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discostu47 · 02-14-2003, 05:55 AM

I would choose the SV1000 (not the S version). It fits my riding style: a bucket of fun (speed & handling), while being comfortable as well.

One concern would be over reliablilty being that its a first year bike, but the motor's been used for awhile in different cycles, so I wouldn't be too concerned.

Another conern would be the local dealers. I haven't worked with a Suzuki dealer in the area, so I don't know if any are reliable or not when I do run into problems.

As a side note, I have had the same 1983 Nighthawk for 15 years now. I got it cheap when I was in college. Grad school didn't put any more money in my pocket, so I didn't have the funds to upgrade. Marriage was more of the same. But I got my wife interested in cycling, so after she passed her MSF class we decided we "NEED" a new cycle so my wife can use the Nighthawk.

I love it when a plan comes together.

ValkBandit · 02-14-2003, 05:57 AM

i've never owned a beemer but family and friends have. if had to hold onto a bike for 20 years my main criteria would be longevity and serviceability. bmw has had many years to refine the boxer and from my experiences, the bike is DESIGNED to be worked on and to last. little niggling stuff does crop up, but the big stuff (bearings, rings, pistons, fasteners, etc.) will outlive YOU.

japanese bikes are designed to be wrung out for a few years then tossed in the bin.

harleys are just too unreliable. even the new ones appear parked on the side of the road too often, or in the bed of a rescue truck.

it'd prolly be a roadster with a plexi fairing and saddlebags. a do-anything urban commando of a bike.

HoundDawg · 02-14-2003, 06:09 AM

Keeping one bike for 20 years and maintaining durability is the tough one. Unless you're a weekend rider you'll rack up some pretty high milage. My choice is split between two of the bikes I have now, a Triumph Sprint ST and a BMW R1150GS. The slight edge has to go to the GS as it is a go anywhere bike. Good long distance endurance bike, with the low center of gravity and torque it can keep up with a sport bike in the twisties, it is smooth on unpaved roads but a bit big for many single track trails, and is a very versitile platform for modifications. A great all around bike.

Mooner · 02-14-2003, 06:14 AM

I was thinking R1150R as soon as I read through requirements. I enjoy sportbikes more, but I fear I might tire of the same sportbike year after year. How's that old song go? If you want to be happy for the rest of your life, never make a pretty woman your wife.....

nokneedragin · 02-14-2003, 06:30 AM

Well I'm on 11 years with my connie and 180K engines still strong but spare parts are getting tougher to find. At 6'4 seat height is an issue as cruiser style sets me to close to the ground. Don't do to many track dayz, so sport bike is out. My experience with dealers is they all suck, so that doesn't factor in. I have to stick with the connie, good speed, reliable, easy to work on, two up, luggage, yep I'm stuck.

DialedIN · 02-14-2003, 06:42 AM

Ok Brand loyalty for 20 years would come down to what country you live in. If you buy a BMW, and the USA becomes the outlaws of the UN ( which is a possibilty even today) parts would be hard to come by. After we tell Japan that they can't buy anymore golf courses, then they hit us with bigger import taxes. So living proudly in the USA, I would have to stick with a motorcycle built in America, a company owned by Americans, and a company that has built motorcycles for 100 years.

Right now my daily ride is a 1994 Kawasaki ZX11 with 60,000 miles on it.( looking to trade up to something newer,with at least 4 cyclinders,) and I am restoring a 1982 Sturgis. Parts are still easy to come by for the sturgis, and its 21 years old. So since I live in the USA and have no idea what is going to happen in this world in the next 20 years, I would have to stick with any of the big Harleys. Even though I would rather ride something with more cylinders. The acceleration of a big 4 is addicting......

Mashuri · 02-14-2003, 06:51 AM

I would probably change my current choice from the Aprilia Falco to the Honda VFR. I gotta go with Honda's proven reliability and the likelyhood they'll stay in the motorcycle business for 20 more years.

