The unfortunate fruit of our increasingly superficial society is mischaracterization and simplisticism. Meme is everything. Meaning is unimportant. Such is the case with many who regard my vintage Honda ethos as rigid, unthinking orthodoxy. Honda knows best, etc. But that, as I say, is gross mischaracterization.

If that really was my view, would I be running a K&N air filter on my bike? And a different cam and high compression pistons? Would I advocate silicone brake fluid, degreed cams, and other non-Honda specifications? When I observe on a bike that the rear brake rubber washer is installed wrong or missing altogether, it isn't the offense of it being out of Honda spec. It isn't slavish devotion to Big Red. Rather, it's that the parts are not assembled correctly. They are not performing as intended. They're not right.