Happy birthday, and I hope you feel better soon! I can't speak to what's happening in the UK, but here in the US, Harley has been warned that their business practices were leading them in to a dead end for decades. The predicament Harley finds themselves in has nothing to do with what all the angry folks were complaining about. I've known enough die-hard Harley guys to recognize when they're lashing out at a scapegoat because they don't want to accept that someone's criticism of the company was proven correct.
Dart board travel Matt. Pick a base (Porto) then chuck a dart at the map and hit the road. Makes for super random destinations, research a little where your heading to and pick up all the sights on the way. Happy Birthday Matt. Ride safe.
Happy Birthday Matt, glad your feeling better now. Enjoy Porto, you'll love it there 😎 i used those carb sync vacuum gauges on my tbirb and they did a great job. Enjoy my friend and wish i were in porto to meet you.
Hope you had a great birthday my friend, despite you not feeling 100% well. Hope you feel better for your Portugal trip. You’ll enjoy some warmer weather rides. We’re still having sunny days here in Malta and we’re making the most of it taking our Thunderbirds for rides. Take care and all the best.
Firstly Happy Birthday..., you hardly look a day older than you did, the last time I saw you here! Secondly, i'm glad you didn't up-load yesterday. Why? Tooo many of my subbed content creators seem to think they must upload on Sunday, and then i'm overloaded with too many of "my channels" that I want to watch, like and a comment on. Along with all that, there is still at least 2 footy teams I want to watch on telly if they have their fixtures set on a Sunday. Two of which, I defo need to watch even if it's a Sunday fixture (I follow 4 teams, 1 of which being your Bristol City) and last but not least the family always seem to want/need some of me when I have the most screen time that needs to get watched. Monday is a quiet day and would always be (at least for me) better to have your upload notifications pop up, coz then I can watch within a few hours after, and be sure to get a comment in on reasonably current content/topic. I wonder how many others have such hectic Sundays, as mine often seem to be!? Then thirdly and lastly, get well soon mate, and stay well..., I wanna see Thunder Dad in good spirits, delivering top videos from somewhere where the sun shines without all the snow that has fallen upon us here in Switzerland, causing riding to be put on hold.... so i'm relying on ya Matt to prevent my Parked Bike Syndrome from becomeing too prevelavent ! Take care, ride safe and have fun. S.
Sorry mate, no sunny riding from me this time! This virus got the better of me and I had to remain in the UK. Sad times! That's for the heads up about upload times etc, that's helpful to know and probably the case for many viewers.
@thebristolthunderbird Oh shite... well biker buddies stick together, so i'm in on this bad bug thing with ya, and will try to endure a few more hard, cold and dull days along you, while hopeing you get over it quickly and get to see the sun and warmth soon. Hope you could cancel it all without loseing too many £££s. Get Well Soon Matt... and don't terrorise Nurse Lilliane to much!!
I'm local to Plymouth, and yeah it sucks about that group entering administration. It was the main group which went bust, covering Harley, Triumph and a couple of randoms, a Kia or something I think. I don't know which parts of that group were dragging the rest down, or if they all were, but I've heard they were £7M+ in debt across the various sections. They blame the current government and upcoming business cost increases of course, but realistically that Harley dealer was the worst dealer I've ever set foot in long before any of this. I'm sure the people were nice enough, hard to say as you could never find them, but that dealer was like a London carpark, four or five times too many bikes in too small a space. You couldn't see any of them for the bikes around them, couldn't sit on anything because they didn't bother taking the alarms off in the morning, and even if you could there wasn't enough space to stand the bikes up off the stand without hitting the next one. I've said for years that I genuinely didn't understand how they sold anything, and this might be reflective of that. They also mention in their statements about forced stock purchases from parent companies and such, something common for dealers which is a big drag on their income/outcome balance, and I think Fortnine did a video talking about that a while back. The one I am sad about though is Plymouth Triumph, which was a lovely dealer; bright, open, loads of room to see all the bikes and clothing, friendly staff, and you could sit on anything not already sold. I really hope they get bought back from the administrators and saved, and doubly so because as a Cornish resident I would now have to go all the way to Exeter to find a Triumph dealer. Rough times for all bike dealers right now, and especially those trying to sell high-end toys like Harley. Either way though it definitely seemed sudden as Harley was still posting job listings as recently as a few weeks ago. I almost considered applying at one point, so I'm glad now that I didn't.
