Quote:
Originally Posted by Tim Cullis
Absolutely, and it goes more than 50 years further back than the R80GS or the XT500.
Early Harley-Davidson models were designed for dirt roads as that was what most roads in America were like at the time. Hence the introduction of the 1919 Sport Model which was designed for 'rough stuff'.
Round about 1920 HD introduced a military model for the US Army, and even the BSA M20 ridden by my father in the Royal Signals in WWII predates BMW's GS range by over 30 years.
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Indeed. My correction above was very much aimed at Mr/Ms/They Flop.
One of my Glaswegian grandfather's stories of WW2 was soon after DDay, riding a "borrowed"  BMW bike through German lines from Normandy to Brittany to see his wife and son for the first time. Ernest was one of the first British Commandos on Sword beach very early on 6th June '44. (He didn't have time to hang out chatting to the Germans at Ouistreham as Pegasus bridge down the road needed holding).
On his ride westwards, at one point, he ended up in a ditch after a Spitfire straffed him! So kinda off road for a few yards
Usually he didn't talk much about the war. The guy left more than footprints on the beach at Dunkirk
Last edited by chris; 6 Jan 2025 at 19:39.
Reason: straffed
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