Yes, looking to woo HD wannabes. Kawasaki makes the Vaquaro, not much different. Not for me. Agreed, they need to seriously spend some money and upgrade the ST1300, I have a feeling we'll see something along those lines next year.
What an abonitation. A low budget effort to take a nice refined touring platform, and make it look like an Ultra Street Glide to woo cruiser buyers. Honda shows no real ambition to improve/advance and invest in their product. Rather, they clumsily and cheaply I might add try to go for the midlife crisis brigade by slapping some flat black paint on existing parts and cobbling together this pile of junk. I highly doubt this bastardized wing will sell in the volume necessary to justify it being around for more than a model year or so, and meanwhile other companies will chip away at wing sales with more advanced and capable distance bikes.
Honda would have been better served to making serious improvements to the Wing. For starters, how about an adjustable windshield Honda? All the Japaneese manufacturers seem to suffer too much from trying to be all things to all people, and this is a prime example.
While we're at it Honda...how about a new ST?
Think about it. They just took the trunk off, shorter windshield, and different paint. If it doesn't do well, very little engineering dollars lost. Not like the money they would have had to spend coming up with an all new bike.
I think their intention was to replace the ST1300 with the VRF. But the VRF didn't hit the mark. Seems like they need a VRF Tour with all the ST type bells and whistles. Problem is if you look at the VRF without luggage, electric windshield, etc. it is already $18,000. Can only imagine what they would want for a full ST version.
Makes no sense to me when both their long distance bikes are so long in the tooth.
Honda cares much less about their motorcycles in my opinion these days, cars/marine/generators/lawn&Garden and jets are their main concerns now.
If Honda came out with a new Valkyrie similar to the original Valkyrie but based on the 1800 FI motor, maybe give it an upgrade for more HP (like the original Valk 1500 motor), I would be very interested. But I understand why they don't do it. Not enough volume to make it worth their while.
I think it looks awesome! The only wing I would ride. A slightly bigger windshield and I'm good to go. The black is beautiful!
Owning a Goldwing isn't "Throwing in the Towel" by any stretch of the imagination. If you haven't ridden the 1800 wing before, be prepared to wear a sh*# eating grin after your first ride. That 1800 flat six is no slouch. As for drawing in the Hardly riders? They couldn't handle the performance end of that bike.
I live in Milwaukee and I'm so sick of the Hardly "Lifestyle" BS......................sorry.