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Anticipation is sweet, but the suspense was killing me . . . anyway, the sales manager called me yesterday morning to say that my 2017 EX was finally in! Since it was only about 37°F at noon (and the bike had nowhere to plug in heated clothing, yet), they said they'd deliver the bike. It arrived around 5:00 PM and I HAD to take it for a short ride, since snow was expected (and, yeah, it's white outside this morning).
Oh, my . . . it's everything I imagined it to be and more! I did not expect a big four-cylinder engine to pull hard at low rpms like that. Smooth and sweet. Obviously I did not try to run it hard and never went above 60 mph (this road wouldn't permit it anyway), but what a sweetheart! It felt the most natural of any new bike I've ever ridden. For example, when I bought my first Harley Road King in 2007 (and this after riding for 28 years), it felt as though I wasn't really controlling the machine (nowadays, a Road King feels very comfortable and natural to me). When I bought my KLR, it felt as though I was perched atop something like a toy (and now it's easy and pleasant).
But the Honda felt immediately as though I'd had it for years. I guess I shouldn't be surprised, because they do an outstanding job of making silky engines/transmissions and creating an overall smooth package in their cars and motorcycles.
I spent a couple of hours in my garage last evening just looking at it . . .
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Congratulations cookiemech!
It’s always exciting to have that ‘new bike smell’ in the garage, especially one of these bikes...enjoy!
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(01-29-2018, 07:53 PM)cookiemech_imp Wrote: Anticipation is sweet, but the suspense was killing me . . . anyway, the sales manager called me yesterday morning to say that my 2017 EX was finally in! Since it was only about 37°F at noon (and the bike had nowhere to plug in heated clothing, yet), they said they'd deliver the bike. It arrived around 5:00 PM and I HAD to take it for a short ride, since snow was expected (and, yeah, it's white outside this morning).
Oh, my . . . it's everything I imagined it to be and more! I did not expect a big four-cylinder engine to pull hard at low rpms like that. Smooth and sweet. Obviously I did not try to run it hard and never went above 60 mph (this road wouldn't permit it anyway), but what a sweetheart! It felt the most natural of any new bike I've ever ridden. For example, when I bought my first Harley Road King in 2007 (and this after riding for 28 years), it felt as though I wasn't really controlling the machine (nowadays, a Road King feels very comfortable and natural to me). When I bought my KLR, it felt as though I was perched atop something like a toy (and now it's easy and pleasant).
But the Honda felt immediately as though I'd had it for years. I guess I shouldn't be surprised, because they do an outstanding job of making silky engines/transmissions and creating an overall smooth package in their cars and motorcycles.
I spent a couple of hours in my garage last evening just looking at it . . .
Your post made me smile and is almost identical to my feelings the day I rode my CB home.
Congrats on the new purchase
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Not sure why I'm so excited about this particular bike; I've had quite a few new ones.
Maybe it's because it makes me feel as though I'm 21 years old and suddenly able to afford a really fantastic new Honda. When I was 21 I could barely afford the old CB450 I bought! And 40 years ago, even the new Hondas couldn't compare with this one.
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Congratulations.
Interesting that you felt as though you’d had it for years. That’s almost the exact same thing I told my dealer after my first test ride back in 2013 and I didn’t even have the many years of riding experience that you have.
Enjoy getting to know your bike, although I’d say that you know it pretty well already.
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Congratulations. I know the feeling of just going into the garage and just looking at it.
you should have bought a DELUXE
2014 Honda CB1100 DLX
2002 Honda CB750 Nighthawk
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- felt like you've had it for years
- felt like you're 21 all over again
- even though you've had new bikes before, this one is different
- natural and comfortable right off the bat
Honda built a winner here
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Interesting to hear your comments. I bought my 2014 DLX about 2 years ago, and this was after a 26+ year "vacation" from motorcycling -- job, kid, family, etc was my excuse. I was a bit overwhelmed for a few miles, but that feeling quickly faded, and it felt like I'd owned that bike all my life. What really struck me very early on was just how smoothly it handled the hills and curves where I live. I felt like I could keep it in either third or fourth gear and never have to shift all day, if I wanted to. It just handles low rpm thru midrage effortlessly.
Enjoy your new ride for many miles!
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Congrats! Enjoy your new bike
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