VOL. 50 ISSUE 44 NOVEMBER 5, 2013
(Left) The 2014 Honda
CTX1300 – part bagger, part
cruiser, part touring bike.
(Above) The uprated 2014
Honda CBR1000RR SP.
Better bits for the
new year.
seat, full. The
CTX1300
will
likely feel lighter
than that, however – thanks to a
low center of gravity and low 29.1inch seat height.
Although we didn't ride
the bike, we did get to sit
on it during our sneak peak at
American Honda's headquarters in
Torrance, California, last week and
it's plenty comfortable and spacious with the swept-back handlebars and low seat height making
the bike seem smaller than it is – or
at least lighter.
The CTX gets an inverted fork
up front and dual shocks at the
rear that can be adjusted for additional weight – i.e. passengers
and/or luggage.
The CTX has a different
look with its low windshield allowing for that wind in your face feeling that makes it different from a
touring motorcycle. The bike also
gets tons of instrumentation with
two big analog gauges and an LCD
display between them that shows
pertinent trip information.
On the Deluxe version, that
LCD screen will also help owners
control their Bluetooth-enabled
audio system. Other goodies
featured on the Deluxe version
that aren't on the Standard model are ABS and traction control,
self-canceling turn signals and a
blacked-out frame and wheels.
The new CTXs are expected to
arrive in Honda dealerships in the
Spring of 2014.
The second bike Honda
showed off at EICMA is the
CBR1000RR SP - likely a stopgap before the introduction of a
brand-new CBR1000RR that's
rumored for 2015.
P37
The SP gets several upgrades, including a new cylinder head with modified intake
and exhaust ports for more
power and new pistons and
connecting rods. The compression ratio remains the
same at 12.3:1, however.
The SP also gets an
upgrade in suspension with the new bike
getting a three-way adjustable Ohlins inverted
43mm front fork and a new
triple clamp. It also gets a
new gas-charged Pro-Link shock
from Ohlins as a rear-suspension
upgrade.
Honda has also thrown Brembo monobloc calipers at the SP,
but the U.S version won't feature
ABS (the Euro version with ABS
is pictured). The SP also gets a
lighter subframe that Honda says
lowers the center of gravity.
The bike gets an upgrade in
tires with Honda opting for Pirelli
Diablo Supercorsa SPs.
While CBRs always rank high
in the street ride portions of
shootouts, this one is definitely
more racy. The clip-ops are wider and the footpegs have been
moved farther back. It also gets
a bubble windshield and a new
solo seat cowl.
The bike also gets a new look with
a special red/white and two shades
of blue paint scheme along with
gold-painted 12-spoke wheels.
Honda has yet to announce a
retail price for the new SP. CN
