Yorick wrote: Mon Mar 23, 2026 10:03 pm
Or live somewhere with no crud on the roads.
Indeed!
Anything, built anywhere, is going to suffer if you ride it in the UK winter with salt on the road.
Like you I flew south for winter and never came back
Le_Fromage_Grande wrote: Mon Mar 23, 2026 9:06 pm
Honda quality (and other "Japanese" manufacturers) depends very much on price and where the bike was made, expensive and made in Japan equals good quality, cheap and made outside Japan equals poor quality, Hornet 1000s compared to the older CB1000Rs are a good example.
My 2011 CBR250R was made in Thailand, and it still looks pretty decent - see above
Between the Honda salesman not getting back to me after I asked him to send me something to sign and a bank account number, Ryan's video, and that nagging feeling I'd be settling for the Honda as the easy option, I'm back to being very conflicted
Trouble is in most markets the Kawasaki is cheaper than the Honda. Here it's the same money and I still have to put the lower seat for 400€.
It won't be the CFmoto.
I'm sure it's a good bike but when sitting on it it just didn't speak to me, and it's the one that makes the least sense for roads-only use.
It's either the Kawasaki because I saw it and was like... That's cool.
Or the Honda because it's a Honda, and has an e-clutch.
The other thing is, I can get the Kawasaki from stock. The Honda is a black one I don't want at end of May, or order one for whenever...
Yup, I agree with Bob. If you settle for the Honda as it's 400E cheaper due to the seat you'll have a constant nagging you should of bought the bike you wanted. Maybe if there was a 4k difference, but not 400. Likewise I wouldn't worry about price difference in other countries as presumably nothing you can do about that.
Yes I am also a bit annoyed at the pricing in the local market, even if I know I can't do anything about it. I'm on the way to over that hump though.
The problem with the Kawasaki is that the Honda will be easier: it's lower than the Kawasaki even with the low seat, although I guess with the low seat it'll be manageable. It's physically smaller and therefore should be easier to manage at slow speeds. The Honda also has the e-clutch, so easier in traffic, which is everyday in Malta.
But the Kawasaki is cooler, and as Kentucky Bob points out, that has to count for pretty close to everything.
Dodgy69 wrote: Thu Mar 26, 2026 1:31 pm
Have you checked out the Voge 800 rally, not 900. Folk speak very highly of them, lots of kit included and cheap enough.
I'm staying in the A2 class. As I learned with the fz6s, for commuting in Malta anything bigger just feels like a chore.
Hmm, maybe I need to apply that learning to the KLE. Even if it is cooler.
Not everyone is permitted to own a Kawasaki,after all they have an image to consider. Maybe ask to see if official permission will be granted to save disappointment/embarrassment when they say,you're more of a Honda person.
Skub wrote: Thu Mar 26, 2026 2:04 pm
Not everyone is permitted to own a Kawasaki,after all they have an image to consider. Maybe ask to see if official permission will be granted to save disappointment/embarrassment when they say,you're more of a Honda person.
Is it like joining a CIU affiliated social club where you have to be nominated and seconded by a club member?
