[10650]

I'm very disappointed in Honda ! I was really hoping that they would bring out a street fighter based on the superhawk motor, not a buzzy 4 cyl.

But even worse is Honda not bringing out a superhawk jr. ( 650 cc ) to compete with all of the sv 650's on the racetrack. Come on Honda wake up. The old hawk 650's are getting a little tired. Besides, we already have way too many cruiser models in this country. MAYBE NEXT YEAR !!!

 

[starvingstudent]

Competition with SV650

A Superhawk 650 would rule. And the better fuel efficiency of a 650 would mean that it could go more than 90 miles between fuel-ups...

But if Honda won't compete with the SV, somebody will. The Korean company Hyosung recently released pictures of a 600cc V-twin that looks a LOT like a cross between a GS500 and SV650.

 

[minime]

Re: Competition with SV650

Our man, Yossef Schvetz, is at the Milan show and is putting together a number of features on new models on display there. Of course, this new Korean twin will be fearured, with a riding impression as soon as a production model becomes available.

 

[Dual__Exhaust]

It's all old news by now. Keeping the VFR an 800 is great especially with the power, the range, and the silent (really?) cam chains. Love the pipes, love that VTEC, love the hole in the nose, love the family resemblance, love the name.

The turbo off the PWC needs to make it back to the street and complete the CBRXX, along with some metallic chrome, slightly green paint - mix the paints from the new chrome R1 and the current green ZX12. Make the XX's displacement OFFENSIVELY BIG, 1/4 mile in the 8's, and call it a day...in history.

 

[mcho]

I was hoping for the Varadero but I guess I will have to look at the new Suzuki. We just don't count in the USA.

 

[vcs700s]

The models you picked out were the ones I was really impressed with also. If I were to purchase a touring bike next summer I would look at the ST1300 first. I checked it out on Honda's website. Incredible!

 

[reinerka]

Honda has done some great work bringing the ST again on top of the BMW R1150RT. However it's dissapointing that it'll take till next summer to be able to look at the bike first hand and not even give a price for the beast to the public.



However the bad thing is that in Europe people are getting a lot of other goodies from Honda (Varadero, Deauville) that Honda is neglegting for the US Market.



As well the Silverwing is a shock. Couldn't they have come up with a more decent name for that? What does this thing have in common with a Wing apart it's name. I feel that with the movement of the GoldWing so much up there was enough space to introduce a smaller pure touring bike as a Sivlerwing again.



Honda is doing good things. They just need to be a little bit more carefull not outdoing themselfs. Once the market for the Cruisers is digging, Honda and all others that "just ride the wave" will have trouble. It would have been a good sign for them showing that they think ahead. So far they've not proven anything in that area.

 

[starvingstudent]

Re: Competition with SV650

Thanks, Minime. Is there any discussion of us seeing Hyosung expand into North America? I'd love them stick a candle under the butt of the Japanese four so that they'll quit ignoring the lightweight do-it-all market.

 

[desertbilly]

I'm impressed

I've been waiting for the ST1100 replacement for a while, and couldn't be happier with the ST1300 -- unless of course it was available now for $500 less than the old model. But I can wait 9 to 12 months for one. That will give Honda a chance to shake the bugs out of the new design; and, hopefully, a chance for the stock market and consumer confidence to recover a little bit.

I think the sleeper is the 919. I had no interest in it until I saw it. But now I think it's combination of performance, simplicity, capability and value could be a great bike for many years. It looks like it will have less power than the FZ-1, but also less questionable plastic and about 30 pounds less weight. Of course, it's not intended to be a track bike, but an all-around, fun street bike, that can handle anything, and do it very quickly, for not much money. Sort of a big brother to the SV650 concept.

I wonder if the 919 might be a problem for the Monster. I know there are obvious differences in the engine and the 'panache' of the make, but it seems to me like it will do everything a MonsterS4 will do, probably faster, definitely more reliably, and for $4,500 less. Does this sound like a Comparo?

Maybe Suzuki has something up it's sleeve, but the new model introductions for Kawi were pretty underwhelming. The FJR1300 will be nice if Yamaha brings it over. It's obviously a big year for HD with the V-Rod. But I'd say Honda has done a great job with this new crop.

 

[starvingstudent]

HONDA NEEDS SMALLER DO-IT-ALL BIKES

What do I think of the new breed? Perfect, if you're looking for something with the word "sport" and "tourer" in the name, or if you want to drop $9-12,000 and get a 110-150hp machine.

But FREAKIN' LAME if you like cheap do-it-all bikes. I mean, has Honda touched that market since their last incarnation of the Nighthawk in like 1994? I see NO Hornet 600, NO Hawk GT, NO Superhawk Jr. Nowadays Honda only seems to care about the "flagship" bikes--Goldwings, VTXs, STs, VFRs, RC51s. Oh yeah, we get a new CBR600 every two years that's .01% faster than the last one. But I see NOTHING for those of us who have $6000 and want to get something comfortable and agile that does it all.

