Second bike in the garage

[MotorToad]

The company exec's hold a more conservative line.

Read: Soichiro is dead. :-\

Alt: Honda is now boring and aren't even keeping up with the "at least it's made better" aspect.

 

[Big Sky]

I rode Hondas exclusively from 1982-2003 - that's when I bought the FJR, since it was superior to the ST and cost less to boot. Honda is so far off the mark these days it's incredible. Ya, Soichiro is dead for sure! Even the Gold Wing is about to be dethroned by the BMW 1600 GT. So, what motorcycle niche do they lead? They are certainly competitive in a few, but do they clearly lead any? The VFR is a joke, at over $20,000 with hard bags. I'm sure most saw it just finished fourth in a Cycle World four-way shootout with the Multistrada Touring, the C-14 and the Sprint GT, for whatever these subjective shootouts are worth. I really DO like the Honda brand so am sorry they have strayed so far, and hope they can gather it all back in.

 

[rockmurf]

Same as big sky but now yamahas and i just picked up a dr650 as my local kick around bike. The bike is fun but the seat is a major killer. 20 mile limit.

 

[Fred W]

I'm sure most saw it just finished fourth in a Cycle World four-way shootout with the Multistrada Touring, the C-14 and the Sprint GT, for whatever these subjective shootouts are worth. I really DO like the Honda brand so am sorry they have strayed so far, and hope they can gather it all back in.

Yes, the new VFR12 does seem to have completely missed the mark, which isn't surprising after what they did to the VFR800 with VTEC. It seems they are more interested in using the VFR as a showcase for their engineering prowess than in creating a good bike.

OTOH, it sure sounds like Triumph has a winner in the Sprint GT. No competition for the FJR, Conny or BMW GT, but a nice SPORTtouring class bike.

FWIW, Honda is not alone in its apparent demise in the motorcycle market. Look at how messed up Suzuki is these days...

 

[Harald]

Congrats on an awesome bike! I had the original 1997 XX that I liked so much I kept it for 10 years, but only put a measly 35k miles on it in that time due to family responsibilities. Not enough room in the garage back in 07 when I bought my FJR, so I sold the XX to a guy from MO who flew out and rode it home. Almost had a tear in my eye when I watched it roll down the driveway. :cray:

*******************************

How do the Feejer and the blackbird compare?

The xx has more power, weighs less, has a smoother engine and is more sporty. And it'll run at speeds the FJR can only dream about. I did 500 mile days on it with reasonable comfort (heli bars installed). But the FJR is more comfortable for long trips and on those frigid morning commutes. It works better for us older guys that don't want to go on long rides in that race bike crouch anymore. I noticed that the FJR really dampened my hooliganism, yet it's still a sporty fast ride. :yahoo:

 

[ndivita]

Congrats on the acquisition of one of the best bikes ever made. These are real sweethearts. First thing I'd do (and did)? Get rid of the schlocky graphics on the fairing lowers. I sold my XX to my nephew, so know where it lurks in case I need a fix.

I am kind of on board with eliminating the schlocky graphics on the fairing lowers. How does a guy do that without using Lift Off?

 

[exskibum]

How do the Feejer and the blackbird compare?

The xx has more power, weighs less, has a smoother engine and is more sporty. And it'll run at speeds the FJR can only dream about. I did 500 mile days on it with reasonable comfort (heli bars installed). But the FJR is more comfortable for long trips and on those frigid morning commutes. It works better for us older guys that don't want to go on long rides in that race bike crouch anymore. I noticed that the FJR really dampened my hooliganism, yet it's still a sporty fast ride. :yahoo:

Yep. That's about right. My '97 XX had Heli-bars, the '03 doesn't. But it has a Micron 4-2-1 with CF can, a PowerCommander, Traxxion Dynamics AK-20 front suspension, Superbrace, Penske in the rear, Pyramid CF hugger, Pazzo levers, Carrozzeria clear anodized wheels, clear signal lenses and a SpeedoHealer. Per that correction, I've registered 173 mph at sea level before backing off, and it was still pulling hard. The '03 only has 11K miles on it and doesn't get ridden much, but it is a blast to take out on mountain roads for a psychotherapy session. Indeed, when I'm experiencing any latent sense of inadequacy or depression, its ability to suck the chrome right off Harleys during a pass quickly remedies that angst.

