best 2013 motorcycle buys! do you agree
- Thread starter JT
- Start date
I just rode the new Honda 500. A much better buy than the Ninjette IMO. It's a beginner bike that will be good enough for most people to keep for a long, long time. Yes, it's a bit more OTD, but it's a lot more bike.
Would go for the V-Strom 650 over the Super Ten in the adventure category. Yeah, the Yamaha has more horses, but also a lot more weight. I rode one last year and really wanted to like it, but didn't. Ash called the current V-Strom 650 the best all-around bike made last year, and I tend to agree. The Yamaha would be better for 2-up touring, but that's about it. For the money, I'd get the Triumph instead.
Thruxton is a better bike than the Moto Guzzi for not much more money OTD, but kind of a toss-up. It's not like there are a whole lot of competitors in the "retro cafe racer" category so calling either of them a "value" is hard for me.
SFV650? A good buy? First of all, dealers still haven't seen them and have no idea if/when they will. It's a rewarmed Gladius, which was a horribly styled rewarmed SV650. Everything in the SV650 family was nice to ride including this one, but for the money it's just not a great deal. For the same money you can get a Ninja 650 with ABS, or an FZ6R with a few extra farkles. For just a bit more you can have the Monster (which they rightly have on there as a great buy). And uh, it would have been nice for the magazine to get the name right It's SFV650, not SVF650...
NC700X? Yawn. As I said, I think the new 500s are super bikes and super values. I expect that the "adventure" version will be as well when it shows up. The 700 seems not to know what it wants to be. I see some of them around but at $7000 for the basic model, and a lot more for the model with the electric shifting and ABS, it doesn't seem all that great. Put ABS on the basic model for $7000 and that becomes a much more compelling argument. If you're going to put the "value" label on one of the Honda 700s, I'd go with the cruiser/touring versions where I think they really open up the category to a whole bunch of new people.
I'll add a category of my own, for dual sport: the new Honda CRF250L. Sells for $500 less than the older, heavier, carbed Kawasaki offering, $700 less than the older-tech air-cooled XT250 and a couple thousand less than the WRX250R. Granted, not quite as capable as the latter Yamaha, but for the price, it's just blown up the 250 dual-sport category.
But they've done a nice job of featuring something from every major manufacturer regardless of merit, which will keep their advertisers happy. Never forget that's their real job. Seriously, what are the odds that every major manufacturer has one and only one bike present in the "best values" list every year? Never two from the same company, and no major company ever left off except for Triumph, who I guess don't advertise in PM.
10 best is very relative to each others needs. I agree the new Ninjette is quite nice but bang for the $$$ not sure if it worth it in my opinion. I'll throw some extra cash and get the CBR500 or even step it up to 600's
No bike in this top 10 made my list really. As a 3rd bike I might consider the S10 but within this category there's a lot of competition. I'll get the big Strom any days of the week for 4K less. I can live without ABS or TC.
No bike in this top 10 made my list really. As a 3rd bike I might consider the S10 but within this category there's a lot of competition. I'll get the big Strom any days of the week for 4K less. I can live without ABS or TC.
Rode both the CBR and the naked CB500F last week. Thought the naked version in particular was a blast to ride. It takes over that naked, basic bike category that really hasn't had much in it since the SV650, which is part of the reason that it galled me to see the latest Gladius variant on the list. The naked Honda is perhaps a bit less powerful, but no less fun than the old SV650 and for most people probably just as good a bike. I keep saying this, but Honda really nailed this one in terms of both features and price. If touring was not one of my requirements, I'd have picked one up already.
That's the exact article I read when I was starting my bike search! Somehow with doing google searches and clicking links, I found myself here at this forum. I wanted a bike that was quick, but had a more upright riding position. I think it was a forum that was bashing the FZ6R that made me curious, because they were talking about how it wasn't a true sport bike, was a bike for girls and newbs, and other random things like that.. In the end, out of all the test drives, the FZ6R was my favorite, and now 2 weeks and 500 miles later, I can see myself keeping it for a long time.
Sorry for the long, aimless rambling
Sorry for the long, aimless rambling
Bert-Aus
Well-Known Member
2013 Suzuki SVF 650 Gladi-puss
Why did Suzuki continue this monstrous raping of the SV?
The SV was a beauty, I would have purchased one in 2010 had they continued it within the 2004 stream of thinking, but no they entertained the Gladius design...
Dont matter after 2 years my XJ6S Rocket Ride still does it for me:steve:
Why did Suzuki continue this monstrous raping of the SV?
The SV was a beauty, I would have purchased one in 2010 had they continued it within the 2004 stream of thinking, but no they entertained the Gladius design...
Dont matter after 2 years my XJ6S Rocket Ride still does it for me
:steve:Likewise. Not that it didn't need an updating by 2008. The design was a bit too boxy, the round muffler hanging off the side needed to be restyled, and yeah the engine needed some updating too. But I just don't get the design they came up with. If the intention was to compete with the Monster and other naked bikes, there are so many things they could have done, while maintaining the bulletproof and efficient reputation the bike had.2013 Suzuki SVF 650 Gladi-puss
Why did Suzuki continue this monstrous raping of the SV?
The SV was a beauty, I would have purchased one in 2010 had they continued it within the 2004 stream of thinking, but no they entertained the Gladius design...
DaIrishman
New Member
I agree with a few of the choices, the rest meh, some are niche items or brand items like the Harleys.
The 300 is dead on as its a nice bike that is positioned well and a hoot to ride. The Ducati is a great choice if you want a bike with soul and that Italian zing. As for the rest of them some are niche (Moto Guzzi Judge and Zero) and some are revamps of items that many don't know anything about. (suzuki)
As others have said for value and fun factor there are certainly bikes missing on the list. Hondas new 500 lineup, the Ninja 650r, FZ6R, BMW GS650, and a few more come to mind.
The 300 is dead on as its a nice bike that is positioned well and a hoot to ride. The Ducati is a great choice if you want a bike with soul and that Italian zing. As for the rest of them some are niche (Moto Guzzi Judge and Zero) and some are revamps of items that many don't know anything about. (suzuki)
As others have said for value and fun factor there are certainly bikes missing on the list. Hondas new 500 lineup, the Ninja 650r, FZ6R, BMW GS650, and a few more come to mind.