American mag bike reviews

**Riff Raff** · 5th January 2005, 13:16

Well I wandered into my local newsagents today to buy some mags to help while away the boredom and found an American bike mag - Cycle World. So I thought to myself - well this could be a larf an all that, so I handed over my $10 and off I tottled. They've done a big feature with comparisons of popular bikes, which I thought you might all be interested in:

1. Harley Sportster 1200 vs Triumph Thruxton 900
Reason for comparing these two? They're both powered by two cylinder, air cooled engines, they both come from companies founded a century ago, and they are both souped up versions of a basic bike. And there the similarities end. But that's ok cos we all know they will choose the Harley as the winner .... turns page.... yay I was right - one point to me. It wins because it is the quickest, torquiest and most suited for daily riding.

2. Suzuki GSX-R600 vs Suzuki SV650S
Correct me if I'm wrong, but aren't reviews supposed to be of the competition???? Oh well, the SV650S won mainly because the gixxer wants to behave like a race bike and is not as comfortable at low speeds.

3. Victory Vegas 8-Ball vs Yamaha Midnight Warrior
Never heard of either of these but apparently the Warrior is a better m/c and the 8-ball is a better cruiser

4. BMW R1150R vs Moto Guzzi V11 Coppa Italia
Their heads are saying the BMW, their hearts go for the Guzzi.

5. Kawasaki Ninja 500R vs Suzuki GS500F
Ninja wins for better handling and performance.

6. Honda Rune vs HD Screamin Eagle V-Rod
Neither is better than the other. Incomparable due to their uniqueness.

7. Ducati ST3 vs Yamaha FJR1300
Both bikes win - Ducati as a solo tourer, and Yammie as a good two up touring bike

8. Ducati Supersport vs Honda Superhawk
Ducati wins

9. Suzuki RM250 vs Yamaha YZ250
Yamaha by very slight margin. Ideally they would like Suzuki's motor in the Yamaha frame with the Suzuki's front end.

I haven't put any chopper reviews in because I really don't care!

**Mongoose** · 5th January 2005, 13:26

Good to see you kept any personal biase out of your book revue

**Two Smoker** · 5th January 2005, 13:27

Originally Posted by Riff Raff

2. Suzuki GSX-R600 vs Suzuki SV650S
Correct me if I'm wrong, but aren't reviews supposed to be of the competition???? Oh well, the SV650S won mainly because the gixxer wants to behave like a race bike and is not as comfortable at low speeds.

!

What a load of bollocks that is..... Two completely different bikes..... I reakon the SV650S is great at what it does, a semi naked sporty, sort of touring bike... And the Gixxer is a full bore sports bike.....

Yep i can see that magazine taking off in NZ.....

**Blakamin** · 5th January 2005, 13:41

at least they got one review right.....

**Bonez** · 5th January 2005, 13:50

Never payed that much attention to bike reveiws. Buy what ya like. Ride what ya like. And poke an tintsy wintsby bit of fun at the others.

**Riff Raff** · 5th January 2005, 14:01

Originally Posted by Mongoose

Good to see you kept any personal biase out of your book revue

**Bonez** · 5th January 2005, 14:07

Another write about the stone um I mean rune- http://www.motorcyclecruiser.com/roadtests/runetest/

And i mean it must of been unfair if they did a compraro between the duc ss and
http://www.honda305.com/

**Hitcher** · 5th January 2005, 14:11

I flick through American bike mags but never buy them because Americans tend to live on a different planet when it comes to bikes. Similarly their bike web sites, with the exception (strangely) of www.motorcycledaily.com

Go figure.

**vifferman** · 5th January 2005, 14:13

Originally Posted by Hitcher

I flick through American bike mags but never buy them because Americans tend to live on a different planet when it comes to bikes. Similarly their bike web sites, with the exception (strangely) of www.motorcycledaily.com

Go figure.

I figure some of it has to do with fear of litigation.

**jrandom** · 5th January 2005, 14:19

Originally Posted by Bonez

Another write about the stone um I mean rune- http://www.motorcyclecruiser.com/roadtests/runetest/

Oh, dear. Oh, deary me...

"When even the calmest cookie cutter can sprout such a comely wild hair..."?

**Riff Raff** · 5th January 2005, 14:21

Another thing that is interesting in the mag is the number of ads for cigarettes in prime advertising spots like inside front cover and back cover.... with people looking really cool smoking and a whole lot of warnings plastered on the ad such as "No additives in our tobacco does NOT mean a safer cigarette." And if you want to visit their websites you must be over 21.

**Mongoose** · 5th January 2005, 14:22

Originally Posted by Hitcher

I flick through American bike mags but never buy them because Americans tend to live on a different planet when it comes to bikes. Similarly their bike web sites, with the exception (strangely) of www.motorcycledaily.com

Go figure.

Suprisingly enough, market comparisons do not lead to big law suits in the US of A as long as they are factual. ie that they are not the result of a typewriter interview, hang on, thats what a lot of motoring journalists excel at!
So many are just re-writes of what the manufacturer says. Good on the ones that tell it like it is.