nklr- uro observations

[dswass@northernnet.com]

I just returned from a two and half week vacation to Helsinki,Amsterdam,Paris, and London. Sadly without a bike. Here are a few things I noticed. Dual Sports: They were everywhere alot of XT's BMW's I saw a few DR 800's pretty cool lots of Transalps very few KLRS I did see a few KLX's. Next to sport bikes these were the most popular bike I saw and for good reason alot of the roads and streets are cobblestone. I saw a fair number of super motrad set ups and whats up with street going two strokes...legalized dirtbikes I thought Europe was supposed to be so "Green" Sport bikes: These guys are serious you didn't see any teenagers in sandals, oakleys and cutoffs wearing a baseball hat backwards. These guys were wearing full leathers and they rode through traffic like it wasn't even there. Scooters in Paris: Every kid over the the age of 12 had one. lots more two-stokes whats up with that. In the U.S. we haven't had street going two-stokes in 15 years. Saw one scooter that was really pretty cool it was a Honda Shadow pretty snazzy. Cruisers..Harleys: Very few I was in a HD shop in Helsinki and the floor was full of them but at $30K and up I could see why. In the U.K. I was in a shop, Warrs in London, and the show room was full and they wanted over $30k as well. Riders in general: They all rode FAST and had no fear of splitting lanes. And they had no regard for the weather I saw as many bikes on the days it rained as the days the sun was out.