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.