10-03-2018, 01:17 AM
One of the most attractive attributes of the classic UJM was its easy accessibility. The CBs of yore were easy to ride, maintain, insure, and purchase. If Honda were to add too many electronic gizmos to the CB, such as electronic suspension, while retaining its relatively pedestrian engine/handling performance, they would be forced to increase the price of their already overpriced motorcycle right out of existence.
If they're going to continue to sell the CB1100, they have to focus on the wants and needs of that particular buyer: air cooling, old-fashioned simplicity, authentic retro style, all-around comfort, quality materials, excellent fit and finish, consistent performance, and sundial reliability. In terms of amenities and performance the bike is already priced too high for what it offers, relative to most of its competition. Adding non-retro-appeal gadgets will not help its cause on the showroom floor. Rather, what the Honda needs to set itself apart from the growing retro-bike crowd is competitive performance combined with superior style, quality, and value. As it currently sits in the marketplace, the CB occupies a niche that is too narrowly focused. Honda needs to broaden the CB's appeal, and the only things that will accomplish this are an increase in performance married to a substantial reduction in price, and a whole lot more marketing of the product. Bare minimum, the bike needs more performance in order to lure the many fence-sitters out there who want to buy the bike based on its looks and air-cooled authenticity, but who simply can't stomach the idea of a bland, underpowered UJM that costs significantly more than its direct competition.
As to the question of whether people should modify their bikes? Of course they should, if that's what they want to do. They're free to do whatever they want with their bikes, and people have happily modified UJMs for as long as there have been UJMs. In fact, modding one's motorcycle is hardly confined to the world of UJMs. I'd be hard-pressed to come up with a style of motorcycle that isn't often modified by its owners. Race bikes? Nope. Cruisers? Definitely not. ADVs? Those things get farkled to death. Touring bikes? Same deal.
I suppose that maybe the Budget Commuter is more likely than any other type of bike to be left stock by its owners. The object there is cheap, reliable, no-frills transportation, so it doesn't make sense to throw a bunch of time and money at something that is used as a low-cost, generic appliance rather than as a pride-and-joy piece like a CB1100, Ninja, Harley, Gold Wing, or GS.
If they're going to continue to sell the CB1100, they have to focus on the wants and needs of that particular buyer: air cooling, old-fashioned simplicity, authentic retro style, all-around comfort, quality materials, excellent fit and finish, consistent performance, and sundial reliability. In terms of amenities and performance the bike is already priced too high for what it offers, relative to most of its competition. Adding non-retro-appeal gadgets will not help its cause on the showroom floor. Rather, what the Honda needs to set itself apart from the growing retro-bike crowd is competitive performance combined with superior style, quality, and value. As it currently sits in the marketplace, the CB occupies a niche that is too narrowly focused. Honda needs to broaden the CB's appeal, and the only things that will accomplish this are an increase in performance married to a substantial reduction in price, and a whole lot more marketing of the product. Bare minimum, the bike needs more performance in order to lure the many fence-sitters out there who want to buy the bike based on its looks and air-cooled authenticity, but who simply can't stomach the idea of a bland, underpowered UJM that costs significantly more than its direct competition.
As to the question of whether people should modify their bikes? Of course they should, if that's what they want to do. They're free to do whatever they want with their bikes, and people have happily modified UJMs for as long as there have been UJMs. In fact, modding one's motorcycle is hardly confined to the world of UJMs. I'd be hard-pressed to come up with a style of motorcycle that isn't often modified by its owners. Race bikes? Nope. Cruisers? Definitely not. ADVs? Those things get farkled to death. Touring bikes? Same deal.
I suppose that maybe the Budget Commuter is more likely than any other type of bike to be left stock by its owners. The object there is cheap, reliable, no-frills transportation, so it doesn't make sense to throw a bunch of time and money at something that is used as a low-cost, generic appliance rather than as a pride-and-joy piece like a CB1100, Ninja, Harley, Gold Wing, or GS.