Brand nationality, is it important?

[MacRoadster]

With the actual political/economic world situation, would you buy a Chinese or Russian bike? Or you don't care about politics and just buy what you think it's a better value for money?

For me, I just consider EU bikes not owned by Chinese brands and Japanese bikes. Nothing against USA ones but just don't like their bikes. 😅
I would only buy a Triumph, BMW, Ducati, Guzzi or one of the Japanese brands (Honda, Kawasaki, Yamaha, Suzuki). There's more that would be ok, but I don't trust their quality or don't like their bikes.

 

[Redrocket]

Same for me. Why buy from hostile countries just to dave a bit initially then find the dealer has disappeared.

 

[miweber929]

I have no care where something is made so long as it meets my criteria in the quality, price and support ratio.

Nothing is solely made in one country anymore, any country can make both crap and good products and one country is not producing more shitty products than another. So saying something is junk because of where it’s made is an ignorant, outdated and just plain incorrect statement.

 

[Redrocket]

It's not that Chinese bikes are junk; they are not. I simply don't want to aid their economy at the expense of the West. Whilst accepting that to some extent it can't be helped eg iPhone, with bikes and cars there are plenty of alternatives to wholly Chinese brands.

 

[MacRoadster]

I think there's two main reasons for someone not buy from a specific country:

- One is the perception of quality everyone has associated with that country. Which, these days, with everything (development, production,...) more globalized it's becoming less relevant. We see Chinese bikes with European components and European bikes with Chinese components.

- The other reason is the political/social/economical world situation. With some countries attempting on freedom and democracy values of western countries, it's becoming more and more relevant.

 

[skeletor]

 

[JDude]

I would have liked the option of buying EU and JP brands as an option in the pole. And having the US as a separate option. Google gave me a list of 15 US motorcycle manufacturers that I have no interest in. Well except Arch, and as much as love Keanu, I don’t have that kind of $. Also, definitely a snub to Can-Am, which makes sense in the motorcycle marketplace until they decide to produce a solid motorcycle along side the 3-wheelers (electric shouldn’t count until it’s mainstream). Can-Am does manufacture in Canada, the United States, Mexico, Finland, and Austria.
I definitely think saying the EU and JP sounds better than German, Italian and Japanese. Tariffs Rock!

 

[Redrocket]

I saw a couple of Can Am trikes the other day at a bikers' cafe. One guy had sticks and could barely walk so I suppose he had a great way of carrying on riding. Don't see many here, except in the Peak District where there is a main dealer - the only one I know of, but it's not of interest to me. Given the number of potholes here, with a three-track vehicle it must be nigh on impossible to avoid many...

 

[miweber929]

Can-Am trikes are fun to ride, very similar to a snowmobile, but not something I’d own unless I needed to have something 3 wheeled. I won’t throw shit on them, though, for making something different than the bloated touring trikes you normally see.

 

[Redrocket]

They fun look fun to ride.

 

[MacRoadster]

Can Am look fun to ride but I don't see them as a motorcycle... same for Harley's 3 wheelers, Nikken, Piaggio MP3 or Morgan 3 wheeler! I see them as a different class... 3 wheelers!
Somewhere between cars and motorcycles.

Even electric bicycles are closer to a motorcycle than 3 wheelers... 😅