| Author | Message | ||
     4cammer |
We buy Buells because of the looks, engineering, uniqueness, handling and ..... not overall speed. Folks for the most part buy Ducati's because of the same reason, as they do/did Guzzi and Laverda bikes. Bimota as well. Why do people buy Japanese sportbikes? Speed? Would they sell if they were not so fast? Is there anything interesting about them save for that one reason? This is not a knock on the Japanese bikes, but a thought I had after looking at the latest issue of Sport Rider. Most all performance bikes were in a 2009 feature, and I really could not pick a single Asian bike that I'd buy. | ||
| Jaimec |
If the only thing were outright speed, then the Hayabusa would be the only bike people would buy by your logic. Since the GSXR is the most popular sportbike, I'd say your premise is wrong. It MIGHT have something to do with two gentlemen named Mladin and Spies... And by the way, the Japanese sell far more cruisers in this country than they do sportbikes, so there goes your theory right out the window. (Message edited by jaimec on December 14, 2008) | ||
| Doon |
I think it boils down to one word.. Price. | ||
| Doughnut |
Would you honestly buy a Buell if it could only go say, 55 mph? I don't think anyone does / would buy a bike just on speed. | ||
| Jlnance |
Would you honestly buy a Buell if it could only go say, 55 mph?  It will do a little better than 55. But not a lot more. | ||
| Jlnance |
Is there anything interesting about them save for that one reason? Inexpensive. | ||
| Glitch |
For me it's a difference not unlike the difference between fast food, and a real restaurant. If it's speed you want go to McDonalds. | ||
| Ducxl |
Nobody can deny that the Japanese sportbike is hands down(without any doubt) the MOST cost effective way to obtain the closest thing to a racing motorcycle. A Corvette and a Ferrari are similar in performance.So why would a potential Ferrari customer NOT be considering a more cost effective(read:cheaper) Corvette? Our Capitalist style and lust for performance at the cheapest price has it's limitations in personal preference. A GSXR1000 is superior in outright performance than an 1125r,and cheaper to obtain too.But we'd almost NEVER be considering the Gixxer.Why is that? | ||
| Bill0351 |
The question is why WOULDN'T you buy one. There isn't a single country that does a better job of making sport bikes. They are incredible machines from just about any aspect you can measure. When you compare the offerings from any of the other big manufactures of sport motorcycles, you may find machines that perform as well as a new GSXR, but they can't compete when it comes to price. If the United States stepped up and produced bikes that were just as fast, just as reliable, and just as cheap, Japanese companies would have a really tough time. Until then, if you want to go fast on two wheels, they are the best bang for the buck by such a wide margin it isn't even funny. You have to work pretty hard to not be impressed by the content and value in the bikes that the "Big Four" produce. The fast food analogy doesn't work for me because even though fast food is cheap, it sucks. Imagine two restaurants where the food was pretty close, but one was cheaper and the food was a little better most of the time. You would go to the cheaper one every time unless you had some other reason to go to the more expensive one. It's a good thing for the rest of the world's manufactures that motorcycles are not rational purchases. Passion trumps most other factors when it is time to make the final move. Bill | ||
| Danger_dave |
Nothing wrong with Jap bikes but there isn't one that does what my Buell does. All day comfortable All roads capable Excellent Tourer Stuntable Sports bike road manners Minimal, cheap servicing Easily maintained Unique and quite interesting looking. | ||
| Doughnut |
I meet six of the eight items in Danger_Daves list.  (edit: seven if I met the right woman) (Message edited by Doughnut on December 14, 2008) | ||
| M2nc |
