2014 Honda CTX700 Threadfest - Page 23

dduelin · 02-11-2013, 12:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JerryH

Exactly. If you don't like this bike, your likely to be very disappointed at what the future has to offer. Soon all bikes will be like this, only even more boring. When the guvment and the insurance industry get their fangs into something, they don't let go. New cars are proof of that. Driven a Prius lately? And now they have targeted motorcycles. Be glad you've had it good for so long. Cars weren't so lucky. I suggest you get out there and buy the bike you want now, it may not be there much longer.

Hey wait a minute. I read this same letter on the op ed page of my Shaft City Gazette this morning except it had gun and high capacity magazine where this post had car and motorcycle. Heyall Yeah! They kin have my 85 Goldwing when they pry it out of my cold dead hands!

Tim McKittrick · 02-11-2013, 12:17 PM

Skimming through most of the comments here makes me want to point out the obvious:

If you are even on Advrider you are likely a more experienced motorcycle enthusiast, and you are NOT the target market Honda is banking on. Honda is trying to open a market of new and inexperienced riders and price and styling are more important than outright performance. Dull is GOOD in this market- too many beginning riders have been pushed to start riding on 600cc sport bikes and have scared themselves witless and backed out of the sport all together. The popularity of cruisers in the beginning market supports the notion that speed isn't the most important point here- and it's worth keeping in mind that what we consider slow and dull is actually pretty fast when compared to what most beginning riders are accustomed to. Even a ninja 250 seems pretty alarming if its the only motorcycle you've ever ridden, and when compared to the family sedan it's a bloody rocket.

Time will tell, of course, but it looks like Honda has finally decided the way ahead is not to keep following the arms race of bigger, faster and more complex and to instead increase its sales base. Harley has shown it can grow a market without relying on outright performance and instead focusing on image. Honda appears to be trying to return to the sales notion of low cost fun for all, the very idea that launched them in the first place.

I for one hope it works.

Paebr332 · 02-11-2013, 01:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JerryH

Exactly. If you don't like this bike, your likely to be very disappointed at what the future has to offer. Soon all bikes will be like this, only even more boring. When the guvment and the insurance industry get their fangs into something, they don't let go. New cars are proof of that. Driven a Prius lately? And now they have targeted motorcycles. Be glad you've had it good for so long. Cars weren't so lucky. I suggest you get out there and buy the bike you want now, it may not be there much longer.

Bwahaahaa!!!

If you think modern cars are so much worse than cars "back in the day," I suggest you remove your rose colored glasses. You can buy family sedans today that have as much power as muscle cars from the mid-70's, and with better brakes and suspensions thrown in for free.

For every Prius sold there is also something like a new Mustang, or Hyundai Genesis coupe, or Scion FRZ, or Subaru STi or Cadillac STS or BMW M3 or Corvette or GTR or... sold.

MookieBlaylock · 02-11-2013, 01:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tim McKittrick

Honda appears to be trying to return to the sales notion of low cost fun for all, the very idea that launched them in the first place.
.

Wasn't the Cub like 2oo lbs and ridiculously ez to pilot? I was looking at an
NC at the dealer the other day and it's not a particularly small or light bike. Not sure if the newby 100 pound girl is going to find these things that ez to ride

Tim McKittrick · 02-11-2013, 01:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MookieBlaylock

Wasn't the Cub like 2oo lbs and ridiculously ez to pilot? I was looking at an
NC at the dealer the other day and it's not a particularly small or light bike. Not sure if the newby 100 pound girl is going to find these things that ez to ride

Very true- and I think it's still being made, in one form or another. But the US and world market isnt the same now as it was then, and if you compare bikes across the range of what is presently available the Hondas look at least moderately friendlier.

Of course, I think they all weigh 200 pounds too much. But keep in mind the only bike I've ever ridden that seem light enough was my Honda RS250.

GrahamD · 02-11-2013, 01:33 PM

Reading through this it seems everyone has a similar response to the press at the launch of the original NC700..

As the late Kevin Ash said..

