General SBK Discussion Thread

[ken cool]

Csgup is right on the money. I rode with a V Max and it did pretty much what it is touted to do.

Besides, it was very imposing on the rest of the bikes, and had a natural Bow-to-me-puny-trackers aura towards the rest of the bikes.

Comparing the top end of the V Max with litre bikes isn't fair. In fact, comparing the V Max with any other bike would be a crime. It is a lifestyle vehicle, much like the Harleys. Except it'll be filling any HD's intakes with its exhaust fumes

Would it really smoke Harleys? And besides, since we are discussing "A Way of Life", would it really have the lifestyle that the HDs have? I am not doubting the capabilities of the Jap Max. But would it do for you what an HD does for you, speaking "Lifestyle" and "Way of Life"?

[BANDHAV]

Would it really smoke Harleys? And besides, since we are discussing "A Way of Life", would it really have the lifestyle that the HDs have? I am not doubting the capabilities of the Jap Max. But would it do for you what an HD does for you, speaking "Lifestyle" and "Way of Life"?

I will second ken da on this, irrrespective of the fact what yamaha intend Vmax to be it can never match the Lifestyle or way of life quotint of HDs.

P.S: Ken da "the harley effect" is pretty evident in your statement, is it a paradigm shift?

[MACH50]

Okay Vmax is a lifestyle bike and here I also dont compare it with normal litre classes.I intend it to be out there wid the iconic Hayabusa and ZZR1400.Now these are not litre class track racers.These are rocket-tourers.......I wud say.

Hayabusas are rarely seen scrapin footpegs on a track day rather it munches continental distances.Talkin of Vmax though..........the new one rarely has the build of a cruiser.I had studied the flagship cruisers on earth...........Rocket 3 and Vrod.Now these are hyper fast cruiser which really behaves like a cruiser but Vmax aerodynamics are better than these.This makes Vmax not being qualified a cruiser.Vmax's cardinal build differs.......which makes it difficult to infer what kind of bike it really is???

Just absence of low clip-ons and windshield does not make a bike cruiser........does it?

Vmax's huge engine is responsible for its weight.But I think no one wud ever have that comfortable Cruiser feeling on the Vmax.Every one gets pumped wid adrenaline on riding it even at 125kmph.Again I am talking about the new Vmax........................The old Vmax was really more of a cruiser.

[ken cool]

P.S: Ken da "the harley effect" is pretty evident in your statement, is it a paradigm shift?

I do not know if it is a paradigm shift, but after experiencing this http://www.xbhp.com/talkies/tourer/4...ud-2008-a.html

After that, certain things have changed in my head, that biking is not all about 1000RR and R1.

[csgup1]

i recon harleys are 40 year old pieces of crap . they dont do anything well and cost twice as much as any other bike thats twice as good.

this photo explains it quite welll

[ken cool]

i recon harleys are 40 year old pieces of crap . they dont do anything well and cost twice as much as any other bike thats twice as good.

this photo explains it quite welll

I don't know how many HDs you have seen, ridden or toured on. But I reckon that you better know what you are talking about. If they were pieces of crap, 1 in every 10 bikes sold in Europe would not be a HD.

[BANDHAV]

I do not know if it is a paradigm shift, but after experiencing this http://www.xbhp.com/talkies/tourer/4...ud-2008-a.html

After that, certain things have changed in my head, that biking is not all about 1000RR and R1.

I have already gone through it and loved it.

[csgup1]

I don't know how many HDs you have seen, ridden or toured on. But I reckon that you better know what you are talking about. If they were pieces of crap, 1 in every 10 bikes sold in Europe would not be a HD.

each to their own mate.... ive seen enough of them broken down and wouldnt be caught dead riding one. its one of those things you buy for an image. at least thats how i see it.

people buy harleys for the sounds and the fact that they dont want to be seen on anyithing japaneese.

but then again i might ride for different reasons than you. i am not the biggest fan of straight roads and touring. i would rather do a 500 ks of a 5 kilometer twisty stretch of road and learn to use what the bikes are made for than do 500 ks of touring.

[rossiter]

Would it really smoke Harleys? And besides, since we are discussing "A Way of Life", would it really have the lifestyle that the HDs have? I am not doubting the capabilities of the Jap Max. But would it do for you what an HD does for you, speaking "Lifestyle" and "Way of Life"?

What qualifies as a lifestyle bike? Bikes in a niche segment which aren't bought for the performance alone. They have a certain aura around it which tags them as a lifestyle bike, and quickly garners a cult following. A hefty price tag also helps propelling it into this category.

Now, in my view, HDs and the V Max are in the same category.

Now that semantics are out of the way,let's talk performance. Specs of the V Max aren't completely out yet, but I can vouch for the bike having seen it defy gravity and centrifugal forces around corners. I can guarantee that no current/old HD can match what the V Max does.

Coming back to the lifestyle quotient, the HDs have a larger and more passionate following than a bike such as the V Max. Americans love the HDs in part due to patriotism that they're buying an all-American bike in a time when virtually everything they put their money down for is imported. And this sentiment is big there. And am not taking anything away from HDs when I say that. Europeans are more purer in their love for HDs.

Some of the bikes are wonderful, and the imagination and creativity these bikes evoke in their owners can never be matched by anyone.

[ken cool]

each to their own mate.... ive seen enough of them broken down and wouldnt be caught dead riding one. its one of those things you buy for an image. at least thats how i see it.

people buy harleys for the sounds and the fact that they dont want to be seen on anyithing japaneese.

but then again i might ride for different reasons than you. i am not the biggest fan of straight roads and touring. i would rather do a 500 ks of a 5 kilometer twisty stretch of road and learn to use what the bikes are made for than do 500 ks of touring.

