06-14-2015, 06:23 AM
(06-14-2015, 03:50 AM)Olyrider_imp Wrote: I think Ducati built an "affordable" Ducati by re-visiting their history, and "re-introducing" the Ducati brand to first-time buyers. In fact, their engineering/marketing plan for the Scramblers is public info. They "need" for the bike to be successful, FSVN. Clearly not the case with the CB1100. So many more people filled up threads about their desire for this bike than ever walked into a showroom to buy it when it arrived. Honda produced an amazing bike, that riders begged them to make, it got awesome reviews and BOTY awards, and "nobody" bought it but us few! I don't see this as a marketing failure. Honda is competing in a category the Europeans own. Turns out a beautiful, fun, reliable and Japanese bike is not what young and middle-age riders desire for their "retro-standard".
All the comments from customers in the store, including the CB buyers as well as most of this list, refer to the CB as a geezer bike. Usually meant in a nice way. When you see one on the road with a helmeted rider, what is your mental image of the hidden face? What about when you see a Ducati scrambler? Same image? Probably not. At least for me.
Im one of those guys. I was all over the CB when the prototype photos came out back in 07 or 08. At the time I had a CB750F and a CB900F, and was sick of working on them more than I rode. I sold them and had money burning a hole in my pocket. After a couple of years it seemed that they weren't bringing the bike here so I got something else.
I still want an 1100 but at this point I can't see spending the dollars to basically replace what I have with a very similar bike. I hope to have one someday. But like the CBX that got away, they may become high priced collectors items and I'll go for something else. But I hope not.