Oh, I just found this…  I knew there was a reason I like this site!  Since I started posting on this site I have learned tons!  I find that I can ask questions and not be riddiculed but teased a little which is okay.  I'm trying so hard to learn to ride a motorbike that I was taught to fear. 

I love to ride becuase it is the only time that I don't have to deal with all that "other" stuff that causes me stress.  I come to this site to make that time better.  Like so many others have said if I want to have 'those discussions' I'll take it to another forum.

I just want to talk and read about riding burgies and all that goes with it.

Thank you very much for keeping it that way. 

Sounds good, Steve. Sorry if it seemed as though I was suggesting you shoulder te whole burden – for sure, we should all play a part, though we don't all have the final executive power.

Steve, could I suggest (if it's not the  case already) a safeguard in 2 parts:

1) A declaration upfront in the site's “mission statement” that these topics are off limits, in the spirit that we're all agreed with.

2) Action to remove any item when (by your judgment) a thread becomes clearly offensive.

This is a fun, constructive, supportive  group – let's keep that good atmosphere.

I couldn't agree more w/ you Steve and the other comments made.  I am a fairly new rider of a 2008 Burgman 650 and I joined the forum to learn all I can about my great Burgie.  The information is outstanding.  If I want political or religious commentary, there are plenty of websites out there for that type stuff.  Let's keep this website for all of us fortunate owners of Burgman's to share ideas, info, and experiences.  Ride on!!  Frank 64

Well said Steve.

And in my opinion – very timely indeed.

Eventhough I didn't see it coming , it's certainly no harm to lay down a marker about what's allowed and what's not.

We currently seem to have an excellent spread of list members who contribute knowledgeable and interesting posts……and long may that continue.

On a personal experience ; I was a member of another excellent motorcycle forum for 7 years until very recently, when the posts got more and more political and religion based, to the extent that the whole thing got totally out of hand and ended up with really personal and nasty emails between listers.

Because of what I was reading, I eventually unsubscribed from that forum and the listowner subsequently to me that he had lost 90% of the membership.

His one regret was that he didn't clamp down soon enough because he thought he might offend a few people……big mistake….

Bottom line  :  that forum is now 'dead' and I assume the perpetrators have merrily gone off to pedal their wares on some other unsuspecting bike forum.

What had been a really successful forum, where a knowledge base and friendship built up over many years had turned into a total disaster because a minority insisted on trying to force their views and opinions on others.

So may i thank you once more for your post, and hopefully, it will consign any off topic subjects of this nature to the bin.

I'm here to talk about Burgies…so let's talk Burgies folks.!!

Apologies for sounding to depressing but I was really p***sed at losing good internet buddies.

Getting off my soap box,

Ride Safe,

Pat McSweeney