Honda at the New York City bike show. My first impression

Yikes, sorry I didn't go the the "press release" in NYC and that I don't buy everything I read on the internet. Bottom line, ain't a person on this forum that has done any more than sat on this bike in a controlled environment. By now and this is a maybe, a few of the real motorcycle journalists have actually ridden one, again under controlled conditions.

Let's take one small element of discussion and toss some logic in along with some of the other BS. The nefarious small tank. Like everyone is riding Ironbutt twice a week as a baseline for commentary. Any backups on maybe the mileage factor on this new engine? I hear tell of some VFR's that are the real VFR's that are getting as much as 55MPG. I don't know about you but I have two pads. One in Seattle and a place on the Oregon Coast. Max distance between gas stations is maybe 40 miles. I do know this. When I need gas, I stop and gas up and never give it more thought than that.

For all I know this new bike may be equipped with one of those 500 MPG fuel systems that we have been reading about in the ad section of The National Inquirer.

Just for shits and giggles, lets take another of the whines and put some logic to it. Yep, the can is ugly. Couldn't agree more. Looks like a Picachu or Hello Kitty version of the old fishtails on HD's. The question now is does anyone think that the elves at places like Yoshimura are not cranking out cans that look like cans, sound like cans and will surely please even the most discriminating non buyer/ wannbe stylist/engineer? I don't think so.

Negativity? All a person has to do is trace back a few months when Honda leaked (controlled conditions again) a fuzzy snapshot at the high desert test track out near Willow and Edwards AFB. The bitching started and hasn't stopped yet and still ain't a dude here that has done any more than sat on the bike at the CW show. Fifty bucks say that there are more whines and bitches err negative comments than positives. So until you make a count and come up with some numbers to justify your lecture, I ain't buying.

Tire size, color choice, matching outfits for hiz n herz? LOL

Anyway, thanks for the advice. I am sending Honda a picture of myself laying on the floor in a fetal postion, holding my breath and using a slow shutter speed to illustrate kicking my feet to give those assholes the message that they better fucking do as I wish or else.




BTW, No head therapist. I do see a guy about what is called a "frozen shoulder" No drugs, no alcohol and I ain't found Jesus or Elvis either.

 

Why, now that you mention it, I saw both Elvis and Jesus in the grocery store the other day. They were arguing about the Brussel Sprouts. Didn't think anything of it at the time, but now that I think about it, one of them used to be dead and the other used to be dead/undead. Weird. Very weird.

 

02 Good job, thanks for your opinions on the 1200. Straight from the horses mouth thru your own eyes.

I've been thinking about this for some time and haven't voice my opinion because I wanted to know more about the bike. I missed the Cleve show this weekend. So I screwed the pooch on that one. Didn't go look at it for myself. Also didn't have interest either. Can't buy one anyways.

This is the Honda I've been waiting for, kind of. At least 1000cc motor, 150hp, just a tad bigger for long distance running hard in comfort, drive shaft is a take it or leave it, still handle like a larger sport bike, a decent wind screen(long distance again), Factory hard bags, V4 motor(1st on list), and excellent quality. From what I've read about ride reports this bike basically does all I want. As far as looks go.........well it's OK, doesn't look bad at some angles from photo's.

EXCEPT the needed parts for a long distance runner. Biggest draw back is small fuel tank, next is the factory bags! Way to small and that top one, well shit can it. The auto trans don't want it, nicely done though.

I have to give Honda credit for the new technology and trying something different. That's what they have been about since the 1969 CB750. But what were they thinking when they named this the replacement for the VFR? I'm not really sure, I'll have to ponder that for a while longer.

If I had the money I think I'd have to look else where just because of the tank. I've been in situations where I have started out with 3/4 and have gotten rerouted (never lost) and damn near ran out of gas in no mans land with no gas stations. I've been over 200 miles many times with no gas available. Actually a 6 gal tank is the minimum for a bike like that IMO. About the only bike I want next would be a fifth gen or a Triumph or a FireBlade.
Oh well.

 

I don't really have much to say about it except thanks for your thoughts and the pictures. I'll probably never own one since it's so expensive and not really what I want in a motorcycle, but I'm glad they have addressed some of the wants that some people had. I agree on the tank though that just seems like such a short range for people who will be using it for touring. I personally can't ride more than 100 miles before I need to stretch so all I need is a 3 gallon tank, but still..

 

Oh yeah I didn't comment about the looks. I thought it looked stupid in the initial promo-shots released by Honda, but after seeing shots with someone sitting on the thing it totally changed my opinion. Aside from the exhaust hiding one of the highlights of the bike (the SSSA), I like it a lot, aesthetically.

And I kind of like shaft drive, since I have that on my VTX as well.

 

least we forget there are 2 bikes here.
I think they were not so far off on the standard model. The DTC bike will be owned by the likes of Jay Leno and Tom Cruise.
If you eliminate the shaft drive and revert back to a chain drive IMO the bike would be about the same weight as a 6th gen.
the tank being small, no real comment there as my bike never gets close the 50mpg some have posted and for the most part when i am riding hard I only run a half tank.

 

Personally, I plan to harass every single new 1200 owner until they burst into tears over my misguided cruelty. :biggrin:

Seriously, though, I'm curious to see what sort of technical issues come up.

 

Like I alway say, "Never trust a Brussel Sprout."

 

Hope I didn't miss someone's post with this info, but what is the published mpg for this beast? Anyone know?

 

Honda posts 31mpg

 

LOL! The market they are after are the folks who will plunk down 18k and not worry about MPG, pit stops, who has the biggest tank or even what somebody is calling the bike. All this and still nobody has done much other than plant thier ass on the bike twist the throttle squeeze the clutch and brake levers under the watchful eyes of the Honda dudes at a major motorcycle show all the while eyeballing the next guy in line to plant his ass on the bike for 182.5 seconds of whooboy if this was mine I'd get me some apehangers and a bigass sissybar to really make it all mine..Maybe some fringe too when I'm into the self flagellation thing.

So how does that mostly ethanol they are selling for real gasoline burn in your bike? . Any seal or gasket failure, evidence of water from ethanol being hygroscopic? Mileage?

 

I'm thinking this green, corn, gas crap is why my mileage sucks.

 

You'll just have to buy one to find out, or fly by the seat of your pants Now I'm wondering if Honda publshed the weight with acid in the battery or not and maybe helium in the tires or gas in that tiny little tank.

Those show bikes are sometimes deceiving as is the flack from the PR arms of the various manufacturers.

A short story: I was at the Seattle show a few years back. I hooked up for tour of the displays with a guy I know who is very bike savvy. We did the ass planting and lever squeezing thing on several bikes. We got to one outfit who is OOB and my buddy noted that the bike felt like it didn't have any innards in the cases. We asked the sales dude manning the booth and all of sudden he got real busy with "other matters."

My call is still, if the sucker needs gas, then gas up and go. It's a hell of a lot more fun to ride than stand around pissing and moaning about a done deal or how cheated one feels about the size of a friggen gas tank..