Stop making it seem so simple! That said, I'm not sure the BMW singles need their own sub forum. they basically have one: F/G650, and then a couple limited run models (450/650x bikes). KTM definitely could use a sub forum with all their singles and the popularity of them. How about a dirt only subforum (I.e. non dual sport)? EDIT: given how cumbersome the giant threads have become, how about a sub forum for any thread with over 25k posts?
Order is unnatural chaos Chaos is natural order! I like the variety when i click on Thumpers, and there is a search bar.
I would hate to see it split by brand or which ocean they crossed. Granted the manufacturers have already made that split with entirely different schools of thought on what a dual sport should be. But people like me that have switched to Euro also have decades of experience on Japanese. Not to mention how many of us own both. If you split off tire questions it would probably cut the post count by a solid 10%. Therefore I would lean towards a split along the lines of bikes and stuff, parts or gear or something. I don't know how to name it. But I really would not want to see bikes broken out into separate groups.
For a couple years now I have thoroughly enjoyed the cross-brand discussions on Thumpers. I own Japanese bikes from 2 different manufacturers, and aspire to have the time, space and money for a KTM. I would prefer not to read anything about BMW again in my life, but KTM and other euro enduro owners have tons of relevant info for me. I think thumper riders generally are more apt to switch brands or own multi-brand than the old fat dudes on the touring behemoths. :eek1 I also think thumper riders are a little more likely to be grafting ktm forks onto suzukis, etc. I do like the idea of splitting the mega-threads into their own sub-forum if it's a bandwidth issue. I nearly always enter the mega-threads via my Subscription page or Google; those threads aren't really usable in a casual reader sort of way.
PS - I think we need a thumper/DS tire mega thread to keep the redundancy in one place. Tires are marque-agnostic as well. I have a tire fetish, but would like easier access to tire info.
I like the idea of splitting BMW and KTM from the rest, but keep them with Thumpers rather than moving the singles to their respective brands. Like: _______________________ Orange Crush _____________________ Beasts ________________________ Thumpers KTM, BMW, One Cylinder, less filling _______________________ Road Warriors ________________________ Most of the What bike should I buy, what oil should I put on my tires, goes into "Thumpers", and things like Should I buy a KTM or a BMW go into KTM or BMW. If you click on Thumpers, at the top of the page are the links to KTM and BMW, and then there are thumper threads, just like in the Old's Cool forum
I'm not sure how this would work, but, what about separating factory "dualsports" (DR650,XR650L,KLR,Husky Terra,650GS, WR250X) from more competition orriented machines(KTM EXC's,Husky TE's, Husaberg, and other plated dirt bikes). It seems like two very different crowds to me. I'm guessing the guy looking for the best 50/50 tire for his KLR for commuting and occasional fireroading doesn't care what the best tire is for 100 miles of nasty singletrack on a street plated WR450F and vise versa.
general thumper forum (for general threads) with 2 subs devided by engine size. 500- and 500+ seems about right. That seems the best option, so you don't make it look like people with an 'exotic' branded bike are discriminated.
It would make sense to bunch the brands that have a solid grasp of who they are into one place, Yam/Kaw/Suz/Hon, but those are giving you the most threads/posts. Then bunch the brands in flux into a group, BMW/KTM/Husa/Husqa/Beta/Gas...etc. Beats me, glad it's you poking the hornets nest and not me.
Er This is like a brainstorming session, so here are a couple of wild thoughts just being thrown out there, without being judged at this time: A few question first, Baldy- WHY does it need split? WHY IS 1 million too many? Does it slow the system, is system too small, would more money to buy upgrades make it better? But if a split is the only answer, toss everything out the window! SPLIT it a couple sections back. Start from the BIKES Page. Put major sections by bike manufacturer, go down from there. e.g. KTM. then say twins, singles, other or whatever makes sense. Then lay in HACKS, TRIALS, etc for those smaller subsections Another thought, it would work, but goes against the free-posting idea. Go back thru each section and strip out all of the unless posts. Call it editing.....it IS NOT censorship, but some may think so. There are lots of posts that do not add anything. e. g. Excessive drooling I wish i thought of that My brother in law had a 1974 mustang that sounded like your 4 cylinder jap bike My bike never did that I have a red one that is faster than blue ones (Prolly not popular, but it will reduce the count. However, in time, we will be back to that 1M count again) How to actually get it done is another subject. Whatever is done is not gonna please all, we will need to just get over it, and we will.
Nothing wrong with progress, Baldy.....but seriously, who's complaining? Is there a Server or Bandwith problem related to # of posts? A little organizing won't hurt. But please keep it a melting pot of places, faces, & ideas. The single best attribute regarding "Thumpers"....it's a giant campfire that everyone sits around to share and input, regardless the breed of horse they ride. I'd hate to lose the input of guy in Australia commenting on the Polish suggestion of the British joke about my USA owned Japanese bike for which I made a tailrack from a campfire grill (dual purpose, of course ). Any change in structure needs to keep the communal campfire ablaze! It's been invaluable to me. Hate to lose some of that input due to compartmentalizing owner's clubs. So, maybe cylinder size is the best idea, as someone suggested: small, medium, large. The more I ponder that, the more I like it. HF
I like all brands mixed, so how 'bout: Thumpers (over 450cc) Sub Thumps (under 450cc) Smokers (Two Strokes) I'll let someone else decide where a 450 with big bore kit should go.
Hmmmm...quite a few forums use a layout that retains the "traditional" thumpers forum for general discussion and the creates sub forums for different brands/regions/displacements or whatsoever in the Thumpers sub itself. In example UKGSer.com uses such a layout, check it out: http://www.ukgser.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=79
I really don't get the brand, region or performance separation. Thumper riders are the ones here most likely to own multiple bikes from multiple companies. Like I said before, that kind of division actually exists here in our debates. But I just don't see it out in the real world. Every time I ride with friends or do an organized dual sport ride there is a mix of all brands and types. That, to me, represents Thumpers. Everything from enduro to cross country pack mules all in the same place is 100% of why I hang out here instead of more specialized forums. Hell, just look inside my garage. Some of you guys would have me build three separate stalls just for what I own. If I only wanted to talk to KTM riders I would be at KTMtalk. There has to be a better way than widening the existing divide by splitting up the bikes. If it is a band width issue then go back and delete the last 500 "which tire should I buy" threads along with summary execu .... er I mean stays in band camp for being lazy. Then start on oil posts ....... Anyway, this is what Thumpers here reminds me of: my last ride with friends that featured all four Japanese brands plus one European brand and even an old two stroke (out of the pic).
Dont seperate them, I've learned a lot from threads I normally wouldnt visit, because they're all here together
