is it true that..

Yep, Apple motorcycles are known for faulty first year models.
 
I have only bought brand new 1st year once and wouldnt suggest doing it again not for the fact of working the kinks out of it or developement, just for the fact of buying brand new the $!, As soon as you ride away out of the dealership you lose like at least $2,500 -3,500g's , kinda just like p****** it away $. so you're 17K bike out the door is now worth like 14K for an example and if you decided to sell that now 14K bike you most likely get like 12ish-Ty
 
There are always minor improvements made as little problems become noticed. Are the problems likely to be huge? Probably not. Normally the manufacturer finds out x part wears out slightly sooner than expected so it's upgraded. Or something wasn't done 100% right at assembly so that's modified, mostly little things that you would never notice

Personally, I prefer to wait until a couple years into the model cycle so all the little kinks get sorted out, a first year product is hardly the end of the world though.
 
Not always.My 2001 Goldwing was a total redesign and has been completely reliable.But that's Honda for ya.
 
mostly cosmetic change no? i was referring to a complete redesign, like how the R1 went from 08 to 09

No, no it was a complete redesign. They changed everything. :)

On September 6, 2006, Honda revealed an all new CBR600RR for the 2007 model year.[SUP][4][/SUP]
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[TD]The CBR600's most radical redesign since the introduction of the RR in 2003 is highlighted by a whole new engine, frame, and bodywork that results in a smaller, lighter, more-powerful CBR600RR with a class-leading power-to-weight ratio and unparalleled performance.[SUP][5]"

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Unfortunately I have the year before that one. :(
 
Sometime's they don't even get the kinks out until 4 years later!

Look at the Honda VFR800. Redesigned in 2002, people hated the VTEC transition at 6,800rpm, and there was a faulty R/R that would fry some harnesses. They fixed those two issues in 2006.
 
I have only bought brand new 1st year once and wouldnt suggest doing it again not for the fact of working the kinks out of it or developement, just for the fact of buying brand new the $!, As soon as you ride away out of the dealership you lose like at least $2,500 -3,500g's , kinda just like p****** it away $. so you're 17K bike out the door is now worth like 14K for an example and if you decided to sell that now 14K bike you most likely get like 12ish-Ty

Yes but by buying new, you are getting a vehicle that was not used and abused, you are getting a brand new model, knowing you are the only one to ride it and break it in properly, and nobody did so before you. As far as depreciation goes, as soon as you ride off the lot, you don't buy a new bike to sell it a few days later, you buy it to enjoy it and own it for many seasons to come so it's completely irrelevant if the bikes worth is down by the time you ride off the lot.
 
I know that the first model year of the 2nd gen SV650 is an odd one out. The first generation had its last model year in 2002, and in 2003 they went to an all new frame and fuel injection. I don't recall the specifics, but I know that for 2004 there were some minor changes. The bikes look the same at a quick glance, but the differences are enough that the 2003 model year has some specific parts that do not work with the 2004+ 2nd gen.

As a general rule, I do not buy brand new vehicles that are the first model year of a new generation.

Edit 1: It is probably worth noting that my above statement is mostly personal preference. To answer your question more directly, I think that most established bike manufacturers should be able to reveal a brand new model without any serious quality issues. Although, didn't a recent ZX-10 redesign have a massive recall? A colleague at work has a 2004 V-strom he bought in the first model year when it was a brand new bike (from scratch) and has logged over 100K kms with no issues what so ever.

Edit 2: It is however worth noting that there is a clear distinction between the first model year introduced to our local market and the first model year period. A good example is the 650 ninja. It was well established in europe for a couple years before coming to Canada, and I would have bought the first model year in Canada.
 
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As mentioned above there are usually some minor adjustments or some re-working of parts after the manufacture gets some real world feed back on a new model and how it holds up once the general public get their grubby hands on it.

My concerns would be with parts both stock and aftermarket. A new model will have very little aftermarket parts support at first. May take a while before things start showing up in the catalogs. The dealers will take a bit of time to get parts in stock. Not a big issue for most things like filters - Just make sure to order them well in advance. But if someone knocks the mirror off your bike in a parking lot, or you drop it and bust of the signals you may be with out a bike for a while as the dealer trys to get parts.
 
Yes but by buying new, you are getting a vehicle that was not used and abused, you are getting a brand new model, knowing you are the only one to ride it and break it in properly, and nobody did so before you. As far as depreciation goes, as soon as you ride off the lot, you don't buy a new bike to sell it a few days later, you buy it to enjoy it and own it for many seasons to come so it's completely irrelevant if the bikes worth is down by the time you ride off the lot.

Or you can do what I did. I bought a 2010 GSXR600 in 2011, well after the new model came out. The 2011 GSXR600 is a completely new bike, not just a redesign so theoretically I have a 4 year old design. But at the time I bought my 2010, I saved $4k off the 2011 MSRP, and in my book that is more than worth the savings. Especially since I can pretty much resell my bike early next season for what I paid.

Ironically my bike proved to have its unfair share of problems, since it came from factory with a leaky crank case due to a pinhole. A new engine solved that, and it's running great so far after 5k km.
 
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