[Matt black]

Just back from a week touring Ireland, did 1600 miles. Bike was very comfortable on the motorway but cant get to grips with the handling on narrow twisty road. I don't feel confident on sharp corners and have been riding for (30 years very confidently) It seems to pull down suddenly. Is it me or does any one else think the same?

 

[bob]

What other bikes have you owned/been used to riding?
Some of the riding characteristics remind me of my ST1100 as far a cornering goes. But I do feel the wide rear tire on hard cornering... I very slightly feel the bike ride up on the edge of that wide tread and that makes it feel like the lean is a bit more. I only realize it if I am really concentrating and looking for it. Getting used to it now though... normal. Otherwise this is totally touring/cruising style riding. Getting used to that too. Been a while since I rode a Vulcan or the GW and that's (GW) the closest to the touring/cruising ride of this bike. Like the CTX1300 better.

 

[TennesseeSmith]

It's not a sport bike. It carries the weight a little closer to the back. The geometry is such that you can completely use up the rear tire and still have an inch of chicken strip on the front.

I've been able to get mine through some really sweet twisties in good order. The only bad part is the poor off/on throttle response when rapidly descending tight corners.

I've not had any issues with it pulling down.

 

[Matt black]

Had a Victory Hammer and a Valkyrie before that also have a Triumph Thunderbird Sport. The Valkyrie was great, comfortable scraping pegs on Hammer Valkyrie and Triumph. Just feel the front of the CTX pulls itself down when you start to lean.

 

[sleepngbear]

I had a Thunderbird before the CTX, and I actually think the CTX has lighter handling. Not that the Bird was bad, I just like the CTX better -- very neutral to me.

That being said, all bikes do have different handling characteristics. Sometimes it's just a matter of getting used to the uniqueness of the ride. I've got over 2400 miles on mine, and I still haven't really flogged it very hard as I don't yet find myself completely 'at one' with it, though I can feel that getting closer with every ride.

If you want to talk about a bike pulling down, you should try a ST1300. More than any bike I've ever owned, that one required a truly conscious effort to pull it back up from a lean. Again, not bad, because it was a great handling machine, but it definitely required getting used to.

 

[kniterider]

I have had 10 wings, 2 Harleys, a bunch of other bikes during weak periods of sself control.. including a k1200 LTi and an R1200rt. plusan ST1300. The best handling of the wings was my 86 SEi with the on board air suspension cranked up to max. The K1200LTi was the most precise handling in the twisties.. But the CTX is better than any other Honda I have had. And I have a 205/50/ car tire on the rear too

 

[csdexter]

I will add to the "better" vote: after more than 600km on the CTX1300, I'm confident this bike will make me a better rider because it just handles SO MUCH better. I can actually pull parking lot figure-eights without breaking a sweat on this one and in the twisties it simply stays where you put it and comes right up when you want it to. Awesome bike!

 

[kniterider]

:smileygarden_de_ban

I will add to the "better" vote: after more than 600km on the CTX1300, I'm confident this bike will make me a better rider because it just handles SO MUCH better. I can actually pull parking lot figure-eights without breaking a sweat on this one and in the twisties it simply stays where you put it and comes right up when you want it to. Awesome bike!

:smiley-happy0034::smiley-happy0034::smiley-happy0034:

 

[cjm76]

Matt,

I started a thread back in the early days of my bike asking folks about what they thought of how the counter-steer felt to them (I described it as "awkward"). I got some very wise advise from some reminding me that the CTX1300 is a lot heavier than anything I had ever ridden before - and it is not a sport bike (and to be honest, I had expected sport bike performance). Now, with many more miles on the clock, and a proper set of expectations, I do not notice my former awkward counter-steer. And with Dexter I can say that the CTX1300 is a great handling bike - even in the parking lot!

 

[Croxy]

I've now just broken 1000 km on the bike and I'd have to say the the handling is fantastic....I've take to calling it a Sport Cruiser as the handling is more "sporty" than a cruiser but not that of sport bike. I think that Honda have come up with a terrific balance between cruiser comfort and much improved handling in a cruiser type of motorcycle.

If you compare it to any cruiser style of bike I would think you'd be hard pressed to find one that would handle better.

I find it like to turn into a corner and will pull out of it very easily. As stated it is easy to use all of the tread on the rear tire but still have an unused strip on the front......

Granted I've come off of a HD Ultra Classic which is a much different animal but when I consider the difference in weight, which isn't really that much when I consider how much better this bike handles...

:smiley-party0005:

 

[GARRY UK]

i fully agree that this ctx1300 cruiser/tourer is a fine handling machine, if fact its alot easier than my last st13 and r1200rt it just takes a few hundred miles to adjust to the riding position and style, but when your happy you will be dragging the pegs and leaving your mates behind in a haze of silky torque, its no R1 but thats the point, as far as laid back customs go, watch out there's a new daddy in town, ride safe yours Garry ps the bike still has a major damping issue on the bumpier/cracked surfaces

 

[V0X]

I agree that this bike handles well in parking lots. Much easier than my smaller BMW.


Eric

 

[Terry]

Got the chance to go on the first decent ride on my new bike last weekend. Did around 800 km and really happy with the bike overall. Some of this was on the run from Coolah to Baradine. ( country NSW roads in Australia) with corrugations and holes and humps mid corner, which makes for interesting riding at times. I found that it will sometimes get an unsettling wallow up if you hit a bad section of road mid corner. I'm talking the big jarring bumps mid corner when your travelling to fast !!!!! This happened twice but at speeds of around 130+ on an 85km corner, so more the rider than the bike I think.. The great thing was that it settled nicely with a bit more throttle and it held its line nicely to. I do find that the forks will jar up through the bars if you hit a sharp bump of a corrugated section of road, so have been of to see a mate who owns Pro Moto Suspension today and he's going to re-valve and re spring the forks. Also going to get a set of rear shocks built with good damping rebound adjustment. There doesn't seem to be any aftermarket suspension out there at the moment for the CTX so will keep all informed how it goes.

 

[GARRY UK]

Just back from a week touring Ireland, did 1600 miles. Bike was very comfortable on the motorway but cant get to grips with the handling on narrow twisty road. I don't feel confident on sharp corners and have been riding for (30 years very confidently) It seems to pull down suddenly. Is it me or does any one else think the same?

hi you need to counter steer a fair bit on the tight stuff, and the bike will under steer so its just a simple matter of finding a big car park, work out how much under steer the bike has (under steer is where the bike pushes wide on the corners) and then compensate (counter steer is puhing down on the pegs, same time pull or push bars, depending if right or left) anyway i find scraping the pegs is easy but try different corner lines, less angle more straight line through, im a ex racer and im very surprised how fast i can take the twisty bits, upsets a few sports bikes with power ranger riders with little skill, but it will never keep up with a competent rider on r6/r1 etc, but most arnt, ctx1300 brilliant comfy fast enough loads of fun and dont let the twistys scare you, its about the best cruiser handling bike ever, just take time to learn how to enjoy the handling...ride safe Garry: smileygarden_de_ban:smileygarden_de_ban:smileygarden_de_ban:smileygarden_de_ban

 

[Matt black]

Thanks for that, think I'm the problem, but at least i now know.

 

[V0X]

After riding both ways on the dragons tail, I can say that this bike, for me, handles incredibly well. Don't let the size of the bike prevent you from leaning well into corners. I think the low speed handling of this bike is better than my BMW R nineT!