Topic: What Motorcycle Have You Been Obsessing About Today?

[Arthur Dent]

They used to be horrible quality wise - 80s Hyundai of the bike world. They invested huge in quality and seems to be paying off. They are built in India and some folks have a tough time with that is maybe a part if it.

[PJungnitsch]

Not sure if they were worse than the British original, but by modern standards they've been crappily built for a long long time

Will be interesting if they've actually turned things around

[Jaeger]

They used to be horrible quality wise - 80s Hyundai of the bike world. They invested huge in quality and seems to be paying off. They are built in India and some folks have a tough time with that is maybe a part if it.

Ah - thanks.  Well most Triumphs are made in Thailand - people need to get over themselves.

[rrocket]

They used to be horrible quality wise - 80s Hyundai of the bike world. They invested huge in quality and seems to be paying off. They are built in India and some folks have a tough time with that is maybe a part if it.

I remember when they released the teaser video for the new Himalayan..and you could see parts falling off in the video.   

Within a year of the release, there were a few people who experienced the bike breaking in half.

So yea....

[PJungnitsch]

Article here on the company, it's an interesting history:

https://www.revzilla.com/common-tread/royal-enfield-overcoming-past-perceptions-to-build-a-new-reality-of-reliability

But yeah, if they actually turn things around is a different thing. It's amazing how much we take for granted with modern bikes, I didn't realize how much until I rode a Minsk around Vietnam for a day

[Fobroader]

They used to be horrible quality wise - 80s Hyundai of the bike world. They invested huge in quality and seems to be paying off. They are built in India and some folks have a tough time with that is maybe a part if it.

Yeah, as far as I know they are developed in England, not too far from Triumph with a bunch of their old employees and built in India. I mean its not Japan, but it can't be any worse than China. Fortnine just did a test of engine cleanliness on new bikes, and RE came on top of all of them. No surprise, the Chinese, Italians and Brits were all handily at the bottom with the Chinese being pretty well off the shafts. I don't know, for $7-8k its almost worth the risk, this isn't some $25-30k BMW/KTM where thats a huge roll of the dice, this, is a relatively small one.

[JohnnyMac]

So for the most part we think of vehicles built in Japan to be the highest quality and most well built for cars.  As far as motorcycles, which country builds the best?

[Fobroader]

So for the most part we think of vehicles built in Japan to be the highest quality and most well built for cars.  As far as motorcycles, which country builds the best?

The "best" is subjective, most reliable, Japanese, far and away the best. Performance wise, that totally depends on the segment of the bike.

[JohnnyMac]

So for the most part we think of vehicles built in Japan to be the highest quality and most well built for cars.  As far as motorcycles, which country builds the best?

The "best" is subjective, most reliable, Japanese, far and away the best. Performance wise, that totally depends on the segment of the bike.

Are the majority of the Japanese bikes made in Japan?  I tend to think the most reliable vehicles come out of Japan, the highest quality vehicles out of Germany, and the most style and soul out of Italy.

[rrocket]

So for the most part we think of vehicles built in Japan to be the highest quality and most well built for cars.  As far as motorcycles, which country builds the best?

The "best" is subjective, most reliable, Japanese, far and away the best. Performance wise, that totally depends on the segment of the bike.

Are the majority of the Japanese bikes made in Japan?  I tend to think 1) the most reliable vehicles come out of Japan, 2) the highest quality vehicles out of Germany, and 3) the most style and soul out of Italy.

1) I'd probably agree with that

2) I'd disagree with that.

3) It depends

[Fobroader]

So for the most part we think of vehicles built in Japan to be the highest quality and most well built for cars.  As far as motorcycles, which country builds the best?

The "best" is subjective, most reliable, Japanese, far and away the best. Performance wise, that totally depends on the segment of the bike.

Are the majority of the Japanese bikes made in Japan?  I tend to think the most reliable vehicles come out of Japan, the highest quality vehicles out of Germany, and the most style and soul out of Italy.

I'd disagree with that.

Yeah, I'm with Rocket on this one as well......glitzy, sure, fancy, sure, quality....ehhhhh.

[PJungnitsch]

Watched too much Hoovies Garage/Car Wizard to associate German with quality. See it more associated with biodegradable plastic parts and bad ideas like wiring the park sensors in line with the transmission

Performance, clever designs, driving feel maybe

[JohnnyMac]

So for the most part we think of vehicles built in Japan to be the highest quality and most well built for cars.  As far as motorcycles, which country builds the best?