It really depends on what you want out of a bike. Very few people in this country buy a bike to commute. That is why standard motorcycles are just about out of the market here. Those few that do are buying for inexpensive commuting. Price of ownership, operating cost, and dependability rule this class. My buddy rides every day to work. I mean every day. He has an '05 Concours with 62,000 miles and hardly ever rides it just for fun. To me I bought a bike that met my needs. I like a bike that handles. It had to have enough straight-line performance to stay ahead of the cagers. It had to have enough room for two. It had to be easy to maintain. It had to have luggage options for touring. Since straight-line performance for me was low, the fast smooth engines from Japan were not high in my must haves. To me inline-fours are king in speed, V-twins are king on the street. The power is down low and you can enjoy the bike without wringing it out. I also like the vibration of the American V-twin. Such a motor is more engaging than a crystal smooth version. Re-cap. Must haves... Good Handling Engaging and powerful V-twin Ease of maintenance Room for two Luggage option for touring Kind of narrows the selection process doesn't it. The next bike I have will have a different list of must-haves. I am very happy with the Uly so I will keep it as long as I can. My next bike will be for another purpose. It may be Japanese, at least some are in the running. If I go after something more dual-sport oriented it will be either Japanese or Austrian. If I go for something more touring oriented it could be Japanese, German, Italian or American. If I go for something more sport oriented then it could be Japanese, American, British, or Italian. To me people purchase a motorcycle because it has more of the must-haves on their list. | ||
| Malott442 |
Um, the rant about the Busa and the Gsxr is wrong. EVERY liter bike will out-accelerate the Busa, and top out quicker. The main reason Buell doesn't sell as well as the jap bikes is image. People like high revving 4 cylinders, the noise is used as a show off device... The bad-boy image of being on a bike that tops out at close to 190 And then they want to fit in to the full faired category. Then there is ease of ownership. A lot of japanese bikes are far superior in reliability to an air cooled buell. Then price. Then being afraid to buy one b/c you've never even known someone that owned one. I bought my bike because I wanted American, yet Harleys were boring as hell. When I sat on my Millenium X1 for the first time it was love. First corner I found, it was exctasy. Thanks Fletcher HD! Some people are afraid to be different, and some people define themselves in it. | ||
| Eaton_corners |
How is price a factor? Suzuki GSXR 1000-$12,199. From their website | ||
| Bill0351 |
Name a non-Japanese bike that performs as well or better in the 1000cc class and costs significantly less. That's why price is a factor. | ||
| Xb984r |
There is more than a few bikes that go against your speed only choice of a Japanese bike. SV Katana Bandit Ninja 250,550,650 GS500 | ||
| Brumbear |
I think they would remember ITS NOT A BIG MOTORCYCLE ITS A GROOVEY LITTLE MOTORBIKE 1st gear its alright second gear hang on tight faster its alright..... | ||
| Gschuette |
Those bikes are loss leaders for the company. All of the Japanese Big Four do something big besides motorcycles. Honda makes cars, small, engines, pwcs, kawaskai does heavy equipment, suzuki does cars, and yamaha makes instruments. What other businesses is Buell in? Ducati? None. The big four don't rely on their literbikes to make a profit. They are just there to give the company some name recognition or show off some cool technology the company has. Maybe if these boutique bikes builders were bought by GE then they could afford to include more performance at a cheaper price. | ||
| Ochoa0042 |
who here haz rode/driven a cookie cutter??? I have and personally speaking they have alot to things going for them, our buell have heavy steering compared to jap bikes.... I was on a buddies Gixxer 1000 the other day and it was a completely differnt machine, the steering/handling is liquid smooth compared to buells the front and the rear end feel weightless and light as a feather jap bikes have alot of pro for them, they look good, handle precisely, and i was amazed on how light the 1000 felt | ||
| Bill0351 |
"Maybe if these boutique bikes builders were bought by GE then they could afford to include more performance at a cheaper price." That might be true, but as of now, they don't have a wealthy benefactor, and their bikes aren't the deal that the Japanese bikes are. I have also not seen anything written that claims the big four sell those bikes at a loss. That isn't to say that isn't the case; I have just never heard that before. I love my Cyclone. It may be my favorite of the many bikes I have owned, but my new GSX-R 1000 is an amazing machine. I have had several big I4 Japanese bikes and I have never been disappointed. | ||
| Danger_dave |
Harley pwned MV. | ||
| Jaimec |
If you think your Buell has heavy steering, something ain't set up right. | ||
| Ochoa0042 |
