Yup. 3 out of 4 bikes I see are young guys on a GSXR, a few hondas, and even fewer Kawis. Can't recal a Yami in recent memory, but I always get the dude on his new GSXR next to me at a light, no gear, dealer tag still on it, lookin at me like I owe him money or something. Eh, ride your own ride dude.

 

its always good to ride wiht people of the same mindset, and riding style/pace/wutever you wanna call it.

 

One good thing about owning one is there are always cheap parts available, ebay is full of wrecked ones.

 

It's ALL about marketing. Unfortunately "Gixxer" is one of the most widely known names when it comes to bikes, that’s why everyone who tries to look cool and guess what your bike is always goes straight to "gixxer." Also unfortunately, Suzuki Makes the Busa, one of the more recognizable bikes today so there is brand association right there..."Oh, Suzuki makes the (ex) fastest bike, so ALL the bikes must be great. I want one of those."

One thingI would be interested in finding out is brand loyalty statistics. How many people change brands depending on what bike they started with? I'm only 21 and I have had 5 Hondas. My first mini bike, a Honda Fatcat, 2 CR 125's and now the F4i. I feel like people who start with, or ever own a Honda, have the tendency to STAY with Hondas.

 

and like........i TRIED to start a bike night here at a local resteraunt, and one night a guy on a suzuki does a burnout in the parking lot on his stretched out bike. i K N O W the people i generally ride w/ on honda's are more mature than that. in group rides i dont have to worry about the honda guy flying past me in the same lane as me........most of the honda guys "mind theirmanners" in group rides.

idk, i just find it kinda funnyi guess. its like two different people.

 

i don't really like to stereotype based on what people ride either, but i've noticed this and i've only been riding for about 4 months now. i think one of the problems is that so many people go out and buy a sportbike because they think it will make them look cool, and those kind of people always go for what's popular, and that happens to be the Gixxer.a couple weekends ago i was at a party and met a few guys with Gixxers, and their stuck-up-ness was so bad that they wouldn't even talk to me when i told them i ride a Honda (you mean Suzuki isn't the only manufacturer that makes sportbikes?). it's like those frat boys that get off comparing their multi-colored Ralph Lauren shorts... if a magazine/commercial/popular person tells you it's cool, then it's gotta be cool, right?

i'll admit, i was almost bitten by this bug when going from my beginner bike to my current ride (a 2001 CBR929RR). i have a subscription to about every motorcycling magazine that covers sportbikes, and i've read countless articles about this bike's strength versus that bike's weakness. one thing i failed to realize (at first) was that the guys that test-ride these bikes ride them *****-to-the-wall for most of these tests, so the flaws really show in that sort of riding. for the slower paced city riding that i do, these things aren't even a factor. i almost got a Gixxer 600, because they ARE really nice bikes, but in the end i realized that i wanted something different because this town is FULL of non-helmet-wearing squids on Gixxers. i'd always had a thing for Hondas ever since i rode my grandpa's and uncle's Honda 3 wheelers on their farm growing up, so i decided to get either a 929 or 954 and i couldn't be happier with my choice.

yesterday was the first day of classes here at Texas Tech, and of course i rode my bike, and i was shocked at how many squids are crawling around this campus. i sawway too manyguys yesterday on Gixxers without a helmet, cruising around with their backwards hats, Oakleys, and backpacks, trying to impress the girls. i did see a nice yellow/black F4i though, not sure if he's on this forum but i passed him on 4th street yesterday afternoon and had to do a double-take because it's rare to see a Honda around here, but i can honestly say i've never seen a guy riding a CBR without a helmet here, it's always those Gixxers.

 

I think anyone that doesn't get a suzuki just because its a suzuki and you dont want to be associated with the suzuki stereotype is just as bad as all the people that get suzukis for the opposite reason. When you're looking for a bike the only thing that should matter is the quality of the bike and what you think about it. If I were to go out and buy a brand new 600 I'd probably get a gsxr because I like it, or atleast before the new 600rr came out. And the only reason I wouldn't get a 1k gsxr is because I don't like how it looks and I really like the zx10r. And if for some reason I felt the need for 1300+ cc's I'd get a busa because I think the zx14 is ugly as ****. You're buying a bike for you, not for your freinds or peopel you dont even know so who cares what they think.

 

Ya same thing here I'm one of 4 people so far wearing a helmet. That's like one in ten here. Then again I guess I shouldn't talk I haven't been wearing my jacket on the days I feel too lazy to walk to class (they're like 5 blocks and it's been 90 degrees everday I know I know it's no excuse)

 

actually i don't blame you for not wearing your jacket. if it's a short ride, your chances of getting severe road rash aren't as high as if you had a longer, higher speed commute. i'd rather not walk into class with terrible BO, it's been hot as hell here lately so i'll probably just wear my helmet and gloves until it cools down a bit (at least to the lower 90s).

 

I feel naked without my jacked and just tell anyone next to me 'sorry'. Besides, a bright jacket makes the ladies look that much more.