[flytrap]

The cold weather has obviously slowed down discussion traffic, so I'm going to try to pick it up here with a thread for "things you like about your bike." Then after hundreds (!) of people weigh in, I'll tabulate the responses. Here are mine rank ordered from 1 to 10

1. smooth engine
2. foot rest position
3. bar position (no forward lean)
4. style
5. stability in the wind and at speed
6. reliability (no issues yet)
7. lights
8. brakes
9. power delivery
10. not a v-twin

 

[csdexter]

I usually rank things separate for technical and artistic merit, so here goes:

Tech:
1. very stable and smooth in the wind and at speed
2. engine is powerful enough to scare the sh!t out of me if I lean too much, too quickly on the gas
3. bike build is solid enough to fare well with that engine (doesn't flex)
4. shaft drive and fuel injection, like Santa paying you a visit twice!
5. all LED lights and generally no '80s leftovers in the electronics department

Art:
1. that step in the saddle is absolutely fantastic on the motorway, helps a lot with posture and arriving without aches
2. the overall lines of the design and how the bike seems much longer than it actually is
3. the fact that it feels "stiff" at speed so that you feel comfortable leaning it around bends, but "soft" in the parking lot so that you feel comfortable taking hairpins with it
4. exposed cylinder heads, discreet chrome on the exhaust and always-on-but-dimmed indicators
5. there isn't any difference between riding with an empty or full tank -- as opposed to my past bikes, on which it was quite a difference

Jury's choice:
1. rear axle not obscured by exhaust
2. plenty dry space under the saddle to hide electronics
3. discreet anti-stall (rpm goes up a bit when not in neutral and the clutch switch is released, quite a bit before the bite point)
4. generous (amount and size) rubber blankets around the engine area for thermal management, including directing hot air from the fan towards the side vents
5. overwhelming evidence of being engineered for reliability (engine, frame, electrics)

 

[sleepngbear]

Can I just leave it at it would be a whole lot easier to list the things I don't like about it?

 

[willajabir]

No particular order:
1-Unobscured rear axle.
2-Smoother.
3-Wind Management with tall shield.
4-Torque
5-Mileage
6-Mellow sound

 

[Dennis Addy]

Like

Everything the bike is amazing.

 

[shane]

I'm a "user experience" kinda guy. My laptop doesn't just have to be fast; the keys need to feel right and the trackpad needs to have just the right texture. The steering wheel on my truck is just as important to me as the rumble of the exhaust or the size of the tires. I am fanatical about the handle of the coffee pot being on the right side when a fresh pot is made, and don't you DARE put the toilet paper on the roll backwards in my house. Also, I obsess over the design of things. I have been known to sit and stare at a plastic fork, marveling at the machines required to manufacture it and wondering about the real, live person who sat down at a drawing board and dreamed up that particular shape. I have done the same thing for my cell phone and every motorcycle I have owned. Each curve of the bodywork, every bend of the exhaust, all the pieces that fit together with such precision (or not! ex: broken tabs). The thing is, with this bike, it flips all the right switches in my head. I love the look of it; it was love at first sight, in fact. The first CTX1300 that I had ever laid my eyes on is now sleeping in my shed waiting for a chilly ride later on today. With this bike, I have all the power that I want. The exhaust note is unique and full of the right Not-A-Harley sound. The bike's aesthetics are spot-on for me, striking the right balance between futuristic plastic bodywork and chromed mechanical clockworkiness. I'm not riding a bike that has had the same exact shape for the past 80 years. I'm also not riding Kaneda's machine from a futuristic New Tokyo. This bike is Here. This bike is Now. And I love it.