Quote:

Many riders will take some time to adapt to the short shifting and low revving needed to make the most of the machine, and sure enough, on the bike’s press presentation in Portugal there was a clear polarisation of opinions between those journalists who ‘got’ the NC700X and those who didn’t. The latter complained about constantly hitting the rev limiter as they were searching for power at the top of the rev range, but with the NC, you have the power already and immediately at much lower revs – there’s no looking to do, it’s in your face. It’s like changing from a petrol car to a turbo-diesel.

So expect a bunch of Journo's (and inmates) having a whinge about the fact that it doesn't have so much power you can't use it 99.9% of the time now, up from 99.6% of the time last year, and the rest to get what Honda are doing.

Just for the record I don't like the looks of the CTX "faired" version and would prefer the N version although I think I would give both a miss. The X or S makes more sense to me.

Funnily enough, here is the variant that has the closest power curve to a classic cruiser and people are still pissing on.

I suppose that's because the cylinders are in the wrong spot and it is actually economical right?

No petrol and potato soul.

mrbreeze · 02-11-2013, 01:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MookieBlaylock

Wasn't the Cub like 2oo lbs and ridiculously ez to pilot? I was looking at an
NC at the dealer the other day and it's not a particularly small or light bike. Not sure if the newby 100 pound girl is going to find these things that ez to ride

I ride a Nomad, so the NC feels like a bicycle with a motor to me. But I see your point. A newbie, especially someone light of weight and short of inseam, would probably be in over their head. I know my wife couldn't ride it, and she does have some experience. The CTX may be the cure for that. It's got a 28" seat height, and the bars are relatively high and back. Hopefully anyone who can flat foot it can reach the pegs. It's not a Cub, though.

One of the new bikes Honda has come out with recently, and apparently almost no one noticed, was their new little scooter PCX150. This thing is small. Seat height is 29 inches, Curb weight is under 300 pounds. Honda claims over 100 mpg. Mrs. B could ride this.

dirtdreamer50 · 02-11-2013, 03:26 PM

According to a rider's favorite site, cycle-ergos, it shows that anyone with an inseam shorter than 29", his/her feet won't reach the pegs. 27-28" inseam can still flat foot but not ride, a strange ergo setup from Honda, for sure. That is just an average, but I've found that the specs and angles shown there to be accurate in my case, when looking at different motorcycles.

The NC700S sits more like a standard motorcycle with mid pegs and lower,more forward bar placement, but alas, not currently destined for the USA. Guess Honda believes a "cruiser" set up will be more widely accepted here, for Comfort's sake...tomp dd50

mrbreeze · 02-11-2013, 03:40 PM

one reminds me of the other...

showkey · 02-11-2013, 03:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mrbreeze

one reminds me of the other...

Because they are both red.............

...........

dirtdreamer50 · 02-11-2013, 03:49 PM

Kinda like this one too. Imitation, the greatest form of flattery, except this one looks much better...tp

tonymorr · 02-11-2013, 03:54 PM

I thought the shape was a little reminiscent of this...

At least in the front.

dirtdreamer50 · 02-11-2013, 04:00 PM

Everything old is new again... Like companies are running out of new design concepts. Rehashing old ones to new generations. Harley does it most successfully with Softails, springer front ends, and most recently, the Switchback.

MHaz01 · 02-11-2013, 04:13 PM

They should become part of the Acura motorcycle line.

Jimmy the Heater · 02-11-2013, 04:40 PM

Ash's comparison of petrol vs turbo diesel I think is spot on. This is going to be a bike that you have to go into with a certain type of mentality or you are just going to walk away shaking your head thinking Honda has lost it.

Most motorcyclists think it is more about the journey than the destination, and I am certainly one of those. But I think this is a good appliance to get you from A to B, comfortably, with as little fuss as possible. It will be a good bike for someone that is thinking about what to cook for dinner on their ride home vs. someone that wonders if the front end would track just a little bit better after a pothole with a little more rebound damping.

