Why the dislike for Honda?

[Deano]

I think it stems from the fact that Honda are the largest motorcycle manufacturer, and as such become a target for all those who support the underdog.

Yep - tall poppy syndrome.

Hondas are very common.

Yeah ? I thought was 'Gixxer Country' personally.

Hondas are gay. Face it. If you ride a Honda, you're a homo.

Like you probably - I'm gay and I'm proud !!

[Clockwork]

I've heard it said that Hondas are so good they "lack character", they do seem to represent the "Good Boys" of Biking.

Then again, Harleys allegedly have lots of character but people rag on them too

[Swoop]

Have to laugh around here. All the "anti honda" brigade are not creative enough to utter anything apart from "Hondas are gay". They haven't evolved much from the primary school playground insult. Sad really.

[merv]

The Hondas I've had are by far the best bikes I've owned in terms of design quality - all the bits are where they should be and easy to service, the build quality is excellent, and they just fit like a glove and are so user friendly to ride and easy to live with. Case in point why else would I still have my VFR over 13 years after I bought it and given you might say its dated technology, it is still an easy bike to ride reasonably fast even for an old bugger like me.

The Suzukis we've had just have niggly design flaws and the paint is oh so thin (our recent one's are and were dirt bikes so not commenting on Gixxers here) so you have to keep the rust away from them. In NZ Suzuki have been the top sellers for years mainly because of price, but I do admire their wide range of models, if only Honda did the same - that is a flaw in their marketing I believe not getting enough people onto their bikes here. I've generally blamed Blue Wing Honda for having a narrow view on this, but they are restricted by the range.

For example where are the Honda equivalents of the SV650, Bandit 650 etc?

As for this character shit, give me a good bike any day over character, so that at the end of the day and a long ride I'm still smiling so I have the character not the bloody bike.

[RantyDave]

I've never actually came across any empirical evidence as to why some people don't like Honda.

They're perceived as boring, a claim that carries a little weight, but only a little. They also spoil all the fun by not breaking down. I'd buy a Honda.

Dave

[Blackbird]

It's because Suzuki riders have little willies. Ever notice that it's the GSX-R riders who make the biggest fuss?

[forkoil]

Ok, apart from the "homo" one, heres the first anti Honda post. Been riding bikes since late 60's, owned heaps, and never liked Honda's. A few annecdotes. Saw the first CB900's at the Castrol 6 hour, that year I think there were three that blew apart down the front straight, all due to a false neutral / overreving, and how the crowd cheered. Hated the XR's, they were reliable, grunty, long lasting and BORING, give me a PE or KDX any day. The original CB's, once again reliable but how incredibly gutless and boring. Also they had those steel stamped out levers when other makes had gone alloy. Then there were the comstar wheels, feck, talk about ugly!! I think the tone was set by the original Honda step thru, while it was reliable in the extreme, it sort of sums up to me what Honda represent. I way prefer the edgy bikes, Suzy, Kwaka and Yammies (RD's etc).

Of course there have been some good Hondas, iconic bikes like the CB750 SOHC, the CBX etc, but these have been few and far between. Looking at the NZ racing scene, at least in the golden years of the Hiscocks, Cros etc, Hondas hardly ever featured. Has anyone got stats on the Castrol 6hr results by make, apart from the great duel between Dave H and Vince Sharpe (on a CBX) I can barely remember Hondas getting anywhere.....

Start the flames.....

[pritch]

I've never actually came across any empirical evidence as to why some people don't like Honda. Are there any good reasons for the boycott?

No good reasons, it's simply jealousy. Sad but true.

[ceebie13]

Isn't there a true bikers' saying that "it ain't what you ride, it's the fact that you do ride that counts"?

Who gives a toss about sweeping statements. We will all have had our experiences with certain "brands". If I am attracted to any particular machine for whatever reason, and I buy one, and I love it, then that's my choice regardless of the logo on the tank. The often misguided and biased views of other band wagon jumpers is of no consequence to me.

Some of us don't need or want the latest, fastest, different, sharpest handling, edgiest, sexiest, most powerful machine in the world. Your bike is what you make it. You love it (or hate it) for what it means to you, no one else. What's boringingly and functionally reliable to some may be
the height of adrenalin rush to others. I'm sure all bike manufacturers have had their "lemons" and I doubt anyone could justify why one manufacturer is better than any other.

I ride a Honda (shock horror!) CB1300.(oh how boring!). It's a heavy(tut tut!) naked retro (oh no, not another die hard!). It's not the best selling musclebike in the world (not suprised, mate), in fact Motomart admit to not being able to give them away (I rest my case).
But do you know what? (what?). I've started to trick it up a bit (good idea, it needs it!) and I am proud to ride it and show it off (pftt!) and I have more respect for bikers who show an interest in it and remark on it than those who immediately shun it because it has a Honda logo on the tank.

[Pwalo]

I ride a Suzuki but have owned several Hondas. I think in the past Honda have enjoyed better build quality (ok don't mention the 80s, camchain, VFs, CBX 550s), but at present all the Japanese bikes are pretty good.

Perhaps Honda owners are just paranoid?

[mdooher]

Don't know what it’s like now but a few years ago if you tried to by a new one you might need to wait months... something about the dealers just couldn't get the bikes etc. Perhaps their frustration spread...

I learnt to ride on a CB350 before moving to a CS80 scooter. I thought the Honda went a lot faster.

[86GSXR]

If I remember correctly Honda's marketing slogan used to be "Number 1 under the sun". Not sure if they still use that, but it was catchy. I loved my 79 XL 250.

[Colapop]

Bike brands? I don't care either way. My understanding (purely anecdotal) is that Honda make very good bikes (and cars) new. Thier vehicles are designed to be purchased new and then passed on, the owner/s then purchasing another new Honda. Mr Honda went through a patch (no supporting evidence) through the mid 80's early 90's where he made some supposedly very ordinary bikes. I suppose it's because they are difficult to work on. The bits that need to be fixed are usually in sealed boxes or hard to get at. I think that's what people mean when they talk about Honda's being 'bad'.

Personally, I'd rather ride a Honda than nothing at all. My first bike was a Honda 90 step through.
The decision for my current bike came down to a VFR or RF. I consider both to be top notch bikes. The V4 is still very tempting...

[merv]

Looking at the NZ racing scene, at least in the golden years of the Hiscocks, Cros etc, Hondas hardly ever featured. Has anyone got stats on the Castrol 6hr results by make, apart from the great duel between Dave H and Vince Sharpe (on a CBX) I can barely remember Hondas getting anywhere.....

Bill Biber and Phil Payne won on the VF750 and Alan Delatour and Dave Martin won on the VF1000 around 83 and 84 but yes alas, Honda's wins were relatively few and the likes of Wellington Motorcycles saw to that by having very strong teams and yes fast bikes.

This is partly back to my earlier comment of range - Honda in NZ don't sell a wide enough range and they at times were trying to race the wrong bikes in my view. I don't remember CB900s being raced at our 6 hour but was there when the CBX1000 was and saw Mike Gane's lunch itself over the back of the circuit. However I also saw Croz's Z1R expire in a cloud of smoke and likewise Glen William's GPZ900 another year. Failures were not restricted to one brand. The winners were well prepped crews with fast riders and that was something WMCC was good at and they helped themselves by having a few bikes entered so if one failed there were still others going e.g Hiscock brothers on different bikes and Bob Toomey, Robert Holden on others.

[merv]

You're a big fellah Col I reckon you would have found the VFR too cramped for you coz I'm a small fellah and it fits me nicely - the RF is probably a better size for you.