Quality ranking

[kawashima]

I think quality ranking of jap motorcycle makers is
No.1:Honda
No.2:Yamaha
No.3:Suzuki
No.4:Kawasaki

and this is said among a lot of riders here but do you agree with this?

I've been always wondered why Kawasaki quality is so poor, but recently I found this on the internet(not sure true or not)
Kawasaki is a Kawasaki heavy Industries,Ltd. Its leading divisions in its company are "heavy" products like aerospace/infrastructure while motorcycle(leisure and power) division isn't. So who enters Kawasaki and go to motorcycle division are usually not excellent.

Suzuki is good at cost cutting in 660cc Kei cars thus most products are built "cheaply"(intentionally or not).

Honda makes everything precisely.(King of motorcycle)

Yamaha is intermediate between Honda and Suzuki.
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own:2020 Serow 250
owned: 2012 YB125SP, 2008 TDM900, 2005 W650, 2002 LS125R, 2002 CB400SF, NS50F, C50 / Trip to UK(2009), Hokkaido touring(2013)

[salty21]

personally i would have put kawasaki before suzuki. But i dont think there is a lot in it between those two. Yamaha and honda are pretty close aswell IMO
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04 NSR 125(sold) ---- 03 CBR 600rr(sold) ----90 pan euro ST1100 '' ----02 CG 125
94 CB400 Super Four ---- 2000 VTR SP1 (sold) ---- 08 ninja p8f(sold, meh) ----05 CBR600rr

[Hetzer]

I also would put Kawasaki above Suzuki.
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"There's the horizon! Ride hard, ride fast and cut down all who stand in your way!"

[salty21]

i suppose in japan they dont get to watch suzukis rust as quickly as they do here, as i dont think they use road salt over there?

could be a reason behind kawashima putting them the other way around
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04 NSR 125(sold) ---- 03 CBR 600rr(sold) ----90 pan euro ST1100 '' ----02 CG 125
94 CB400 Super Four ---- 2000 VTR SP1 (sold) ---- 08 ninja p8f(sold, meh) ----05 CBR600rr

[Hetzer]

No, they don't use salt. At least nowhere I've ridden.
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"There's the horizon! Ride hard, ride fast and cut down all who stand in your way!"

[wilz1234]

I think id rather have a bike made by a company that makes aircraft rather than cars called 'jazz'.
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RS50 - ZXR400 - ZXR 400 - ZX7R - Bandit 600 - NTV 650

[jjdugen]

Its getting harder, or, more properly, they are all at about the same level of performance and build quality these days.
For me, Honda have made to many flawed motorcycles to stand head and shoulders above. Yamaha have stuck to proven designs and made them work. Kawasaki have made very few actually bad machines, you just have to wait awhile for anything actually new. (But its usually worth the wait). Suzuki seem to be in real trouble at the moment, but only in persuading peope to buy, their machines are, on the whole, reliable and good looking. Suzuki are the 'smallest' of the Japanes factories and dont have other interests to suport motorcycle manufacture other than the small car division. Could be that they are becoming cash strapped?
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The CBR900RR has been sold. Aprilia Falco worms its way into my heart.
Try Soi 23 on Amazon for a good read.... Self promotion? Moi?

[lihp]

Kawasaki being heavy industries is irrelevant, Yamaha made musical instruments first

[Knightsy]

[Muscle Bike Rider]

[kawashima]

[fatpies]

[Polarbear]

kawashima, are imported bikes still as horrendously expensive as they were when I used to work over there?

I would be interested how Hinkley Triumph bikes are perceived by Japanese riders in comparison to their home grown manufacturers.
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Victory Cross Country American tractor.

[kawashima]

[lihp]

Yamaha Corporation is a group that owns
Yamaha Motor Company
Yamaha Fine Technologies Co., Ltd.
Yamaha Livingtec Corporation
Yamaha Metanix Corporation
Yamaha Pro Audio

They also make engines for Toyota and they make snowmobiles too