The biggest downside for the XX, and the main one that periodically prompts me to consider selling it, is the damn insurance premium it commands -- with fewest annual miles ridden that is available in pricing the risk, it's still substantially more expensive to insure than the FJR and KLR together. But it IS one very fun and sexy motorcycle (a woman once told me that my '97 XX was "pure sex", even with less bling than the '03 shown below):

I kinda like the graphics on the lowers (the only model designation on the bike). As to removing those graphics, are you sure that the clear coat wasn't shot over them?

 

[Fred W]

(a woman once told me that my '97 XX was "pure sex",

she was right.

 

[ndivita]

How do the Feejer and the blackbird compare?

The xx has more power, weighs less, has a smoother engine and is more sporty. And it'll run at speeds the FJR can only dream about. I did 500 mile days on it with reasonable comfort (heli bars installed). But the FJR is more comfortable for long trips and on those frigid morning commutes. It works better for us older guys that don't want to go on long rides in that race bike crouch anymore. I noticed that the FJR really dampened my hooliganism, yet it's still a sporty fast ride. :yahoo:

Yep. That's about right. My '97 XX had Heli-bars, the '03 doesn't. But it has a Micron 4-2-1 with CF can, a PowerCommander, Traxxion Dynamics AK-20 front suspension, Superbrace, Penske in the rear, Pyramid CF hugger, Pazzo levers, Carrozzeria clear anodized wheels, clear signal lenses and a SpeedoHealer. Per that correction, I've registered 173 mph at sea level before backing off, and it was still pulling hard. The '03 only has 11K miles on it and doesn't get ridden much, but it is a blast to take out on mountain roads for a psychotherapy session. Indeed, when I'm experiencing any latent sense of inadequacy or depression, its ability to suck the chrome right off Harleys during a pass quickly remedies that angst.

The biggest downside for the XX, and the main one that periodically prompts me to consider selling it, is the damn insurance premium it commands -- with fewest annual miles ridden that is available in pricing the risk, it's still substantially more expensive to insure than the FJR and KLR together. But it IS one very fun and sexy motorcycle (a woman once told me that my '97 XX was "pure sex", even with less bling than the '03 shown below):

I kinda like the graphics on the lowers (the only model designation on the bike). As to removing those graphics, are you sure that the clear coat wasn't shot over them?

No I am not; and I am getting a bit ambivalent about the graphics. The bike in the photograph is a beaut. Yes, the insurance premium sucks on the Blackbird. :dribble: But the course of true love never did run smooth, right?

 

[Harald]

I'm surprised to hear about the insurance costs. My XX was the same price as my FJR, but with one caveat: my insurance agent did tell me shortly after I got the XX back in 97 that Farmers was no longer going to insure that model bike but would keep me because I had been a long time car/home/bike customer with not too many tickets and no accidents. So I'm guessing that at some point the insurance industry decided that Blackbirds were bad news and jacked the rates. I was probably just lucky buying one in it's first year before the hooligans ruined the bike's reputation. :crazy:

 

[exskibum]

please delete duplicate post

 

[exskibum]

I'm surprised to hear about the insurance costs. My XX was the same price as my FJR, but with one caveat: my insurance agent did tell me shortly after I got the XX back in 97 that Farmers was no longer going to insure that model bike but would keep me because I had been a long time car/home/bike customer with not too many tickets and no accidents. So I'm guessing that at some point the insurance industry decided that Blackbirds were bad news and jacked the rates. I was probably just lucky buying one in it's first year before the hooligans ruined the bike's reputation. :crazy:

They can be had for reasonable prices now that it's been 8 model years since they've been imported here. They make a lot of power AND there are a lot of young hooligans on those that are still on the road. That's one of the reasons that an XX in really good condition is getting harder to find, compared to those that have been abused (as you know, they're engines are so bulletproof that a lot of abuse victims are still on the road). I've just assumed that 7 model years ('97 - '03) with high accident incidence is what drives the premiums so high.