Love Honda's V-4 (had a 750 magna in '83) and the VFR is certainly
due for a face lift but...hate the thought of it being an semi auto tranny.
According to the article auto tranny with a push button...to me, riding a bike
is about clutch and foot shifter.
Honda's horsepower/performance numbers are always on the side of
conservitive...quality and reliability come first in honda book. Doubt seriously
a 1200 from honda would rate over 150-160 hp (especially with a shaft).
Heck Zuk is only cranking out 175 hp with the busa 1340cc motor and a chain.
(Course that's the problem I have with Zuks gen 1.5 update, but that's another post)
I hardly think this will be a blackbird/busa killer replacement. I think it will
be more like an interceptor/ST1300 replacement.
DN-01 is a different bike but I can't help scratching my head for a $14,000
starter bike. Course I think they just did it to do it and dispurse the technology
elsewhere (like the goldwing).
Kinda funny, at Daytona bikeweek...honda did no demo rides. They concluded
that the demo rides did not translate into sales and therefore provided no benifit...
DUH...every bike they got is getting spanked by the competition and ALL need a updates
Goldwing = Goldwinnabego, nice tourer but would rock if it lost 50lbs and gained 30-50 hp
ST1300 - Gets left way behind by the FJR and the Concours
Interceptor - Gets left behind by any liter bike and is more expensive
V-Twin cruisers - get spanked by Star, Zuks 109s, and now Kawi Voyagers
and they wonder why the demos don't work for them
a demo ride
would just reafirm another mfg's choice.
Granted the CBR1000 (from what I've read is very good) but only after a
belated redesign and they never had the nads to demo those anyway.