yeah thats bout the norm around my parts. I see more gixxers and hondas then kawi's or yammi's... I

 

GSX-R's are the "Me Too" Bike

"Oh you have a GSX-R? ME TOO!!!"

 

Perspectives



I think this is a great analogy of howl things are perceived on the street. I know a lot of riders that actually say great things about the R1. But yet, they still went and got a Gixxer. Why? Friends have it. They loved the low end power it has and at the time Yamaha didn't seem to give it that much on the low end. Now, this isn't to get into some technical debate. This is the word of mouth that I ran into.

When I worked at 2 dealerships (one being a Yamaha dealership) I found it rare that someone actually researched motos before they purchased one. It was more so that a friend had it. I won't get mad at that. That's part of marketing - word of mouth. You don't see a lot of adds for Yamis like you do with Suzuki's and Honda's. I sometimes feel Kawi does more advertising than Yamaha!

I also won't go so far as to sit and say the mag writers are all paid off (especially without proof) and thus they lean towards whatever moto. We all know it's personal preference. I don't like Suzuki's - period. But know a ton of people do. I might not write the greatest column because of that though it is a good moto. Besides, I could've sworn on this site, on the homepage one mag gave the R1 great ratings! As a matter of fact this is the year for the R1. OH and MCN loves the R1 over the Honda CBR 1000. So to me, like any media, it all depends on who your source is and make sure you leave this country to get a very even report of things overall.

Lastly, you'll always notice whatever moto if you look for it. Personally I love bike nights here in San Antonio and I see more and more Yamaha's now than ever before. It's as if people are breaking the mold and not worried about what their friends think. The Yamaha motorcycle is a great machine. And this year it only got better!

 

Ya, Gixxers are all over the damn place...everywhere that I've been in the country, and around the world...

 

Dont worry about what everyone else has.... you've got a Yamaha and that's all that matters!!! :fact

 

Oh that's certainly not the issue - I'm more than happy with my R1. I just thought that it was interesting that there are sooooo many Gixxers out there.

 

the 09 CBR 1000rr is the bike to have though.

 

09 CBR1k is boring to ride and own. I get off my 09 R1 and 1098S with a huge smiles every time. When I test road teh CBR I got off it and was like yea its a good bike but it didnt excite me.

 

For some reason the GSXR sportbikes tend to be popular with the new rider/younger crowd. Used parts are easy to get on eBay.

 

Could be. Since there are so many Gixxer owners out there, I'm sure that when younger folks get into sport bikes, their acquaintances (riding friends) will naturally recommend the brand of bike that they ride - and statistically, those are Gixxers, so there's exponential growth in play.

But this whole thing started somewhere - I guess I can see where the Gixxers are more flashy than the R1 - the paint jobs and colored wheels alone probably make those bikes more appealing.

 

Alot of these people base their purchase on what magazines say, I hate to say it but when was the last time a magazine gave yamaha or kawasaki any love, its always honda this and suzuki that. :ugh I'm so sick of these magazines being so bias. Let the people who are the ones buying these things do the testing, You know take six random people with the right experiance test them. Not the ones who are getting kick backs from the big 4 to advertise in the magazines.

 

umm the magazines ahve been raving about the new zx10r last year and now the zx6r this year. Depending on the magazine last year which bike between the kawi and honda won.

Yamaha never gets any praise in these "shootouts" as doesnt ducati.

 

I pretty much ride with a group of all gsxr riders. I saw on twist the throttle that there have been over 2 million sales of gsxr's since they came out so that could be the reason. I very rarely see another yamaha on the road here. I see a bunch of busa's and zx-14's here in oklahoma but for one reason its flat and straight here. And everyone rides a liter bike here because of it. not alot of 600's

 

2 of my buddies, 1 has a honda and the other a gixxer 1k, both of them will tell you that they made their purchases based solely on what the mags say, they won't even give the others a chance, all they do is bash my new 09 and all my kawis when i had those, Ignorance, gotta love it. I have got the last laugh tho, my buddies gixxer with 3k miles shit the motor and got a frame update recall, and my buddy with the honda was put in his place when we had them dyno'd the same day back when i had my 07 10r. :dunno

 

I was checkin tickets one day here at the port and saw a kid had his motorbike license so I asked what bike he had. He had a beginner somethin-er-other and he told me he was gunna try and get a GSXR soon. I told him not to and to get a Yamaha cuz everyone gets those. I doubt he listened but I tried. He was about 17 or so. They are the cheapest of the 4 major jap bikes a believe.

