[MuzzyMatt]

Re: Honda NAS

I saw this baby in person and took the survey Honda's marketing people were conducting at SBK. According to the staff there, Honda is looking at limited production with the price tag somewhere around $20K. Hey, cheaper than an MV Brutale and nicer looking too.

 

[FloridaSteve]

Re: Honda NAS

I'm not sure but isn't this a bit of a copy of a recent European Concept bike (Sachs? maybe) that showed very similar features. Skinny as a 2x4, light, and with no real seat to speak of.

 

[bluedot]

Re: Honda NAS

So I see someone at Honda took a trip to Italy ...

Imitations relation to flattery aside, nice to see the resources at Big Red can cook up some pretty sweet looking Cagiva/Ducatti/MV cioppino.

(thinking of a possible production version)

Let's see .. a completely soul-less Duc/Cag lacking all of the nuances that made the Italian bikes popular in the first place.

(cringe)

 

[john]

Re: Honda NAS

yes, i think it is quite similar looking to the sachs, and kudos for honda for coining this one. I think it looks similat to the sachs in the same manner that all the current 600's or literbikes all look similar. Very similar overall shapes and proportions, but not ripoffs or copies of each other. I hope honda does make it, although at $20K it would cost about $6K more than the Brutale strada. I am not a fan of the brutale, anyways, so if i could afford either one, it would be the honda. The brutale looks too much like the F4 with its fairing taken off. THings like the black plastic (carbon fibre, whatever it is) around the headlight makes it looked like the fairing was taken off, and they forgot the headlight.

I hope the manufacturers start making naked bikes this exciting and edgy in overall appearance, i think they are beautiful. Maybe an SV650 with the extreme stance and bodywork the honda displays??? for $7K, almost $2K more than the current SV would make it a surre thing for me.....as long as they used some trick forks and a better rear shock.

 

[Poser]

Re: Honda NAS

Soul-less? Well, it will run even if you don't treat it like a garage princess.

 

[Azrifel]

Re: Honda NAS

Too bad that they didn't make a nicer looking exhaust (the silver boom box beneath the engine), because that's the part that looks the worst and wich I'd like to junk right away. Bit expensive to replace and there isn't much place to fit the replacement pipes.

Did they forget the revcounter? Why isn't there a build in Magneti Marelli more information than you can cope with digital dash?

And I'd like to see if the single sided front is stiff enough in the long run to cope with some serious trashing. If its that great, why don't they run it on the V5 GP1 bike?

Did Honda take over the design squad from Bimota or what!?

And the rims suck!

 

[SilverSurfer]

Re: Honda NAS

Yes, you're thinking of the Sachs Beast. Personally, I wish Sachs would enter the market with the Beast before Honda introduces the NAS. Just seems like fairplay to me, not to mention the whole underdog thing.

 

[056]

NAS=Never At Showrooms

The only information Honda will release about this thing is that they will never build it. Sachs won't build their thing either.

But I love the looks of it, don't you? The spidery lines of the wheel match the frame, although a 70 degree motor would better suit the light, compact visuals of the overall design theme.

Also, that wacky muffler has to go. Underseat is the way to do it for something like this, but I guess Honda wanted to be original. It looks like that giant gas tank on a B-59 from the 50's.

I was all excited that this is Honda's answer to the SV650, but alas. It's high time Honda built one, though- I love my SV650, but it's build quality is lacking, and I will sell it before it racks up too many miles. I just don't have faith in Suzuki's build quality.

Does this look like a VTR or RC-51 motor to you? I guess that's what it probably is, with billet side covers. But that frame looks auful smooth to be a one-off thing- maybe this is the frame for a future SV650 competitor?

I'll start saving now.

 

[056]

Spoken like a true snob.

Yes, spoken like a true Ducati or wanna-be Ducati owner.

Other than red paint and a v-twin, (which Ducati didn't build until the 70's) what is copied here?

The Japanese have come up with some innovations and original stuff over and over again. Single sided swingarm on a production bike? 916, right? Wrong-o! Hawk GT. (I'm not gonna count BMW's, as they aren't sportbikes and have shaftdrive) Gold calipers? VFR750 and RC30, long before the 916 had them.

Turbocharging? Electronic ignition? Mass-market inline-four motors? Digital instrumentation? Liquid cooling? Multi-valve heads?

Granted, Japanese styling can sometimes be tired, bland or just plain ugly, but may I direct the jury's attention to the Ducati Indiana? How about Moto Guzzi Californias? And if you think the ST-2/4 is some kind of triumph of industrial design, I'm guessing you own a bean-bag chair.

