The Honda Owners Club

See pictures of the new bikes
http://www.hoc.org.uk/Honda2008

No 2.5 litre V8.

oooooooooo been drooling again!

Interesting that they have dumped the in line exhaust on the Blade!..wonder where they coppied that design from?..Er Oh yes yamaha I think!!..looks good though!, wonder if its any more comfortable?

Chris'TR' wrote:Interesting that they have dumped the in line exhaust on the Blade!..wonder where they coppied that design from?..Er Oh yes yamaha I think!!..looks good though!, wonder if its any more comfortable?

Is it me, or is there a hint of 1098 at the front

Definite similarity to the 1098 but then the 1098 had similarities to lots of Japanese fours.

Just hope they've managed to improve the Blade this time, I can't say that it's an exciting machine currently.

If anyone would like to argue that one then feel free - but first try riding the 07 Blade and 07 600RR back to back!!

Phil

Can't say I'm impressed by the styling of the Blade.

The 125 Varedero looks smart to me.

Regards

Chimpy

Ive just updated the 2008 bikes page
http://www.hoc.org.uk/Honda2008

It now has pictures of the DN-01, CB1000R and CB1300

Not too impressed. Where's the new VFR and Blackbird that have been promised (? -OK, rumoured) for ages.

No update to the Pan - maybe you can't improve on perfection, but the Pan could do with a facelift now.

'The Pan could do with a face lift'


Yeah a naked pan

After all the effort that went into making it good already what are you asking for. It does what it says on the tin is the Pan.

Dibble wrote:After all the effort that went into making it good already what are you asking for. It does what it says on the tin is the Pan.

But bikes are now a fashion item and a tin is no longer an exciting package.

If you want exciting packaging then paint it. The functionality is not what affects the looks.

Dibble wrote:If you want exciting packaging then paint it. The functionality is not what affects the looks.

But it is. Strip all the plastic of of most modern bikes and you are left with a mess - functional but ugly. No one would buy a pan stripped of all its plastic. If the packaging is not right the technical specifications are almost irrelevant.

Bikers want to see improvement. They like this years bike to be 'better' - look different - than last years.

Much of motorcycling is related to the leisure industry witch is associated to sport witch is linked to show business - glitz and glamour does sell bikes. Look at he success of the BMW GS series.

Disagree Barry

The X11 was a stripped Blackbird. It sold well but was discontinued by Honda. Owners loved their quirky looks which I thought was poor attempt at'muscle bike'. The performance and technology were there without the glamour.

Historically the 'Silver Wing' was a tarted up CX500 and that failed miserably as the performance and technology were not there. Looked pretty though

As to looks paint naked women on the tanks or put on noisy and naughty exhausts and the macho men you describe get all they need to buy a bike. Hardly great advances in technology or perfomance.

The front of the new blade does have a look of the Ducati but they copied the NR750 for there swing arm and pipes... the NR had indicators in the mirrors, Rads on the side, Under seat exhaust, Twin head lights, Ceramic Liners and the side stand in the fairing, all in 1992 over 1 year before the 916..... all things that have been copied....