08-22-2017, 10:00 AM
The V45, while a great engine and a fun bike, is not fun to work on. Nothing quite sounds like a V45 (this is a good thing) and I'd be very hard pressed to ditch it in favor of the CB, the two would make great book ends.
The CB is a niche bike aimed at the "older" rider, mainly those of us that grew up on the classic inline fours of the 70's and early 80's. Styled like a "real" bike instead of a transformer I think it misses the mark when it comes to the younger crowd; but hey, few of them have the money to buy nice bikes like the CB; better to aim for the older guys with dreams to rehash and disposable income.
For its' intended market it is the perfect bike. If you want power, it has some fun if you dial up the rpm's to over 6K. A darker personality comes out. But I think she is happiest below 5K acting like a Buick.
While I think there are better bikes to tour on (after 40 years of design one would hope so!) but that said; it is more than capable of touring (we even had one Belgian couple that used them as "adventure" bikes) and you could do a lot worse. I think were it breaks down, the stator is undersized for touring toys like heated this and that, GPS, APRS etc. On the other hand, it does not weigh a half ton loaded up either - another good thing.
I think it excel on day rides, city riding, and taking on the twisty bits (it will not corner like a sport bike will will be fun for 80% of us).
I don't think the 2017 is different enough from the 2014 (and a strong case could be made for the 14 being a better looking machine); especially at the heavily discounted price of $6K. I'm tempted myself! I'll join the crowd of BUY IT!
The CB is a niche bike aimed at the "older" rider, mainly those of us that grew up on the classic inline fours of the 70's and early 80's. Styled like a "real" bike instead of a transformer I think it misses the mark when it comes to the younger crowd; but hey, few of them have the money to buy nice bikes like the CB; better to aim for the older guys with dreams to rehash and disposable income.
For its' intended market it is the perfect bike. If you want power, it has some fun if you dial up the rpm's to over 6K. A darker personality comes out. But I think she is happiest below 5K acting like a Buick.
While I think there are better bikes to tour on (after 40 years of design one would hope so!) but that said; it is more than capable of touring (we even had one Belgian couple that used them as "adventure" bikes) and you could do a lot worse. I think were it breaks down, the stator is undersized for touring toys like heated this and that, GPS, APRS etc. On the other hand, it does not weigh a half ton loaded up either - another good thing.
I think it excel on day rides, city riding, and taking on the twisty bits (it will not corner like a sport bike will will be fun for 80% of us).
I don't think the 2017 is different enough from the 2014 (and a strong case could be made for the 14 being a better looking machine); especially at the heavily discounted price of $6K. I'm tempted myself! I'll join the crowd of BUY IT!