[evl_twn]

Man, I did NOT want to believe the rumors. I've heard all the Ducati horror stories (chain's problems here as well) but when my g/f decided to buy a new MV Agusta Brutale I thought maybe it would be different, after all it wasn't a Ducati. The bike is a blast to ride, but she's had it a month now, and at only 50 miles on the clock the turn signal switch broke. OK, no big deal, they sent us another one and I replaced it, sent them the old switch housing back. Now the damn thing is leaking coolant from the water pump weephole The bike currently has only 450 miles on it. What really makes it bad is we were planning on going to Deal's Gap next week, I was hoping to get some more miles on MY new bike (1KRR) before a trackday on the 28th. I seriously doubt that the dealer is going to be able to get a water pump to us in time. It's leaking bad enough to get coolant on the tire, so that pretty much kills riding it for now. I guess I didn't help matters though when I told her that's what she gets for buying that overpriced POS Italian crap "If you would have bought a Honda, you'd still be riding!"

[Bacchus]

Those crazy, talented, dead-end Italians!

[Mo Noyz]

Maybe they should stick to cars?

[New954RRider]

even though i fully agree with you, i think your gonna end up sleeping on the couch if you keep telling her that.

[2OHOH2]

Uhh, hello, it's called a "Brutale", as in, brutale to own, what was she thinking?






Hmm, so is Aprilia the last bastion of quality Italian workmanship?

[Holeshot]

Yeah. Boy. Should have bought a Honda... they are perfect.

I've met all of two Honda owners that have not bitched about something going wonky on thier bikes as well. None of it major of course.. just a few sterring bearings, speedo units, R/R's trashed motors at 5k miles.. the normal high-quality Japanese products.

Sucks to have a problem like that... I know.. I used to own Hondas.

[Bacchus]

Originally Posted by Holeshot

Sucks to have a problem like that... I know.. I used to own Hondas.

You must be the extreme exception to the rule!

[NinerPilot]

Originally Posted by Holeshot

Yeah. Boy. Should have bought a Honda... they are perfect.

I've met all of two Honda owners that have not bitched about something going wonky on thier bikes as well. None of it major of course.. just a few sterring bearings, speedo units, R/R's trashed motors at 5k miles.. the normal high-quality Japanese products.

Sucks to have a problem like that... I know.. I used to own Hondas.

Shut yer pasta-eating-piehole.....

Sweet avatar by the way, but you are aware that they have yellow duct tape as well right? Might not stand out as much...
Chris

[Cowboy1600]

The Italians cant build a vehicle to save themselves....ask anyone whos owed a few ferraris(and not just owned one, cause they are to proud to admit that their car is a POS)...or of course a FIAT...

F ix
I t
A gain
T ony

and of course who could forget ALFA's

A nother
L aughable
F oray into
A utomobiles

They may build fast vehicles with plenty of latin flair....but reliability isnt a stong point

[Cowboy1600]

Originally Posted by Holeshot

Yeah. Boy. Should have bought a Honda... they are perfect.

I've met all of two Honda owners that have not bitched about something going wonky on thier bikes as well. None of it major of course.. just a few sterring bearings, speedo units, R/R's trashed motors at 5k miles.. the normal high-quality Japanese products.

Sucks to have a problem like that... I know.. I used to own Hondas.

Ill put my hand up as saying that I have not had more than an acceptable number problems with any of my hondas. No bike is perfect, so the occasional problem happens. Ill also go on record as saying that I bet those who experience lots opf troubles have no idea how to maintain their bikes, nor how to ride their bike with just a little mechanical sympathy. Hondas are renown for being of impeccable quality, and that will be echoed by many people with more insight into bikes than your mates who cant look after their bikes.

Hands up all others who have had a good run with hondas.

BTW.... its Steering

I may be wrong on this, but isn't the MV made with some Ducati parts on it?

Rode my Itialian POS all the way into Hollywoodland from Riverside tonight & all the way back.....can you believe it didn't break down? Rode it for an 1800 mile 4-day trip to the bay area last year after railing Willow Springs Streets of Willow track a few days before, and all the way back....can you believe it didn't break down? Been to Palomar Mountain a bunch of times on it in hot weather...can you believe it didn't break down? Take it to work every day in hot and cold weather....can you believe it didn't break down?



I do always have one problem everytime I go out on it though, and can't ever figure it out......everybody drools all over it....is there a cure for that kind of thing ..............

[NinerPilot]

Take kitty litter with you to soak up all the drool. That way you dont fall on it as you leave...
Chris

Originally Posted by NinerPilot

Take kitty litter with you to soak up all the drool. That way you dont fall on it as you leave...
Chris

I knew I liked you ever since the day you gave me my money back for putting my tire on wrong ......I pushed it on G-force since he fixed it .

What's the latest on the RC?

[oldfogey]

Speed, I'm with you. You got good taste in bikes .

Italians do make reliable bikes, just not every time. There's more assembly variation, particularly if they're at all hand assembled. Even the most expensive Ferraris aren't exempt from the foibles of human beings.

Honda make 'em all the same, production engineering is superb, none better. If there's a fault in a Honda, rare event, it won't just be one bike, and it'll be a component fault or design weakness.

[NinerPilot]

Originally Posted by SPEED

What's the latest on the RC?

