honda motorcycles

[jserio]

okay. i live in ohio so i've heard a fair bit about honda's changes. i'm not sure exact dates but i do know that the marysville plant will no longer produce honda's motorcycles. the production will be moved to a new facility in Japan. the good news being that the workers won't lose their jobs, as honda has stated the employees are being moved as well. now, the other things i've heard seem to be rumors. i've noticed that their sportbike line has decreased dramatically while the cruisers have not. they've gone up a bit i think in recent years. anyways. i've heard they plan to do a whole line change for the '09 models. anyone heard any different or along these lines? i've owned 2 honda cars and would buy another without a second thought if i had the money. i'd love to own a honda motorcycle but alas the only thing they offer in the "beginner" category is the rebel 250. while this is a decent bike to learn on as i did in my safety course, i've heard they are only good for around town and don't like the highways much. i had previously heard from some that an F4i would make a good starter and has fuel injection. once i joined on here however, you guys stated you thought a 600 would be a bit much which changed my mind about the F4i. if honda doesn't make one, i'd love for a motorcycle company to produce a nice beginner's bike that is FI. i know many of you swear by carbs so you may not agree with me. but me personally i'd love to have FI. i'd pay the extra bit of cash for it. hmm....i just realized that this post contains some different themes.  oh well. reply as you wish. 

[bettingpython]

600's too much... if you can keep from deliberately doing stupid stuff then no the 600's not all that horrible, the i4's have nice flat power gurves and torque on the lower end is tame enough to not get yourself hurt, it takes a lot of work and the right conditions to spin up the tire on a 600 at least it seems that way to me, my wife seems to think most people with 1/2 a brain could do just fine on one. She has a good grasp of throttle control and can ride beast if she needs too (Of course even 1/2 her brain is frekkin enough to make me feel like a retard.)

Fuel injected, entry level it's a 650 but at only mid 70's rwhp and torque in the high 20's or low 30's the ninja 650r would make a good bike for a learner, just bear in mind you'll most likely drop it so try to buy used whatever you get.

The only bikes the Ohio plant did were the wing and valkyrie, they're going to transfer everyone to their auto divisions and that plants is rumored to be retooled for car production.

I miss being able to point to my wing and go hah asshat my bikes made in the USA to. Oh well

[spc]

20's-30's torque???  Jesus f%$king Christ!!!!!!!!!!  That's like........GS torque  

Jserio: You'll be fine on an F4i and they're great bikes all around.  Try to find one that's good and cheap and not to pretty but still sound.

[jserio]

i've actually seen this bike in person. they had a red one as well with it but i no longer see the red one on the website. the bike seems to be in good condition. opinions?


http://www.ohcycle.com/new_vehicle_detail.asp?sid=01230585X4K13K2008J1I17I04JAMQ2726R0&veh=23727&pov=740504

[jserio]

why did they stop making the F4i anyways? 

[Teek]

Why is it painted a Suzuki blue...?    

[jserio]

That was a color option for that year i'm guessing. most of the '06's i've seen have been the yellow. but that blue doesn't look bad.

[bettingpython]

That was a color option for that year i'm guessing. most of the '06's i've seen have been the yellow. but that blue doesn't look bad.

It's tahitian candy blue it was a 06 color option. Thats the one my wife has. It was offered as a color choice in europe for the 03 954's. We dont usually get the cool color options like that in the states.

[bettingpython]

Don't you dare pay the price they have listed either, we bought my wifes brand new out the door for $8100
KBB and NADA used retail is between 6400 and 6800. They probably took it in trade and paid off the finance note and are trying to get their markup.

http://www.kbb.com/kbb/OtherVehicles/PricingReport.aspx?VehicleId=70301&ManufacturerId=18&VehicleClass=Motorcycle&PriceType=Retail&YearId=2006
http://www.nadaguides.com/default.aspx?LI=1-23-38-5697-0-0-0&l=1&w=23&p=38&f=5698&m=0119&d=1200019708&y=2006&ml=H&gc=MC&gtc=MC

Honda quit selling the f4i because they weren't selling all that well, it comes back to racing and homologation rules. The f4i is the supersport machine from 01-02, in 03 they came out with the rr. in 04 they went with a bannana seat to appeal to a different rider segment and deemphasize sales of the f4i. Why you ask? Because manufacturers have to produce X number of a model per year to compete in AMA and WSBK racing, obviously this means these bikes also need to sell

[bombadillo]

which sucks too because in reality most posers only use about 10% of their bikes potential on the streets.  but they sure look cool doing it!    I wish the F4i was still around because thats what I would buy new (even with the banana seat)  Now its looking like an fz6 just for the comfort factor and I don't need a RR Zr xyz just to be cool or look cool.  I use it to save gas, have fun on the weekends, and get around on without having to drive a freakin prius.  I just don't understand the U.S. mentality of bikes.  If we could take on a little more european thinking it would go a long way for us.

[bettingpython]

I think motorcycling in general is much more accepted in europe, I did a study that took into account all maintnance and operations costs of both my 14mpg city truck and my 954 for a projected 50,000 mile time span. Now cost of ownership items such as insurance and purchase cost, financed payments were not included simply because those are things I consider cost of ownership.

At 3.09 per gallon gasoline costs my truck costs 21 cents per mile to operate, my bike costs 18 cents per mile to operate

My truck has longer service intervals, and signifigantly lower tire costs over a 50,000 mile period than my bike. It's not all about fuel when calculating the bottom line. now at 3 bucks a litre like the euro's are paying for fuel then even with the higher maintenace and tire cost's my bike would be much more economical.

Yeah I know from a strictly liberal tree hugger POV the bike would be considered better since it uses less gasoline but what about the petroleum by products used to make all those tires I'll gpo through?

[jserio]

damn, your wife's bike is sexy BP!  looks good sittin next to yours eh? 

[yamahonkawazuki]

but the bike would be worthless hauling home depot crap or more than a few subs lol

[jserio]

yama, if you're lookin to haul 2x4's get a truck.  although, a rider with a couple 2x4's strapped to his back would look kinda commical. 

[yamahonkawazuki]

im talkin if it were the only vehicle or if it were part of a fleet of sMALL vehicles. but heh i just sold my frontier, so, until i get sanford on the road, ( sometime next week) im truckless. what is sanford you ask? 1965 chevrolet c10 v8 3spd column shift drum brakes without power assist 

[jserio]

that should make for a fun ride eh? 

[Teek]

$3.09 a gallon??!!!  

I just paid get this $4.39.9 at the station up the street for premium, because the tank switches are all funky and it wouldn't let me fuel, so I went to get a guy and he pounded on the pump a few times and it worked. I think he hit the premium button when I wasn't looking! Almost $10 for a little over 2 *&%!(+@ GALLONS!!!!   

Arco here I come.

[bettingpython]

Why run premium or was that the point it was accident?

I run 87 in both the bikes that's what the sticker says that's what i run in em.

California is doo da land teek you should get out if you can. I left in 1989 a pack of smokes was $2.00 and a gallon of gas at Terrible Herbst was $1.50, and that was the cheapest in town.

I got to Oklahoma and a pack of smokes was $1.19 and gas was $.89