I'll bet you there will be no 1800 VTX in next year's line up.
Okay, won't bet you more then a buck BUT out by Ontario CA about 20 miles from where I live is a Honda facility. Ran into Honda engineer types at hotel restaurant.
They found us due to two highly customized Valks and VTX's we parked and they gawked at. They found us in the restaurant (our helmets).
One of the guys said he worked the bike line so long that he's bet he had his hands on at least one or two of the bikes we had there with us.
They loved what had been done to the Valks and the VTX's. They said "most customized they'd seen", they were here from Marysville, OH working on a VTX 1300 problem.
Long story short...the VTX 1800 is now in the history books along with the Valkyrie.
On our part, we couldn't believe no more 1800 VTX but they assured us it is going the way of the Valk, oh and the major reason is they sell like 6 to 10 1300cc compared to the 1800's.
IMHO Honda has their heads firmly implanted up their a@@. I'm watching Yamaha kick their a@@es in sales, marketing, prestige, etc.
I thought I'd never say this AND this is just my opinion... HONDA SUCKS.
If Honda is a publicly held company DO NOT INVEST. The same empty suits that are messing up the motorcycle line (thatz how Honda got there start) are running the car division.
Watch them screw the pooch as Toyota, Nissan, Volkswagen, etc. drill them into the ground with smarter more timely products.
Side note... Acura a dismal selling up-market Japanese vehicles. compared to Lexus, and yes even Infinity who is now doing well making a product (G35, G37) that are on par with BMW 3 series and the Mercedes C Class. Thing about it. beside there entry market cars, Lexus and Infinity have been making rear drive cars now for years like the European Luxo cars.
The Acura of course is just now bringing rear drive cars to market, face it Acura's were just Honda's with lock washers, it took Honda years and dismal sales to figure it out.
In the time I spent shooting the bull with these Honda guys, (BTW none have lost there jobs, Honda is moving them to the car production... as all motorcycle production is going home to Japan).
Having met with Honda suits many times over the past years as a representative of the VRCC THIS IS THE FIRST TIME I HAVE EVER HEARD HONDA EMPLOYEES BAD MOUTH THEIR EMPLOYER.
Again, in my humble opinion, great minds at Honda have retired or moved on. The management left is not up to the task of today's competitive markets.
My first "new" car was a Honda, I've owned many Honda's cars and bikes, but I have lost faith, they have lost there touch. The MBA guys now got a hold of the reigns leaving the engineers out of the decision process (don't ask me where I got that news, I made promises!
Smile
Sincerely Farewell Honda, but to me you can just call them Rambler or Willy's or Hudson or even Oldsmobile. No wait let's call them Dusenberg or Cord; makers of great products that stepped on their ties.
How long until Honda does a face plant.
Crap, sorry about the rant, I'm in New England with time on my hands and way too much time to think about what I've learned from Honda folks in the last few months.
In a different time or place I don't think I would have posted this, I've sat on this info for almost a month.
Other things I learned during my visit with the Honda Plant guys.
No Valk, no way, never going to happen.
Like I said above, good bye VTX 1800.
Honda believes the future of motorcycles is in smaller motorcycles,like you meet the nicest people on 250cc's or less.
Honda is freaked out about what to do with the Goldwing! (more on that later... maybe)
Honda admits it can't compete in the American and world market making large cruisers.
There's more but it's 3am Connecticut time (really midnight my time) but I've depressed myself to a point where I think I'll lay my weary head down.
The above is oZ's POV and does not reflect the thoughts or opinions of anyone else especially the management of the VRCC.
One more thing, and my thoughts only. I WOULD NOT SELL MY VALKYRIE STANTARD, TOURER OR INTERSTATE NOW OR IN THE NEAR FUTURE!
If you own a Valkyrie, the TRUE motorcycle community, and I'm talking about serious non-fad, non-fashion professionals like the press and collectors know how fantastic the Valkyrie was, how it started a whole market segment (the Power Cruiser) and how far ahead of it's time it was.
Oh, and how pathetic Honda was to blow it all away.
Yamaha and the other manufacturer's are just now building bikes on par. I say they still are not there....
Please forgive and grammar or spelling mistakes I am just on a rant and not into editing this missive.