Yes, I guess to each his own, till you have more exposure. There was once a time when I used to say what you said.

It is absolutely true that HDs are bought for sounds and image and the HOG would rarely be seen talking to people with Jap plastic!

All bikes break down. Japs break down less often. But I cannot deny the fact that there is an aura about the HDs, which I have NOT found around other bikes.

What qualifies as a lifestyle bike? Bikes in a niche segment which aren't bought for the performance alone. They have a certain aura around it which tags them as a lifestyle bike, and quickly garners a cult following. A hefty price tag also helps propelling it into this category.

Now, in my view, HDs and the V Max are in the same category.

Now that semantics are out of the way,let's talk performance. Specs of the V Max aren't completely out yet, but I can vouch for the bike having seen it defy gravity and centrifugal forces around corners. I can guarantee that no current/old HD can match what the V Max does.

Coming back to the lifestyle quotient, the HDs have a larger and more passionate following than a bike such as the V Max. Americans love the HDs in part due to patriotism that they're buying an all-American bike in a time when virtually everything they put their money down for is imported. And this sentiment is big there. And am not taking anything away from HDs when I say that. Europeans are more purer in their love for HDs.

Some of the bikes are wonderful, and the imagination and creativity these bikes evoke in their owners can never be matched by anyone.

Totally agree with you Rossiter!

Europeans are purer in their love for HDs. I have known a few people who have made the transition from Yam to HD and they have not looked back. One of them rides a Road King. I rode that bike. Believe me, if I had the moolah, I would have one parked in my garage right now even if the Vmax took me to Mars for half that price. But till I have the cash for it, (the recession is bearing down on my neck), I might want to look at the Vmax since everybody is going on and on about it.

[rockrider]

Recession

Totally agree with you Rossiter!

Europeans are purer in their love for HDs. I have known a few people who have made the transition from Yam to HD and they have not looked back. One of them rides a Road King. I rode that bike. Believe me, if I had the moolah, I would have one parked in my garage right now even if the Vmax took me to Mars for half that price. But till I have the cash for it, (the recession is bearing down on my neck), I might want to look at the Vmax since everybody is going on and on about it.

Now that you have mentioned recession, I am curious to know if it has any impact on SBK biking lifestyle. Touring or maintenace? On the periphery I dont expect to hear an outright yes. I believe that expenses on SBK would probably be just the same as one would have on a mid size Sedan (that is a wild guess. correct me if I am wrong). The super rich may not see it, but for others , who out of passion stretched their budgets to own an SBK, does this show any signs? Especially in these days where every other sector (from travel to IT to Markets to Real estate.. ) is showing signs of job insecurities and hence demanding enough liquidity for a good time to come.

Also if some one has a rough idea about the changes in SBK sales figures in grey/white market, please throw some light on it.

[rossiter]

I think the issue is largely profession-centric. Some people may feel the pinch more than others, and some may choose to continue going on rides, buying bikes despite the pinch. It is hard to quantify.

I doubt if you'd get SBK sales figures from the grey market posted here for obvious reasons. As for official sales, Yamaha and Ducati's sales figures should be out soon

[MavericK46]

I think the issue is largely profession-centric. Some people may feel the pinch more than others, and some may choose to continue going on rides, buying bikes despite the pinch. It is hard to quantify.

I'd have to disagree there Akhil.
In the face of the recession seen in the global economy, profession would not have as much of an impact on a vehicle purchase as would the person's investments.

A person sitting on a pile of cash in the bank most definitely will be a person who's looking to invest in the stock market once Dalal street hits rockbottom i.e stops sliding down. That very person might be a clerk or a CEO.

So Im guessing that people at all levels will certainly have more reasons to put off their bike (Any displacement whatsoever) plans than to go ahead and make the buy right now.
With you being in the business sector, it would be nice if you could spell out the effects of the recession to us. With my limited knowledge, all i can do is make an educated guess...

EDIT : Eagerly awaiting the PM replie(s)

[rossiter]

I'd have to disagree there Akhil.
In the face of the recession seen in the global economy, profession would not have as much of an impact on a vehicle purchase as would the person's investments.

A person sitting on a pile of cash in the bank most definitely will be a person who's looking to invest in the stock market once Dalal street hits rockbottom i.e stops sliding down. That very person might be a clerk or a CEO.

So Im guessing that people at all levels will certainly have more reasons to put off their bike (Any displacement whatsoever) plans than to go ahead and make the buy right now.
With you being in the business sector, it would be nice if you could spell out the effects of the recession to us. With my limited knowledge, all i can do is make an educated guess...

Hey man.. OT: Will reply to your PMs soon.

Back on topic..

You're talking about white money now. People with "alternate" sources of income will always have spare cash to spend. It could range from a real estate magnate to a politico's kid. Who knows? That's why I said it's hard to quantify this.

Going by the same analogy.. car sales are on the rise, despite the recession and what not. In fact, input prices like steel is going down, which the auto cos could pass on to the consumers, thereby possibly driving up sales even more.

We'll just have to wait and see.

[MACH50]

he he he............arey this a superbike thread................not a Economic times column.

Daily so much gyan do I get from elders about current economy,that sometimes I think I wud buy a Bugatti Veyron the next month after improving my economic conditions immensely.

Lets enjoy biking as a way of life and not burden ourselves wid matters of paramount imporatnce.............Cool.