2014 Honda CTX1300
- Thread starter Bones
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Bones
Your Humble Scribe
Indeed. I put 2,400 miles on a CBR1100XX Super Blackbird last summer and was amazed how comfortable an open class sport bike was for touring. It wasn't the best in town, but once we'd get on the open road a smooth wind blast in the chest took the pressure off my wrists and clean air across my helmet meant zero buffeting. Only problem with the boy-racer ergos was not being able to look up easily at all the gorgeous mountains I was riding over and around, but with crazy power at my beck and call I was focused on the road anyway.
Ahhh, but how is a Blackbird/'Busa/ZX-14/Daytona 1200 as a two-up touring bike? Probably pretty sucky... In one sense, that's the biggest difference between an open class/hyper sportbike, and a sport-touring bike. The more consideration given to the pillion, the more on the touring side a bike moves.
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- Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico
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I think that Honda will lose the battle against BMW with this bike, if compares RTs and LTs, it is very different... For me, is a cheaper copy of a Harley (and I don't like Harleys)... I hope Honda designers make a different version of a ST 1300, I think this is not the ST 1300 replacement... any way... I love my ST 2007... My Jaeger...
From Tequila land.
Jorge
From Tequila land.
Jorge
I rode a Blackbird from St. Pete to San Antonio in two days. The ergos were fine except for my knees.
A friend of mine who's a pretty big guy rides a Busa as Sport Touring Bike. Hangs a couple of soft bags on the back of it. I know he has ridden it as far as from South Florida to Colorado(MSTA 2012 Star Rally) He says the wind on his chest helps keep the weight of his arms. He likes riding that bike and I respect that. I guess you can tour with any bike depending on what your comfort requirements are.
MajorTom
QuickBlue
I rode my '73 Yamaha TX500, equipped with a Windjammer fairing, across Canada, running 70 mph all day long. With a duffel bag behind me strapped to the sissy bar and my sleeping bag on the luggage rack behind the bar I was more comfortable than I am today on my ST. Of course I was nearly 40 years younger then 
. Comfort is partly the ergos and partly a state of mind, but also dependent on age, health, etc.
I prefer a "standard" seating position on a bike, which the CTX1300 doesn't appear to have, with the pull back bars and erect seating. It reminds me a lot of the DN-01, not exactly a ringing endorsement.
. Comfort is partly the ergos and partly a state of mind, but also dependent on age, health, etc.I prefer a "standard" seating position on a bike, which the CTX1300 doesn't appear to have, with the pull back bars and erect seating. It reminds me a lot of the DN-01, not exactly a ringing endorsement.
RONST1300
STOC # 8616
I think I now know what is going on with Honda: MARKETING. I have re-read many of the new Honda promos and I do not think Honda likes it's image that appeals to the old guys. They think that market is too small. They want a young hipper market that indeed may be much bigger. We tend to look at the Honda market through American eyes. Yet Honda is selling to a world market. Globally they might be right, there may indeed be a bigger world market for a younger bike. The Fury and Sabre, though they are not true custom bikes, have the look of a custom but also the dependability of a Honda. I would never want a real custom because I would not think they are reliable, and I could not get parts at Ron Ayers. If I was 18-24, doing short runs, I would want a Fury. The Stateline, Rebel, and Shadow, have the sporty young look of Harley's but again the dependability and reliability of Honda. In America ST and Goldwing owners don't buy new ones very often, they do their own repairs--a big deal, and the market is small. To complete the younger image and to shake off that stogy old man image a remake was needed, and we have the arrival of the F6B and CTX. I could be wrong but I think Honda is going directly at the young Harley/Custom market. I do not think this new line will convert many old line Harley guys or even Goldwing ST guys, but younger/business guys maybe, maybe some custom guys and certainly there may be a bigger appeal in Europe and other parts of the world. They are obviously counting on a larger market share, and only time will tell about this huge gamble. The bad news is that this new strategy sucks for guys and gals who just want a true sport-touring bike like the ST or Goldwing that Honda made so well.
