Curiosty.....what problems are you thinking yamaha, suzuki, and kawasaki have that make them unreliable? I've heard of none. I own an R1. No problems. I've ridden my friend's 600RR. I prefer the R1 for overall comfort, feedback, and sense of control. Some people would say the opposite. Who f***ing cares? Really....I believe in the old clique of honda reliablilty, and I've actually been guilty to use it from time to time, but this is 2005, not 1995. None of the bikes have major issues. All are reliable. So honda reliability still holds true, but you cant really say it's more reliable because it isnt. There's as many "help! bike wont start, help! bike died" posts on this forum as the other sportbike forums. Also you guys really dont need to get caught up in this horsepower number. I've seen dyno runs in sportrider that list the ZX10 as the most hp, but in anothert issue with a different dyno run, the R1 boasts the most hp yet not the fastest lap or drag times. With that said, in their 2005 literbike shootout, 1st to last place is only 8% difference, but in the same bikes there is only a 2.5% difference in torque. Anybody that knows anything about anything knows that horsepower is calculated from an equation. Dynos measure torque and rpm. Horsepower is equated from the two. I believe sportbikes would be better off to have more midrange torque than overall high rpm horsepower, but as long as you guys keep bickering over what bike makes 181hp at the crank instead of 180.75, then the manufacturers are gonna keep raising the rpms. Lastly, has nobody else seen the 10 sec 1/4 mile that photo_nut posted with a speed of 121 mph? Am i the only one that's calling BS on that?

 

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Nice bike but i dont think i will be up for a change just yet as i have spent nuff time and cash on my ride and if i was to purchase 1 i would only go and do the same sort of mods to the 06 model plus the colours are ****e for us here in england again as always...I might have do some engine mods to get a bit more power from it but i feel the 05 is a superb bike......

 

The only reason I said that it needs a slipper clutch is because every other manufacturer offers a slipper clutch on their bikes, besides the normal R1. A slipper will always make a bike faster and more confidence inspiring on the track and the street. Honda is way far behind and are too conservative with their bikes. The '04-'05 1000 is heavier than the 954, why would they do that? The other manufacturers are taking the lead by offering more race inspired technology for the street, while honda lags behind and hides behind their GP inspired swingarms--big deal. People read magazine tests and want to buy the best bike for their money. Sure not many of them can use the extra power to their advantage but it just doesnt make any sense to shell out the most money for an inferior bike, unless you like Honda and/or its supposedly superior build quality, which is myth anyway, or the style. My honda is full of problems and reading these boards makes me wonder why people would even think honda has superior build quality. Maybe 20 years ago Honda had better build quality than ford and chevy, but today there really isnt that much of a difference between japanese bike manufacturers. I just think its stupid how Honda charges the most for their bikes when they really dont offer much excitement compared to other manufacturers. "Moto GP inspired swingarm" sure doesnt make my heart beat as fast as "best in class power and weight". Also hearing EVERY magazine test saying how the CBR's extra weight, low power, and lack of a slipper clutch really hold it back on the track doesnt help. Yes they all say its the easiest to ride, predictable, and handles great but that doesnt make up for the fact that it is heavy and slower than the others. Also the new gixxer 1k has been praised not only for its extreme power, but the manageable way that it puts that power to the ground. All of the manufacturers produce bikes that are controllable on the street by average riders, if they produced uncontrollable deathtraps the feds would be all over their ***. Honda always makes changes to their bikes after every other manufacturer takes the lead. You would think the company with the most resources would take the lead in development, but honda always seems to come to the party late. Maybe I am just not a Honda guy, I have always hated their cars and now the only reason I like their bikes is because they are the most rider friendly. But I am too the point on my 600 where I just dont want rider friendly anymore. Rider friendly and conservative are boring.

 

well they definitely arent the fastest but ive had 3 hondas and theyve had outstanding reliabiilty. Check out the ZX, Suzuki, Yamaha sites and youll see broken wheels, cracked frames, blown engines. Honda does make a higher quality motorcycle, no question about it.