Honda motorcycles UK

Back in April I wrote 'Honda - identity crisis?' where I mused over the direction (or apparent lack of it) in Honda's motorcycle products. As an outsider but motorcycle enthusiast who has owned a few of their products (400/4, CB360T, ST70, NT650V Deauville and XL700VA) and ridden several more (several 1970's 750s, CX500 & 650, XL650, an early Fireblade, GL1200 & GL1500 to name a few) I was concerned that Honda was churning out motorcycles that had little or no relevance to motorcycle riders (their potential customers) like myself. These included the VFR1200, DN-01 and NC700 and Integra. These all appeared to have an identity crisis, were (respectively) too thirsty with a small tank; trying too hard to be both scooter and motorbike; a step in the right direction, the right idea but not enough of a motorbike and lacking in power; simply quirky scooter come motorbike.

So having today been to the Motorcycle Live event at the NEC - how do I feel today. In a word, encouraged. I got to have a long chat with one of their representatives on Honda's large stand in Hall 4. It seems I wasn't the only one concerned with the state of the Honda model line-up, that concern went all the way to the top of Honda in Japan which is why we have seen an extensive revamp and the release of so many new models over the last 12 - 18 months. The VFR1200 has been given a sports touring focus and as such is finding favour and buyers after getting some much needed updates (including a bigger fuel tank). Today we saw (but could not sit on) the NC750 range which is the much needed update to the NC700 range with 75cc and 5bhp more than the outgoing model. With other tweaks Honda has now made the NC750 an attractive range, the NC700X taking up the slot in the model range that used to be the XL700 Transalp. No, there isn't a direct replacement for the NT700V Deauville, but the Integra with full touring package strangely looks the business.


Honda NC750X inherits the mantle left by the XL700 Transalp - I like this bike but we were not allowed to sit on it although visible evidence revealed that some had!

Honda today displayed a model range that starts at 50cc and goes all the way through to 1800cc that shows a progression for buyers moving up or trading down, for those that want to focus on a type or style that suits them and their needs. There are still some weird inclusions (like the newly announced CTX models) but that is typical Honda. Importantly Honda have moved away from their fixation with sports bikes as the UK market for those machines continues to shrink and have introduced bikes that will be attractive to new and young riders.

2013 Motorcycle Live

A day off work spent at the NEC (Birmingham, UK) enjoying the Motorcycle Live 2013 event, and so here are a few pictures I took on my FujiFilm FinePix EXR550 as we wandered around - we being the 2 Phils.


Something old - BMW R12 outfit - beautiful


BMW R12 outfit - again


Something new - a modern Norton cafe racer


Triumph cruiser with someone old on board


A cheap(ish) buggy when compared to motorbike prices


Custom trike on the Carole Nash (Insurance) stand


Suzuki Burgman


One of 2 Manx racers


The other Manx racer


The new improved Honda NC750X which replaces the NC700X proving Honda didn't quite get it right 1st time out - I like this bike!


Honda FC6 cruiser - a stripped down Goldwing but just as gross


The Moto Guzzi 1400 California - even more proof that Phil likes his feet forward

Then there are a few that Phil took on his mobile phone, most with me in the frame and looking too much of a FB!


Long and low custom


My preferred Guzzi - Stelvio NTX1200


New Suzuki V-Strom 1000


Another new Suzuki V-Strom 1000


That Triumph cruiser again - we both agreed it was a great looking bike spoilt by an uncomfortable seat that curves your bum and lower back - a sure fire recipe for pain


Suzuki 1000 V-Strom with Touring Pack - I like it and for me the choice is 1. Mr sensible - the NC750X; 2. Italian Exotic - Aprillia Caponord 1200; 3. The compromise - Suzuki 1000 V-Strom (2 & 3 both with Touring Pack)

Phil bought a leather biker waistcoat but I had a shopping list that included some new TCX boots and a replacement visor for my Scorpion helmet. As well as those items I came away with membership of HOC (Honda Owners Club), Visor cleaner kit and a T-shirt from Overland magazine. The savings I made on the boots and visor paid for the HOC membership.

