[The iron giant]

Always up for a bit of banter and micky taking with biking friends.
So when a friend buys a thai-umph and claims it is a British bike and maybe adds a few union Jack flags...
Triumph always plays the heritage card but they are not fooling me.
I believe a Japanese bike is better built in Japan and a Italian bike should be built in Italy.
How many people really want a Indian Harley or Beemer.
So I often point out that I own two Japanese bikes (xsr700 and vanvan 200) and there tyres are filled with Japanese air.
Last night I read that my bike is built in France WTF.
Please tell me this is not true.

 

[Tigerjohn]

Mais oui, c'est vrai. Mon Dieu! But don't worry - some of that Japanese air might have blown its way over to France! I think - though I may be wrong - that the engines are built in Japan and final assembly of the bike takes place in France. There's an MBK plate on the frame of your bike (cover it with gaffer tape if it offends!). Presumably, the European assembly avoids EU import tariffs. You can be sure, though, like all Japanese companies, that Yamaha keep a very close eye on quality control. The days of the 'home produced' car or bike are long gone. We think of the Mini and Land Rover as iconic British built cars, but, of course, they're German and Indian owned respectively. Hey ho, another conundrum!

 

[The iron giant]

Interesting so my bike may be a bit of a mongrel then. This is not a bad thing, in 2008 I brought a red f800s it was simply sensational on looking around the bike I probably stopped counting when I had found components from over ten countries.
Austrian engine / Italian brakes / French tyres / Japanese suspension / Bosch abs ect
My new cavachon dog is half French and I love him.
I remember motobecane making a 350 two stroke triple similar to Kawasaki's s2.
Yamaha brought the company as a way into Europe.
Might get myself a beret and hang some onions across the xsr's handlebars!
P.S. my Slovenian exhaust and American sat nav are also making the bike truly global.

 

[hotwheels]

Interesting so my bike may be a bit of a mongrel then. This is not a bad thing, in 2008 I brought a red f800s it was simply sensational on looking around the bike I probably stopped counting when I had found components from over ten countries.
Austrian engine / Italian brakes / French tyres / Japanese suspension / Bosch abs ect
My new cavachon dog is half French and I love him.
I remember motobecane making a 350 two stroke triple similar to Kawasaki's s2.
Yamaha brought the company as a way into Europe.
Might get myself a beret and hang some onions across the xsr's handlebars!
P.S. my Slovenian exhaust and American sat nav are also making the bike truly global.

Pretty cool description of french people