No Country For New Bikes

[krashdragon]

Wimmin will like it.

Not all of us.... 32" seat height is still too high for us peeps with short legs.

It IS nice to be able to put both feet on the ground, especially at stop lights when it's windy. or the road is slick. or some other variable. <G>

RIDING a tall bike is not the problem. It's the getting going and stopping that can mess up the paint!

riding a 600cc or so bike is not the same as a 1200 or so powerplant... (

mary

 

[bmwhd]

Looks better with some of the factory options (available in Europe anyway).

 

[gearman]

While not perfect, it looks like they did a pretty good job. I read it has ~65 hp which may not go well with a 5 speed tranny. A 160 would have been a better rear tire choice. I doubt it will be a big seller in the US because anything with <100 rwhp is considered a beginner/girls bike.

 

[Lee B.]

Honda announces new 2010 U.S. touring bike (for whom...?):NT700V (Deauville), zzzz....

I like that it stands up by itself! Solves the problems some have with the side stand lean angle or getting the bike up on the centerstand.

 

[Wee Willy]

Looks like a good compromise for those not ready for take the tiger by the tail. M (the other, better, half of this amazing relationship) is telling me she wants to learn to ride. At 5' 10" she should fit this little beastie w/o issue. This looks to have enough grunt to get into and out of trouble too. Looks manageable. Bit stiff on the price though.

I'll keep an eye on this one.

W2

 

[08FJR4ME]

I am thinking this kind of bike will have a market with inexperienced riders, and possibly those small in stature.

I think Harley has that market cornered....

Gunny That! :lol2: :lol2: :lol2:

 

[SockMonkey]

I have a hunch that this bike is going to be very, very popular - particularly among the commuter crowd that wouldn't be caught dead on a luxo-scooter. This is a lot of bang-for-the-buck. It's a very stylish (a baby ST with subtle BMW RT styling cues...), well-equipped bike at a very reasonable price point (at $10,999, the ABS model is fully $6,200 less than an ABS-equipped ST). I like it. I'm looking forward to seeing one in person.

 

[happyPuppy]

I think it is no coincidence it uses the same engine as the DN-01. It has the same new ABS-C too. How long until it has the HFT ( Human Friendly Transmission) added as an option. I can't believe Honda dumped all that cash to develop it without planning on using it on other bikes. The Silverwing 600cc scooter is not much less and is getting pretty dated. Perhaps replace the scoot with this and stair ( next the VFR) step to a new 1400cc ST as an option?

 

[Rogue]

I think they are going after the 800cc BMW.

 

[ridgerunner88]

I think it is no coincidence it uses the same engine as the DN-01. It has the same new ABS-C too. How long until it has the HFT ( Human Friendly Transmission) added as an option. I can't believe Honda dumped all that cash to develop it without planning on using it on other bikes. The Silverwing 600cc scooter is not much less and is getting pretty dated. Perhaps replace the scoot with this and stair ( next the VFR) step to a new 1400cc ST as an option?

Good point, I don't think Honda ever thought the DN-01 would sell, just a testing format more than anything.

 

[RadioHowie]

I doubt it will be a big seller in the US because anything with <100 rwhp is considered a beginner/girls bike.

Funny, but I've never heard a Harley owner refer to his/her bike as a one.

 

[DJB]

I like it about as much as the ST1300 NOT.

 

[GunMD]

Not too bad at all. I could totally see this being a good fit for a slightly less experienced OR slightly lower-mileage type of rider. Good on Honda for making something appealing that isn't so big and powerful as to scare off half of those interested. :good:

 

[Harvey]

I owned a PC800, which I used for commuting, and found that only once in a while I wanted just a bit more horsepower. The NT700 has more horsepower and is a lot lighter. Should be a great commuter.

 

[Crash Cash]

MSRP: $9,999.00ABS model $10,999.00

Ouch. Who thinks that's a grand or two too steep? On the other hand, it's still $5K cheaper than the new FJR. Double ouch.

 

[Fred W]

And those prices are qualified by the four magic letters: MSRP.

It's anyone's guess what the actual street price will be.

Anyone around here pay MSRP on their FJR (recently)?

 

[Yort]

Does anyone remember the Honda 800cc "Pacific Coast".

 

[Fred W]

deja vu

 

[happyPuppy]

Does anyone remember the Honda 800cc "Pacific Coast".

Yes. I tried to pick one up cheap that was mint and very low miles, as it has a cult following that is very active, and I thought it would be a fun project bike with a high upside resale value . They even put plastic near the calipers, and I have even seen them with stock cassette players.

 

[jcyuhn]

I'm thinking BMW must be selling enough of the F800ST to get Honda's interest. That said, I don't know who the target customer is for this bike. It may make sense in Europe where there is such thing as a motorcycle commuter, but is there really such a thing in the US?

I see a bunch of shortcomings compared to the BMW -

1) Seat height - The Honda is not short, the website says 31.7 inches. The BMW can be tailored - it comes in the stock (about 32" - too lazy to look it up), with a low seat, low suspension, or both. The BMW can be had with a seat height down around 29" if desired.

2) Weight - the Honda is more than 100 pounds heavier. BMW claims 425lbs (again, from memory). I'll assume that's dry, but still in the range of 460lbs ready to ride.

3) Power. The BMW has 85HP in a light middleweight package, the Honda has 70 in a heavy middleweight. I guess there's a reason Honda is calling it a luxury tourer rather than a sport tourer.

Honda does have a lower price - the BMW is about a grand more dear, and that doesn't include hard bags.

I can see the BMW selling to riders of smaller stature that want a true sport tourer. But I can't see the Honda as appealing to those same folks - too big, too heavy, too modestly powered. Though perhaps a Vstrom or Kawasaki Versys with a full Givi setup makes more sense on a price/performance/utility basis than either the Honda or BMW.