Are you a bike brand loyalist?

Yamaha since 1980 because my local shop is the best

Pretty much loyal to anything Austrian. That might change with how the brand structures itself within the next few years. Grew up on hondas though.

In the cycling world I wont buy anything other than Specialized. They are sinking money into the sport through GNCC.

Used to be only Honda, small support/parts budget from a dealer network, then when we went to buy first set of 125s. Myself and my dad rode a stock 1999 CR125...and it was slower than slow. Dad got a test ride on a 99 YZ125 and by the following week, all the Honda stuff was gone and in came the Yamaha. Sort of just stuck with that since, several iterations of 125s, 250s, 250Fs and a 450 in there somewhere. I suppose I got lured in with the "it's got the KYB stuff!" for such a long time. I did leave the tuning fork brand for a Husky 350, but eventually returned back to Yamaha and a 125. Although I do miss having a button, something about the chassis and suspension feel just works for me. I am open to branching out on the next bike cycle, but I imagine for some reason another 250 with blue plastics will wiggle its way in. 

For street/ADV bikes, I do not have any particular loyalty, seem to just roll with what fits best from a deal and how it fits with the type of riding I have planned.

I’ve always been partial to Kawasaki; however, I’m more partial to a 350cc over a brand. Austrian FTW

I didn't plan to be a loyalist but being on a 350 I can't see myself riding anything but a KTM until one of the Japanese brands gets their shit together and makes one. 250's always leaving me wanting more on softer tracks and 450s are heavy and don't handle all that well. The 350 is the best of both worlds.

Never felt the need for the latest and greatest. I'll typically keep the same bike for 6-8 years before upgrading. 

Been full on Honda since 2007.

We got around 25-30 Hondas now from -74 and onward elsinores to mugen kitted 125, ex GP 125, ex GP cr500, ex enduro GP cr 250, -07 cr125, -07 cr250, -80 cr80 and a bunch of modern Hondas to. 

I rode my first Hondas in 02/03 in the 125 class, then rode a couple of different brands 04-07. Started the 07 season on KTM with nothing but problems and after some shitty customer service from KTM Sweden we switched to Honda mid season to get some reliability and never looked back.

If I ever were to buy a diffident brand of bike again it would be to buy some displacement size that Honda don’t offer.

I have had 6 different brands Honda Yamaha Kawasaki Suzuki KTM Husqvarna in my garage over the 40 years so I guess its a negative for being a loyalist.

I do still have the option for adding a Triumph GASGAS TM Stark though.

I like Yamaha, but my last 3 bikes were not a Yamaha. My next one might be though.

I'm more about a getting a good deal. With how much I ride (a few times a year) it doesn't matter what I ride. Right now with my kids (4 and 6) it's the same way, it's about a good deal. If I was racing or they were racing it might be a different story, but right now it's just riding for fun.

Honda since 2004, my dad bought a -02 450 and got me a new 85 when I was 10.

Switched to KTM in 2016 because my air forks kept exploding on my -15 Honda, who would have thought they could implode instead? Worst 20 hours of my life on that pumpkin before I was back on red

Have always had a soft spot for Suzuki after racing them a looong time ago (RM-80s, 125s, and 250). I had some Hondas too (XR-75, CR-125 and CR-480), but never had the same brand attraction. Any Suzuki loyalty is completely baseless at this point, but yet it remains. 

I, and apparently others, have become a 350 loyalist. Thus I own a KTM. 

I consider myself a Honda guy but I haven't owned one in 8 years. I'm on Austrian but I'm not sold on it. 

No...  In my early race days, starting in '75, all Yamaha's because that was the only shop within 60 miles.  Then I got a Honda support ride in '79, so bye to the Yamahas.  Blew my ACL in '79 at Ponca.  Picked up a Kawasaki bike shop ride in 1980 from the dealer 60 miles away.  That KX125 was such a turd, we went back to full privateer and bought the remarkable RM125X in '81, built by R&D and had my best season...  Was running P3 in the Hangtown qualifier when I burned the water pump.  '81 was good enough to get back with a Honda support ride out of Temple City Honda in '82.  Blew my other ACL at the CMC Golden State Series race at Saddleback.  Back on a Yamaha in '83 but lost my drive and desire trying to come back from that second ACL.  

So no, no real preference.  Only had 1 race year on Suzuki, but it was my best year, so I tend to like Suzuki's.  But that RM125X was the latest and greatest of it's time.

Loyal to Yamaha and Kawasaki because that’s what I started out on as a kid.

You know me…I look at all of’em and figure out which one makes me smile the most.

Remember the 2018 450 Shootout? Remember who kept messing with the shock and the fork height and the ECU plugs on the RMZ…? 🤣

That bike was a blast a Zaca.

One year, I even got them to put a longer chain on one of the bikes…for just a moment…and, damn, that bike was ENTIRELY different!

Good times.

Great bikes come in all colors and sizes. 

RM-125X is my vote as the best bike of all time (for its time). Certainly my favorite, by far.

