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I went into a honda main dealer today for a nose around.

I was a bit disapointed. Nothing realy stood out and made me think WOW.
There was all the new head down butt up sports stuff.
BUT I even had to look at the stickers on the tail unit to work out what one was the new blade.

Am I out of touch or is Mr Honda getting a bit bland?
The bikes might go like sh1t off a shovel and go round corners on rails, but to look at there seemed to be no character!

Comments please

well at least you can go into a honda dealer,,,

i would have to book a day off work to go and find one... since they pulled the sole trader crap there are no honda dealers with in petrol tank range of me any more...

normal honda, they just do the job, makes you look good on the road though, think all bikes look alike these days in their different classes.

Timbo wrote:Would agree with you on that one mate. This is why i find the retro look so attractive, it hails from when bikes looked like bikes and had differences. Nowadays they all look the same to me, except italian bikes, they still have style.

Go have a look round your nearest Ducati dealer, that will renew your faith.

I agreed with you Tim,........until i started thinking about it.......in those days DID they have any more differences than they do now

When you think what was available late 70's ,virtually every big cc bike was unfaired, single headlight, twin shocked, so imo looked pretty simillar to each other, the early 80's was the defining era i reckon, Kawa gpz unitracks, GSXR's ..and the one that was way before its time and doesnt look old fashioned even now, you love them or hate them,,,the Suzuki Katana
You could show someone who hasnt a clue about bikes an early 80s Kat 1100, and they would just not believe the year it was produced
They would think it was a "modern retro "

there have and always will be the GP / super bike lookalikes but what grates me is the unfaired street style bikes are incorporating the space age look of the sports bikes...

it must be the upcoming generations fault... cause some one some where is doing market research and asking people if they like it.. and some blind tw@ is saying that one dun loo'k da purdyist... so they model their whole range on it.....

but that been said.... WISH i was a teen again... jebbus would i have loved the options available now.....

this was what my fanny magnet looked like ( not my actual bike found a pic online )... although i have to say every time it went down the road i just flopped out my hammer kicked it backinto shape and contined on my way with cuts n bruises to boot..

This were mine, thought it were the Dog's at the time. I'm the silly prat sat on it saying 'just take the feckin photo' through me teeth when I had (more) hair My bro' had that Wet Dream. Note fully togged out fer touring with oily corduroy jeans and wooly jumper.



Chris

I think that's why StreetFighters appeal to me, it's because they're so individual. When I say Streetfighters I mean real home built ones, not factory built items as they're going to look all the same.

IMO the reason the latest sports bikes (from the big four anyway) share similar resemblances in certain areas is because, they're all striving for the same goal and that is to be the quickest, lightest and best handling bike possible with the best brakes on the market today

So that means if a certain design for a fairing (again I'm referring to the big four manufactures) makes a bike more aerodynamic than one of it's rivals it's not going to be long before they all follow suit. The same goes for the handling department, brakes and suspension except the latter three don't effect the way a bike looks so much.

Only my two pence worth

Chris.

Probably why I have a '748' and a Royal Enfield too. Different!!!!

Went to Fox's Diner a few weeks ago, loads of bikes there and only 1 SP1, MINE.
One of the reasons I bought the SP1 is it's a bit different and not that many on the road.
My last bike turned a few heads, R1 with over £1000 paint job done by Dream Machine (haga rep) at the end of the day it was still just another R1
10 a penny and lacking character.

Everytime I go out to Willingham woods there will be at least one SP. Not trying to diss you but there were quite a lot of SPs sold, there will be fewer Haga rep R1s about I can assure you. Still wont put me off buying an SP2 though

Your right, I know there was quite a lot of SPs sold, just don't seem to see many about down my way.
Your also right about R1 Haga reps, I've only seen one other and that was at a dealers.
I did like my R1 but can't see me going back to an IL4 for quite some time.

Thats is a nice R1 I know what you mean about IL4s I have the Blade at the Mo but I am busting for another twin. I could well get an SP but there are others that tempt KTM Superduke for one (upright bars comfy postion)