprised if he actually said that, although Japanese bikes were 'at one time' the best in the world, I think as more and more builds are being subcontracted out to cheap Chinese factories the build quality is dropping fast..Part of the problem is us, the consumer, we only expect our bikes to last one year before we have to do something to keep them on the road, just ask yourself how many times you have expected to do some work during winter to prepare for spring riding, and how many times have you said to yourself, I should have sorted that out last winter..

All the Japanese manufacturers have something made in China, so do Harley and I would bet most small spare parts for every bike are available as a generic copy from a chinese source.

Just look around small town America and count the number of factories that have closed because the product is no longer made in the USA.

John.

[moosewing3]

Yes anything I have seen him in lately, he is riding Victory.  I think more and more 1% are, they are still American made, a much higher percentage American made that an HD actually.

[Reveen]

I remember seeing a tv special about him a year or so ago. His new bike was a Victory Vision if I remember correctly.

[LarryInSeattle]

Here is his quote:

In terms of pure work-manship, personally I don't like Harleys. I ride them because I'm in the club, and that's the image, but if I could I would seriously consider riding a Honda ST1100 or a BMW. We really missed the boat not switching over to the Japanese models when they began building bigger bikes. I'll usually say "F*** Harley-Davidson." "

—- Ralph "Sonny" Barger, Hell's Angel Prez #1

Quoted at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sonny_Barger

Funny that he would be quoted saying that. It is one thing to think it, quite another to say it out loud.