Ran into a title snag... Back on track. I have a nice check waiting for the title to come back to me in MY name....
Chris

[Chain]

I honestly do not believe the Italian stuff is quite as refined as the Japanese machines, but I still like Italian bikes (yeah, so I've settled down some after realizing I effed my own bike up, not the guys who put it together on the assembly line).

An analogy:

Riding my Monster is a blast in the same way driving an old big block '69 Chevelle with Thrush header mufflers is. Loud, torquey, tire-smoking fun, lotsa people look at you too.

Riding my Japanese bikes (the 954 and this 636 in particular) remind me of the time I got to go for a passenger seat flog in an Acura NSX. Scalpel like, blazingly fast in a quiet, unassuming sort of way, very refined and dripping with build quality. Thoroughly modern.

That '69 Chevelle, hell, the door handle came off in my hand a couple of times when I shut the door and it puked oil out a breather tube now and again. Didn't start one day after a rainstorm either. But a guy still loved it because he had an old Datsun B210 to fall back on to get him to work and college classes on time.

The point?

Old muscle cars (and new Italian motorcycles) are fun to own and ride, I just woudn't stake my life on getting across the country on one.

As Baketech has said, "Pasta rockets are great second bikes."

[bwhip]

I purchased my Ducati with expectations that I'd have to put up with a few "quirky" mechanical issues along the way. I did have one short circuit issue with the brake light wire, but that's really it for the first 2,000 miles. Other than that, it has been an absolute joy in every way. I've said it before and I'll say it again, I love my Honda 954, but when I go out to the garage and see both bikes there, only one of them really arouses motorcycling passion within me - the Italian twin, quirks and all.

Art, beauty, passion - obviously all very subjective things, "in the eye of the beholder."

[Schwaberts]

Jeez, look at all the bikes you have! What are you, running a museum?

Sorry, just a little upset at not having a bike this summer.

Damn useless condoms.

[ZX10R_DADDY]

Tre bummer! I like MV's. BTW, Aprillias have Rotax motors. GFM (good fu......
motors)
Hondas having all kinds of problems???????????????????????????????

Whaaaaaaaaaaattttttttttttt Give up the crank. It's fuked up your brain and soon may leave you with nothing (Oh....too late)

ZX10R_DADDY alias BIGDAA

[vfrted]

Originally Posted by Cowboy1600

Ill put my hand up as saying that I have not had more than an acceptable number problems with any of my hondas. No bike is perfect, so the occasional problem happens. Ill also go on record as saying that I bet those who experience lots opf troubles have no idea how to maintain their bikes, nor how to ride their bike with just a little mechanical sympathy. Hondas are renown for being of impeccable quality, and that will be echoed by many people with more insight into bikes than your mates who cant look after their bikes.

Yep.
My VFR800 had about 16k on the clock when stolen. The massive service I performed included replacing the R/R with a new revised Honda unit and washing it once or twice a year when I changed the oil. The thing probably could have gone forever the way it was running at 16k (stronger than ever).

[showmethebombs]

Here we go again....I like all bikes, I like to ride them all. There we go, I said it...and if I had the money, my back yard would have a barn like Leno's...I would have just have to keep the RC away from the other twin sport bikes....I hear they are all jelious or something.

anywho...if i had the money I would have all I could.

[ucfmotorcycle1]

Originally Posted by Cowboy1600

Ill put my hand up as saying that I have not had more than an acceptable number problems with any of my hondas. No bike is perfect, so the occasional problem happens. Ill also go on record as saying that I bet those who experience lots opf troubles have no idea how to maintain their bikes, nor how to ride their bike with just a little mechanical sympathy. Hondas are renown for being of impeccable quality, and that will be echoed by many people with more insight into bikes than your mates who cant look after their bikes.

Hands up all others who have had a good run with hondas.

BTW.... its Steering

16,000 miles on my 929 never any problems. Only had to replace oil, tires, filters, battery, and sparkplugs. Plugs which didn't need replacing just maintanence.

Oh it had the clutch and fuel line recal. But the clutch was tight then and still tight now. And I ride the piss out of the bike.

[fumbducker]

Originally Posted by showmethebombs

Here we go again....I like all bikes, I like to ride them all. There we go, I said it...and if I had the money, my back yard would have a barn like Leno's...I would have just have to keep the RC away from the other twin sport bikes....I hear they are all jelious or something.

anywho...if i had the money I would have all I could.

Amen

[Cowboy1600]

Originally Posted by Holeshot

Yeah. Boy. Should have bought a Honda... they are perfect.

I've met all of two Honda owners that have not bitched about something going wonky on thier bikes as well. None of it major of course.. just a few sterring bearings, speedo units, R/R's trashed motors at 5k miles.. the normal high-quality Japanese products.

Sucks to have a problem like that... I know.. I used to own Hondas.

Sorry if the koala fur was up a bit, but comments like this annoy me as can prolly be expected when canning Hondas on a Honda forum. I love Duc's, and 'prilla's, and just about everything on 2 wheels. Just dont bag the Honda man

[old1]

But the Italian crap aways sounds so bloody nice in full song.....

[Holeshot]

Originally Posted by Cowboy1600

Sorry if the koala fur was up a bit, but comments like this annoy me as can prolly be expected when canning Hondas on a Honda forum. I love Duc's, and 'prilla's, and just about everything on 2 wheels. Just dont bag the Honda man

Just pointing out the fact that not all is sunny and rosey in Honda land (ex: 1000RR rear-wheel lockup thread) Let's not drink TOO much Honda Cool-aid, eh?