People like what they like for various reasons. A product, airline, hotel, store, etc might have features that I like making it a great thing, while those features might not be part of someone else's ideas of what makes a product/service good. It's all about what fits someone's needs at that particular time the item or service is conveyed.

My scooter is just what I wanted and if I like something, I will buy it or use it irregardless of the reviews, but I guess I just like to read what others thought.  Perhaps my scooter wasn't what the reviewer(s) had in mind, but it works for me and has been very reliable. The same thing has applied to hotels, contractors, cars, etc.

I admit I tend to research goods or services we might use to the extreme, but that is just the way I am. Have I taken other's opnions into consideration? Sure, I think we all do, but I have never read reviews about any product or service where every reviewer agreed 100 % in the positive or negative.

Most people already like or dislike brand names because of one or a number of positive/negative expierience(s) and no matter what anyone says, you aren't going to change their mind until their own expierience changes it for them. Even then, if someone has a "lemon" expierience, other factors such as customer service come into play.

IMO, CR is a vey overpriced publication that to many people take as gospel.

We recently upgraded our washer/dryer and I read a lot of reviews. It was a huge mixed bag, but what we purchased had all the features we wanted and needed.

A good friend of mine has two bikes in his stable, a BMW ST and a Honda ST. In his opinions, both bikes are great bikes, but each has features that perform differently under the same conditions or type of riding he does.

Tomato, Tamato, Potato, Patoto

2008 Silverwing, aka Sir Lancelot of Swoyersville.

In the same vein, the local paper's tranportation section prints all kinds of silliness about bikes, bicycles, and how to share the road. I have yet to see Hough or any other street riding guru quoted in the paper. Usually, its the local bike shop owner that gets the reporter's phone call and has to try and answer questions for which the owner may be ill prepared.

Somehow, I am not very concerned about CR treading in these waters. It will be fun to see the Harley crowd go nuts on whatever CR prints about harleys. The Beemer crowd language will be even more fun.

nobody rides half as well as they know how.

I have been seriously considering trading my H-D for a K1200S.  What are your impressions on the BMW K-models?  I'm particularly concerned about the final-drive issues I have been hearing so much about.  How many miles have you logged on your 'R?

Thanks!