The "best" is subjective, most reliable, Japanese, far and away the best. Performance wise, that totally depends on the segment of the bike.

Are the majority of the Japanese bikes made in Japan?  I tend to think the most reliable vehicles come out of Japan, the highest quality vehicles out of Germany, and the most style and soul out of Italy.

I'd disagree with that.

Between Porsche, BMW, Mercedes-Benz, and Audi, it's hard to beat as far as quality vehicles.  You might be able to convince me that England is better, because of Bentley, Rolls Royce, Jaguar, McLaren, and Range Rover.  But they make Waay less vehicles.

[rrocket]

So for the most part we think of vehicles built in Japan to be the highest quality and most well built for cars.  As far as motorcycles, which country builds the best?

The "best" is subjective, most reliable, Japanese, far and away the best. Performance wise, that totally depends on the segment of the bike.

Are the majority of the Japanese bikes made in Japan?  I tend to think the most reliable vehicles come out of Japan, the highest quality vehicles out of Germany, and the most style and soul out of Italy.

I'd disagree with that.

Between Porsche, BMW, Mercedes-Benz, and Audi, it's hard to beat as far as quality vehicles.  You might be able to convince me that England is better, because of Bentley, Rolls Royce, Jaguar, McLaren, and Range Rover.  But they make Waay less vehicles.

We're talking motorcycles, right??

Even if cars then there's Japanese marques that have impeccable quality.  And I even think "reliability" goes hand in hand with quality.  If you use "quality" components throughout with quality design and quality manufacturing, the car should be dead reliable.  Which is something German cars tend not to be compared to others.

[dkaz]

Fortnine did a used break in oil analysis of 12 brand new motorcycles.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9GAUo8eUXeU

[rrocket]

Fortnine did a used break in oil analysis of 12 brand new motorcycles.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9GAUo8eUXeU

Not sure if I should watch. 

Have seen some of his "tests" before and they weren't terribly..umm..good.

[bridgecity]

I clicked, then immediately exited out.  He's too much, can't take it.

[JohnnyMac]

So for the most part we think of vehicles built in Japan to be the highest quality and most well built for cars.  As far as motorcycles, which country builds the best?

The "best" is subjective, most reliable, Japanese, far and away the best. Performance wise, that totally depends on the segment of the bike.

Are the majority of the Japanese bikes made in Japan?  I tend to think the most reliable vehicles come out of Japan, the highest quality vehicles out of Germany, and the most style and soul out of Italy.

I'd disagree with that.

Between Porsche, BMW, Mercedes-Benz, and Audi, it's hard to beat as far as quality vehicles.  You might be able to convince me that England is better, because of Bentley, Rolls Royce, Jaguar, McLaren, and Range Rover.  But they make Waay less vehicles.

We're talking motorcycles, right??

Even if cars then there's Japanese marques that have impeccable quality.  And I even think "reliability" goes hand in hand with quality.  If you use "quality" components throughout with quality design and quality manufacturing, the car should be dead reliable.  Which is something German cars tend not to be compared to others.

Well I was asking at first where the best bikes are made, mainly because of the discussion above about sub par build quality bikes out of India.  But then I was using passenger vehicles as a way to help illustrate where we think the best vehicles are made.  I guess quality might be a bad term to use as people think of different things when they think about quality.  Looking back at my posts it looks like I contradict myself by saying Japan makes the best quality vehicles and then say Germany, so I'm definitely confusing myself and others.

I guess what I was failing to say is if I was building the perfect vehicle I would want the styling and sound from Italy, the interior and driving feel from Germany, and screwed together in Japan.  Would it be similar for bikes?

[rrocket]

so I'm definitely confusing myself and others.

 

That's what this forum is for, no??

[ktm525]

So for the most part we think of vehicles built in Japan to be the highest quality and most well built for cars.  As far as motorcycles, which country builds the best?

The "best" is subjective, most reliable, Japanese, far and away the best. Performance wise, that totally depends on the segment of the bike.

Are the majority of the Japanese bikes made in Japan?  I tend to think the most reliable vehicles come out of Japan, the highest quality vehicles out of Germany, and the most style and soul out of Italy.

Not in my world. Despite the eye watering price KTM/Husky has had many many quality issues off the showroom floor. Google Magura clutch slaves Husqvarna. My buddies clutch slave failed at 4 hours and the dealer gave him attitude.  Another friend's KTM had a portion of a broken head gasket overlain with another one during manufacture. Created a lean condition and BOOM. Engine seized with a few hours on it. So yeah I will give the Royal Enfield a break.