That's mad, so sudden! Seems to be like a wave of closures all over the country. Sad times really, with lots of job losses too. Bristol Riders seems to be going fine, but who knows?!
Happy birthday, and I hope you feel better soon! I can't speak to what's happening in the UK, but here in the US, Harley has been warned that their business practices were leading them in to a dead end for decades. The predicament Harley finds themselves in has nothing to do with what all the angry folks were complaining about. I've known enough die-hard Harley guys to recognize when they're lashing out at a scapegoat because they don't want to accept that someone's criticism of the company was proven correct.
Interesting. It's hard to believe that such an iconic company can go so far down the wrong path and irritate so many of its fans.
Dart board travel Matt. Pick a base (Porto) then chuck a dart at the map and hit the road. Makes for super random destinations, research a little where your heading to and pick up all the sights on the way. Happy Birthday Matt. Ride safe.
Thanks mate. That sounds like a fun way of travelling round. When i eventually get away I'll try that method.
Hope you are able to able to go to Portugal. Good to get some warm weather biking in. I agree with you - I thought my ‘98 Box Eye Fazer was a looker.
Should have been there but couldn't do it unfortunately, just too washed out from this virus. Next time!
Have a good time 👍
Will have to be another time unfortunately!
If you need some help or backup during your stay at Porto, just message 👍 I live here so be welcome and lets meet up for a drink ✌ Have a good stay 🙂
Thank you so much. Unfortunately I am still in the UK! I wasn't quite as well as I thought.
@@thebristolthunderbird very sad that you can't make it. Feel free to contact next time ✌
Happy Birthday Matt, glad your feeling better now. Enjoy Porto, you'll love it there 😎 i used those carb sync vacuum gauges on my tbirb and they did a great job. Enjoy my friend and wish i were in porto to meet you.
It's a shame but I couldn't make it, not well enough and rest of the family going down with it too. Will try again next time!
Happy Birthday Matt!! 🎉🥳 Hope you are feeling better and better! Have a great time in Porto!
Thanks! Porto had to wait sadly.
@ Ahhh bummer…. Hope you are feeling better soon! Speedy recovery wishes🍀
Happy birthday 🎉
Thanks mate.
Happy Birthday Matt. Glad your on the mend. Looking forward to your next trip.
Thanks mate. Had to drop the Portugal trip unfortunately, just now well enough. Next trip will have to wait sadly!
@thebristolthunderbird fair enough. It will still be there lol when you feel better to enjoy it
I passed my bike test in 1999, my first big bike was the Fazer 600. Absolutely loved it, and it's still an awesome bike.
It's a crazy good bike for next to no money.
Totally agree the Fazer is now an iconic bike......and a dawn fine looking machine!...happi bday..
Thanks mate. The Fazer is just a lovely bike. Glad I've got one in the stable again.
Glad you are feeling better mate, stay safe.
Cheers bud. Getting there, wasn't quite well enough to away unfortunately. Will have to arrange something for the new year.
I knew it. you are a Sagittarius. Happy Birthday Bro.
Mine is 3 of December and a biker too.
Wish you all the best to get up to 100% again 😀
Ps: Thank you very much for the video 😀
Thanks mate. Trip had to wait, but will make up for it. Not a nice virus this one!
@@thebristolthunderbird Your health comes first. everything els have to wait 😀
Happiest of birthdays to you 🎉🎉
Thanks mate!
Hope you had a great birthday my friend, despite you not feeling 100% well. Hope you feel better for your Portugal trip. You’ll enjoy some warmer weather rides. We’re still having sunny days here in Malta and we’re making the most of it taking our Thunderbirds for rides. Take care and all the best.
Happy birthday mate
Thanks mate.
Did read that EU will put ISA automatic engine throttle body in Bikes too 😞
And it's not EURO5 but EURO5 Plus now 😲
Nothing a spanner can't remove...
Firstly Happy Birthday..., you hardly look a day older than you did, the last time I saw you here!
