Becoming a "Brand Snob"

[davevv]

I've owned Yamaha, Honda, Suzuki, BMW, Triumph, Moto Guzzi, and Buell with multiples of all but BMW. But I've owned more H-Ds (seven so far) than any other brand. This is all over a span of 52 years of riding. I can find something to like in any bike, but the Harley and Guzzi (aka Italian Harley) v-twins have always been the bikes I enjoy riding the most.

[PhilB]

Originally Posted by chadhargis

Cripes! How could I forget Ducati? Oh man, I suck!

I was just about to say the same thing. ;D (Especially since you owned one yourself.)

By number of bikes, it's actually been Honda, but I voted Ducati (well, "other", but meaning Ducati) because that's what I've spent by far the most time and miles on.

By time and mileage, the order for me is:
1) Ducati
2) Heinkel
3) Honda
4) Maico
5) Vespa
6) BMW
7) Norton
8) Harley-Davidson
9) Everything else

PhilB

[Bucho]

I dont think of myself as a brand snob.

My latest bike is a KTM and its hard not to love those for enduro riding (i know its not street riding).

The only brand I have issue with is Honda. Unless I got the deal of the century I dont ever think I will own one. And even then Id probably just flip it. Im not even sure why I dont like them, I have no rational reason. Yet they just rub me the wrong way.

[Tripped1]

Originally Posted by Bucho

The only brand I have issue with is Honda. Unless I got the deal of the century I dont ever think I will own one. And even then Id probably just flip it. Im not even sure why I dont like them, I have no rational reason. Yet they just rub me the wrong way.

Understand completely. The RC51 was the last Honda that was even remotely interesting. They are just....dull ....to me I guess.

[corndog67]

I've had upwards of 42 bikes, I tried to count the ones that I've owned, but every now and then, I remember one I forgot.

I would guess Hondas are what I've owned the most of, and probably put the most miles on. I'm not real brand conscious or specific, I'll ride whatever, and I'm pretty compulsive, actually, obsessive/compulsive, I'll obsess for a bit on something, like that 950 KTM Supermoto I've got right now, and then I'll buy it, same with the XR75 I bought last week, something I wanted when I was a kid and couldn't buy back then, saw one a while back, obsessed a bit, bought it.

I don't get attached. Just another toy, hopefully, in a year or a week or 2 months or whatever, if I get bored with it, I can get more or less what I paid for it. Right now, I'm obsessing Tuono V4. We'll see what this obsession brings.

[AKDuc]

DUCATI

[PeterW]

TS 185 (Suzuki)
TS 185 (Suzuki)
TX 750 (Yamaha)
XT 400 (Yamaha)
F650 (BMW)
DL 650 (Suzuki)
DL 650 (Suzuki)

Not so much brand loyalty, but if a bike has no serious flaws, I'll stick with it simply because I know how to service it.

That said the TX and the XT were 'offers I couldn't refuse', I didn't have a bike at the time and someone wanted to move them.

The most liked bike ?, probably the XT, though the DL is close.

Pete

[ph0rk]

I'll own any bike that can do both commuting and touring duty, with acceptable maintenance intervals, standard ergos, with decent fuel range and dealer support.

I've had my suzuki longer than any other bike, but I expect I'll have traded it within a month. For what? Who knows.

[mjydrafter]

I'm not a brand snob.

I'll teabag any brand.

But I voted BMW.

[Mr_Gone]

I'm not really a brand snob. I've had a Suzuki, a Honda, and now I have a Yamaha. Next bike, I'm already eying a Kawasaki Concours.

I want to try them all at least twice before I settle into a favorite.

[Grreatdog]

It has to be said: I don't even own a street bike. Never have.

Otherwise it is a tie between KTM, Yamaha and Kawasaki at two each. So I can't do the pole anyway.

[Rick G]

I don't consider myself a brand snob, but I do tend to favor the Euro brands. I am currently on my 3rd BMW and 2nd Triumph but also own a Vespa and a Sym (for sale). In the past I have owned in addition to the Beemers and Trumpets, a Ducati and I started out on a Yamaha, and haven't owned a Jap bike since, but I would not rule out owning one in the future.

In reality, I want one of each!

Rick G

[Pantah]

I'm on my 3rd KTM, but mostly because they have products that suit my riding best. If Yamaha or Ducati had similar models I might have one of those instead. I see my KTM690R as sort of a Ducati for dual sporting.

[Disco Stu]

Between my wife and I, we've had:
Bold ones are what we currently have

I don't think we've bought them because of the label that was on the sides. We've bought them because of how they looked, how comfortable they were and how easy it was to work on and get parts for.

BMW (9)
R1100R
R1150R
R1150GS
R1150GS
R1150RT
K1200RS
R100S
R90/6
F650GS

Aprilia (1)
Futura

Moto Guzzi (1)
Norge

Honda (1)
XR650L

Suzuki (1)
weestrom

Triumph (1)
Sprint ST

[slartidbartfast]

I've had more Yamahas than anything else (about 14, v's 6 or 7 Hondas, 3 Beemers and fewer than that of several other makes) but the brand has NOTHING to do with it. I have bought bikes that interested me, met my needs/wants and were at the right price. The only one I ever specifically sought out was the GTS1000. It does just happen to be a Yamaha but that was not why I bought it. My BMWs are probably my favorite bikes - but I have no real loyalty to the roundel and that's not why I bought them. I'd like to have a Triumph - but it would have to be the right bike, at the right time and the right price.

I guess I might be a teeny bit of a reverse snob for H-D but that has more to do with the "culture" crap that goes along with it, not the brand itself.

With the exception of HD, the worst offenders I have come across lately have been the KTM "Orange Kool-ade" crew. I now await the barrage of "You don't understand - they are just better than everything else!"