New Honda 1200 V4 CrossTourer!!!

[stevh0]

Originally Posted by bluesman

No doubt. When I refer to superbike I mean superbike used in superbike environment. Like...I don't know....national road to Saint Gottard in Switzerland. Let say there it is full of curves but you can ride them at 160 kmph on sportbike and come to top with shredded rear tyre. Don't ask me how I know. This is illegal :)

On real tight roads - nothing rules over supermotard. Like 690 SMC for example.

But adventure bikes meant to be jack of all trades. Sportbikes, supermotos etc. are narrow use (well, supermoto kinda quite do it all but sacrificing comfort).
Over here mountain deparatamental roads still ruled by naked/roadsters and sportbikes slowly being equalized by supemotards. Those 690s smoke almost everything on such roads. Go one step up in roads and this is purely sportbikes. Roads are good.
One of best times I had was on Sardinia riding my Suzuki DR800 thumper converted to top-shelf suspension and supermoto wheels with Supercorsa tyres. But still - I felt every kg of it's 200 kg of weight.
In my opinion Multistrada quite far from that real adventure bike and closer to sports. Great bike thou.
Xtourer...with all my respect to that bike...it's a real pig despite it is not big in size, it has suspension and brakes to match it's objective and this needs to be taken into account.


Stevh0,
brakes on photo - I am sure everyone recognizes those old trusty Nissin calipers Honda used for ages on almost every heavy bike. Not good example. Better take photo of motor in that bike. That's - that's a new thing.

Ill getcha some engine shots, but back to those brakes. They are friggen insane on dirt! They work like ABS should!

[droid]

indeed the suspension needs work, at least for me, shocks are going to be revalved, springs changed

I have owned DR 250, GSXR-600, ZZR1100, Aprilia SXV 450 supermotard and BMWR1200S

the only bike quicker than this would be the supermotard on real mountain roads with wet spots, sand, pot holes etc but the motards are not good for distance for either bike or passenger, uncomfortable and no range

so for a real world half day ride the motard has no favour

this bike, well tuned both in suspension and engine will surely surprise some people on the public roads and probably a few at the track too

ride one

[bluesman]

It is a bit sidetracking...but motards and long distance...

You can tell how impossible it is to my friend - owner of KTM 690 SMR who drove through all Morocco with us and then returned back to Cannes in France doing 1700 km in 18 hours
I do not remember him complaining

It is all in the rider.

690 SMR range is 300 km on the tank. It has really low consumption if properly setup.

[droid]

i am speaking of my own experience on bikes i have owned and i am quicker on this bike as said before excepting the 450 motard with a 7.5ltr tank (100kms) and maybe your friend has a steel butt and is a mechanic or will he sell the bike before it needs a top end? but he is not me and we are talking about this bike here anyway ok

this machine will suit many people, you are not one and have made yourself clear on your thoughts, it is good to have perspective although actual rider perspective is closer to the bone - let's move on

[mountainmeterman]

Originally Posted by bluesman

It is a bit sidetracking...but motards and long distance...

You can tell how impossible it is to my friend - owner of KTM 690 SMR who drove through all Morocco with us and then returned back to Cannes in France doing 1700 km in 18 hours
I do not remember him complaining

It is all in the rider.

690 SMR range is 300 km on the tank. It has really low consumption if properly setup.

Anecdotal evidence in the face of the obvious, only to make a clownish argument. If "it is all in the rider", I guess we should simply buy the bikes that look prettiest to us with no consideration for the purpose for which they are designed.

[bluesman]

Well...you are really twisting this rather innocent comment now.
So, purpose of Crosstourer is to race sportbikes in Alps? Is this why you buying it? That's clownish for sure. Or you did not read tread.

Anecdotal? Except that it is not rare case. Supermotards of 690 niche long ago became choice for paved and badly paved roadtrips over here. Nothing anecdotal about it. 50% of my friends sold their heavyweight and travel on 690s etc.

With all this - I am guilty of off topic discussing it here, I admit it.

[bluesman]

Originally Posted by droid

this machine will suit many people, you are not one and have made yourself clear on your thoughts, it is good to have perspective although actual rider perspective is closer to the bone - let's move on

I'll drink to that!
More bikes good and different for the people!

[mountainmeterman]

Originally Posted by bluesman

Well...you are really twisting this rather innocent comment now.
So, purpose of Crosstourer is to race sportbikes in Alps? Is this why you buying it? That's clownish for sure. Or you did not read tread.

Anecdotal? Except that it is not rare case. Supermotards of 690 niche long ago became choice for paved and badly paved roadtrips over here. Nothing anecdotal about it. 50% of my friends sold their heavyweight and travel on 690s etc.

With all this - I am guilty of off topic discussing it here, I admit it.

You know, I did take your comment too literally, and there was no need for responding like I did. Sorry, I didn't mean to act like an ass.

[Two Plugs]

Its not a proper big trail bike like f.e. the BMW 1200 GS(A). Its not a proper 'GT' or sportsbike like the VFR. Its not a proper tourer like the ST1300.

The CrossTourer has been presented by Honda (I have been present at the official press presentation after all in Spain, earlier this year) as a 'new kind' of bike, developed on the crosssection of sportstourer and bigtrailbike.

In 'cars' term: A cross-over. Yes, I also think the CT will suit many people. But the question is... again... are people waiting for 'a crossover' to persuade them to buy?

Despite the fact that my early negative impressions about this bike have turned into positive, I don't think so.
But everyone thought that the Yamaha TDM 850 was a bid odd too when it was revealed about 25 years ago. Nowadays its one of the longest running models in the Yamaha display... and fairly popular too.

