Why the dislike for Honda?

[Albino]

There was a time when Honda ruled the roost amongst the japanese manufacturers. The Fireblade was the schizzle, and the CBR600 was the biggest selling and most user friendly of the 600’s. Aaron slight was consistently 2nd behind a ducati with an unfair advantage (engine size and rider). Rossi won a champioship on a honda 500 for a few years. Let's not forget the likes of Doohan earlier in the 90's. And build quality was (and still is) generally very good. The anti-Honda comments imho were borne from our tall-poppy syndrome. You only bought a honda because everyone else is, aren’t you good enough to extract the performance out of a lesser bike etc.

Perhaps we’ll see the same thing starting to happen with GSXr’s? There's already been a number of sheep jokes

[merv]

The first CBR600 in the hands of Dave Martin (RIP) did very well racing here - nothing was as quick.

What has happened since? Are the Hondas just not as track focussed? Doesn't worry me I'm no racer.

[Headbanger]

Out in the real world I can't say I have ever come across anything anti-Honda, There is always someone who doesn't like something but nothing I would call widespread against one manufacturer.

Had 4 Honda's, Enjoyed them all.

And the Fireblade I was lookin at the other day was pure porn.

[pritch]

I can only comment on why I like Honda.

"Character" is something to be wary of from my point of view. Character has you standing staring at your Ducati in the rain half way down the motorway wondering why it suddenly stopped. Character has you standing by your Harley miles from home in the middle of the night. Thank you, but no thank you. So I will (hopefully) gladly sacrifice character for reliability.

The following are some recent examples of things that impressed me about Honda. Two of the three are from the opposition.

The recent Superbikes race where Toseland crashed. As he re-started the camera focused on the water pouring from a torn radiator hose the commentator remarked that would be the end of Toseland's race. The Honda kept running for the whole race and Toseland finished eighth I think. As the commentator said, a wonderful advertisement for Honda reliability .

In a recent BIKE magazine a Ducati design engineer was quoted as saying Ducati can't compete with the Japanese for power and it can't compete with some of them for quality.

In another issue of the same mag in an interview an Aprilia engineer stated that they test their engines to the equivalent of 50,000K. They don't extend testing further than that because most bikes don't do that many ks. They were interested to see how an opposition engine would compare so they hooked up a CBR1000RR engine to their test bed. He said the Honda engine just would not die.

Honda still have the reputation for superior build quality and for the most reliable bikes. That's what want in a bike, I don't want to be standing by the road somewhere between here and Christchurch either today or tomorrow. I understand that other people buy other bikes for other reasons and that fine.

Whatever turns your crank.

[Coldrider]

I think it's a bizarre kiwi thing. I'd never heard of it until I arrived here.... Mind you, this is also a nation that thinks Holdens, Falcons and Ute's are desirable.

Help, I'm gunna need councelling, I drive a Holden, and I actually like it.
I have owned mostly Honda Motorcycles, the Kwacka i purchased because i could not get a blade in time. I will be going back to Honda very soon, only as the Kwacka is getting on in age. The ZX9 actually has really good build quality, it surprised me.

Honda do not import the cut price motorcycle models to keep the resale and quality up (perceived or not).

SANX, if Honda owners are Homo, looking at your rides posted, are you coming out of the closet?
If one rides multiple brands, are they BI, or sloven.

[Laava]

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

Now this is interesting! So, if I were to swap over to the "hung" models, what sort of "increase" could I expect? Would it be instantaneous or appear on a mileage based scale? Would it be proportionate to the size of the bike ridden? What could I expect from just a quick test ride? Eagerly waiting your advice!

[Deano]

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

Bwahahaha - yep, I'm a real good boy.......

[Blackbird]

Now this is interesting! So, if I were to swap over to the "hung" models, what sort of "increase" could I expect? Would it be instantaneous or appear on a mileage based scale? Would it be proportionate to the size of the bike ridden? What could I expect from just a quick test ride? Eagerly waiting your advice!

You have a VStrom so you clearly don't suffer from any inadequacy. Therefore, you probably have to beat women off with a stick right now so I wouldn't get too "hung" up about it. I know women say size doesn't matter but they're just being uncharacteristicly kind and sniggering behind their hands. One less worry if you ride a Honda (or a VStrom)

[avgas]

There are 2 people in this world, honda riders - the rest of us.
I used to own a few honda's and i will own more in future i imagine. But i will never be a honda rider

[Laava]

Ha ha very tactfull! " I bought a V Strom, therefore I don't care what people think of me!"

[McJim]

I went from Honda to Ducati cos the Honda service intervals were too short and the parts too expensive.

This flies in the face of conventional wisdom but on paper it's actually true!

Thought about a Firestorm but the forks were the wrong way up, the fairing was too small and the service intervals too short.

I don't call Honda riders gay though, and I've yet to hear anyone actually MEAN it anyway.

Gixxer riders are sheep.

[90s]

I thought much of it was to do with the perception (and sometimes reality) that Hondas occupy a premium price point for the japanese bikes? ie. it is fair to refer to my GSX as "a poor man's Honda CBR600" because that's exactly what it is. Suzuki and others used to follow Honda's lead much of the time until recently.

And the residual anti-Honda feeling I thought came from the fact that they were usually the first 'asian' bikes into a market stirring up various unsavoury sentiments. Once people stopped calling them rust-bucket deathtraps and realised that they had destroyed the old manufacturers they just got more mad.

Probably wrong on all counts, but otherwise can't see why you wouldn't like Honda as much as any good manufacturer, even if you wouldn't love them in the way you can love brands such as Ducati just for being them.

[Boob Johnson]

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

Hear hear


*rep sent*


On my way home from Tauranga on Monday, at a gas station filling up & another bike pulls in, he was on a HD with a prospect patch on his back & here's the two of us checking each others bikes out & havin a good ol chin wag.


Two very different people bought together by a common interest

[Animal]

I'm not prejudiced or superstitious, I've owned six Hondas, seven Suzukis, three Ducatis, two Kawasakis, two Montessas, a Yamaha, a Morini and a Triumph. Every one of them made me smile while riding them, working on them, or simply watching them leak oil onto the kitchen floor (the Trident). I've never been drawn to - or driven from, buying any particular brand because I've bought every one to meet a specific purpose. There are shitloads of brands I've never owned because they haven't built anything that really attracts me. Also, my budget dictates much of my choices. Right now I can afford the valve caps for a MV. Does that count?

[one-speed]

[QUOTE=
it is because the avoiders choose to do so coz they are scared to admit the mistake they have been making for so long, that honda is the god of all things 2 wheeled.


*my thought's exactly