Secondly, i'm glad you didn't up-load yesterday. Why? Tooo many of my subbed content creators seem to think they must upload on Sunday, and then i'm overloaded with too many of "my channels" that I want to watch, like and a comment on. Along with all that, there is still at least 2 footy teams I want to watch on telly if they have their fixtures set on a Sunday. Two of which, I defo need to watch even if it's a Sunday fixture (I follow 4 teams, 1 of which being your Bristol City) and last but not least the family always seem to want/need some of me when I have the most screen time that needs to get watched. Monday is a quiet day and would always be (at least for me) better to have your upload notifications pop up, coz then I can watch within a few hours after, and be sure to get a comment in on reasonably current content/topic. I wonder how many others have such hectic Sundays, as mine often seem to be!?
Then thirdly and lastly, get well soon mate, and stay well..., I wanna see Thunder Dad in good spirits, delivering top videos from somewhere where the sun shines without all the snow that has fallen upon us here in Switzerland, causing riding to be put on hold.... so i'm relying on ya Matt to prevent my Parked Bike Syndrome from becomeing too prevelavent !
Take care, ride safe and have fun. S.
Sorry mate, no sunny riding from me this time! This virus got the better of me and I had to remain in the UK. Sad times! That's for the heads up about upload times etc, that's helpful to know and probably the case for many viewers.
@thebristolthunderbird Oh shite... well biker buddies stick together, so i'm in on this bad bug thing with ya, and will try to endure a few more hard, cold and dull days along you, while hopeing you get over it quickly and get to see the sun and warmth soon. Hope you could cancel it all without loseing too many £££s.
Get Well Soon Matt... and don't terrorise Nurse Lilliane to much!!
Happy Birthday and get yourself off to Portugal you’ll regret it if you don’t
No doubt needed a break, but this one has had to wait. The virus got the better of me!
@ That’s a shame but understandable if your not well, get better soon 👍🏼
Porto is not the best idea to go touring with a motorbike at this time of year. It rains a lot and is much colder than in S-Portugal.
You may be right! Didn't get the opportunity to see for myself this time. My little bout with this virus kept me at home.
I'm local to Plymouth, and yeah it sucks about that group entering administration. It was the main group which went bust, covering Harley, Triumph and a couple of randoms, a Kia or something I think. I don't know which parts of that group were dragging the rest down, or if they all were, but I've heard they were £7M+ in debt across the various sections. They blame the current government and upcoming business cost increases of course, but realistically that Harley dealer was the worst dealer I've ever set foot in long before any of this. I'm sure the people were nice enough, hard to say as you could never find them, but that dealer was like a London carpark, four or five times too many bikes in too small a space. You couldn't see any of them for the bikes around them, couldn't sit on anything because they didn't bother taking the alarms off in the morning, and even if you could there wasn't enough space to stand the bikes up off the stand without hitting the next one. I've said for years that I genuinely didn't understand how they sold anything, and this might be reflective of that. They also mention in their statements about forced stock purchases from parent companies and such, something common for dealers which is a big drag on their income/outcome balance, and I think Fortnine did a video talking about that a while back.
The one I am sad about though is Plymouth Triumph, which was a lovely dealer; bright, open, loads of room to see all the bikes and clothing, friendly staff, and you could sit on anything not already sold. I really hope they get bought back from the administrators and saved, and doubly so because as a Cornish resident I would now have to go all the way to Exeter to find a Triumph dealer. Rough times for all bike dealers right now, and especially those trying to sell high-end toys like Harley.
Either way though it definitely seemed sudden as Harley was still posting job listings as recently as a few weeks ago. I almost considered applying at one point, so I'm glad now that I didn't.
Also Happy Birthday mate!
That's mad, so sudden! Seems to be like a wave of closures all over the country. Sad times really, with lots of job losses too. Bristol Riders seems to be going fine, but who knows?!
So now Riders in Bristol is the only Harley dealer the whole south west of England? This isn’t good for the brand.
Not good at all. It's like the downfall of a giant.
I can shelter you in Vila Real if you need.
That's super kind of you. Unfortunately I couldn't travel due to not feeling well enough. Thought I would be fine but no! Next time my friend.
Think Harley has gone woke 🤮
That's what I'm hearing.