Plenty of Hondas and other Japanese brands have gobs of soul. My SV sounds better than Ducati v-twins, (so I'm told) and handles just as well, if not better. It's certainly easier to steer than a 748.

My wife's Hawk had more soul than a Paso ever did, and the Superhawk I had felt very nice on the open road, with a beat and rhythym unique to that model. If by "character" you mean expensive fragility, well, I can't argue with you there. Ducks have plenty of THAT.

The only thing that made Ducks so popular is the demand for a relatively cheap status symbol coupled with clever marketing. Just like cigars.

Monicagate killed the cigar thing, though. Hm, I don't think you can fit a 900SS in THERE, though.

Maybe Courtney Love?

 

[056]

More Pix!

At :http://www.motorcycledaily.com/09july01newamericansports.html

 

[6144]

Check out the new Harley!? http://www.motorcyclenews.com/news/detail?sectionID=212131&=68922&pageNum=1

Very interesting!?

 

[spindizzy]

Re: NAS=Never At Showrooms

Sachs are building the Beast - just sorting out the engines at the moment.

 

[14411]

It may look like a derivative of a duc, but I think it looks better than the 996 replacement spy photos i've seen. If Ducati replaces the 916 with something like this, I would be very interested, as it is I haven't been impressed with the new duc.

The new duc pictures I've seen just don't have the "mechanical look" I like in a bike. I fell in love with the 916 8 years ago, but it's styling is starting to look old.

With proper power, 120 or up at the rear wheel, I could be very interested in this bike

 

[whophlungpoo]

I have but only one word to say about this: YESSSSSSSSS!

 

[Interception]

Saw it. Power cruisers are no longer a trend, now they are a movement. I wonder when the performance trend in the cruiser market will trickle down to the smaller bikes?

 

[Monkeygym]

I have a motorcycle from 1993 that has the same suspension, which makes me think that it's not exactly revolutionary. It is a Gilera Cx-125, not the prettiest thing in the world, but aerodynamic, and odd. For sale, incidentally, with only 72 Km on it.

The Honda is a neat execution, however, and Honda's reliability as well as fit and finish are pretty much the best, IMHO. I'd buy one.

 

[granny]

Ducatis have no soul after all

I don't like to indulge in brand bashing - I like anything with two wheels but I do feel compelled to state that Ducati's design goals are different than those of Honda, Suzuki, etc.. It's not reasonable to expect these bikes to be implemented in the same way (diversity and choice is good).

I've enjoyed all the bikes that I've owned but none quite so much as my 916. And

while my 916 is kept in a garage, it's scarcely a garage queen, it's my defacto primary form of transportation, I ride it to work during the week and ride it for play

on the weekends. I rarely put less than 200 miles per week on it and it's not unusual for me to go on 6 to 8 hour rides.

Even when I flog it (which is usually), I get 45 miles per gallon (unlike certain other V-twins). While Ducati's aren't inexpensive, most cars are more expensive than most Ducati's.

I disagree that Ducati's have "soul" or "character" - they're just machines and machines do not have soul, riders have soul. The 916 90 degree V-twin is not quite as smooth as some inline fours, the valve lash must be checked slightly more frequently and replacing the belts is an annoyance but most motorbikes require more maintence than most cars.

It's true that a 916 requires slightly more muscle to flick in tight chicanes than say a Suzuki DRZ400 but if at 140 pounds body weight, I can flick a 916, anyone can. Moreover, if a fifty year old dog like me can comfortably ride a 916 for eight hours at a time, then any of you young puppies ought to be able to as well. If not then either your riding posture is lacking and/or you need to improve your muscle tone and flexibility.

But as I first stated, I've not come to critcize any bike, in particular I like this new Honda and if it goes into production, I'll consider one but in this market the bar is always being raised and by the time the bike is actually available - who knows what else will be? I'd like to see a Suzuki interpretation of the NAS concept...

 

[badsac]

Could you direct me to those spy pics? (NT)

 

[ZebProctor]

How much you asking, US Dollars.....

 

[badsac]

That's the muffler!!!???

I didn't even realize until you pointed it out. I thought it was just the belly-pan for a start.

Actually, I like it. I don't think having a standard muffler sticking out the side would look any good. They can't have it under the seat since that's where the radiator is. If they put the pipes in there as well, it would make the back too heavy.

Nah, I think they've done a good job with it.

Overall, I think the bike is awesome. I'd much rather spend some money on it than some of the other overpriced POS that have been released in the past.

Shame they'll never make it.