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-   -   Anyone thinks Kawasaki's quality is slightly lower compared to other bikes? (http://www.twowheelfix.com/showthread.php?t=8688)

umairhashmi 06-15-2009 05:46 PM

Anyone thinks Kawasaki's quality is slightly lower compared to other bikes?
 
I never really noticed this before until i started working at a dealership myself and saw the entire lineup up close and had a chance to compare them head to head with Honda and Suzuki. For some reason a lot of people i asked and even what i could tell myself by touching the plastics and other materials it feels like Kawasaki uses somewhat inferior material in their bikes compared to the other guys (primarily honda and then suzuki). And their prices seem to reflect this too because right now Kawasaki's models are the cheapest in the entire literbike and 600ss class. I suppose its a you get what you pay for story but you do get a lot of bang for your buck if you thinking about performance only and not about long term reliability.
What do you guys think?
BTW im not a Kawi hater. I sold a Zx14 today lol

tached1000rr 06-15-2009 06:13 PM

Not sure but I seem to hear more about Suzuki's or GSXRs being cheaply made in terms of plastics etc. I wanted to ask since it appears you owned both, but since you sold the ZX14 and kept the busa that you prefer the busa. Could you give a comparison of the two from your viewpoint? I'm trying to decide between the two, in terms of looks I like the front end of the busa but don't like the back end, and with the 14 I love the bike but not crazy about the front end.

umairhashmi 06-15-2009 06:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tached1000rr (Post 226031)
Not sure but I seem to hear more about Suzuki's or GSXRs being cheaply made in terms of plastics etc. I wanted to ask since it appears you owned both, but since you sold the ZX14 and kept the busa that you prefer the busa. Could you give a comparison of the two from your viewpoint? I'm trying to decide between the two, in terms of looks I like the front end of the busa but don't like the back end, and with the 14 I love the bike but not crazy about the front end.

Im a salesman. I own a busa but because i work at a dealership i get to play with all of them so i just feel personally that the materials in the kawi tend to be a bit cheaper while honda's tend to be the best. Although keep in consideration that kawi is the cheapest in terms of price while honda is the most expensive.

BobTheBiker 06-15-2009 06:19 PM

quality wise, kawi is the bottom of the barrel. suzuki is 2nd lowest, with the top two being Yamaha at #2, and Honda with the honor of #1.

I see a lot of kawi's designs that are just straight up shit, as are several ideas they have, unlike Honda's bikes where I've REGULARLY observed innovative and very well thought out designs. This starts WAY back with the CB750's up to the modern CBR 600's with the antilock brake setup.

tached1000rr 06-15-2009 06:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BobTheBiker (Post 226036)
quality wise, kawi is the bottom of the barrel. suzuki is 2nd lowest, with the top two being Yamaha at #2, and Honda with the honor of #1.

I see a lot of kawi's designs that are just straight up shit, as are several ideas they have, unlike Honda's bikes where I've REGULARLY observed innovative and very well thought out designs. This starts WAY back with the CB750's up to the modern CBR 600's with the antilock brake setup.

I've always been a Honda guy, if we could only talk the bean counters into making a modern "hypersport" machine to compete in the same class with the Busa and ZX14

umairhashmi 06-15-2009 06:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BobTheBiker (Post 226036)
quality wise, kawi is the bottom of the barrel. suzuki is 2nd lowest, with the top two being Yamaha at #2, and Honda with the honor of #1.

I see a lot of kawi's designs that are just straight up shit, as are several ideas they have, unlike Honda's bikes where I've REGULARLY observed innovative and very well thought out designs. This starts WAY back with the CB750's up to the modern CBR 600's with the antilock brake setup.

Well performance wise kawis arent that bad. Most of the stunters i know prefer the kawis over any other brand. I just feel overall the material of the plastics and other small stuff like instrument cluster doesnt have the feeling of being high quality. Remember im just a salesman but even the mechanics who have worked on these things for decades tend to agree with that. But i respect the fact that opinions are like a$$holes and everyone has one.

zed 06-15-2009 06:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by umairhashmi (Post 226047)
But i respect the fact that opinions are like a$$holes and everyone has one.

all the mechanics I have worked with (only one shop I worked in included Honda) thought Kawasaki was higher as far as build quality. I say dependability wise, get a Honda but there are only two Honda's I'd own and they don't make one of them any more.

popularity wise I think Suzuki has that hands down, odd that you say stunters like the Kawi's in your area, seems most ride Suzuki's around the places I have lived.

Homeslice 06-15-2009 07:14 PM

IMO, Kawasaki engines are durable, but their valvetrain is kinda noisy. Also, their overall fit & finish is nowhere near Yamaha's. Take the old 636's for example.......Thin paint and ugly cockpit w/cheap trim compared to the R6.

IMO Yamaha has always been the best. Better paint and smoother engines than the others. People say Honda is the best but they have no clue........Honda's paint is usually thin, their engines are buzzy compared to Yamaha, and their charging systems frequently go to shit. Yamaha is the best IMO. Shit, my old R6 had a smoother engine than my 929.

jtemple 06-15-2009 07:18 PM

I have no complaints about my Kawi.

zed 06-15-2009 07:25 PM

I could care less about paint thickness or if the vavle train is a little noisy. as long as it starts every time I get on it and hit the start button and nothing falls off and it shifts into gear when I want it too.

I'm more concerned with the welds than the paint thickness too.

sorry man but I'm just not concerned with minor things. aestetics are not what gets you home after a ride (like what we tell the cruiser guys, "chrome won't get you home")


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