Honda have announced the long awaited Crosstourer - a V4 Adventure Sports Tourer aimed straight at the likes of BMW's R1200GS, Yamaha's Super Tenere 1200 and Moto Guzzi's Stelvio/NTX 1200. Triumph have followed Honda with the Tiger Explorer 1200. Thankfully it is the Yamaha that is the "weakest link" in this company as their offering is the only bike using primitive chain and sprocket final drive - and in this sector that is a major failing.
So what do I think of the CrossTourer? It's OK. Now I recognise that is damining it with faint praise, but, I say it as I see it. The CrossTourer is the bike that they should have released a year ago when they gave us the VFR1200, and in truth, it should have been here at least 3 years ago. The CrossTourer has been released into a crowded market place dominated by the BMW R1200GS. Why would any GS wannabe buy any other bike than the BMW when the alternatinves are all the same money or more. Yamaha tried selling the Super Tenere 1200 on the internet only and initial sales were good even though you couldn't get a test ride, but now, now that owners have had a chance to tell it "warts and all" and it appears it isn't as good as the bike the press free-loaders (sorry, motorcycling journalists) lead us to expect & believe.... it's not doing so well.
So what is my problem with the CrossTourer? Nothing really, it's what I expected from Honda, but in a way, that's the issue. I wanted Honda to deliver just that little bit more. The pricing is top line but to ask BMW price for a bike that doesn't have the proven record that the BMW has established is (in my mind) either optomistic or foolhardy. European bike manufacturers are currently riding high, dominating sales and yet still the Japanese beleive they can charge premium prices. Sorry, but I don't think it will work and I expect discounts and 0% finance to be available before the end of 2012. If they had offered us the CrossTourer from 2008 at £9,750 (GBP) then I believe they could have marched into BMW GS territory, but 4 years late and at £12,000? Ask yourself, am I an adventure bike rider or...?
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