Ron
Also I think it is interesting that Honda renamed the ST and Goldwing instead of using the same name. In my opinion this is just in case the F6B and CTX are complete failures, they can go back to the ST and Goldwing.
http://www.motorcycle-usa.com/623/16934/Motorcycle-Article/Honda-Announces-2014-Cruiser-Lineup.aspx
Ron
Also I think it is interesting that Honda renamed the ST and Goldwing instead of using the same name. In my opinion this is just in case the F6B and CTX are complete failures, they can go back to the ST and Goldwing.
http://www.motorcycle-usa.com/623/16934/Motorcycle-Article/Honda-Announces-2014-Cruiser-Lineup.aspx
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Blrfl
Natural Rider Enhancement
The old guys are usually the ones with the expendable cash. Most of that demographic got hit hard when the economy went down the toilet in 2008 and doesn't want to get hit again when the next bubble bursts. Savings rates are the highest they've been in a very long time, which means less money spent on motorcycles.
You are aware that the Gold Wing is still in the lineup and that the F6B is just a variation, right?
I have my doubts that the CTX 1300 is a replacement for the ST any more than anything else with "1300" in the name. In fact, I'd wager that the ST's engine appearing in a new platform means one of two things: the ST in its current form isn't going away anytime soon or it is going away and Honda saw a need to put the engine in another platform to recoup the R&D expenses that weren't covered by slow ST sales.
The F6B's full name is Gold Wing F6B.
--Mark
RONST1300
STOC # 8616
No, I did not know that, they did not have one at my local dealership. Salesman said to me, that is the new Goldwing. I guess I misunderstood him. Well that is good news. I agree the younger market does not have the cash... I am just trying to understand Honda plan. I hope you are correct and there is still an ST.
Ron
OP
OP
Bones
Your Humble Scribe
I think Mark's onto something here. The 1300 V4 is already powerful, smooth and efficient, so why not put it in another platform?
The 1800 flat six is already powerful, smooth and efficient, and Honda put it in another platform with the F6B. The 700 twin from the NC700 may not be all the powerful or smooth but it sure is efficient, so Honda put it in the CTX700. The 800 V4 from the VFR made its way into the CrossRunner in Europe and if we believe that leaked documents are real there is an upcoming 800F model that will likely use that motor. Honda's new 500 twins use one motor across three variants.
The common thread in all these examples is putting a proven power plant into a different platform. Auto makers do that all the time, Honda appears to be doing it with motos. How they're reaching their decisions on what platforms to put these power plants into is another question.
The efficiency goes down with higher RPM however. I can't get away from 34MPG. You get around 3k and she gets thirsty. Guess where the fun starts.
The interesting thing is that, if we compare the F6B to the CTX1300, we could conclude that both of these bikes are intended to be 'weekenders' rather than tourers. This assumption is supported by the lack of a full windshield as standard equipment. From the look of the CTX13 bags, they appear to be similar to the bags that Honda put on the Varadero, which looked good from the side, but in fact held practically nothing, because the bag was actually very small. Unlike the Varadero, I don't think that anyone would be bolting a set of big aluminum ADV boxes onto a CTX1300.
Not WE, YOU maybe.
Met a couple guys on a goldwing and F6B at the top of Pike's Peak during my last tour... both from Florida...
I get about 40 mpg at 70. It goes down exponentially from there. Riding out I10 toward El Paso I don't know that I get a lot m ore than 30 mpg at 85.
I've been thinking on this and Honda may be trying to build a new market for motorcycles in general and theirs in particular. I know that the average age of motorcycle buyers is at a record high. If that demographic keeps aging there won't be any market in 30 years.
This is a page out of Honda's history book. Back in the late 60's and early 70's you could buy a CB350, CL350 or SL350, street, scrambler or dirt bike. It made sense then and makes sense now, you just have to hit on a combo that has enough demand to make it profitable.
Here are two more variations on Honda's line-up. The Grom is coming to the US, don't know yet about the Bol D'Or.
The Grom (built and sold in Thailand) is pretty popular in S.E.A. The Bol D'Or has been around in Yerp for several years, but has been missing since (I think) 2010. Making a come back? I've always liked it.
Word is, there will also be a 400cc version of the Bol D'Or. Again, no word on US import.
What else? Oh, yea, the CBR250 is being bumped to 300. Wonder if they'll do the same to the CRF dual sport?
Honda might not be doing what we want but they are fur sur doing something. STay tuned.
The Grom (built and sold in Thailand) is pretty popular in S.E.A. The Bol D'Or has been around in Yerp for several years, but has been missing since (I think) 2010. Making a come back? I've always liked it.
Word is, there will also be a 400cc version of the Bol D'Or. Again, no word on US import.
What else? Oh, yea, the CBR250 is being bumped to 300. Wonder if they'll do the same to the CRF dual sport?
Honda might not be doing what we want but they are fur sur doing something. STay tuned.