Was that the year you and a handful of others all provided feedback on the bikes for the Vital shootout? Whichever year that was proved to be a very good shootout IMO. Actually useful reading how different riders perceived the bikes.

Yes....Suzuki loyalist.

Been riding a KX or a YZ the last few years as well because Suzuki shows no interest in my desires.

Guessing…’17 thru…’20…? Michael had free reign and we were each left to our own very different individual ways of looking at the bike…our way of dealing with the bike and its various traits. 

He’d quite literally stay on top of keeping us from influencing each-others opinions and often reminded us it’s about how each bike feels and works for us…without outside influence. 

We got to ride each bike at different tracks and make all the necessary adjustments…Individually.

I always tried to spend PLENTY of time with the manufactures suggested settings and adjustments before making my own changes. This was very helpful with things like air-forks or multi-chamber forks where what you “think” is a good change…probably ISN’T! 😂

The years when Michael “snuck in” a 350…or 2…thise were really good years where we could really notice just how wide the range and difference among all the choices we had…well…it was vast…

And Awesome.

We had some really great days at the most wonderful tracks. Cheney, Zaca…even Milestone…and many, many more.

And there were some really amazing people back then, too. From the folks running the cameras & the drones to the wide base of riders…covering the full spectrum of riders…it was a really, really good time. 

Micheal CRUSHED it like a boss. It was busy-yet-fun time. I feel very fortunate to have been a part of it. 

Used to be a Honda guy in the 80's, but since then nope. I've owned Honda's, Kawasaki's, Yamaha's and KTM's. In the garage right now there's 3 brands. Honda's Yamaha's and a KTM.  

Nope. Have 4 different brands in the garage right now. I try to get the best tool for the job. I will say we stuck with Austrian for moto, but that's because if you race, you really have no choice through the 125 classes. And by the time we got to 250s we had so many tools and parts for Austrians we stayed there. The 24.5 GG 250 FE we bought is a hell of a race bike too. No one but Austria makes a competitive small bike (50-125). I'm sure that will piss off the Cobra, TM and Yamaha guys, but TMs are boutique and Yamaha needs a lot to make the same power as a stock KTM. Now, with the FI 125s, you couldn't PAY me to buy a KTM 125.

Kawasaki for me. I’ve tried ktm and Yamaha and just didn’t gel as well with them as I do the Kawasaki. The adjustability along with stability have always been superior to me. 

Since 2006, all but two of my bikes have been Yamaha's...but I don't consider myself a yamaha loyalist...I'm a "good deal" loyalist...and for new bikes, I always seem to find the best deals on Yamaha's (and they are great bikes)...though left over/prior year Kawasaki's can be had for cheaper on occasion, I owned one once (2015), and I've never had bolts just fall out of a motorcycle before, so I don't really look to those any more.  

I've pretty much talked myself into just trying out a Beta 350 for my next bike though (probably next spring)...just because I think they look cool, I want a 350 and KYB suspension...but when it comes time to pull the trigger, I'm not sure I'll be able to justify the extra money for one.  We shall see...but likely find me on an a 2026 Yamaha 450FX next year...

 

Polini til i Die haha

I'm on my 10th Honda.  I also had 1 Suzuki.

I don't have any great reasons why.  I just feel like I'm supposed to have Hondas.  I am also just used to the way Honda bikes are assembled.  Anytime I've helped somebody wrench on a non-Honda, it just feels wrong to me.

No more Maico's so..... Honda since '85. Entertaining a Beta 350RX but probably too chicken to pull the trigger, way too comfortable with older Honda CR two strokes.

I always like to hear what everyone says about different bikes and love to ride any bikes I can to form my own opinion of them, but I'm pretty much loyal to Yamaha or Suzuki. My dad tested for Yamaha in the early 90's and rode them for a long time and it's what I grew up on for the most part. I bought my kids nothing but Yamaha's outside of a KTM50 that I hated with a passion.

Always loved Yamaha's

Really enjoyed all the Suzuki's I have ridden.

Loved all of my Kawi's, but wouldn't buy a new one.

Don't like Honda's and never really have. Other than an 07 CRF450, I've never felt comfortable on them and do not like how they handle. 

Don't like Austrian. Hate how they feel. Just not comfortable to me.

Triumph is a potential in the future because my grandfather raced them in the desert in the 60's and I'd love to own and ride a brand he rode and raced on for years.

But if I were to go buy a new bike right now, No doubt in my mind it's either Blue or Yellow. Most likely yellow.

I have Orange Red & Blue in the garage right now, If Hodaka comes out with the latest greatest I would buy another one

Been on Austrian bikes for the last 10 years, between my bikes and my wifes bike its a lot of maintenance and spare parts. 

When you get use to working on the Austrian stuff everything has been more or less the same style for a long time so its easier and efficient and switching wheels/sprockets/forks/hardware between a bunch of bikes just makes more sense. 

nope...the bike that wins all the bike shootouts for that year is the bike I'm buying...

Yamaha … YZ250…. I’ve had five of them since 1998, when the love story began. 😜