Honda XL700VA-A Transalp - update 3

My farkling of 'Annie the Tranny' continues. The standard handlebars were starting to look second hand so they got replaced by a set of Renthal thick wall aluminium bars, which raised some interesting 'issues'. I didn't know that Honda drill small holes into it's bars into which little lugs on the handlebar furniture fitted, ensuring accurate location - but I do now. But I didn't want to weaken the new Renthal bars, so drilling them was not an option. The alternative was to break out the Dremel and its selection of attachments to remove the lugs. I'd bought new heated grips, but couldn't get them into the correct position on the right-hand grip. Turns out the throttle tube as standard has a ridge about an inch from the outer end that prevents the tube itself sliding on to the position I needed it to locate at - so again it was Dremel time. Then the connectors for the grips didn't match up to those on the grips they were replacing, so wire snips and soldering solved that issue. If this is starting to sound like a saga to you dear reader, then imagine how I felt... I was expecting this to be a straightforward swap. Anyway, the swap was completed in about 4 hours of suck-it and see engineering based on 'if it looks right and feels right and works right then it is right.

The final bit of bar work was to replace a pair of 'universal' hand guards with a pair on Bark Busters. These are really heavy duty and hopefully overkill for the use I have for the bike, but they look the part and offer me protection both from rain and cold and from physical attacks to the hands by bushes, trees, car door mirrors, etc...

Today was the next step. A trip to see Tim Booth at MTS Nottingham for some new tyres. The Bridgestone BW501/502 combination seemed to work well enough but the rear was already squared off when I bought the bike and had just got more so, while the front had worn rather more evenly and was getting close to the wear indicators. My decision was to pre-order a pair of Michelin Anakee III tyres and today was fitting day. While the rear wheel was out I had Tim replace the front sprocket, going up from a standard 15 tooth to a 16 tooth giving a higher gear ratio across the final drive. This is to move the vibration that I experience at 'motorway cruising speeds' and first impressions are good. On the way home I noticed that 4,000 rpm now equates to an indicated 63 mph where it had previously equated to 58 mph. More extended riding is needed for a definitive conclusion but first indicators are good. Acceleration is slightly blunted but I can always use a lower gear to overcome that on the road. The ride home felt good despite the greasy roads and blustery gusts of wind.

Driveway refurb

It's not quite done, but most of the hard graft has been completed. We have lived in the house since mid July 1989 and the tarmac on the drive was past its best. Having received the small legacy from my late father's will we decided to spend a chunk of it on having the drive ripped up and a new decorative concrete drive laid. It looks like paving stones but is concrete with imprints and colour to make it look 'rustic'. Today the powder used to add the colouring (we chose Imperial Grey) was washed off and boy, what a transformation from what was there before. Now we just have to wait for a dry day or tow so that the team can come back and apply the acrylic sealer. Everyone who has so far seen it has expressed amazement at the transformation and the inconvenience wrought while the work was going on has been well worth it. Can't wait to see the final end product, but will have to....

October

Dominated by work, seconded to the QnO section (Quote and Order) in Capita it saw me back in Meridian Court on The Wyvern, Derby. The section was in a mess after an aborted attempt by management to move the function to Pune, India. The role was to attack the backlog and bring order to the chaos that existed because of the lack of a real propriety tool to do the job. At least it was local and in the main I was left to do whatever I felt I was best spending my time doing, and we got results. I managed to sort out the live requests from the historical stuff, bring filing much more up-to-date (no mean feat as a great proportion of requests/orders had no obvious references assigned to them) as well as handling the Local Government accounts. The backlog has been reduced and while I was reassigned back into project work on the 28th those that now comprise 'the team' are virtually back on top of the workload and back to meeting the sections SLAs.

The recent 'heavy weather' (storms) that were forecast for the UK missed most of the family. Mark & Eleanor now in their new home in Staines had it the worst but have happily reported that they have survived unscathed. Andy & Emma have had little luck in their hunt for a house and those that come up on Oakwood are selling within days and they have missed a number now because they couldn't get in quickly enough to have a viewing. Andy's Integra track day car had total clutch failure on a day at Oulton Park race track and they had to limp it home stuck in 3rd gear with no use of the clutch available to them - they made it. That and a number of other repairs have been made and it is back in good shape. Some bits arrived in the post today so Andy will be bolting those on this week coming but they are upgrades to improve it, not repairs.

Sue's dad has deteriorated considerably over the last couple of weeks, with Parkinsons, Altzheimers and dementia all taking hold at the same time and it is sad to see him in his current state. Additionally the skin cancer on his head has flared up again. I know Sue is deeply affected but she refuses to discuss it much, and this is at a time when she is under immense pressure at her work. Two weeks tomorrow she is doing a sponsored walk with Mark & Eleanor - 17 miles in the Peak District to raise money for Cancer Research and she has got some good sponsorship. She has been doing some preparation by walking to work and back - 4.5 miles each way with work colleagues who are also doing the walk. I just hope the weather is not too unkind to them.