11-25-2015, 02:48 AM
(11-24-2015, 09:09 PM)4myredhonda_imp Wrote: I'd have to agree with Mikeoxbig and others. Even way back in the late 1960's and early 1970's, the Yamahas were Tinny and felt cheap compared to the Hondas. So did the Kawasakis and Suzukis. They all were generally lighter than the Hondas back then and faster (mostly two strokes), but the fit and finish of the Hondas just wasn't there. Honda has been sticking to a slightly different marketing strategy all along. Build quality is very high on their priority list. The others build good stuff and perform very well. They are just not a Honda. I mean can anyone that actually lived through the 1970's get excited over a genuine retro-look Yamaha, Kawasaki, or Suzuki like has happened with the CB1100?If Kawasaki reintroduced the Z1 900, I think it could be a sales success.
As far as the new naked bike look, they all (including the Hondas) look like to me as if they came out of a Star Wars movie. It might be the new modern style. And, with all the advances in technology, form generally does follow function. So I'll give 'em that...and If I were 25 all over again, I might even own one. But I am not and I won't.
But then again, I'm not sure how much longer this "retro" thing is going to have legs. These bikes tend to attract older riders. How many more bikes will they be buying?
There still seems to be some demand for the DLX, but how many more buyers are there for this bike? Did Honda guess right by limiting production to just one year? I'm guessing yes.