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whats goin on with this bike? have they started making it yet? i know about the announcement in 2005, but any NEW INFO????

I keep looking and I can't find anything that even hints they started production on it. My inner toddler-in-a-toy-store screaming I WANT!!![/] forces me to spend at least one afternoon a month Googling for it...it's all the same info out there.

Looks like production is starting...

Haven't seen any in the Honda shops yet (I'm in Japan). But I haven't been looking too hard. Maybe down in Tokyo somewhere...

The just announced production 2 days ago....

drfoldem wrote:whats goin on with this bike? have they started making it yet? i know about the announcement in 2005, but any NEW INFO????

Oct 4/2007:
http://www.totalmotorcycle.com/MCN/News/ ... =EPI-95125

i went to the Tokyo motor show on thursday. saw the bike there. looked full production ready. they even had examples on the floor to sit on with the normal product line up, as oppossed to prototypes on elevated levels. intesting bike. kind of a cross between a cruiser and large scooters which are popular in japan and maybe europe. 680cc engine which would maybe a punched out 650 honda skywave(large scooter) 190mm rear tire. shaft drive. no clutch lever as like a big scooter it had a semi-auto transmission(?). meaning on the left handle bar there a +\- buttons for the up and down shifting. i got some pics ill have to figure out how to get them on the site. they had a couple variants too.

talked to the Honda guy. he said it will be for sale in Japan this summer. was kind of sure it was going to America but not when. maybe a 2009 model?

drfoldem wrote:whats goin on with this bike? have they started making it yet? i know about the announcement in 2005, but any NEW INFO????

The production version was shown at the 2007 Tokyo and recent 2007 Milan show. The bike differs slightly from the 2005 Concept model but the basic style remains. In Tokyo they showed several colors including white, red, and that purple-plum color Honda occasionally uses. The white version had tan seats, passenger backrest, and GPS (I assume this is the "executive" model or similar). Reportedly, the color options for the UK are black and the purple-plum color. At this time is unknown whether the production version has ABS standard. The engine is the 680cc 65-HP 52-deg V-Twin used in the 2007 Deauville and Transalp bikes sold in Europe. It's an excellent and dependable engine. However, there is a claim that the engine is detuned down to 55-HP but this is unconfirmed and I wonder (if true) whether this is to meet a tiered licensing restriction and may not apply to all countries. It seems that the DN-01 will be available in Japan first, it was confirmed as a UK/EU model at the Milan show, and Honda-Canada has also expressed interest. No word on the USA; some speculate late 2009 as a 2010 model while some speculate never and assert that Honda-USA simply isn't interested. Personally, I think HondaCorp is making a big mistake letting the old-fart biker-types running the USA division restrict choices to the point where Honda is a joke with virtually no models except fake-Harleys, the CBR-RRs, and the GoldWing.

I agree about Honda USA making mistakes. The Trans Alp was one of the best Hondas built (only sold in NA two years) The Africa Twin and the Valero are good bikes but only sold overseas. The ct110 hasn't been sold stateside since 86 but is still sold overseas.