02-11-2013, 03:40 PM	#339
mrbreeze Beastly Adventurer Joined: Jan 2007 Location: God's Country Oddometer: 4,979	one reminds me of the other... __________________ it's up to us to choose to have a good day. No matter what happens, it's really up to us whether we decide it is a good day or not. Make it a good day. - from EvanADV http://www.advrider.com/forums/showp...8&postcount=55

02-11-2013, 03:54 PM	#342
tonymorr Malta,NY(Saratoga Spring) Joined: Oct 2004 Location: Malta, NY Oddometer: 2,121	I thought the shape was a little reminiscent of this... At least in the front. __________________ 2013 Multistrada 1200ST 2008 Yamaha WR290R "ANYWHERE" 2001 Kawasaki W650 2011 Husaberg FE 390 '07 Mutant Ninja II (sold)click for build report

02-11-2013, 04:13 PM	#344
MHaz01 I Used To Be Faster Joined: Jul 2008 Location: SE Wisconsin Oddometer: 98	They should become part of the Acura motorcycle line. __________________ Inside my 60 year old body is a 35 year old brain wondering what the hell happened.

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02-11-2013, 12:17 PM	#332
Tim McKittrick Beastly Adventurer Joined: Dec 2003 Location: Wasilla Alaska Oddometer: 1,446	Skimming through most of the comments here makes me want to point out the obvious: If you are even on Advrider you are likely a more experienced motorcycle enthusiast, and you are NOT the target market Honda is banking on. Honda is trying to open a market of new and inexperienced riders and price and styling are more important than outright performance. Dull is GOOD in this market- too many beginning riders have been pushed to start riding on 600cc sport bikes and have scared themselves witless and backed out of the sport all together. The popularity of cruisers in the beginning market supports the notion that speed isn't the most important point here- and it's worth keeping in mind that what we consider slow and dull is actually pretty fast when compared to what most beginning riders are accustomed to. Even a ninja 250 seems pretty alarming if its the only motorcycle you've ever ridden, and when compared to the family sedan it's a bloody rocket. Time will tell, of course, but it looks like Honda has finally decided the way ahead is not to keep following the arms race of bigger, faster and more complex and to instead increase its sales base. Harley has shown it can grow a market without relying on outright performance and instead focusing on image. Honda appears to be trying to return to the sales notion of low cost fun for all, the very idea that launched them in the first place. I for one hope it works.

02-11-2013, 03:26 PM	#338
dirtdreamer50 long time rider Joined: May 2010 Location: texas coast Oddometer: 355	According to a rider's favorite site, cycle-ergos, it shows that anyone with an inseam shorter than 29", his/her feet won't reach the pegs. 27-28" inseam can still flat foot but not ride, a strange ergo setup from Honda, for sure. That is just an average, but I've found that the specs and angles shown there to be accurate in my case, when looking at different motorcycles. The NC700S sits more like a standard motorcycle with mid pegs and lower,more forward bar placement, but alas, not currently destined for the USA. Guess Honda believes a "cruiser" set up will be more widely accepted here, for Comfort's sake...tomp dd50

02-11-2013, 03:49 PM	#341
dirtdreamer50 long time rider Joined: May 2010 Location: texas coast Oddometer: 355	Kinda like this one too. Imitation, the greatest form of flattery, except this one looks much better...tp

02-11-2013, 04:00 PM	#343
dirtdreamer50 long time rider Joined: May 2010 Location: texas coast Oddometer: 355	Everything old is new again... Like companies are running out of new design concepts. Rehashing old ones to new generations. Harley does it most successfully with Softails, springer front ends, and most recently, the Switchback.

02-11-2013, 04:40 PM	#345
Jimmy the Heater Tilting the Horizon Joined: Sep 2004 Location: WA Palouse area Oddometer: 1,418	Ash's comparison of petrol vs turbo diesel I think is spot on. This is going to be a bike that you have to go into with a certain type of mentality or you are just going to walk away shaking your head thinking Honda has lost it. Most motorcyclists think it is more about the journey than the destination, and I am certainly one of those. But I think this is a good appliance to get you from A to B, comfortably, with as little fuss as possible. It will be a good bike for someone that is thinking about what to cook for dinner on their ride home vs. someone that wonders if the front end would track just a little bit better after a pothole with a little more rebound damping.