I have a very new CTX 1300 with the red paint scheme. Last weekend I went to the Oyster Run…. a Sturgis-like bike gathering in Western Washington State. During that ride, my right hand hard bag was knocked from the bike and destroyed. Solution? Order a new bag. That is what the dealer who sponsored the ride told me. Many of you probably already know this, but Honda does not sell a complete bag for the CTX1300 as they do for the CTX700. You have to buy it in individual parts, the sum total of which adds up to around $2200 EACH!
That's $4500 for a pair! By point of reference, the CTX 700 does not come with bags like our CTX1300s do. Still, a pair of bags for the CTX 700 will only set you back a bit under $700 at dealer pricing! Not $4500 as for the CTX1300!
To say I was shocked and enraged would be playing down the point. The dealer tried to get a complete bag. No dice. I finally ended up calling Honda Motorcycle North America and spoke at length with a Customer Relations specialist. He initially thought that there was a mistake. He took a day to look into it. When he called me back he was sympathetic, but said that the pricing was what it was. And there was really nothing that he could do about it.
That is patently ridiculous. I am certain that there was nothing that he could do, but Honda Motorcycles could do whatever they chose to do. And in this case, (and I am making a couple assumptions here) I believe that since an insurance company is involved, they are choosing to not do anything.
I made the point to the representative that this is not costing me anything. But what of the hapless CTX1300 rider that doesn't have insurance? There is NO way that anyone can convince me that two fairly poorly designed plastic hard bags makes up virtually 1/3 the value of the bike!
If this is Honda's over-all attitude towards its customers, then I am seriously thinking about picking up something different. As much as I love my CTX1300, to have to experience this confiscatory pricing for parts is just something I can't tolerate.
Likely I will put humpty-dumpty back together, and then sell this machine and go back to a big twin in the Spring.
In chatting with the representative, I got the distinct impression that there likely will not be another production year of this bike. That in and of itself is sad because it is a great machine. But if the 2014 is the only production run there will be, parts are going to start drying up relatively quickly compared to other models. True, it may become somewhat of a collector's bike, but probably not in my lifetime!
Anyone have any thoughts on this? On Honda's treatment of a long-time rider of their bikes? On the very future of our CTXs?
That's $4500 for a pair! By point of reference, the CTX 700 does not come with bags like our CTX1300s do. Still, a pair of bags for the CTX 700 will only set you back a bit under $700 at dealer pricing! Not $4500 as for the CTX1300!
To say I was shocked and enraged would be playing down the point. The dealer tried to get a complete bag. No dice. I finally ended up calling Honda Motorcycle North America and spoke at length with a Customer Relations specialist. He initially thought that there was a mistake. He took a day to look into it. When he called me back he was sympathetic, but said that the pricing was what it was. And there was really nothing that he could do about it.
That is patently ridiculous. I am certain that there was nothing that he could do, but Honda Motorcycles could do whatever they chose to do. And in this case, (and I am making a couple assumptions here) I believe that since an insurance company is involved, they are choosing to not do anything.
I made the point to the representative that this is not costing me anything. But what of the hapless CTX1300 rider that doesn't have insurance? There is NO way that anyone can convince me that two fairly poorly designed plastic hard bags makes up virtually 1/3 the value of the bike!
If this is Honda's over-all attitude towards its customers, then I am seriously thinking about picking up something different. As much as I love my CTX1300, to have to experience this confiscatory pricing for parts is just something I can't tolerate.
Likely I will put humpty-dumpty back together, and then sell this machine and go back to a big twin in the Spring.
In chatting with the representative, I got the distinct impression that there likely will not be another production year of this bike. That in and of itself is sad because it is a great machine. But if the 2014 is the only production run there will be, parts are going to start drying up relatively quickly compared to other models. True, it may become somewhat of a collector's bike, but probably not in my lifetime!
Anyone have any thoughts on this? On Honda's treatment of a long-time rider of their bikes? On the very future of our CTXs?
to come down.
