Best Motorcycle Brand Ever!*

[Andrew]

OK So I may not like hondas much but the honda cub is the best motorcycle ever built, that being said I would rather ride a BMW.
Honda does make a nice lawn mower

[Papa Lazarou]

No Vincent, Brough, BSA, Norton, Velocette?

[sammyseaman]

No Vincent, Brough, BSA, Norton, Velocette?

*
^ This and I don't consider Norton still in business  

[ST-DocLizard1]

Ridin' Red since 1978.


Doc

[Blunder]

What, no Spagthorpe?

[sammyseaman]

Ridin' Red since 1978.


Doc

My condolences    You don't know what you're missing.

[Papa Lazarou]

*
^ This and I don't consider Norton still in business  

Thread title change.    I thought that was my trick.

And Norton have sold 250 bikes (not actually made, but sold).

[sammyseaman]

Thread title change.    I thought that was my trick.

And Norton have sold 250 bikes (not actually made, but sold).

 

[stealth1]

Norton qualifies as much as Triumph for this poll.
Neither is "still" in business.
Both are "back" in business after a break and under new ownership.

[Papa Lazarou]

MZ.

[antvq]

 I say Yamaha.
  Yamaha gave us 250cc two strokes twins for forty years!
  Harley probably wouldn't even exist without government intervention. They have kept motorcycle design in the USA stuck at 1950s levels, especially after killing Buell!  Moto Guzzi deserves more respect as a great brand than Harley. Their range of products over the years is surprising. Triumph is probably about equal to MotoGuzzi.
 Yamaha built competitve road racers before Honda. They were the first of the Japanese manufacturers racing in North America, and they have been selling bikes in North America around the same length of time as Honda. Yamaha and Honda are tied for number of top class GP titles (both are still behind MV), but Rossi could change that this year in Yamaha's favor.
 Yamaha builds a product line just as diverse as Honda, but without all of the first year failures (750-4 cam chains,CX500 cam chain adjusters,V4 cams,GL 1800 frames,stators in everything...). Yamahas just plain work. Other than the TX750, their bikes have usually been reliable. The customers don't have to do the testing.  Not much that Honda gave us was original, so they aren't as innovative as the supporters here would believe. (Inline sixes, flat fours, v-4s, and  transverse fours were all done before Honda produced them.) What Honda has is good marketing and a reputation still riding on the Cub!
 Both Yamaha and Honda have been equally daring with their products over the years, but I always prefer the comparable Yamaha bikes myself. Honda always seems to err on the safe side, with products that are too smooth, plastic, and boring. They are the overdog that tries to crush everyone else with cubic money (especially racing); while Yamaha just innovates, and competes with great original bikes. Yamaha is the thorn in Honda's side that forces them to try to improve; but try as they might, Honda doesn't seem to be able to build bikes with  soul. It seems like design by commitee takes all of the fun out of their bikes.
  After owning seven Hondas  (I still have three), and having ridden a bunch more, I prefer Yamaha --"The Best Brand Ever" .
 YMMV.

^^^^^^  This plus let us not forget that Yamaha also gave us the sport tourer of the decade.      

[Orson]

^^^^^^  This plus let us not forget that Yamaha also gave us the sport tourer of the decade.      

Yet another soul who failed to read all 50 pages    

the fact that all FJR owners hate each others guts, and split into 2 warring forums speaks volumes  

[Bearly Flying]

Yamaha,

After 8 years of dominance in the SPORT Touring Market, the FJR is still the Gold Standard.

[maddjack]

OSSA  

[stevent]

I'm still pissed that Triumph dropped the Trophy.............

I picked them anyway

[UFO]

Hodaka.

[ConPilot1]

Based on history alone, I'd have to say the Bayerische Motoren Werke.

[coho]

Triumph, of course. For two reasons:

A. Their name means "win".
2. They have over 900 years of experience building large powerful motorbikes.
 

[peacemaker24]

only one company has a secret wind tunnel hidden inside a mountain.
Honda has done the most to destroy motorcycling. Their inline four CB750 in 1969 made people believe that British parallel twins were quaint relics, when in fact, they replaced a charismatic, evocative engine, with the soulless powerplant with all the charm of a quartz watch  

Funny, I voted Honda for the same reasons.

~~~Jesse

[sammyseaman]

Hodaka.

I'll see your Hodaka and raise you Maico