 

[gpa]

bulle Givi et leviers

bulle très large et très haute
leviers freins et embrayage réglables (HONDA VFR800 2002<>2012)

Album anonyme wqdRk - casimages.com

 

[gpa]

http://nsa33.casimages.com/img/2014/12/14/141214085012290687.jpg

 

[richroiz]

The cold weather has obviously slowed down discussion traffic, so I'm going to try to pick it up here with a thread for "things you like about your bike." Then after hundreds (!) of people weigh in, I'll tabulate the responses. Here are mine rank ordered from 1 to 10

1. smooth engine
2. foot rest position
3. bar position (no forward lean)
4. style
5. stability in the wind and at speed
6. reliability (no issues yet)
7. lights
8. brakes
9. power delivery
10. not a v-twin

1) Its fun

I just spent several days looking at year end closout deals. Some VERY attractive options and incentives are going on out there.

In the Honda lineup , I rode the Valkyrie and the F6B . OK.. the Valk was a blast , and I really want one, but i would still prefer the CTX comfort and have some bags to put stuff in. And the torque is fine, granted its not a Valk
That 6 cyl engine is a work of art though.

The F6B ... hmm... it just feels like a CTX WANTS to go go go, the F6B needs a little coaxing off the line... perhaps its not my kind of tuning I guess. The weight was a problem, especially 'round town, and the look just isnt as eye catching.
What was unimpressive to me was the responsiveness... a CTX instantly reacts to the throttle, the Valk was kinda same, the F6B wasn't near what I expected.

Im going back to the one reason I ride... whats FUN... my CTX is the best bang for the buck in pure fun factor.

 

[flytrap]

#11 moved up to 5

1) Its fun

Im going back to the one reason I ride... whats FUN... my CTX is the best bang for the buck in pure fun factor.

Relative to other touring bikes out there (BMW, Triumph, Harley, Victory) the CTX is indeed cheap. Add a windshield and heated grips for a few hundred $ and you are ready to go with the best of them. So...I'm adding "great bang for the buck" to my list.

 

[Drummer]

It's the here and now,LED lights brilliant,the V4 nearly as good as the 6,but a close second,
And it's different I have not seen one here in the South West of England (Cornwall)

 

[jeffz]

The CTX's look grows on me more and more as time goes by. I liked it when I first saw it in Cycle World last year, but then became unsure of the styling (til now I've been a classic/retro type bike guy). I came back around to it as a bike that made a lot of sense on paper and in terms of ergonomics, but I still wasn't sure about the future-contemporary styling. Then I found it a blast to ride and fell in love with the look of it from the inside out - the dash, etc. Now I've realized as I've been staring at it parked in the garage when I pull the car in and out that it just looks like an amazing motorcycle to me. It's just good design.

I think this bike has convinced me to be over the idea of retro for its own sake. With vehicles especially I have long been of the mindset that old materials and forms just seemed better than contemporary plasticky stuff. While I do still dislike plastic's dominance, I don't regret its place in the CTX because I don't know what else they could form that shape out of that wouldn't ruin my single favorite aspect of the bike (its low COG).

Jeff

 

[gpa]

Photos

Album photo NRRpQ - casimages.com

je suis désolé, je ne sais pas écrire anglais !:350x700px-LL-66dd6d
voici mes transformations personnelles,
bulle très large, leviers réglables (frein et embrayage)
bas de carénage moteur.

Bonnes fêtes à tous

 

[willajabir]

@gpa,
2 useful sites for translation are:
2 sites utiles pour la traduction sont :
translate.google.com
or
Bing Translator
I enjoy your posts as is, but I'm sure that is not 100% here due to our diversity.
As far as your photos, it seems the garage priority is incorrect!!!!

 

[gpa]

Forum CTX 1300 honda

 

[Huladog]

I've got to agree!

The CTX's look grows on me more and more as time goes by. I liked it when I first saw it in Cycle World last year, but then became unsure of the styling (til now I've been a classic/retro type bike guy). I came back around to it as a bike that made a lot of sense on paper and in terms of ergonomics, but I still wasn't sure about the future-contemporary styling. Then I found it a blast to ride and fell in love with the look of it from the inside out - the dash, etc. It's just good design.

