I have always thought that it ought to be Pirsig riding a BMW. John and Sylvia are OK on the BMW, maybe to be truly romantic it could be a Harley; that is not really a question in which I am interested at this point. Let' look at Pirsig and the Honda.
The Honda is a symbol of the modern, the latest technology. The sort of bike someone influenced by fashion and adverts is likely to buy.
The BMW is synonymous with quality. To say 'German engineering' is simply to say 'top quality engineering'. The BMW was built to last out of top quality materials. Would I happily own and ride a 1960s R60 today? Yes, because it is such a brilliantly engineered bike. I would not say the same for the Honda.
Whenever I worked on other people’s Honda’s the first nightmare was removing the casing bolts. They were made of such soft steel that the cross heads became mashed very easily and were then very difficult to remove. The few Honda’s I owned had the cross head screws removed immediately and replaced with allen head bolts; and the Bridgestone tyres were removed and replaced with European ones which would actually grip in the wet.
The Honda was in one sense a very well engineered bike. It was definitely a modern engine; in contrast to the BMW which was essentially a 1930s engine. It would probably outperform the BMW in acceleration and top speed despite being about half the engine capacity. However to me there is something rather low quality about those Japanese high revving OHC engines in contrast to the effortless power delivered by the, low revving OHV BMW.
The Honda is an ideal urban and short distance bike. It is not the sort of bike one would normally choose for a long haul, two up, journey across America. The BMW was, and is today, arguably the best touring bike in the world. The BMW can effortlessly carry two people and luggage over long distances in comfort, reliability and good fuel consumption. Pirsig has to constantly fettle the Honda through the journey: adjusting the chain, checking the tappets etc. Yes he can do it because he understands his machine; but John and Sylvia do not put a spanner to the BMW because it simply does not need it. Shaft drive needs no adjustment; and if the bike was set up properly when they set off, it would still be set up properly after a couple of thousand miles.
The BMW is the symbol of quality – yet Pirsig is not riding it.
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