I talked to a friend of mine who owns a bike shop yesterday he had Suzuki and Kawasaki before they pulled out leaving him with Honda...
He said a Hayabusa would eat a Concours anywhere, anytime without working up a sweat...He's rode them all and has a racing background....he said there is no contest between the two....at all....
He has a couple new Gold Wings in the shop now and said they are stellar tour bikes and are the top tier in their field. They have around 126 ft/lb of torque which is plenty to get the thing moving and keep it moving...these bikes are geared towards a very specific rider and are very popular for a reason (as we know). He had an older (80's) 'Wing come in with 400,000kms on it for basic maintenance and it ran as smooth as anything on the floor, they are reliable and capable without the drama.
I asked him about the BMWs and although he gets them in for basic maintenance, he doesn't get any information from BMW regarding any TSBs, he said his techs hate the new BMWs as they are so complicated to do anything with and require more maintenance-none of them would buy one.
He said Kawasaki has bet the farm on their H2 line and it's not doing well, Suzuki has re-hashed the old GSXR to make the GSX1KGT....it might pan out for them if they keep the cost down, Honda only kept the Gold Wind and dropped the solid ST line and BMW has kept all their lines and are trudging forward but are losing loyal riders...many are going to the Gold Wing.
HD is HD, he said they have made many lemons over the years but their customer base is so loyal (brain washed was the word he used) they will always buy them.
No doubt a detuned ZX-14 motor isn't going to run with a Busa motor be it a Gen 1, 2 or 3. However, I find it easier to go fast in the twisties with the Connie... I am not saying it's faster in the twisties, just easier to drive it hard. Once you are dragging the pegs on the street their really is no point in trying to go any faster anyway.
I have about 9 years of Hayabusa Gen 1 driving experience and have worn out my share of tires.
As far as BMW goes... I have only owned one and it was a flip... it was an old inline 4 cylinder from around 1995 or 6. Full fairing and bags, shaft drive and 1100 or 1000 cc if I recall correctly.
Goldwings? Awesome motorcycles and ahead of their time from the start. I almost bought a 1984 standard ( no bags or fairing ) one time but opted for the V65 Sabre and ended up having 2 of them ( one at a time ) for substantial periods of time. I bought a 3rd V65 about 7 or 8 years ago and after owning a 1990 ZX-11 decided that antiquated frame and brake systems from the 80s just didn't cut it anymore.
I am sure I would be impressed if I were to get to drive a new Goldwing... Honda is a superb engineering company.
HD... I admire the companies success and market share. I have a $10 entry for charity placed for a real nice 2009 HD that is all chromed up... it feels like I just might win it! What would I do with a HD? I would go to the tattoo shop and get brand new tats so I could fit in with the HD crowd! lol ! Just kidding... I would drive it a little then sell it or trade it for something I really wanted.
The appeal of the antiquated engine design isn't lost on me either... the vibrations running through this engine design ensures that Locktite thread adhesive will always be a money maker. I have heard some of the women like HD too for reasons to intimate to mention here. The Hells Angels bad biker image still lives within the brand and that keeps the need to feed image seekers alive... aka... for the vanity types a brand they can covet for their exterior identity needs.
I still haven't bought a HD... and probably never will... I have rode plenty of them as my buddy buys and sells them occasionally... so... I am grateful for the experience... I know what I am missing! lol !
I like smooth, fast and powerful when it comes to motorcycles.... if a bigger CBX ever comes out I might consider one of those.
The heads on the 1800 BMW were HUGE!
