What really is the difference in manufactures of motorcycles? When I go my first motorcycle it was a 99 Katana made by Suzuki that a brought from a club member. Now when I wen to upgrade to the 1000 I naturally went for the Suzuki not that I new the difference in manufactures.
Now when I ask this question to the guys in my clubs the conversation when haywire this one saying Suzuki is the best, no Kawasaki is the best, no Honda, no Yamaha is the best , Ducati, Buell, Harley and of course let's go outside and race and then we will see then. I just love being around men cause you guys are so funny when it comes to conversation like this.
So what is your opinion and why did you pick that manufacture and compare your choice to the others. Keep it funky and let's have fun with this blog post.
I look forward to the hopefully many, diverse and interesting comments.
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I've been riding Suzuki since I could ride so for no other reason than that it's the best manufacture to me. I also like their styles they come up with and it is a little more sturdy than most.
ReplyDeleteWell I ride a Suzuki as well and the one thing I did notice before I brought my bike was that I was almost able to touch the ground without having to wear boots with heals unlike when I sat on the other types of motorcycle's not including the Harley's or Cruisers.
ReplyDeleteKAWI KAWI KAWI KAWASAKI KAWASAKI ALL DAY EVERY DAY!!
ReplyDeleteAnother good topic Storm!! It's so hard to say which manufacturer is a step ahead of everyone else, because they all have so much to bring to the table. The one thing that always fascinates me about the differences in manufacturers is the forethought behind the engineering. Body styling, chassis handling, motor configurations, all the way down to firing order. For example, the BMW S1000RR is exotically beautiful and its race ABS technology is ahead of it's time. Yet Yamaha's 2010 R1 breaks the mold with it's new and unique firing order that gives the motor a brand new trademark sound never heard before. Kawasaki has the beginner and commuter bike market pegged with it's 650 class, yet Honda makes the best sport touring motorcycles around.
ReplyDeleteWorking for Kawasaki, I've always appreciated their extensive marketing towards women, which far surpasses all of their competitors. Yet Honda has the most forgiving and inviting financing programs to bring new customers to their market. Buell engineering is one-of-a-kind and definitely a cult classic. But who doesn't love Ducati red.
In short, I couldn't possibly pin a blue ribbon on any one manufacturer. So I'll just go for a short break down.
Kawasaki - Best marketing and customer-centric research and development programs. The most event and marketing support aimed toward women. The best beginner bike line-up.
Yamaha - The best in race engineering, and engine design.
Honda - The best elective program at MMI for new technicians. The most forgiving financing programs. The best sport touring bikes.
Suzuki - The best handling machines, which are often the most powerful in stock condition (according to dyno results).
BMW - The best alternative technology regarding chassis design and electronic ABS and traction assistance systems. The best trained technicians (far more selective than any other manufacturer).
Ducati - The most proactive with main stream marketing (donating units for movies). The best at maintaining publicly perceived quality, regardless of maintenance intervals. For example, even people who don't ride know about Ducati's.
Buell - The best garage success story and innovative chassis design. Nobody has seen stuff like this since the Britton. (Not Jason, the other one...google it)
Harley - The most community oriented and the most proactive about motorcycle safety (they have their own Rider's Edge program). Harley riders are most likely to spread the word about Harley's machines and the most likely to be involved in motorcycling clubs (per JD Power).
MV Agusta - They have trademark exhaust design. Nobody else compares.
Triumph - The most true to their roots. These guys have never been copy cats and you can trust each machine was crafted with as much care as the one before it. Just look at the new 675. It looks like it was painted to life, nor engineered.
There are so many other manufacturers, but these are the top ones that come to mind. This makes think about how being a motojournalist would be the best job in the world because you'd get to experience all motorcycle manufacturers in the grandest of environments under the most catered-to terms. You would have access in some form of another to every brand and make of two wheels built in the 21st century. It doesn't get much better than that.