Total Motorcycle Community Forums

I'm talking about racing replicas, not cruisers or other bikes.

I see that almost all sportsbike riders around me ride Honda. So many people prefer Honda over any other Japanese bikes. I understand that Honda has more comfortable riding positions and it is easier to maintain and get parts.

But is this the only reason why people ride Honda much more than other Japanese bikes? CBR series looks ok but I think Yamaha and Kawasaki have nicer designs and Suzuki R1000 has the best performance. And CBR series usually have 10bhp less power than other bikes in its class. I think Honda looks TOO NORMAL. But I don't know why they dominate the market.

It all depends upon one's area because most of the guys I know ride Suzuki GSXR or Yamaha YZF-Rwhatever. I have never met someone who owned a CBR, however I definitely see them every now and again..but not as often as i'll spot the daily GSXR/Yamaha R6/1.

I suppose the design that appeals most only sums up to one's personal taste and opinion. Personally I think the CBR RRs have the sickest design with the GSXRs coming in second for my liking.

Honda builds a solid bike whether it be a cruiser, standard, sportbike, motocross, other. But one should ride their ride and not worry about what everyone else likes.

my 2cents.

I concur with Matthew5656. In my area the "hot" bike seems to be the Ninja these days. Everywhere I go I see them, and I just don't get it. The front turn signals are SO ugly!!

And I still don't understand the appeal of the green paint. Saw one the other day with that bogie-green paint and white sliders that looked like toilet-paper spools. Ick.

After the Ninja, Yamis seem to be the most popular, followed by Gixxers.
Saw a CBR tonight - with the orange tribal paint - and personally thought it looked righteous-wicked. (But then I'm nostalgic for CBRs and am sorely tempted to pick one up as a track bike. )

Taste. A little bit of comfort since Honda cars also have good reputations. Its an easily recognizable name when you don't know what you are buying.

I think the new CBR is gorgeous, followed by the Ninja, the Yamaha, and the Suzuki is not even on the list. I see Gixxers around here then Ninja's and then R1's but never 6's.

I speak Japanese and I remember a Japanese motorcycle magazine journalist saying that CBRs are the most boring and most uncharacteristic bikes in Japan. Yes CBRs look good. But CBR-1000RRs are always 10bhp underpowered and they are far too normal. The R1 has an aggressive design, GSXR1000 has the best performance so far, and the Ninja 10R has an unique sound. But in my opinion CBRs are just boring. They look good, runs ok, easy to maintain, but they don't have characteristics.

For me, CBRs look like Honda's family cars.
Civic, Accord -> looks ok, good quality, runs ok.... but everone drives them, and they are boring

10hp under powered.

Boring because they are reliable, steady, neat, and able.

This is why I love motorcycle forums.

Many motorcyclists buy for personal reasons that have nothing to do with a bikes ability, or lack therefor of it.

How many riders will notice 10hp? Or 20? How many will complain that a bike looks good, is neat, reliable, and steady? How does it make an unappealing machine?

One may call the gixxer styling aggressive. I call it horrifically ugly. Its a matter of taste, as it always will be when we take race machines and put them in the hands of the average, every day rider. They will take these machines and corrupt them. Alter them. Turn them into daily drivers and touring beasts with a pretty shell.

Considering that most want steady, neat, and reliable, and good looking, I can't say that these things make the CBR unappealing.

Depends on the area.

Around here I see mostly Yamahas. In Lloyd Suzuki... it all depends on what the flavour of the month is that year in that town.

I went with Kawi because I work at a Kawi dealership.

pujolshomerun wrote:I speak Japanese and I remember a Japanese motorcycle magazine journalist saying that CBRs are the most boring and most uncharacteristic bikes in Japan. Yes CBRs look good. But CBR-1000RRs are always 10bhp underpowered and they are far too normal. The R1 has an aggressive design, GSXR1000 has the best performance so far, and the Ninja 10R has an unique sound. But in my opinion CBRs are just boring. They look good, runs ok, easy to maintain, but they don't have characteristics.

For me, CBRs look like Honda's family cars.
Civic, Accord -> looks ok, good quality, runs ok.... but everone drives them, and they are boring

They're "boring" because they are domestic. They are the Chevrolets of Japan. With the other three right along side. Give the Japanese an Italian bike, they love it. Even have those big Harley lovers.

Location. Location. Location.


Hondas always made good bikes. I won't ever drive their cars or any of their vehicles for that matter (when I finally get out of country and this Isuzu! ).

IcyHound wrote:10hp under powered.

Boring because they are reliable, steady, neat, and able.

This is why I love motorcycle forums.

Many motorcyclists buy for personal reasons that have nothing to do with a bikes ability, or lack therefor of it.

How many riders will notice 10hp? Or 20? How many will complain that a bike looks good, is neat, reliable, and steady? How does it make an unappealing machine?

One may call the gixxer styling aggressive. I call it horrifically ugly. Its a matter of taste, as it always will be when we take race machines and put them in the hands of the average, every day rider. They will take these machines and corrupt them. Alter them. Turn them into daily drivers and touring beasts with a pretty shell.

Considering that most want steady, neat, and reliable, and good looking, I can't say that these things make the CBR unappealing.

I didn't say that GSX-Rs look aggressive. I mentioned nothing about the R1000's design. I said the Yamaha R1 has an aggressive design and it really is. I'm not talking about the way they look like. I'm talking about the real design. Have you ever sat on an R1 before? Its riding position is a bit more aggressive than other Japanese bikes. They are leaned forward.

The only "sport" series brand I haven't raced has been Yamaha. Each one has its own characteristics and fit. My last 5 years racing, I was on a Honda 600RR and it fit me the best of any previous bike. The cbr 600RR was also the most reliable of all the race bikes I've owned.

I blew the motor on a Kawasaki ZX-6R and Suzuki SV-650. I also had a transmission go in a GSXR-750. I never had those kinds of problems with my Hondas even with the same severe duty that racing implies. All but one were brand new off the showroom floor before being race-prepped.

I have ridden a race prepped R-6 which did have good power in the mid-range but it didn't fit my riding style like the CBR did.

And none of my cbr 600's were under-powered at the top end. The R-6 certainly had more mid-range, but at the top, there was very little difference.

I can go much faster on a bike that I'm comfortable on than one that has more HP, even alot of HP. I'm actually faster on a 600 where corner speed counts than on a big bike, where its all point and shoot.