.. instead of another cookie cutter completely-unsuitable-for-public-roads exercise in excess Honda surprises us and comes out with something that hasn't been done to death? How about an Adventure Tourer under 500 pounds with the Super Hawk engine in it? Now THAT would be something to sink my teeth into.
The Superhawk only got 25 miles per gallon so I don't know how much "adventure" you would get out of it.
A lot more than the BMW HP-2 with it's 2.9 gallon gas tank.
May I agree with you on this 'un? And as for you, Der Buzmeister, the Superduper Hawk motors thirst can be fixed. After all, it'd -assumin' we EVER see it - would have to comply with Euro2, 3 or whatever...HEY! I already does! They call it the Varadero! It do need to drop about 30 lbs and needs a lower saddle, but what don't these days.
Wow! If it's that much better, I gotta have one by tomorrow!
I'm one of those guys. The Honda V5 was to be the replacement for the VFR for years I waited, I gave up waiting, I swapped my VFR for a BMW. Nice bikes, but I still have a few more years before I'll switch to Luxo Touring. I'm still holding and waiting for the Honda V5 Sport Touring model. I have become cynical with Honda over this huge screw up though, promising a new model or seeming to then nothing! Each new model year you wait for the big new earth shaking revelation that is to push the edge, and then let down with the same old V4 or the new DN-01! Come on Honda! It's a nice scooter but, it's not earth shaking! Hype, that's all, put the V5 in your Sport and Sport Touring models and shake up the world!!!
Well hopefully they do it better than Suzuki did with their gimicky supposed traction control. That button does nothing but starve the injectors of air. To obtain real traction control you would need a seperate added gizmo like the Bazzaz or Yoshimura Cube. Explain I-4?
The chances of ever seeing a V-5 in a street bike are close to zero. V-4s and V-5s are more expensive to build than I-4s. A V-4 won't give any more power than an I-4, it gives better aerodynamics because of the narrower profile thus a higher top speed... as if that would matter since the I-4s are stupid fast as it is. The recent VFR costs as much as the Triumph 1050 triple. So figure a Honda V-4 liter bike would cost a couple grand more than the competition. A V-5 would be even more than that. Is a company as conservative as Honda going to take that chance? Probably not even in good economic times.
What ever posesed Honda to produce the CBX?
When Soichiro was still at the helm Honda was an innovative engineering based company and motorcycles were his passion. Since he died the corporate mind has shifted to cars as their main focus, I would guess motorcycles now take a back seat. I think Honda still puts out some excellent bikes but the foreward thinking and innovation is gone, now it's all safe and sane plain jane.
Funny you should mention that because Honda built the CBX just before they went on their ill-fated V-4 jag. Honda already got badly burned trying to market V-4s. Now it's just a niche market. Apparently the current Honda management team would rather build Victory clones than a V-4/5 sportbike.
Then in the late-'90s, they put 'em in the trunk. Now, it seems they're wanting to dump that "excess baggage" so they can pick up .05mpg on their Accord.........
