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Court
| | Posted on Wednesday, December 06, 2006 - 06:09 am: | 
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>>>the buells of today owe a LOT - at least in chassis & aesthetics to the britton.
That is a rediculously false statement.
I presume you have red BOTH books about Britten? The one that is the size of a phone book as well as the one the family quickly hired Felicity (John's wife's cousin) to quickly write another, more "table topish" version, after Hanna did 5 years of exhaustive research.
Chrome bumpers are not evidence of rare metal.
I think you should rephrase your statement by adding "my personal opinion based on having never met, having not known the family of or read anything other than what was in the motorcycle periodicals. . . " in front of it.
John Britten, largely is deference to his accomplishments is one of the quiet unspoken topics of the motorcycle business.
There are IN FACT very few valid comparioson between John Britten, who made 10 bikes, and Erik Buell who has produced over 100,000 . . . either in terms of technical or personal traits.
Court |
Court
| | Posted on Wednesday, December 06, 2006 - 06:53 am: |
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Which do you base your opinions on?
I personally see nearly ZERO valid comparisons between Buell and Britten. |
Jscott
| | Posted on Wednesday, December 06, 2006 - 07:17 am: |
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Court's right there are zero valid comparisons. Wasn't the Blue headers on the X1W sort of a tribute to Britten? |
Trojan
| | Posted on Wednesday, December 06, 2006 - 07:25 am: |
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infact - the buells of today owe a LOT - at least in chassis & aesthetics to the britton.
The Britten didn't have a chassis. A lesson that the rest of the bike industry still haven't learned  |
Court
| | Posted on Wednesday, December 06, 2006 - 09:07 am: |
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>>>>Wasn't the Blue headers on the X1W sort of a tribute to Britten?
To precisely the same extent golf balls were invented to commemorate eggs. |
Court
| | Posted on Wednesday, December 06, 2006 - 09:09 am: |
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I'm curious as to how many folks in this discussion own, and have read, BOTH those books?
There is a really interesting history behind this. |
Jscott
| | Posted on Wednesday, December 06, 2006 - 09:14 am: |
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"To precisely the same extent golf balls were invented to commemorate eggs."
That is an inaccurate statement.
They weren't invented to commemorate eggs, they were invented as a replacement. You see eggs apparently (from what I hear) didn't hold up so well when hit with the club.
Remind me to tell you some time. |
Trojan
| | Posted on Wednesday, December 06, 2006 - 09:42 am: |
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You see eggs apparently (from what I hear) didn't hold up so well when hit with the club.
The chickens aren't too keen on it either |
Jimidan
| | Posted on Wednesday, December 06, 2006 - 11:03 am: |
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Blake sez:
Jimi,
"it sure was implied."
Brother, before Daytona the question was asked directly here somewhere and some anonymous poster informed us all in no uncertain terms that there would be no full season factory FX effort, nor likely even a full season privateer/dealer FX effort in 2006. That's what I remember. I guess you missed it?"
I do not remember seeing it ever stated definitively before Daytona, but as a very learned man once told me, "Some of the plethora of crap being posted has merit much doesn't."
I will go back and have a look-see.
jimidan |
Court
| | Posted on Wednesday, December 06, 2006 - 11:07 am: |
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quote:"Some of the plethora of crap being posted has merit much doesn't."
Sounds oddly familiar . . .  . . suppose we should move that to the quotable quotes thread?
Coming to the internet for information is like going to a brothel for morals. |
Blake
| | Posted on Wednesday, December 06, 2006 - 04:47 pm: |
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Geez Court! I'm not sure, but is it remotely possible that you may have just insulted yourself?
I won't stand for that here! Buck up amigo!
Jimi,
Crap with merit? Fertilizing tender young minds? 
My view of what they have in common--though I've not read the books, but I'd like too, very much actually--seems to be that both Erik and John shared an uber-passion for sporting motorcycles, racing, and they each relish(ed) out-of-the-box thinking. Erik still does; it sucks big time that John no longer walks the Earth, but when he did he sure gave us an interesting motorcycle to ponder and admire. |
Jimidan
| | Posted on Wednesday, December 06, 2006 - 08:07 pm: |
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Someone mentioned that the Britten would be a good candidate for copying. The Britten is a (very) dated design now, but I wonder how it would stack up against modern sportbikes? What could John do with modern technology at his fingertips?
It is kinda like asking what would Jimi Hendrix do with the electronic toys of today? Shucks, he did all that with a Strat, fuzz-tone hooked up to a car battery, about 16 tracks max in the studio, and a tape-loop machine. Oh yeah, and of course, Lysergic acid...can't leave out the most important ingredient. But he was frustrated with the technology, as evidenced by such songs as "Manic Depression".
jimidan |
Mikej
| | Posted on Wednesday, December 06, 2006 - 08:32 pm: |
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Found the following link earlier today:
http://www.britten.co.nz
and found two books not shown above:
Dare to Dream, the John Britton story
amazon link to book
and
Children's Superbike Book,
quote:A soft cover 16 page picture book covering the making of the Britten motorcycle.
Written by Jane Buxton with the assistance of John Britten.
Suitable for ages 8-12 years.
Somehow I think I'd like it too, and I'm a bit beyond 12 years old. 
