We are watching the paradigm of the motorcycle word shift lightning fast. It wasn’t to long ago that when you say superbike people thought of Japanese bikes, that’s all changed. The push of course is sales, nascar use to be a sales tool for the American auto makers but it lost touch with that and has become a kit car series, each car is essentially like every other one on the track with a different body to set it apart but not World Superbike racing.
Who is crashing the Japanese makers party? everyone it seems. The Italians have long been ultra competetive in the 1000cc Superbike races but their prices left them out of the reach of most bikers. Now Ducatis and Aprilias have close to price parity with their Japenese competitors. And a new development, BMW and KTM have decided to get in on the act and they both make incredible machines at prices that aren’t to bad.
BMW has just shown us the new SS 1000RR and its a game changer for the brand that has been known for comfort, durability and holding value. Now with the 1000RR they have a bike that’s as cheap as the Japanese liter bikes but outperforms them and Carry’s the cache of the BMW name. KTM has the RC8 and its just as spectacular, though a bit more than the BMW its a bike to behold.
So you have the Germans and the Italians closing in on the Japanese and we the consumers will enjoy the benefits. The intangible that I believe the German and Italian Bikes have is that they become classics, where as most Japanese bikes just become old Japanese bikes. If I buy a BMW or an Aprilia and have it for 10 years it will be a legend, a collectible, that cannot be said for most Japanese bikes that will end up as old used bikes.
Yep the world of Bikes is changing again, much as it did in the 60s when the Brit bikes faded from glory (Triumph is back and making great bikes and Norton is suppose to be back and we will keep and eye on this) then in the 80s Suzuki changed the rules with the first GSXR, in the 90s Ducati got its mojo and became the king of the bike builders. Now its 2009 and Germany and Italy and set to take huge clumps of market share from the Japanese.
Keep an eye on the World Superbike championships things are about to change and on Monday people will be visiting German and Italian bike dealers.
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