[bluesman]

Originally Posted by mountainmeterman

You know, I did take your comment too literally, and there was no need for responding like I did. Sorry, I didn't mean to act like an ass.

No probs at all - it is all Internet banter we are all two-wheeled minds anyway

[Grizzlybear]

Why all this crap about what the CT is... sportsbike, trailbike, touring bike etc. It is what it is and does what it does probably very well. Does it really need to be compared with anything... no! Does it matter if it has less off road ability than the German alternative... no! Does it matter that it may be slightly faster, slightly slower, more comfortable, less comfortable than brand xyzee... not in my book!

It is what it is and that is probably a damn fine motorcycle that operates within parameters only 5% better or worse than all of its contempories except the Multistrada 1200 when it comes to its sporting prowess or conversely the KTM990 AdventureR when it comes to barrelling through bogholes in the bush.

Each bike in the genre has it's strengths and weaknesses and it's the CT's strengths (with DCT) that outweigh it's weakness's for me...

Hell when I think back to some of the rallies that we used to slip and slide our way into riding bog standard Honda Fours, Waterbottles and Kwacker Nines back in the early seventies, methinks todays crop of riders on their fancy computer laden dual-sport motorcycles are a bunch of cry-babies!

The bottom line is this, if you fit a set of Continental TKC80s to a CT, GS or Explorer, it will mostly be the better pilot who gets there first regardless of the bike being ridden! On the other hand, if I was riding Brisbane to Perth via the bitumen it would be the keys to the CT or the Explorer that I would grab before any of the Euro brands.

[Salvo]

It sounds like may be the perfect bike for me. I am probably like most guys, I used to ride and love motocross and enduro, grew up with the nostalgia of that type of bike, love that comfortable riding position, have a street bike, want a fun-to-ride all arounder. Something as comfortable to commute to the office with as well as take a nice weekend (or longer) road trip possibly with the guys or with the wife. Needs to be pannier capable, must have a great motor ready to cruise at highway speeds -and then some, decent mileage, reliable as all heck cuz I might neglect it some between dealing with work and the kids, adventure styling cuz its cool, thats what I want. Will I be off-road ride deep in the jungle/dessert, not likely, nor would I want a 500lb beast - of any brand mind you - for that anyway . Plain and simple, the SUV of the motorcycle world I've read someone call it.

[ishmac]

Had my Suzuki V-Strom DL1000 out a we blip today on dry roads with sunshine (rare i know), headed to my local Honda motorcycle dealer in Falkirk, Scotland, UK.
Had an un-planned test-ride on Honda's CrossTourer 1200cc 'V4', shaft drive, spoke wheels, heated grips, 21.5 litre fuel tank, gear indicator, full luggage, 130 brake horse power, 'ABS' brakes....

Took it out a short 40 mile run on back roads/twisties/dual carriageway etc, HOLY SMOKE, what fun, shaft drive is super smooooth up the gears (clutchless gear changes), mirrors that really work, comfy heated grips and riding position. I hit 97mph in 2nd gear on the rev limiter, THUG bike ok, superb!
Phenomenal brakes!! A brilliant all-rounder. I was riding along in 5th gear at 33mph remembering it pulling away so smoothly, fabulous 'V4' grunty engine, utterly stunning package!! Well done Honda.

Would I have one tomorrow.....(? ? ), hell YES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I'm in love.

(p.s. did I mention the smooooothnes of the beautiful 'V4' engine).

[AZ-Twin]

Very nice mate, better fix that sig block! :)

Originally Posted by droid

sorry salvo have not been on here for a bit...

so far I have moved the bars forward again after trying them back towards me - but no good when standing so forward they go

still messing with the rear suspension - just personal preference and about to stiffen up the front end to see how that goes

got some stuff coming

all in all its fantastic - went up some slippery roads on the weekend with 90kms of gravel and water filled potholes and some mud - 320kms on the one tank with all sorts of riding, I expect touring would be 350km right out of the box)

the traction control is really cool, a little loss of traction for just a tiny second then it grabs, you can come out of a corner in the gravel and pin the throttle and it will do a tiny spin(so it is not obtrusive) and then back the motor down but even that is only brief because as soon as it gets traction your off again - superb!

have not ridden the yamaha sorry mate

here are some pics from the weekend

[twinrider]

Originally Posted by ishmac

Had my Suzuki V-Strom DL1000 out a we blip today on dry roads with sunshine (rare i know), headed to my local Honda motorcycle dealer in Falkirk, Scotland, UK.
Had an un-planned test-ride on Honda's CrossTourer 1200cc 'V4', shaft drive, spoke wheels, heated grips, 21.5 litre fuel tank, gear indicator, full luggage, 130 brake horse power, 'ABS' brakes....

Took it out a short 40 mile run on back roads/twisties/dual carriageway etc, HOLY SMOKE, what fun, shaft drive is super smooooth up the gears (clutchless gear changes), mirrors that really work, comfy heated grips and riding position. I hit 97mph in 2nd gear on the rev limiter, THUG bike ok, superb!
Phenomenal brakes!! A brilliant all-rounder. I was riding along in 5th gear at 33mph remembering it pulling away so smoothly, fabulous 'V4' grunty engine, utterly stunning package!! Well done Honda.

Would I have one tomorrow.....(? ? ), hell YES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I'm in love.

(p.s. did I mention the smooooothnes of the beautiful 'V4' engine).

Nice report... Did you find the gear box clunk-free and smooth shifting? Have you had a chance to try the DCT?