Quality - Honda vs. Kawa (and others ?)

[GoldOxide_imp]

We do live in a "bio-degradable" and "recycled from plastics" age.

If manufacturers are cheapening components on bikes by sourcing out parts to the lowest bidder, I can see this happening. But of course, this never happens, eh?

[Charlie Bravo_imp]

My view is, if you have to keep your bike outside, maybe you shouldn't have a bike. Work to improve your situation, and get a bike when you can keep it indoors. I have never kept a bike outside.

[Gone in 60]

Royal Enfield recently sponsored a lady from England to come to the U.S. and ride an Interceptor 650 to all 48 states covering 48 days, and something around 16,000 miles total. Reportedly, the only malady the bike suffered was a burned out taillight bulb, but in the statistics of the consumables listed for her trip, seems like she had oil and tire changes several times. This is obviously good news for us Interceptor owners regarding projected reliability, but it can be assumed that RE made sure that the bike was well cared for throughout the trip.

[Gone in 60]

That's for sure. Guys on the RE forum are trying to pick it apart with a fine tooth comb... she must have used more than one bike, etc.

Who knows, maybe some of them aren't bad. There's specualtion that of the two factories that produce them in India, one has more good juju than the other. Based on the VIN, mine came from the "good" factory. When I bought my Malaysian-built Bonneville way back when, if you told me that I'd be clicking off 21k miles this year without a hitch, I'd be dubious.

[Gone in 60]

In Itchy Boots' last video, she pointed out when the odometer on her CRF300L Rally rolled past 60k kilometers / 37k miles.
She has been beating the snot out of that bike, particularly in her current season in Central Africa. In the previous video, it had fallen out of a canoe into a river, and a local mechanic stripped it down enough to blow water out of the fuel injector and related systems, put it back together and send her on her way.

For a 286 single, that's pretty darn indestructible. I sold my CB300R because I was afraid of running it at 8000 rpm on the freeway for extended periods. It probably wouldn't have minded.

[Ollie]

My view is, if you have to keep your bike outside, maybe you shouldn't have a bike. Work to improve your situation, and get a bike when you can keep it indoors. I have never kept a bike outside.

But the "situation" requiring a garage is not available for many people. Some live in high density housing, apartments, condo's, town homes w/o garages, etc. Heck I see bikes parked outside all year in front of houses that have garages sometimes! Looking inside their garage it is filled with boxes, shelving, lawn mower, bicycles, various stuff what I'd call junk (but it must not be to them), etc.

[Gone in 60]

after 2001 i never left a bike outside, and i only did for a brief time there.. if i was in an apt, i rented a storage unit. last apt i was in, i had a garage downstairs. (actually 3).

those honda singles are bulletproof, they laugh at 8k.

I caught a look at myself in the mirrored glass in my office as I rode past once on that little CB300R. Sort of looked like this:


Man, I can only imagine what the zombies would do if I ever left a bike outside my office overnight. At home, no problem. But then again, I robbed that liquor store a long time ago to get a down payment on a place with a garage.

[Gone in 60]

Yeah, well I have more fun on my bicycle than anyone in a minivan.
Just couldn't bear hurting the Baby Honda, and had the chance to swap straight over to the Interceptor for nothing out of pocket. It's funny... our office neighbor rides a KTM 390, and when he sees me on either the Bonneville or the Enfield, he comments about how they look too small under me.

[The Gecko_imp]

My view is, if you have to keep your bike outside, maybe you shouldn't have a bike. Work to improve your situation, and get a bike when you can keep it indoors. I have never kept a bike outside.

The owner of this bike swears that his bike has been under a car-port roof ALL the time.
Don't get me wrong, I am not cheap, all for what I own, all against the rest. I just find this very strange. Go look at the pics.

after 2001 i never left a bike outside, and i only did for a brief time there.. if i was in an apt, i rented a storage unit. last apt i was in, i had a garage downstairs. (actually 3).

those honda singles are bulletproof, they laugh at 8k.

You mean a random date / event in 2001, or did you change your biking habits because of the events on 9-11 ?

lol. I don't care what i look like riding small bikes (obviously) so cant relate really. I can bet I'm having a better day on a 100cc twin than the guy in the mini van next to me with a 'mom life' decal on the rear window though.

ROFL

[GoldOxide_imp]

My '14 CB1100 was stored outdoors during all four Canadian seasons every year. It never missed starting up.


... sun beat down on it five days a week in anonymous corporate parking lots.