04-22-2018, 01:10 PM
(04-22-2018, 12:32 PM)NightRider_imp Wrote:(04-22-2018, 10:50 AM)VLJ_imp Wrote: Besides all the extra chrome and aluminum, the main differences for the '17 EX are the forks, shocks, wheels, inlets, tank, headlight, and tail light.
Which btw is why perhaps they are still sitting in the showrooms and being discounted and the new Harley bikes are black and dark chrome. Dark is in even at harley Davidson.
Which btw is why perhaps they are still sitting in the showrooms and being discounted and the new Harley bikes are black and dark chrome. Dark is in even at harley Davidson.
Nope, that's not the reason at all. The bike's looks are not the problem. In general, people who appreciate retro standards love the overall aesthetics of every CB1100 model. The issue with the '17 EX is the same problem that has always afflicted the CB1100 model line: too high of an initial msrp for what is perceived by many as too little relative performance from a Honda-built 1140cc I4.
The only model of CB1100 that sold out was the very-limited-production '14 Deluxe, which, like the '17 EX, was also extremely red, and slathered in shiny chrome. Honda produced so few '14 Deluxes, however, that it's difficult to gauge how successful the model would have been had it been produced in the same numbers as the '14 Standard.
Anyway, it's very simple. Drop the '17 EX's initial msrp to $9,999 and add twenty-five ponies to the stable, and there would be precious little reason to buy any other naked retro.
Edit: I agree with Stichill. The murdered-out look of the '14 was a contributing factor in its poor sales numbers, as was its lack of dual exhaust pipes. Of course there are plenty of owners of the '13 model and the '14 Standard that prefer the lighter weight of the single exhaust, but the general consensus is that the red models were prettier, and, more importantly, more period-correct for a CB Honda. Additionally, the numerous upgrades touted by Honda for the '14 Deluxe left the '14 Standard looking like an entry-level model for the budget-conscious buyer, which, as it turned out, is exactly what it ended up being.