'Hog says...[QUOTE] Which has been???[/QUOTE] Who are you calling a fucking has-been?
That's what I kept saying about my 9R until I realised I could get something much better for not a great deal of money.
Bear scribbled: I think the target market is changing. Traditionally they used to be realistic commuting bikes, SOBs, cheap first or second bikes, or cheap bigger bikes. For the latter, they might have only had 100bhp, but they delivered it with nice torque and a good power spread unlike the 600s. Now that the sports GSX600s and 900~liter bikes, etc, have become more costly to insure for younger riders, the manufacturers have realised that and have started to produce quality naked bikes. I certainly hope they don't use that as an excuse to up the prices of naked bikes to a point where you can't get a cheap commuter. Why are they all idiots? You don't know what purpose the bikes are going to be used for. A bandit 12 used as a couriers bike round London doesn't need 150bhp, 160mph, super quick steering and pin sharp handling. Its just got to withstand the abuse and neglect and thumps its going to get Having been a courier you know this
Bear? He'z just ziz guy, you know? I'll go along with that. But what do the manufacturers do about it? If there's a market for (all naked) small 600 commuters, lazy thous and out and out unrestricted bikes, is there going to be a big enough market for all three? <wanders off target a bit> Frankly I'm amazed that there are this many manufacturers and that they produce such a range of bikes, seeing the sales they get. Even chucking in trikes, quads, jet skis. Honda have an advantage that they do loads of other stuff (as do Suzuki I think?) but the smaller manufacturers, credit to them for keeping going and running race teams.
