acotrel said:
I don't have a problem racing my Seeley 850 against a Yamaha XS650 or any other bike with a two valve air cooled single, twin or triple cylinder motor, and I don't give a stuff what age it is or it's nationality, as long as it is not over 1000cc capacity. At least when it is doing it's thing it sounds right , and the owner has the same developmental problems I have. The level playing field is important and mixed grids are rubbish.
I know nothing about racing, historic racing etc.
I don't mind most nationalities of motorcycles, but I do have a sour mouth about Japanese bikes and I'd never buy a new one.
This is because I am aware of Japans history during WW2 and to date. In particular their industrial history in the 40s, 50s and 60s.
Put shortly it is a disgrace, Japan literally had government endorsed Industrial spies, for example students were sent abroad on the basis that they would collect information for their return, Sangyo supai in english "industrial spy" was an official well paid occupation in Japan.
I don't think any country in the world including China which is doing a hell of a lot of copying at the moment has ever had such an industrial espionage program on the scale that Japan had post war.
Yes the Japanese innovated in the 70-80s onwards but they got there by unscrupulous and questionable business practices while maintaining a false facade of good practice, which was not so in reality. This isn't just with motorcycles, but cars, computers etc. etc. all of the Japanese main industries. There is really very little the Japs have invented or innovated, it was usually copied and then "upgraded".