revtothelimit - motorbike forum

I've had lots of Yamahas and Suzukis, 5 Hondas, 2 Kawasakis, 1 Husky and 1 KTM
My chosen manufacturer would be Suzuki, but they don't currently make anything I want to buy, but they make really well engineered bikes that put function before form and finish.
Yamaha really seem to have lost their way, they used to make really aggressive bikes, now they're all just a bit badly styled commuters
Honda, all the Hondas I've owned have been very good at what they do and easy to ride, I'd say Honda are now my second choice, which just feels wrong, but my CB1000R really has won me over to Honda, if it's gearbox was as good as a Suzuki gearbox Honda would be number 1.
Kawasaki - don't quite do it for me, but above Yamaha, I should really test ride a Z900RS, I could be won over.
Husqvarna - mine was a Cagiva Husky, current ones are KTMs in different colours, so we'll move on
KTM - never got on with it, felt like it was built for a 6ft3 Austrian not a skinny 5ft8 Suffolk lad and frankly put me off them

Other makes I've considered Ducati - rode a 900SS, didn't like it for so many reasons, like KTM they're a different mentality to Japanese bikes and not for me. BMW - I look at them and then realise that I don't smell of wee, or have any desire to wear goretex clothing. Triumph - I live round the corner from Suffolk Triumph, the bikes are too much money for the spec, and I hear of too many warranty claims.

TBH that's the short version.

I think I'm probably a whatever kind of guy...

Like you @weeksy I'm definitely more of a KTM guy than anything else... Whether I want to be or not, they just make bikes that light my fire basically!

Oh, and like @DefTrap I'm very definitely a V-Twin guy... That's not to say I haven't owned some decent 4 cylinder bikes (especially V4 engined ones), but V-Twins suit the way I ride and I love that instantaneous grunt.

Have had many other brands... Aprilia's, Ducati's, a BMW, a Yamaha, a Suzuki, Honda's etc... But very little ignites my fire the way an LC8 engined KTM does...

Until recently that is... And I'm absolutely in love with my Indian FTR1200, and it's never getting sold! Definitely my forever bike...

Not drawn to any manufacturers and only bought what I thought was the right bike for my needs/desires.
Kawasaki Z- local dealer
Honda CX - Despatch Rider
Yamaha's Lcs,Tzr's- Racing
Kawasaki Gpz
Yamaha Tdm Getting old,road bike
Suzuki Strom, the Last Harah, travel bike.

Over the years I’ve owned pretty much everything, at one point towards the end I had a Suzuki, Yamaha and Honda in the garage. Sold the Yamaha,Honda and Suzuki and purchased a BMW to have just the one bike for the road.

It was a case of whatever tickled my fancy at the time for the road and whatever race bike(s) I had at the time.

Had all sorts but the ones I've enjoyed and kept have been Kawasaki

I'm so limited in what bikes I can ride because of my height/little legs and lack of man strength that I can't be brand loyal. I'll try whatever bike I can reach the ground on and if it then gives me smiles, I find it hard not to buy it.

I've never had a KTM and probably never will as they're either too tall or too tall and heavy. I'll almost certainly never own an adventure bike.

So I shop for what fits and rides well regardless of brand and reputation (apart from Harleys - I don't care if I can reach the ground).

Triumph and a Harley were the only bikes I've owned that you could tell what you were riding by the sound alone.

My Ducati hypermotard just felt Japanese and had no discernible character, unless really shit closed-loop fuelling counts!

Most unreliable bikes I've ever owned were BMWs and KTMs.

Still very keen on my Guzzi V85TT, so I suppose I'm a Guzzi man these days. I keep an open mind, though. If/when I feel the need to downsize it could well be for something like the RE Himalayan 450.

Mostly been Yamahas, three Kawasakis, one Suzuki that I like and one Honda that I didn't, one Maico that never ran (till.a mate got it and sorted it) and a Bultaco project that never projected.
No Harleys, I do have standards after all.

4 Kawasakis, liked 3, ZX9R was fast but a bit meh
2 KTM's both enjoyable to ride
1 Yamaha which was hilarious but would've killed me if I kept it
1 Suzuki and that whilst competent didn't have a lot of character and I never gelled with it.
I'd like a Ducati but that depends on Uncle Lotto

In related news... Our local HD dealership:
Started in a 3500sqft shop in Palmdale for 7 years
Upgraded to a 7000sq ft shop in Lancaster for 7 years.
Then along came HD Corporate who dictated the size of dealerships if they wanted to keep the franchise, so they ended up in a brand new 25,000 sqft shop in Lancaster for the past 15 years or so.

... which was abandoned when I drove by recently, turns out they've moved into an old auto dealership over at the automall in Palmdale that is 10,000 sqft.