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I fetched my CTX1300 Deluxe from Tennessee today.
I took back roads most of the way home, but I didn't stay out as much as I wanted to due to darkness. About 270 miles.
The seating position is very comfortable. It reminds me of my 2012 GL1800. My knees and shins were not touching the jugs unless I braked really hard. Then my knees got into the jugs just like they used to get into the fairing on the ST1100. When I put my feet down, the foot pegs were right where my feet wanted to be. I was able to sit back against the little rise for the passenger seat. Again, this is very similar to the Gold Wing. The seat may be a bit soft for all day riding. I think I can remedy that with a set of beads.
The wind protection is much better than the normal setup for the CTX700D, but it's not ready for proper touring. I'll watch the aftermarket to see what comes along for a better wind screen. The air was hitting me at the shoulders and above. The air was very smooth and quiet. It didn't turn me into a parachute the way the 700 did.
The bike has plenty of power. It is incredibly smooth in top gear. At 50 to 65 mph it's as smooth as any Gold Wing I've ridden. It can get a bit buzzy in third gear twisties. I didn't flog it too hard since the manual says to take it easy for the first 600 miles.
The bike shifts smoother than my Trophy. It doesn't jump into neutral instead of second like the Trophy. It shifts more like the Gold Wing. Except, the CTX1300 doesn't have the super low first gear of the Gold Wing. For normal riding, you can work your way up to high gear and then just stay there until you slow for a stop. That part is like the Gold Wing.
The saddle bags are much larger and better made than the bags on the CTX700. They don't dump everything out on the ground as readily as the Trophy bags. They need some kind of restraint system. It can be difficult to make the stuff stay still while you try to close the lid. I think I'll try to get liners. The fasteners on the bags are not the same crap that's on the CTX700, but they're not very good. No bike currently in production can match the saddle bag fasteners on the Trophy. When you close the Trophy bags, it's like closing a car door. When you close the Honda bags, it's a struggle that requires both hands.
I was not real happy with the throttle response in the twisties. The bike is very abrupt when you go from no throttle to some throttle. This is painfully noticeable when descending a mountain road. You come around a curve in second gear with the throttle closed and then try to give it a nudge into the next corner and it jumps forward. It's not a problem when you shift gears because you can smooth it out with the clutch. This is not a sport bike.
It seems to handle as well as a Gold Wing in the parking lots. The bike is very long.
I rode a little bit on the highway and had no issues around the trucks. Crosswinds were minimal today, so I'll pass judgment on that later.
I didn't pay any attention to fuel economy. I'll let the bike break in for a week or so before I look at mpg.
I'm loading some photos at CTX1300D - TennesseeSmith
My internet connection is very slow, so it will be a day or two for the photos to be properly annotated. I'll get some better photos on my lunch break tomorrow.
I took back roads most of the way home, but I didn't stay out as much as I wanted to due to darkness. About 270 miles.
The seating position is very comfortable. It reminds me of my 2012 GL1800. My knees and shins were not touching the jugs unless I braked really hard. Then my knees got into the jugs just like they used to get into the fairing on the ST1100. When I put my feet down, the foot pegs were right where my feet wanted to be. I was able to sit back against the little rise for the passenger seat. Again, this is very similar to the Gold Wing. The seat may be a bit soft for all day riding. I think I can remedy that with a set of beads.
The wind protection is much better than the normal setup for the CTX700D, but it's not ready for proper touring. I'll watch the aftermarket to see what comes along for a better wind screen. The air was hitting me at the shoulders and above. The air was very smooth and quiet. It didn't turn me into a parachute the way the 700 did.
The bike has plenty of power. It is incredibly smooth in top gear. At 50 to 65 mph it's as smooth as any Gold Wing I've ridden. It can get a bit buzzy in third gear twisties. I didn't flog it too hard since the manual says to take it easy for the first 600 miles.
The bike shifts smoother than my Trophy. It doesn't jump into neutral instead of second like the Trophy. It shifts more like the Gold Wing. Except, the CTX1300 doesn't have the super low first gear of the Gold Wing. For normal riding, you can work your way up to high gear and then just stay there until you slow for a stop. That part is like the Gold Wing.
The saddle bags are much larger and better made than the bags on the CTX700. They don't dump everything out on the ground as readily as the Trophy bags. They need some kind of restraint system. It can be difficult to make the stuff stay still while you try to close the lid. I think I'll try to get liners. The fasteners on the bags are not the same crap that's on the CTX700, but they're not very good. No bike currently in production can match the saddle bag fasteners on the Trophy. When you close the Trophy bags, it's like closing a car door. When you close the Honda bags, it's a struggle that requires both hands.
I was not real happy with the throttle response in the twisties. The bike is very abrupt when you go from no throttle to some throttle. This is painfully noticeable when descending a mountain road. You come around a curve in second gear with the throttle closed and then try to give it a nudge into the next corner and it jumps forward. It's not a problem when you shift gears because you can smooth it out with the clutch. This is not a sport bike.
It seems to handle as well as a Gold Wing in the parking lots. The bike is very long.
I rode a little bit on the highway and had no issues around the trucks. Crosswinds were minimal today, so I'll pass judgment on that later.
I didn't pay any attention to fuel economy. I'll let the bike break in for a week or so before I look at mpg.
I'm loading some photos at CTX1300D - TennesseeSmith
My internet connection is very slow, so it will be a day or two for the photos to be properly annotated. I'll get some better photos on my lunch break tomorrow.
