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JMU R1
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http://www.motorcyclenews.com/MCN/News/newsresults/New-bikes/2012/October/oct1012-poll-what-do-you-want-from-the-road-rcv/
Go register and drop your comment. Here's my 2 cents:
A. A V4 putting out industry leading horsepower (read: a legit 200 hp+)
B. Lightweight, with carbon fiber and potentially titanium where possible
C. A price in the $20k-$40k range. Much above $40k and it starts to get into unobtanium territory
D. Advanced electronic goodies. HESD is a must, along with TC (with launch control), quickshifter, optional ABS, and perhaps an electronically controlled slipper clutch. An LCD dash would also be very welcome (with a FUEL GAUGE!).
E. Top shelf suspension. Doesn't need to be electronically adjustable or anything, just needs to be good.
I would absolutely sell my 1199 for one of these if Honda can deliver a compelling package. Honestly I'd be all for it if they could just deliver a powerful V4, in a lightweight bike, with just HESD and TC. But then it'd have to be more like $20k. |
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JMU R1
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Thinking about this, I don't know if what Honda should do is a true GP replica like the Ducati Desmosedici RR or something closer to what the RC30 and RC45 were, homologation specials.
Since the DesmoRR came in at $72500 I'd have to think the Honda would be somewhere between $60k and $75k if they went the full-on GP replica route. As cool as that would be I don't know how many of those Honda could sell. IIRC even Ducati had trouble selling the last of that 1500 bike run.
If they make a bike more along the lines of a tricked-out superbike, I think there'd be less risk involved. They could sell something for between $20k and $40k and draw from a large pool of customers. It would result in a bike that is less outrageous but potentially more likely to succeed.
One of the major challenges for Honda in creating a bike like this is the exchange rate. I think one way Honda can deliver more value for the dollar in spite of the exchange rate is by equipping the bike with advanced electronic goodies. The price of computing power and sensors continues to get driven down, and because of that HRC could potentially put some intriguing features into the bike.
I have a GPS lap timer on my racebike, that costs only about $400. If Honda could integrate that functionality into an LCD dash that would be a pretty kickass feature. Even better, if they could equip the bike with bluetooth you could download the results of a track session to a phone, tablet, or laptop.
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CB77
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JMU R1,
Thanks for the link...this is interesting. As much as I would like to see this kind of bike from Honda, I have a lot of trouble seeing how it can be financially feasible...at least in the U.S. market.
As you mentioned, the exchange rate and the weak $ against the yen is narrowing down further and further the choice of exotic bikes from Honda that we will ever see here. The closing of the Marysville M/C plant makes such a bike even harder to see being sold in this market. Although it is unlikely that they would have devoted any of their production capacity at Marysville to such a bike, that will occupy such a tiny slice of the market.
While Ducati can operate in this rarified pricing atmosphere, I just don't think Honda has the cachet to operate there.
I guess I am quicker to give up on such a bike ever happening from Honda, because I am to the age where I have stopped riding such high-end, high-performance bikes...but it sounds like you are still active in this class. So I understand how you can still hold out hope. Maybe Honda will surprise me.
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JMU R1
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CB77 wrote:
JMU R1,
Thanks for the link...this is interesting. As much as I would like to see this kind of bike from Honda, I have a lot of trouble seeing how it can be financially feasible...at least in the U.S. market.
As you mentioned, the exchange rate and the weak $ against the yen is narrowing down further and further the choice of exotic bikes from Honda that we will ever see here. The closing of the Marysville M/C plant makes such a bike even harder to see being sold in this market. Although it is unlikely that they would have devoted any of their production capacity at Marysville to such a bike, that will occupy such a tiny slice of the market.
While Ducati can operate in this rarified pricing atmosphere, I just don't think Honda has the cachet to operate there. |
Yeah, as badass as it would be to see what Honda could do for $70k I don't think a bike that expensive will work from Honda. Ducati has done a lot more to position themselves as a premium brand, and as such they can probably get away with a bike that expensive. Even then, I don't think they sold the run of Desmosedici RR's as fast as they thought they would. To be fair though, that was when the economy was slowing down before the crash.
Unless Honda only wants to make a very small number of this bike, I think they'd do better to make it a bit cheaper and be able to sell them for a couple of years. If they make this bike for $18-$25k I think there'll be a lot of step up 1000RR owners, as well as converts from Ducati and Aprilia. Beyond $25k there'll be less buyers but Honda could make something much more exotic that will cast a nice halo at the least and will make a devastating superbike race machine.
I guess I am quicker to give up on such a bike ever happening from Honda, because I am to the age where I have stopped riding such high-end, high-performance bikes...but it sounds like you are still active in this class. So I understand how you can still hold out hope. Maybe Honda will surprise me.
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To be honest I had given up hope that Honda would make a V-anything superbike any time soon, and I got tired of waiting for a new 1000RR so I bought an 1199 (review forthcoming). Now at least Honda has given me something to look forward to.
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Bullwinkle
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Rest assured the bike will happen. If for no other reason that the CBR1000RR is not competitive as a SuperBike.
They only need to sell 5,000 to make it eligible for SuperBike racing. So price may be no object. I heard the price target was around $30k-to-40k.
And What would keep Honda from building some in the US? Although I think price sensitivity is the last thing they are worried about.
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CB77
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What would keep Honda from building the bike in question in the U.S. (or any motorcycle, for that matter) is the fact that we closed our M/C plant in Marysville back in 2009. That factory was converted to Auto production.
The only production capability we now have (for the M/C division) is for ATVs, in South Carolina. We are NOT going to see Honda resume M/C production here for one model.
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