Can anyone in the "know" about what may or may not be coming down the Honda pipeline, tell me whether or not this is going to be imported to Canada (with ABS hopefully).
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I think I am in love!
- Thread starter omnivore
- Start date
That was a display prototype, here's the final product:
Only available in Japan and Australia for now. Unlikely it will be released here due to the lack of sales success whenever a throwback bike is offered in North America. Buyers also like retro prices when it comes to retro bikes. Few motorcyclists can justify paying $15,000 for a Japanese air-cooled motorcycle.
Only available in Japan and Australia for now. Unlikely it will be released here due to the lack of sales success whenever a throwback bike is offered in North America. Buyers also like retro prices when it comes to retro bikes. Few motorcyclists can justify paying $15,000 for a Japanese air-cooled motorcycle.
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Not all retro bikes are lagging in sales. The V7 is Guzzi's biggest seller, and the Bonneville outsells every other Triumph 4 to 1. Those companies flat out need those models. Ducati's GT series was a flop though.
Apparently Honda USA is thinking of bringing it in, with ABS for $10-11K.
I have a rule of thumb.....close to 100 hp and as much torque as I can get. I have been in love with the Bonneville and Guzzi V7 for a few yrs but less than excited with their performance. This bike captures the look and feel, apparently has flawless fit and finish, charm and style from the Jap and Aussie reviews I am reading......but offers way more performance. Also, the biggest complaint the testers have is that the bike is tiny and low seat. Perfect, cuz I am 5'4" and 155 lbs, and have a 29" inseam! This baby checks all the boxes for me......and the last couple yrs have seen some awesome mods and stying upgrades from Japan, like luggage, gorgeous exhausts that mimic the 4 into 4 stuff from 1977, and even cafe seats and fairings....and it's a Honda so it'lll last past the apocolypse. BRING IT!
Apparently Honda USA is thinking of bringing it in, with ABS for $10-11K.
I have a rule of thumb.....close to 100 hp and as much torque as I can get. I have been in love with the Bonneville and Guzzi V7 for a few yrs but less than excited with their performance. This bike captures the look and feel, apparently has flawless fit and finish, charm and style from the Jap and Aussie reviews I am reading......but offers way more performance. Also, the biggest complaint the testers have is that the bike is tiny and low seat. Perfect, cuz I am 5'4" and 155 lbs, and have a 29" inseam! This baby checks all the boxes for me......and the last couple yrs have seen some awesome mods and stying upgrades from Japan, like luggage, gorgeous exhausts that mimic the 4 into 4 stuff from 1977, and even cafe seats and fairings....and it's a Honda so it'lll last past the apocolypse. BRING IT!
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Pricing is key, people just won't pay modern prices for what they perceive as vintage technology.
Not entirely true. Even if you ignore Harley-Davidson, Triumph's modern classics have done well, as have Moto Guzzi's V7 bikes. The early Ducati monsters weren't cutting edge and yet were central in reviving the company's fortunes. All of them emphasize "heritage" and a degree of exclusivity in their marketing, which people respond to. H-D paints a slightly different picture--they are "real" motorcycles for "real" riders, the standard everyone copies (which is reinforced by the number of metric cruisers).
Case in point: the W650. Looked the part, sounded the part, slightly better engineering than the first Hinckley Bonnevilles--and a total sales flop. I've read rumours that placed total NA sales at less than 200 units. Why? No marketing at all, from what I understand. Anglophiles shrugged it off as a copy. Kawasaki did nothing to advertise the actual history of the original "W" bikes of the sixties and seventies, even if they borrowed the classic British look. Throw in that knowledge, plus a limited production run (to mimic the exclusivity of a smaller brand) and the sales would have likely justified offering the newer W800.
The CB1100 is a true Japanese motorcycle (4 cylinder UJM), with plenty of history and riders who remember the CB bikes of their youth. Total slam-dunk market as far as I'm concerned. Honda's ad campaign? Take a look for yourself. While both english and japanese launch videos were well-produced, they emphasized a generic "freedom on the open road" idea and thoughtful engineering. D'oh! That's a given--it's a HONDA motorcycle!
The few Australian road tests I've read weren't glowing--it's a modernized UJM with all the virtues and faults of one. The few photos with average sized riders on them make it look a bit cramped too (a 2 piece seat). I'd still scrape up the change to buy one new (as long as I actually fit, of course). Throw a catalogue of bolt-on accessories at my head and I might even pay a premium.
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Yeah, and all those bikes are not Japanese. Suzuki put out the TU250 but how many have sold here? Other than the ones used in training courses, virtually none. Because they can't price them low enough for the people who may be interested in a retro style bike.
If by some miracle Honda brings them over, buy one right away because they're not going to be available for long.
Just to add, there are plenty of UJM style bikes sold in Europe and Japan but not here. There must be a good reason for it.
Suzuki GS1200
Yamaha XJR1300
Honda CB1000
Kawasaki Estrella 250
Honda CB400SS
Yamaha SR400
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FriendlyFoe
Well-known member
I'm just going to sit here and eat my popcorn while you compare the prospective market for guzzi and honda. That looks like old school bike with old school tech.
FriendlyFoe
Well-known member
I really love that bike. Have i mentioned recently how cool you are? lol
I like that GS1200 and I agree that any attempt to sell the CB1100 here will be short-lived. Even a strong ad campaign can't change attitudes overnight. Maybe an Acura-style rebranding? The strong Yen prevents any Japanese bike from getting too inexpensive, so that didn't help the TU250 here or in the States. There's also a crowded market of decent (under)used bikes to compete against, since motorcycles tend to be recreational vehicles in NA. $5300 + taxes/fees for a barely highway capable motorcycle is a tough pill to swallow.
Expensive cars, high fuel costs/taxes, super-congested urban centers (with superior public transit) and shorter travel distances set the Europeans/British/Japanese apart in terms of buying habits. Recovering from two world wars probably factors into the equation as well--materials and fuel rationing is going to favour motorcycles as legitimate transportation. Culturally, that probably stuck with them, even as their auto industries matured.
Yeah, and all those bikes are not Japanese. Suzuki put out the TU250 but how many have sold here? Other than the ones used in training courses, virtually none. Because they can't price them low enough for the people who may be interested in a retro style bike.
Suzuki GS1200
What the eff is THAT?! At Bandit with partial GSX-R1100 bodywork? I kinda like it.
Another thing to consider is a lot of these large engine air-cooled bikes would simply not meet emissions standards anywhere.
PSY
Banned
I hope drum brakes are an option. It keeps it looking retro.