Mashuri · 02-14-2003, 06:55 AM

DOH! I meant the Aprilia Futura...not Falco. Gotta stop sniffing that Ajax. >

NoKneeDown · 02-14-2003, 07:05 AM

Since reliability is a chief concern I'd have to go with a Bimota SB8R...ummmmm....

Actually, if I were stuck in the situation presented, I believe a VFR would have to be my weapon of choice. Give me an '01 please...that way I won't gripe about the styling in five years (even though I like it now) and even though the Vtech may make some cool noises, I don't think I need it. Oh, and I want the charging system to work too. Darn, this means I don't get the factory luggage, but I guess I can make do with aftermarket bags. The only other caveat I have is that I want it with ABS, but I want to be able to take it on and off in like, five minutes....I think I broke a rule with that one. Oh well, that's my choice...2001 Honda VFR. I'm 5'11", 150 lbs so it'll fit me fine, it'll do anything, and as I get older, wiser, and faster, I'll still be able to smoke the kiddies on SS bikes.

Randy_P_Moran · 02-14-2003, 07:06 AM

I'd pick my current ride, a 2000 SV650. I've got over 15,000 miles on mine (bought new in April 2001). It's a great commuter, a competent and highly entertaining backroad scratcher, and a lovely racebike if one is so-inclined. Suzuki made a ton of them, so parts shouldn't be too hard to get, and there are quite a few performance parts available from the aftermarket.

Best of all it's a third to a quarter the cost of most of the other bikes mentioned so far, a used one now going for less than four grand. The savings will buy a whole lot of beer and track days (to be enjoyed separately, of course).

02-14-2003, 05:55 AM	#1
discostu47 Founding Member Join Date: Jun 2007 Posts: 9	Re: Brand Loyalty I would choose the SV1000 (not the S version). It fits my riding style: a bucket of fun (speed & handling), while being comfortable as well. One concern would be over reliablilty being that its a first year bike, but the motor's been used for awhile in different cycles, so I wouldn't be too concerned. Another conern would be the local dealers. I haven't worked with a Suzuki dealer in the area, so I don't know if any are reliable or not when I do run into problems. As a side note, I have had the same 1983 Nighthawk for 15 years now. I got it cheap when I was in college. Grad school didn't put any more money in my pocket, so I didn't have the funds to upgrade. Marriage was more of the same. But I got my wife interested in cycling, so after she passed her MSF class we decided we "NEED" a new cycle so my wife can use the Nighthawk. I love it when a plan comes together.

02-14-2003, 05:57 AM	#2
ValkBandit Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2001 Posts: 473	Boxer Beemer. i've never owned a beemer but family and friends have. if had to hold onto a bike for 20 years my main criteria would be longevity and serviceability. bmw has had many years to refine the boxer and from my experiences, the bike is DESIGNED to be worked on and to last. little niggling stuff does crop up, but the big stuff (bearings, rings, pistons, fasteners, etc.) will outlive YOU. japanese bikes are designed to be wrung out for a few years then tossed in the bin. harleys are just too unreliable. even the new ones appear parked on the side of the road too often, or in the bed of a rescue truck. it'd prolly be a roadster with a plexi fairing and saddlebags. a do-anything urban commando of a bike.

02-14-2003, 06:09 AM	#3
HoundDawg Founding Member Join Date: Jun 2007 Posts: 10	Re: Brand Loyalty Keeping one bike for 20 years and maintaining durability is the tough one. Unless you're a weekend rider you'll rack up some pretty high milage. My choice is split between two of the bikes I have now, a Triumph Sprint ST and a BMW R1150GS. The slight edge has to go to the GS as it is a go anywhere bike. Good long distance endurance bike, with the low center of gravity and torque it can keep up with a sport bike in the twisties, it is smooth on unpaved roads but a bit big for many single track trails, and is a very versitile platform for modifications. A great all around bike.