 

Gixxer's are alot more fun on the street, they are not as fine tuned for the race track as the R1, so they seem like a more powerful bike because it wants to wheelie everywhere, while the R1 just doesnt want to do that at all, you have to really get up the R1 for it to wheelie. Kids buy bikes on what other riders say, same with squids and lets face it the R1 is not the hoon bike it once was... its a long way from, its a fine tuned track bike now, not a street bike, ohhh and did I mention alot of peope think the last 2 models of the R1 are drop dead fugly... sex sells and the R1 just isnt Sexy anymore.. they need to go back to the sleeker earlier models, if they got it even remotely close to what a M1 looks like you would have to be best friends with a dealer just to get one!

 

I dunno about you but the 09 R1 in A mode is very difficult to keep the front end down when actually ridding it hard. You think the word wheel and it comes up and I bought the 09 not really liking the way it looks, but now I love it. I appreciate it more every time I ride it, it is a very beautiful bike, it sjust not photogentic and doenst look good in a dealership showroom. Take it outside in the canyons or at a bike night and I have people crawling over it.

 

When I was getting my bike my friends said you can get a gsxr 1k for such and such etc etc and I was hell bent on getting a yamaha because I have always loved the looks of the bike. I would never purchase anythign because someone said its better or looks better than someone else. Its my money I will buy what suits me best. I love the look of my bike or I wouldnt have bought it. Do I think a GSXR is more comfortable to ride yes and I have 4 bulged disc in my back. I still chose the R1 with the little less comfortable riding position even after reading that because it was the bike I wanted and looked the best. I will be purchasing 2 more bikes soon but they wont be japanese one being a monster 696 for the wife and a 848 or 1198 for me both in white. I have never been influenced by what other people have said they like in any of my cars or bikes, i just do what I think is best by trial and error. I will learn by what I think is best not what others have said.

 

Yea they're the most popular bike here in PA, and blue is the dominant color. I'm actually sick of looking at them. It's definitely the bike for the younger crowd. The adults around here are mostly riding the Fireblade. I've only seen a handful of R1's. People just don't invest a lot in their bikes considering we can only ride 6-7 months per year.

 

umm i rode a freaking 09 CBR1k, white that was sitting right next to my 09 R1 I walked out of the dealer wiht that day.

I dont give 2 shits what magazines say as they are biased. I didnt say the CBR was bad, it does everything right but its just boring to ride and thats my opinion, not yours.

 

I guess you totally missed the fact that I have a 1098S? I have never OWNED a honda but I love my roomates 07 600RR. We traded bikes at a trackday and I was quicker on his bike, I felt really comfortable on it. Next Feb Im gonna see what Yamaha does with the R6 and if Im not impressed Im getting a Honda 600rr or GSX-R 600 for my track bike as Im bored with my 3rd R6 track bike. I love yamaha, but I like all the brands. Just b/c I didnt like the CBR1k doesnt mean Im brand bias. Thats ignorant logic.

 

lol he deleted his post.

 

Hmm...I'm glad that I started this thread. It's obvious to me now that this isn't just a localized phenomenon - Gixxers and CBRs do dominate the roads in most locations in the United States. Whether this is due to magazine articles, word of mouth (friends) or something else, it's happening. I wonder if Yamaha knows or cares.

I too think it's interesting if young people (or anyone, for that matter) are making their decisions based on what bike "performs" the best in magazines. Sure, if you want the fastest bike out there, then you'll naturally gravitate towards those bikes that supposedly "win" performance competitions in mags. All the liter sport bikes from the three main manufacturers (Yamaha, Honda, Kawasaki) will all perform exceptionally well. The chances of a young rider actually being good enough at riding bikes to take advantage of any slight performance benefit that one bike has other another is probably pretty low. But for some, it's all about the numbers, even if it's not the best bike for them.

 

There all good bikes... Just pick a color....

 

the main 3? what happened to suzuki?

 

Wow, that was quite the brain fart considering Suzuki manufactures the very bikes that I'm talking about in this thread. That should have been the main 4.

