i think looks are important, that's why there's so many manufacturers and models out there. apparently lots of people like the way sazooks look, but i'd be more of a honda guy personally if i was getting a generic japanese bike.
So true. I have no reason to think Hondas are better than any of the other Far East bikes, but I LIKE Hondas, mostly because of the looks.
I don't really care for most Kawasakis, Yamahas, or Suzukis because of the styling. (Well, I do kinda like the looks of the R1.) It's not really a substantive complaint, but if one is buying a bike, one will buy a bike he likes to see.
Having said that though, I should relate a story:
Around 1985 I was building my Pan/Shovel stroker HD from scratch and needed cash. I sold my 1980 Superglide. The plan was to use the cash to finish the project, but also to use a bit of the cash to buy a beater Beemer to ride around till the project was finished. The idea was to sell the UGLY 1977 R100/7 as soon as the HD was complete.
One night I was riding home on the Interstate on the Beemer. At this point I had probably put about 200 miles on the thing. Cruising around 70 mph I looked down at the tank, saw the heads sticking out on boths sides of the bike, and thought, "This old cluncker is simply solid as hell. I love this bike!"
After that, every time I looked at it I saw beauty on two wheels. Beauty may or not be in the beholder, but it obviously is NOT in his eye.
(Most new Beemers strike me as simply (_!_) ugly though.)