Guess I'll just go to Suzuki, and have my choice of SV650, SV650S, and Bandit 600S (and GS500 for good measure). I love Hondas, but I hate their model lineup.

 

[starvingstudent]

919 over S4? People still read tank badges.

The 919 will never overcome the S4, and not because it's an inferior bike. There's always the "character" types, the "history" types, the "visceral feel" types, and unfortunately, the "I don't buy Japanese" types. If it wasn't for those crowds, Harley would have gotten slaughtered in the Evolution days by Vulcans and Shadows. Instead, they're raking in record profits.

 

[starvingstudent]

Silverwing

"What does this thing have in common with a Wing apart it's name."

More importantly, what does it the current model have to do with the 650cc transverse-VTwin that first wore the Silverwing name? That made sense; it was a smaller touring motorcycle. Calling a scooter a Silverwing makes as much sense as calling a twin-cylinder Shadow a "Sabre."

Maybe they should rename the CBR1100XX the "SuperCub" while they're at it. Or maybe rename the Rebel 250 the "Hurricane." It makes about as much sense as the other decisions.

 

[Shaft]

Right on! AND make a VFR 1000.... I can't believe Honda's poor showing. Oh well. Yamaha is starting to look good.

 

[HyperBusa]

Disappointed

I really only cared about 1 bike in Honda's '02 lineup...the new VFR. Could it have killed them to offer it to use in TWO colors? No, we get red...again. Pffft! Not to mention stripping of the VFR and V4 V-TEC monickers. I could live with a totally new design, even with the same 800 ccs. But make mine silver please!!!!

I do think the '02 1100XX in silver is STUNNING tho!

 

[Seikima_II]

Disappointment galore. Where did Honda go wrong? I'm sick of sport bikes. I'm sick of big V-twin cruisers. What I really want is an 1100cc to 1300cc V-four shaft-drive 150hp POWER Cruiser. Something that takes a squid on a Ninja by suprise, and leaves them eating exhaust fumes. An 1100cc Magna would be awesome. In fact, bringing back the 83-86 V65 Magna, adding some chrome, anti-lock brakes, fuel injection, undercut transmission, and radial tires is my idea of a dream come true.



I am so sick of lumpy loud V-twin Harley-wannabees. The technology is ANCIENT. Honda has proved time and time again (in the past) that they CAN innovate. In this day and age, they just choose not to take any risks. Rebuild and modify the current line up, squeeze a few more ponies, and that's it. I want to see some radical new designs. I want something that entices me to get rid of my old 84 VF1100C V65 Magna... but it's currently the fastest and best preforming cruiser in the world. 18 years later and Honda still hasn't made anything worthy of the V65 Magna's legacy.



Charles.

(not an anonymous squid)

 

[Grady]

It's too bad that only gave us the same old red for the Interceptor rather than letting us have a choice like the attractive silver available in Europe.

 

[MrSpucial]

Zzzzz...Wake me up for something new...

Can't really blame honda for not releasing anything ground breaking, even though that new SPS-2 color scheme is nice. Hey Honda any day you want to put the blackbird on top of the MPH list, we're here waiting. For now I'll go off and stare at the new Gilera and R1......

 

[Patrick-of-the-Hills]

Re: HONDA NEEDS SMALLER DO-IT-ALL BIKES

Whoa! Yes! Thank you, thank you, thank you! (FINALLY someone agrees with me on this.)

I completely missed the everyday/everything bikes that Honda used to make, unless you count the overpriced and undersold but dearly beautiful CB-1, and even that was going away just as my interest was aborning. Why no four-cylinder CB400? Why no popular-in-Europe CB500? What's the deal here? Motorcycles are transportation, not hobbies or ego boosters. Give Americans a good solid bike to learn on and ride for the first year or so, and they'll keep this up for life.

(Side thought: Provided you have a local dealer, there's always MuZ to consider, which makes me wonder why Yamaha doesn't have much of an entry range either, but that's a different rant.)

 

[Patrick-of-the-Hills]

Re: HONDA NEEDS SMALLER DO-IT-ALL BIKES

Oh, while I'm at it: The only reason the CB1000 didn't sell well five or six years ago is because it looked like a water buffalo. As a bold prediction, I'll go on record as saying that Honda isn't going to able to build enough 919s. (Although I wish they could have come up with another color besides "asphalt.")

 

[starvingstudent]

Re: HONDA NEEDS SMALLER DO-IT-ALL BIKES

"Motorcycles are transportation, not hobbies or ego boosters."

For me, motorcycling is primarily a hobby. But I can have a LOT of fun on a 600cc 55hp machine, and it's a LOT easier on the pocketbook than some glittering flagship-of-the-model-line. Not everybody rides coast-to-coast or does track days. For day-riders like myself, a lightweight peppy bike can be more fun than a dislocate-your-shoulders 1400cc musclebike or ultra-focused 1000cc track machine.

Remember the Borille 500? MO did a test of it. If Honda made a bike like that for $4999, you'd have one customer right here. I couldn't care less what they do with their VFR or Goldwing.