 

lol

 

Yep I have the same issue around here too.... Currently Ft. Hood Texas. But it was the same also at Ft. Polk, LA. I call it riding the "HYPE". GSXRs are the bike off choice for the "keep up with the Jones'" person.....As for the GSXR being a more fun bike on the rode.... Well that is a matter of opinion... I enjoy the helll out of my 01 R1 and looking forward to my new R1 when I get back from Iraq. I can ride a wheelie and all that on mine and can stay in the front of most groups I ride with..... I can't stand the GSXRs except for the Busa.... But they are everywhere. I never actually tried to buy one but is it easier to get approved for them than Yamaha's???? That may be the reason also.... But at the end of the day.... the average person is gonna go with the flow and ride the HYPE.... Thats why we are all not average.....lol Yamaha all the way baby.....

 

Heck where I'm from the term "ninja" apply to all sportbikes. lol!

 

only people that aspire to be gods ride r1's.
whenever i encounter another sportbike guy, from detroit to phoenix, they instantly look at my bike first, then me, nod appreciatively (or from haterism), or thumbs up, and first gear pull away slowly. you get some show offs, or people who try to bait you, but getting your ass stretched out by an r1 in first gear can't be fun. when i first got mine, i was downtown detroit and ended up in a race with a hayabusa, but other than that, that yammie blue wiith the 1 on the side calms the "others" down really quick. Like that curb monkey who talks all that shit until its time to pay the toll...

 

... that yammie blue with the 1 on the side calms the "others" down really quick. Like that curb monkey who talks all that shit until its time to pay the toll...

Well said.

 

For me it was COST. In 2006 new still in create, the cheapest I could get a R6 for was $8500. I bought the 06 gsxr 600 for $7800 and it included seat cowl, gear indicator, steering dampner, adjustable rearsets, and a better looking stock exhaust. Buying all that stuff aftermarket adds up quick just to equal a stock suzuki.

Although I am now looking to add a 09 R1 also, still no seat cowl and I HAVE to buy dual exhaust. Yamaha equals a lot more cash overall than a suzuki.

 

Very good reason Jason. I don't blame you a bit. Your 600cc Gixxer looks awesome. I'd be proud to own it. :thumbup

Yamaha does need to step up with all those little things which add up. I think they have with the '09 R1 with it's gear indicator and adjustable stock rear sets. At least they are heading in the right direction.

 

i live in southern maryland and the Maryland International Raceway (dragstrip) is here and there are 10 gixxers to and 1 other manufactured bike here. its rediculous. i get tired of hearing the zuki boys talkin smack like gixxers are the BEST bikes made. i owned one... you see what i have now. maybe they'll come to their senses

 

Remember, your observation is based on typical street-riders. Race-fans and bike enthusiasts look for very different things than your typical street rider. For the average motorcyclist, it's about looks and prestige.

Among squids, the GSXR has always been wildly popular. I don't know if it's because these guys actually know the bike has won a lot of races, or whether it's because they see it as a stepping-stone to the Hayabusa, the de facto GOD of "street bikes".

I think by now, a lot of it is just that the name is so widespread that everyone looks as the GSXR first. (It's a cool moniker, too..."Gixxer". "Yo I just popped a sick wheelie on my gixxer, yo!")

A lot of it, too, is that they still offer a 750cc bike, and many street riders don't look beyond engine-size and horsepower when evaluating technical specs. "Who cares about a well-tuned suspension...can I smoke by buddy from an 80-roll on I-95? Will it wheelie??" A lot of street-riders came over from the car scene when the whole Fast and Furious revolution died out, so they still think in terms of straight-line performance, which is all about horsepower.

The R1, for some reason, seems to be the bike of choice for Gixxer-squids who don't want to be like all the other Gixxer-squids.

It has two things that appeal to street-riders. 1) It's sexier than the Gixxer (at least the previous models were) and pulls more chicks parked out in front of Starbucks. 2) It has the legendary reputation of "doing 100MPH in first gear".

You can't deny that the GSXR has always been an all-around solid sportbike, though. I almost crossed over...I was sick of YCC-T lag and EXUP chatter and all the other gadgets that Yamaha put on their bike that broke all the time. In the end, it was about fitment.

 

///thread. this pretty much sums it all up