Total Motorcycle Community Forums

HYPERR wrote:
That being said, it is fugly....

Somewhere between meh and cool....but since it's a Honda, it gets the benefit of the doubt; I vote cool.

Funny thing is - when showing it Mrs. High_Side her comment was "Nice". But then, history has shown her to demonstrate poor judgement - and for that I"m grateful!

After thinking about this one for a few days I am going with Cool. The bike sure has some (ugly) DN-01 cues but even more so I see some CB1300 in there. The only part of the bike that I absolutely hate is the huge cigar (or is that an exhaust?). Other than the fat cigar I don't think it's a terrible looking bike, and I have to give credit to Honda's ability to build a modern looking bike with a mid size engine and keep it at the $7k mark to fit the current economy. Way to go Honda! Now just improve those looks ever so slightly and I would give it an awesome.

To be honest, I had to think hard about this one. Basically I like it, sort of, maybe. It's not completely a naked bike, but naked enough in a teasing sort of way, sort of like the way tight short shorts and a halter top or an itsy bitsy string bikini are on a girl. I do like that for the most part Honda avoided giving it a Transformer type beak and headlight. As for the exhaust, as mentioned, it looks like a cigar, or or that erect thing Bill Clinton once substituted a cigar for. Needs work.

I could see having one as a commuter, but the standard model, I still firmly believe that automatic or even semi-automatic gearboxes on a bike is the work of the devil and you would have to be a complete and utter Marvin to have one.

ceemes wrote:I still firmly believe that automatic or even semi-automatic gearboxes on a bike is the work of the devil and you would have to be a complete and utter Marvin to have one.

Even never having ridden a bike, I agree...there is no substitute for a proper manual transmission, regardless of vehicle type.

That is one point in the CTX700N's disfavor. My other big issue is that its styling just seems so overblown. The acres of black plastic look cheap and shoddy, and that exhaust tip looks like it was borrowed from a Cummins-powered Dodge truck. Even the front brake rotor is ugly!

It gets a Fail from me.

This machine does nothing for me it's very ugly and generic.

What it needs is a change in muffler design. May I suggest copying what Honda themselves did in '87 with the Magna :



Photoshoppers do your thing!

I like it, it appeals to me by being forward thinking, not awesome, but very cool

It's a brave design (which is either a plus or a minus, but you can't deny that it's innovative). And if you're a bit short but don't want the looks or typical handling of a cruiser, this is a fair option. The rear fender actually bugs me more than the muffler (at least those are relatively easy to replace), and I was on the fence with this bike in general, but ultimately voted on cool. Anyone who buys one will definitely not just be part of the herd, and that itself is cool.

I voted: Fail.

There are few bikes that really get under my skin and sadly, this is one of them. The lack of design effort, the bringing down the quality of a great brand (Honda) to meet a price point and the use of a 1/2 a car engine in a motorcycle (the 700 is 1/2 a Honda Fit 4cyl engine or so I have read) really brings the excitement factor down for me. I love the idea of more mid-sized, affordable motorcycles but I am just not sure this "lack of all character for a price" model really works.

Plus, what is up with that ugly exhaust! And why is Honda bringing back a DN-01 design?

Was that too hash?

Mike

totalmotorcycle wrote:The lack of design effort...

That's probably a little closer to what I meant when I described the styling as "overblown." There is a lack of cohesiveness, and all that black plastic works against the paint (especially on the red bike). Now that I think about it, even the license plate bracket is ugly, and a little more chrome, stainless, polished aluminum, etc. would have gone a long way in giving this bike more contrast and character.