New Honda Africa Twin 1st ride

[bond_yzf]

Looks fantastic Jim

Enjoy!!

[africajim]

Hey Jim it's so refreshing to see a new bike being put to it's design requisite, Honda are so lucky to have you as BMW to have J (thumbs)
It looks fab, I'm envious and can't wait to meet up later in the year to witness it being ridden correctly
Make many memories but as usual don't forget to share.
ps where's the pic of the Quill?

It was dark when I finished! Today I'll take pics!

[johnnyboxer]

In all the years I have ridden motorcycles I have never bought a Honda, I absolutely hate the company, despite them having produced some loverly bikes, this machine is the only one I would break my position on that for, that sir is a beaut. (thumbs)

Why do you hate Honda?

That's a strong statement ?

Interested, as to why - when you haven't had their bikes ?

Perhaps you had a bad experience with their other power products ?

[motorbike]

maybe a nasty lawnmower incident ....

[AndyB]

Advertising campaigns by Honda used to be enough to put anyone off buying one of their bikes. Add in their reliability issues from a few years back and you can see why riders of a certain age often say they won't buy one.

[boboneleg]

Very nice Jim and good to see someone using it as intended (thumbs)

[sven]

Advertising campaigns by Honda used to be enough to put anyone off buying one of their bikes. Add in their reliability issues from a few years back and you can see why riders of a certain age often say they won't buy one.

Weren't the reliability issues with the CX500 and early V4's i.e. the VF750S and VF750F (saw one in Settle yesterday).

The big Honda's after that were generally over engineered with the VFR750 being a prime example. I had a 1989 model as a winter bike about 10 years ago and it had the best finish I've ever seen on a bike (thumbs) VFR800's, Blackbird's and Pan's are also capable of six figures mileages.

The problem with Honda at the moment is their full image and lack of completely new models. Where's the VFR1200 engined Pan replacement or cutting edge Fireblade replacement?

Their only interesting bikes of late have been the Africa Twin and the CB1100 retro

[AndyB]

I'd say they made more rubbish bikes than good ones from about 1980 through to 1990. The ones you've already mentioned were joined by anything they fitted enclosed discs to, the FT500, the CB900F that had a habit of jumping out of gear, over-revving and blowing up along with plenty of other minor misdemeanours that eventually put riders off buying them.

None of this is really relevant to a bike made by Honda now but quite a few of my friends won't buy them either so R&G isn't such a rarity.

[Loggy]

Nice one Jim. Had a look at a R/W/B one yesterday. Looked similar to the old one and when you get on it it feels like the old one. Hope you have many happy miles with it. (thumbs)

[The Sarge]

I'd say they made more rubbish bikes than good ones from about 1980 through to 1990.

I had a grey import CBX750 which was a brilliant bike of that time, followed by. CBR1000 what was there about to rival Honda, Kwak GPZ's ZZR's Zephyrs? Suzuki GSX ? all of which had problems !!