This might die quickly, given the low level of activity in this forum, but what bike manufacturer do you prefer, and why?

I have always been partial to Hondas (the only cars I have ever owned, and my brother had 3 Honda bikes).

However, after some careful thought, Suzuki seems to me to have one of the best lineups out there in recent years. Why?

*They are the only Japanese manufacturer to make a genuine 750cc racebike.
*They offer the most disgustingly fast sportbike out there ('Busa), for whatever that is worth.
*They offer perhaps the best-balanced bike out there (SV lineup).
*Up until recently, they made the TL1000, one of my personal favorites.
*The rest of their lineup ain't too shabby either. GS500 is a fine starter bike, for example.

I always told myself I'd "move up" to a Honda after this SV, but now I'm not so sure. If a GSX-R750 can be made practical at all as a daily driver, I'll get one of those.

I think I like Honda's bikes equally, but they are just too damned expensive, and they are never the fastest when pitted against the likes of Kawasaki and Suzuki. Anyone else have a well-formed opinion about this?

 

Honda bikes cost the same as the others. The CBR series loses its value alot quicker than others so its usually a better buy when its used.

This can go on forever.

 

your not gonna run into any major problems w/ any modern sports bike

your points are all valid, sort of

the fact that they make the only 750cc isnt that big of a deal - if you re-gear a 600 it will move just as fast w/ a decent rider on it... and more so to the point, honda and yamaha's 600's are dang close in hp and honestly have better frames to them

the busa is what it is... hasnt changed one bit in FOREVER cept for graphics - some view it as a good thing, others a bad

the sv is a great bike at a great value, but now that yamaha makes the fz4 and honda has similar bikes... those days are quickly faiding

the tl1000 may look cool but thats about it - it was discontinued because it has been ridlled w/ problems since its launch

overall - im not a big suzuki fan... working in a bike shop i see more of them come in for dumb service work then almost any other kind of bike out there

 

Wow.

I'll just say Yamaha.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Mike Panic &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">the sv is a great bike at a great value, but now that yamaha makes the fz4 and honda has similar bikes... those days are quickly faiding
</TD></TR></TABLE>

The SV is still the only one with a V-twin. And the Honda 599 is slower and costs more. But I am definitely biased.

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">the tl1000 may look cool but thats about it - it was discontinued because it has been ridlled w/ problems since its launch</TD></TR></TABLE>

I must say I'm not an expert on the TL, or any other bike for that matter. What was wrong with it?

 

isnt the TL the bike witht he most deaths under its belt ? If i was ever to get a v-twin bike it would be a rc51, this is comign from a gsxr owner btw/

 

yamaha.

good, reliable track record (on and off the track)

good starter bikes as well as great "experienced" bikes

.02

 

the original problem with the TL used to be something to do with the fuel injection making the throttle response very quick making the bike very very easy to highside. they worked out the bugs with the bike in the later years, but it was a victim of consistantly low sales so it was replaced by the SV1000

 

personally... i would go honda, suzuki, yamaha, kawasaki...then again i own a kawasaki, take that for whatever its worth.

but this...

""*They offer the most disgustingly fast sportbike out there ('Busa), for whatever that is worth.""

personally i think the busa is turd. cmon, sport bikes are meant for handling not for drag racing, at least thats what i thought they were made for, but to each their own.

 

i'd get a busa because they are damn comfortable. also damn ugly at the same time though.

 

as mentioned, the TL's have fuel delivery problems and also have a ton of electrical problems - its on v-twin that just never got all the kinks worked out of

 

Well Hondas are the most rider friendly at least. And I think Honda has the best lineup. For sport touring you have the Superhawk (V-twin), Interceptor, 599, and 919. For sport you have the 600F4i, 600RR, 1000RR, and RC51. The Gixxer 750 is a cool bike and all but it just a 600 with a bigger motor (I guess the same could be said for the liter bikes right now too).

I think Yammy has an awesome lineup too. I'd put them a slight step ahead of the Zukes. Kawasaki has the ZX-10R but for the most part they're not on my map.

 

My vote is split between Honda and Yamaha.

 

for longevity, id say its between honda and suzuki. ive seen vfr's with 90k, and just saw a sv with 102k on it.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by CBRF4i &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Honda bikes cost the same as the others. The CBR series loses its value alot quicker than others so its usually a better buy when its used.

This can go on forever.</TD></TR></TABLE>

I would think that be the opposite. You spend a little more on the Yamaha or the Suzuki, but when you want to sell it again it's still worth something.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by JMU R1 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Well Hondas are the most rider friendly at least. </TD></TR></TABLE>

Care to explain?

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by 96 SOHC VTEC &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Care to explain? </TD></TR></TABLE>

The F4i is designed to be a comfortable sport bike and easy to ride hard. In other words its not gonna bite you at the limit. The same can be said of the RR's. The 2000 and 2001 RC51's supposedly had touchy throttle respond (read: twitchy) but Honda erased that with the 2002+ RC51. Just about every review of Honda bikes affirms that they're more rider friendly than the competition.

Basically Honda's philosophy is to make the bike ridable. You see it in their street bikes and you see it in their race bikes (1000RR, RC211V, WSBK RC51).

NOTE: Now granted I haven't ridden all these bikes so feel free to refute.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Mag00n &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">My vote is split between Honda and Yamaha. </TD></TR></TABLE>

i agree with that mag00n

 

I've had a 99 Yamaha R1 and now have a 04 Honda CBR600RR. I liked both bikes but the Hondas just feel more stable to me. The only downside to the new 600RR is that I do not feel like I am in the bike but riding above it. I don't know if I am making sense but I do not feel planted on the bike as other bikes.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by tlaskin &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">I've had a 99 Yamaha R1 and now have a 04 Honda CBR600RR. I liked both bikes but the Hondas just feel more stable to me. The only downside to the new 600RR is that I do not feel like I am in the bike but riding above it. I don't know if I am making sense but I do not feel planted on the bike as other bikes.</TD></TR></TABLE>

Maybe it feels more stable due to the weight differences.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Mag00n &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">My vote is split between Honda and Yamaha. </TD></TR></TABLE>

i agree but im biased since im here on h-t and have owned a yamaha.

next bike, 05 gsxr 750

 

ive always loved Suzuki bikes. Not only for looks but performance and resell. They have been top of the charts forever now with the Gixxer and the Busa

 

I'll never buy a Slowzuki product, but thats just me... I am partial to Honda because of the innovation and superior build quality. I am also partial to Yamaha because they win championships with dedication and lower budgets than honda and kawsaki, and Giacomo, kenny, Eddie, and Wanye were some of my favorite riders. Kawsaki heavy industries (I have owned two K bikes) also has superior build quality for non focused sport bikes... they are a huge company...

 

BMW

They make real world, incredibly well engineered and long lasting motorcycles that you can ride all day, perform excellently and won't depreciate out from under you.

BWM designs a bike around the rider (and the ride), not current fashion trends so from that perspective they take the crown. If I owned a motorcycle that I just wanted to stand back and fondle myself while I looked at it and never actually rode it I would go for something else, as BMW's styling is a bit weird. For visual mastubatory glee I would go with Honda or Yamaha. Suzuki's are butt ugly.

 

I really like the look of the new RS1200 or whatever it is called. It is a true BMW sportbike!