02-14-2003, 06:14 AM	#4
Mooner Founding Member Join Date: Nov 2001 Posts: 216	Re: Boxer Beemer. I was thinking R1150R as soon as I read through requirements. I enjoy sportbikes more, but I fear I might tire of the same sportbike year after year. How's that old song go? If you want to be happy for the rest of your life, never make a pretty woman your wife.....

02-14-2003, 06:30 AM	#5
nokneedragin Founding Member Join Date: Jun 2007 Posts: 771	Re: Brand Loyalty Well I'm on 11 years with my connie and 180K engines still strong but spare parts are getting tougher to find. At 6'4 seat height is an issue as cruiser style sets me to close to the ground. Don't do to many track dayz, so sport bike is out. My experience with dealers is they all suck, so that doesn't factor in. I have to stick with the connie, good speed, reliable, easy to work on, two up, luggage, yep I'm stuck.

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02-14-2003, 06:42 AM	#6
DialedIN Founding Member Join Date: Nov 2001 Posts: 79	Re: Brand Loyalty Ok Brand loyalty for 20 years would come down to what country you live in. If you buy a BMW, and the USA becomes the outlaws of the UN ( which is a possibilty even today) parts would be hard to come by. After we tell Japan that they can't buy anymore golf courses, then they hit us with bigger import taxes. So living proudly in the USA, I would have to stick with a motorcycle built in America, a company owned by Americans, and a company that has built motorcycles for 100 years. Right now my daily ride is a 1994 Kawasaki ZX11 with 60,000 miles on it.( looking to trade up to something newer,with at least 4 cyclinders,) and I am restoring a 1982 Sturgis. Parts are still easy to come by for the sturgis, and its 21 years old. So since I live in the USA and have no idea what is going to happen in this world in the next 20 years, I would have to stick with any of the big Harleys. Even though I would rather ride something with more cylinders. The acceleration of a big 4 is addicting......

02-14-2003, 06:51 AM	#7
Mashuri Founding Member Join Date: Jun 2007 Posts: 57	Re: Brand Loyalty I would probably change my current choice from the Aprilia Falco to the Honda VFR. I gotta go with Honda's proven reliability and the likelyhood they'll stay in the motorcycle business for 20 more years.

02-14-2003, 06:55 AM	#8
Mashuri Founding Member Join Date: Jun 2007 Posts: 57	Re: Brand Loyalty DOH! I meant the Aprilia Futura...not Falco. Gotta stop sniffing that Ajax. >

02-14-2003, 07:05 AM	#9
NoKneeDown Founding Member Join Date: Nov 2001 Posts: 70	Re: Brand Loyalty Since reliability is a chief concern I'd have to go with a Bimota SB8R...ummmmm.... Actually, if I were stuck in the situation presented, I believe a VFR would have to be my weapon of choice. Give me an '01 please...that way I won't gripe about the styling in five years (even though I like it now) and even though the Vtech may make some cool noises, I don't think I need it. Oh, and I want the charging system to work too. Darn, this means I don't get the factory luggage, but I guess I can make do with aftermarket bags. The only other caveat I have is that I want it with ABS, but I want to be able to take it on and off in like, five minutes....I think I broke a rule with that one. Oh well, that's my choice...2001 Honda VFR. I'm 5'11", 150 lbs so it'll fit me fine, it'll do anything, and as I get older, wiser, and faster, I'll still be able to smoke the kiddies on SS bikes.

02-14-2003, 07:06 AM	#10
Randy_P_Moran Founding Member Join Date: Nov 2001 Posts: 56	Gimme my SV! I'd pick my current ride, a 2000 SV650. I've got over 15,000 miles on mine (bought new in April 2001). It's a great commuter, a competent and highly entertaining backroad scratcher, and a lovely racebike if one is so-inclined. Suzuki made a ton of them, so parts shouldn't be too hard to get, and there are quite a few performance parts available from the aftermarket. Best of all it's a third to a quarter the cost of most of the other bikes mentioned so far, a used one now going for less than four grand. The savings will buy a whole lot of beer and track days (to be enjoyed separately, of course).