Snip:
"Which brings me to Mr. Kohler. No vitriol intended here, but, really, man, how valuable is your opinion anyway?
Far as I can tell, you don't own or ride *any* vintage Italian race iron, so how would you know what it's like to ride that iron on a regular basis?
For what it's worth, they ride just as nice slow, as fast, so enough with the straw men, ok?
And before you start assuming all kinds of stuff about me, I should inform you that I rode a Falcon San Remo for 20-odd years, in all weather, including 3 feet of fresh snow (no lie), and it's one of my favorite bikes...the fact that it's rather Italian in a 50s kind-of-way probably has something to do with it. ;>
No offense intended, or taken, but you might try owning and riding some Italian race iron before you are so free with your opinion of same.
Name removed for privacy"
To all that it may concern about some of the views that have run on this list about British bikes and some close minded thoughts on Mr. Kohler's views.
Peter C. Kohler is an accomplished and published writer having written several books on the Italian and other European shipping lines during the last century. Below is a quick review on one of his books on the Italian Lido Fleet.
Although Italian Line was officially established in 1932, The Lido Fleet also covers the years that led to the formation of the company. Mr. Kohler gives a concise account of each year of the line's existence, 1932 to 1977. He also gives a detailed description of each major passenger ship, offering well-founded opinions as well as statistical data. The misfortunes of Rex on her maiden voyage, the use of Italian line troopships in the Abyssinian War, the rise and fall of the emigrant trade, the anecdotes that remind the reader that carrying passengers is never a cut-and-dried business--they are all in the pages of The Lido Fleet. So, too, are the tragedies of the Second World War, the difficulties of rebuilding a fleet after hostilities ended, the prosperous 1950s and the sad decline that began in the mid-1960s. An upsurge in cruising started in the early 1970s, but most Italian Line ships were ill suited for conversion, which helped lead to the demise of the fleet. The Lido Fleet is a comprehensive account of Italian Line's passenger ships and services. While certain authors are noted for their thoroughness in research, and others for their skill in writing (and, unfortunately, a few for neither), Peter Kohler succeeds in combining both. In addition, his 430-page book contains over 100 well-chosen black-and-white photographs, although only about a dozen illustrate the ships' interiors. A 60-page fleet list gives a short account of every ship in the fleet, cargo as well as passenger. The Lido Fleet is the definitive history of Italian Line's passenger ships. To define the author's accomplishment in a single word is difficult, but "superb" comes readily to mind.
Mr. Kohler also speaks fluent Italian, has traveled through out Europe and has done extensive research on a variety of subjects throughout his career. I think that he knows what he's talking about.
Cheers,
Peter Koskinen
Cold and raining in Chapel Hill, NC