Honda starting to flex it's muscles again?

We all know what Honda is capable of when it decides to flex it's muscles.

CB400F - first mass produced four cylinder to rev over 10,000 - first motorcycle with a sixth gear (I think)

CB750 - engine smoothness, first disc brake!

in the 90's, their cars were so many light years ahead, I can remember sitting in a Taurus that was newer than our family Accord and thinking - man this car is pathetic. Not to mention the 300k trouble free miles we put on that car.

NSR750 - super exotic, hand machined oval pistons! :huh

RC30 - RC45 - need no introduction, whatsoever.

The S2000 - (at the time) highest red line of any production car, highest piston speed, most HP per liter of any normally aspirated car

over the years it's been some of the most exciting stuff we mortals can buy.... but for the last 10 years or so they seem to have been hiding somewhere. Yeah, the make pretty good dirtbikes, good touring bikes and very good sportbikes we really haven't seen Honda take any chances or do anything particularly exiting.

It looks like that's changing.

As many of you know they are making a road going RC213V - which to say the least is going to be incredible.

Also, they are building a prototype bike this year to compete at Dakar for the first time in 25 years.

it's nice to see Honda taking some chances and flexing again.....they have made and still make some really cool shit.

Is there a proper ADV bike in our futures? Why not?

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Except the S5 FC RX-7. 220hp/2.0l = 110, 160hp/1.3l = 123

If the RX-7 is a Mazda ,it has a Wankel engine not a piston engine ,so it can spin up to insane rpm with out self destruction.
So in all fairness the Honda has the most HP for a piston engine.

oh yeah.... forgot to put piston engine....

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Dear Honda,

Thanks for the CRF250L. At last a cheap, reliable and easy to work on trail bike for people who don't need to pretend they're in the ISDE when they're bimbling along a green lane at 25mph (without having to resort to an older bike). The new Dakar bike is also a step in the right direction, so long as you don't just use it as a development platform for yet another 450 enduro/mx bike.

What I really want though, is a new Honda Africa Twin. Give me a contemporary, twin cylinder, Japanese big trailie, do it up in HRC colours and watch me throw my wallet at the screen.

Thanks,

Ceri

why not? it won't come to the USA. Whatever cool bike it is...doesn't matter. We are not allowed to have fun.

Because if it came here as a 2013 model, there would still be 2013 models sitting on dealer floors until 2017.

Because the big four do not make enough money in the states on bikes that make sense.

Yet another liter class or above missile sure.
Yet another Harley clone that is better at doing everything a motorcycle is supposed to do except being a Harley.... Sure.

A comfortable, durable, go everywhere, do anything bike.....Not in this country.

The Strom has had good success......but have you seen it?
The Super Ten is decent...but how about a diet?

If Honda would bring something like this here I can see the ride reviews now:
1. Typical Honda high build standards and refinement.
2. Brakes are great.
3. Motor is Meh!
4. It weighs how much?
5. It costs how much?

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just bring back the CR500!!!

Ha Ha. We can get the Varadero here in Canada.

The GS is BMW's best selling bike and the freakin things cost nearly more than my new Passat. People are spending money on ADV bikes - that much is true. Honda just has to make a bike good enough to steal that top spot

No shit! With a modern frame and some of that bad ass Bombardier E-Tec FI!

There were 2-year old models still sitting on dealer floors.

THAT IS NOT GOOD SUCCESS.

Good success =/= year-end leftovers.

and its a POS

Brillant engerning! , Take a econ baby car engine,cut in half and put it in a scooter frame.
Call it a adv bike! WE are to stupid to know the differance. Sell a lot.

So the motor in the NC700 is a Jazz motor that has been cut in half?

Prove it.

Or you could just feel free to keep spewing bullshit rumors that you heard from somebody.

Thanks for the video eatpasta, that was great!

I guess we'll all see how things go in the next 5-10 years...

It makes me wonder... what would have happened, and what bikes would be available from Honda USA today, if the before-their-time sales-fails bikes from the late '80s to the mid '90s would've succeeded? For those that don't know or have forgotten, I'm talking about bikes like the CB-1 400, the GB500 Tourist Trophy, the NT650 Hawk, the XL600V Transalp, the PC800 Pacific Coast, the NX125/250/650, the '94-'95 CB1000 etc. etc.

These bikes all had something going for them, something unique that separated them from the pack and made them exciting for different reasons, but yet, not many bought them...

Maybe, like the proverbial elephant (and no, I don't mean a Cagiva Elefant), Honda never forgets?

There arent many companies with the engineering, manufacturing and raw capitol to be able to reinvent itself when it begins to wander far of the mark. Maybe we'll see something special, maybe the CB1300 will come finally. Maybe they'll give us a CB600, or a proper adventure bike.

They -are- going after the dakar this year, I think the arrival of the RC213V suggests the seriousness with which they're going after the bike market again.

Yaknow what I really want? a midweight(6-800cc) adventure bike for around 10k. Maybe positioned to compete with the KTM 690, more likely aimed at the F800, Tiger 800 ect. I have always been fascinated with Honda, the old man was an incredible guy and he gave us some incredible stuff. I'd own one now, if they made anything I was interested in.

Why are BMW's so much better thought out than Hondas, market wise? I mean we've seen some motorrad bikes that didnt take off, but Honda just does absurd things. The 599 and 919 seemed to sell well, but were just so expensive. The PC800 was way smarter than the DN-01, but it needed to have hung around longer to gain momentum. They give us the DN-01 but not the CB1300? Where is the new blackbird, or a proper naked bike that doesn't get shipped from Italy?

Come on Honda, if anyone can do this you can.