I'm not a brand loyalist in almost any segment of consumer goods: bikes, cars, food, toothbrushes, what have you. I just buy the product that best suits my needs at that particular moment ("needs" includes budget, obviously). If it's a great bike and it's got an undesirable badge, oh well... more fun for me!

Chris Paukert
Editor-In-Chief
Winding Road // NextAutos

• Fri, 06/13/2008 - 13:14
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While brand loyalty and design pedigree do have their place, I place more emphasis on real-world vehicle dynamics and the overall quality of the riding experience.

Example: I used to ride a Ducati 999, which I loved, but which was not really well-suited to the relatively choppy back roads I like to frequent in the central Texas hill country. So, I have since switched to a Buell Ulysses, which--though perhaps a bit lower in "prestige factor" than the more exotic Ducati--is actually more fun to ride on the real-world roads near me.

Also, perhaps as a result of bad warranty experience I had with a previous bike, I have become particularly conscious of the manufacturer's--and especially the dealer's--commitment to customer service. I also I try to take into account the inherent "serviceability" of a given bike (or car) design.

For example, my Buell's HD-Sportster-based air-cooled engine might seem a little "unsophisticated" at first, but it is also simple and inexpensive to maintain. On the other hand, Ducati valve adjustments (needed every 6k-7k miles, depending on model year), can set you back a whopping $500-to-$1000, which is pretty steep as an ongoing cost of ownership.

So, I've come to appreciate vehicular toys that are seriously fun, yet also robust and cheap to adjust/fix when the need arises.

• Thu, 07/10/2008 - 21:42
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I learned to ride on a Honda and all of my friends (not many of them, though) ride Hondas. If I do buy a bike, it will definitely be a Honda.

• Mon, 07/14/2008 - 11:17
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