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Originally Posted by ipeefreely
Dang that sucks to hear about your friend, hope he's ok. HOw'd he go down though?
And Yeah i'm going to try to find out if theres a used one, if there is, of course i'll buy that, it'd be cheaper anyways. But what i really wanna do is buy from a dealer so i get warranty and better financing options. But how much can you usually knock off the MSRP price tag?
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My friend lowsided in a turn cause according to him "he hit some gravel"....
That's what everyone that is embarassed that lays a bike down says... it's never their fault.
I wouldn't worry too much about a warranty. I'll use Honda as an example. About the only thing that ever goes wrong on a Honda is the timing chain tensioner. It's nature of the beast... buying a later model (01+) Japanese sportbike is VERY DEPENDABLE. They all their quirks.
Every brand has their features.
Hondas tend to be the most ergonomically comfortable bike. They don't do any one thing best but probably do everything great.
Yamahas tend to be more powerful, more agile light in the front end. Certain models have had trans shifting problems but for the most part, the best description I can come up with is a street bike that can be directly taken to the track.
Kawasakis have never really been the powerbike until the last few years. It started with the new 600's and when the ZX10 came out, it was all over. The styles were updated, the power was great and the handling immensely improved. Now with the new ZX14, they're just getting bigger and badder. I personally wouldn't think twice about a new Kawasaki.
Suzukis are powerful, always have been, always will be. They are the most unergonomically comfortable bikes for street riding, the relationship between pegs, handlebars and tank is more prone for the race track. The chances of a Suzuki coming with upper race set (pegs) from the factory are much larger than the other brands. These bikes tend to be more for the track and though they are fully capable of street riding, they are more comfortable on the track.
Typically, you'll find that the squids that ride on the street will be on Suzukis... not sure why, just is.
I've ridden all of them and they are all great on the street, however I hate the way Suzukis CLUNK into gear... nowhere near as smooth shifting as a Honda.
I chose my Honda because I put 20K miles on the bike in one year and knew my legs, arms and knees would take a beating riding that many miles.... there is no way I could have done that on a Suzuki or Yamaha.
If I were to buy a bike for the first time, I'd definitely buy a used 600 Honda or Yamaha. If you insist on buying a brand new bike, I'd still start off with a 600 and would find one that fits me physically. There is no better feeling to have the balls of your feet on the pegs and your knees tucked sweetly under the indentation of tank making the bike feel like it's part of you.
HTH's,
Mark