no, im 100% sure my bike is fine. its just hard to describe; but that damn bike felt light as a feather, im guessing it has to do with the steering geometry. now im just wondering if anyone here has owned a jap bike to be able to compare it to a buell.... cuz (dont flame me here) cuz there's alot of clout here on how buell is so great and how japs are under the 'dark light' and such. I give respect to both denominations of bikes, as they are all great pieces of machinery. | ||
| Paint_shaker |
I have zero desire in riding rice. IF Buell didn't exist, I'd still be riding my 1990 H-D Springer Softail. Might even have a Sporty, BMW or Duc for having some fun! But that is just me, your results may vary | ||
| Lemonchili_x1 |
I'll throw in my 2 cents... Similar to some of the things Malott said, I think a lot of people buy Japanese bikes because they are a non-threatening purchase. Some people are afraid (subconciously) to buy a bike outside the square, to buy something that is to them unknown, and Japanese bikes are seen as the "norm". Whether it's true or not, a lot of people have the *perception* that Japanese bikes offer reliability, value-for-money and good performance (an enviable position to be in, and the big four have worked very hard to build that perception). Would they sell if they weren't "uber-fast"? I think that's very hard to work out considering how much effort and millions of $$$ that Honda, Kawasaki, Suzuki and Yamaha have put into racing of all classes over the last 40+ years, but yes I think they would still be selling a lot of bikes regardless, as much as anything because of the "value-for-money" factor. (I too find it a little hard to imagine a Buell having heavier steering than GSXR1000. I've ridden my X1 back to back with an '03 GSXR1000, and while the GSXR was a great handling bike it felt a little more top heavy and couldn't change direction as quick as the X1, and an XB would be quicker again.) (PS I'm a big GSXR fan too, had an oil-cooled 750 for 6 years) | ||
| Ironhead1977 |
The jap zero and the german panzer were technically superior also. What happened with that? The same reason I went with Buell. Ease of repair and maintenance, parts interchangeability, low cost parts and simplicity won the battle, war and a check from my checkbook. | ||
| M2nc |
I do not think that is the point. Japanese Sport Bikes are great. They have earned their spot on the podium. The question is does the bike fit your needs. I personally have no need for a liter bike. I admit I have a want, but until I can afford the stable of bikes I want, I have to make compromises. There is not a Japanese bike that touches a Uly in my book. Europe has a few bikes maybe but not Japan. As for quicker steering, that is a combination of higher center of gravity and the bike's geometry. A top heavy bike is quicker to turn in but slower to change directions. I know my Honda was a lot quicker to turn in than the M2 and a bit quicker than the Uly. The question is, Sport bike to Sport bike, does that higher center of gravity help or hurt the bike's handling once leaned over. The reality of it is most of us will never push the bike hard enough to find out. | ||
| Ft_bstrd |
The big four make really good, dependable machines that perform as expected with slight, minor changes in technology and styling that prolong their attractiveness in the open market. If all bikes were governed to go the same speed with the same HP and torque, Japanese bikes would still have the edge in sales. | ||
| Ochoa0042 |
Some people are afraid (subconciously) to buy a bike outside the square, to buy something that is to them unknown, and Japanese bikes are seen as the "norm" I was one of them, not the afraid person, but the unknower.... I read a article from popular mechanics back in the day the when the XB was just made, I was blown away by the fuel in the frame and the other innovations, I was a kid in middle school or something.... well time passed, and highschool passed, and college started.... I wanted a motorcycle!!! And at the time I had completely forgot about buell, completely forgot of their existence entirely!!! So I bought a yellow 2002 ZX-6R, and as time passed.... I was watching the history channel about motorcycles, y'all remember that show right??? The history show with the buells, the american motorcycle!!! Well HELL YEA, my eyes bloomed and I couldnt believe I forgot about this bike!!! Im getting a buell for my next bike, one thing led to another and thats what I have now the main point to this story is: buell is not that well known, I mean they're still piggey backing off of harley!!! And no sportbike-wanter will ever take a glance towards harley for a sportbike.. so the big4 may be their only knowledge of a sportbike only the luck few find a buell  | ||
| Danger_dave |
A Dewcarti was world Superbike Champion last time I looked. |