(Message edited by mikej on December 06, 2006) |
Court
| | Posted on Thursday, December 07, 2006 - 05:54 am: |
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Court
| | Posted on Thursday, December 07, 2006 - 06:01 am: |
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Although his twin sister Margueritte had no problem, John grew up with a reading difficulty. Interesting that there was so much written about Britten. |
Jimidan
| | Posted on Thursday, December 07, 2006 - 10:59 am: |
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Dang Court...where did you get that receipt? It is a museum piece. Cool.
jimidan |
Vonsliek
| | Posted on Thursday, December 07, 2006 - 05:56 pm: |
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i guess i was trying to say i have a lot of interest in the britton design - reading the *hanna* bk, fwiw .. & am not a nit-picking nazi, so will not be able to argue every iota of book -
personally not knowing anyone or anything abt anything (is that better, court - judge judy?! ;P) . i guess my invalid & wildly innaccurate comments/opinions are not worth of dignifying.
apparently i found a raw, live nerve .. bigotus buellii...
whatever .. but i so appreciated the reaming, dude! |
Blake
| | Posted on Friday, December 08, 2006 - 02:20 am: |
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You are a big man Vonsliek. |
Rocketman
| | Posted on Friday, December 08, 2006 - 05:39 am: |
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Von, my pearls of wisdom were meant light hearted. I thought your comment was funny, and it's easy to see how one could make several comparisons.
I thought my comment might open up some other funny stuff too, though I understand how some might take it a little more seriously. Especially so in an effort not to confuse newer BadWeBers who might not be aware of both Buell and Britten's different philosophies and history. I'm sure no one meant any harm either way.
Thanks for the great line though.
Rocket |
Buell920
| | Posted on Friday, December 08, 2006 - 09:01 am: |
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http://www.motorcycle.com/mo/mcbuell/buellintervie w6_95.html
scroll to about the bottom were it ask's about the VR1000 motor. it took a little while to find. Statements like that are IMOP what fuel the fire. |
Court
| | Posted on Friday, December 08, 2006 - 10:16 am: |
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>>>> but i so appreciated the reaming, dude!
Not to worry. . . . talking about things one has limited knowledge of is what makes the internet...well "the internet".
I didn't mean to demean you or your opinion. I did mean to say that mine (we're both entitled to our opinion) was based on a good deal of study, having met, had dinner with and talked to Kirsteen Britten and other in the camp.
If all opinions were the same Al Gore wouldn't have invented the internet.
I think John Britten was a fascinating guy. I think a good deal of the created aura about him is inaccurate.
Court |
Jimidan
| | Posted on Wednesday, December 13, 2006 - 09:44 am: |
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...and THAT was when he was only a Senator. Just think what he could have invented as President! |
Anonymous
| | Posted on Wednesday, December 13, 2006 - 05:27 pm: |
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Buell920,
I think you are right about statements fueling the fire, but there has been a lot of water since then to dampen the fire.
For example, it's getting well known that Buell was the originator of the Revolution engine that became the V-Rod powerplant. That must be what Erik was talking about in this interview, because the time period of that interview is before the V-Rod showed up.
As hardcore Buell followers know, H-D changed the course of that engine to make it a large highly styled cruiser engine, which made it unsuitable for a Buell sportbike. That's the way it goes, sometimes when you don't have much money, you don't get the girl!
But heck, the expensive ones are high maintenance anyhow! So, is there some really hot babe in blue jeans that will replace the diamond encrusted German aristocrat that broke Erik's heart? Hmmm, think of replacing Ivana Trump with Shania Twain; that wouldn't be so bad! |
Babyhuey
| | Posted on Wednesday, December 13, 2006 - 07:38 pm: |
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i heard through the grapevine,sorta of a friend of a friend kind of thing,that buell was test a liquid cooled motor from an outside vender.i don't know how much of this is true but it's what i heard.i think he said it was a rotax motor similiar to the aprilia powerplant.take this for what it is i guess. |
Rocketsprink
| | Posted on Wednesday, December 13, 2006 - 09:35 pm: |
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Yeah. For what it is.
No offense. I hope it's true! |
Blake
| | Posted on Wednesday, December 13, 2006 - 11:21 pm: |
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Shania Twain and motorcycles in the same discussion, in the same post?
Mark the date. We have achieved discussion board nirvana. |
Buell920
| | Posted on Thursday, December 14, 2006 - 08:15 am: |
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Anon
I agree. there is no doubt as to the time frame of that interview. "We will never build a 100hp engine". that was also said in the same interview. But Erik and company Have played with the org VR motor. One of the org ones sit's out at Juno ave and if you look close at the size and how it was mounted, we may see a true 1000cc version but prob not till 2009 or so. I also think HD would love to see it happen as well. they did good with it on the strip, there rocking in the dirt with the XR's so why not use Buell MC to dominate the track? bla bla bla who really knows? but I also loved the game CLUE so........
(Message edited by buell920 on December 14, 2006) |
Buell920
| | Posted on Thursday, December 14, 2006 - 12:07 pm: |
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also
I to have been a "HARDCORE" follower from 95. just not as vocal as others.  |
Mutation_racer
| | Posted on Thursday, December 14, 2006 - 01:26 pm: |
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IF THEY BUILD IT, WE WILL BUY IT |
Mutation_racer
| | Posted on Friday, December 15, 2006 - 05:32 pm: |
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that doesn't mean stop building the air cooled |
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