I think this bike has convinced me to be over the idea of retro for its own sake. With vehicles especially I have long been of the mindset that old materials and forms just seemed better than contemporary plasticky stuff. While I do still dislike plastic's dominance, I don't regret its place in the CTX because I don't know what else they could form that shape out of that wouldn't ruin my single favorite aspect of the bike (its low COG).

Jeff

I'm feeling the same way about "retro" although I do have a 2013 Honda CB1100 along with the CTX1300.

This morning I was riding around Kailua (where the President is vacationing) and a rider (in shorts and t-shirt no less) on a current model Harley Street Glide had to make his way through light Sunday traffic to pull alongside and figure out what kind of space-ship bagger I was riding.

He gave it the thumbs-up while riding along with me for awhile.

Aloha,
Huladog

 

[Miks]

Hulladog,

That's great that other riders don't recognize the bike, and are intrigued enough to want to find out. I am looking forward to the reaction once the weather warms up and the bike can be taken out. I still only have 0.3 miles on the bike as it sits waiting for spring.

So...what are your initial impressions of the bike now that you have been getting a little riding in?

 

[Huladog]

I think the CTX1300 isn't one of those bikes that impresses you on a test ride or even the first 50 miles of ownership. Truthfully I was a little worried on my first rides that this might NOT be the right choice, but that hesitation went away after I hit about 100 - 150 miles and got used to the bike.

Now the clutch feel is right, I can more easily roll away from stops with very little throttle if any. Low center of gravity is nice, coming to a stop it feels like it remains balanced well and I can drop one foot to hold up the bike easy at a stop. Got a chance to roll through some winding curves and like how the low center of gravity lets this big bike nicely roll from side to side in the tight turns. I'm no sporty bike racer but the bike leans over quite a bit and I didn't scrape the pegs.

If you look at the shift and rear brake levers/linkages you sort of wonder how they would feel since they're kind of convoluted to fit around stuff yet still work as levers. Both feel just fine and I like how the rear brake pedal is decent sized.

With a few miles on it the transmission is shifting smoother and slicker. I can do the quick shifting thing with a short pull on the clutch lever and just a snick up on the shifter, just like I can do on my CB1100. Honda does design slick shifting transmissions.

I like it. Good thing too since I better keep this bike for a long time.

Aloha,
Huladog

 

[kniterider]

I love the lighter quicker styling over my last couple of touring bikes(mixture of wings and beemers) I am of the mind that this bike is an excellent starting point to make a perfect long distance rider for me. It gets about 4-5 mpg beTter than my last wing( I had the ecm retuned on the wing and mpg jumped to average 42 ).IT HANDLES BETTER ON THE DRAGON,,,I CAN REACH THE GROUND EASIER AT STOPS.
Now needed improvements after my 11650 mile USA ride. Seat tore up my butt. Had to seek medical attention for tissue damage, yeah that bad. Seat is at Russell day long as we speak.Plus they are actually adding a real rear seat for my wife.
Already installed risers to bring bars back so I can ride sitting upright with just a bit of elbow bend.
Installed the add on mirrors to stock mirrors to get rid of the deadly blind spot behind me. plus ctx700 mirrors on bars.
Installed electronic cruise control that i will be "fixing" over the winter with the recommendations from another knowledgeable member on here.
Installing a tourtank aux tank system to make up for the smallish (5.5) tank as compared to rest of the touring field. Probably about 4 gallon so the bike can match my bladder duration of 400 to 450 miles.
Ceebailys 16 inch and wider windshield with adjustable vent coming for my birthday in about 2 weeks.
yep then I think it will be good to go for me for at least 60,000 miles about 18 to 24 months

 

[FatStrat]

Leaving work the other day I noticed a coworkers new Street Glide. Absolutely a beautiful bike. Took a moment to look it over and congratulate the owner on his new ride.
I went over to my CTX and pulled the cover off, and stowed my stuff away for the ride home. Pulling out of the parking lot, feeling the strum of the V4 drove home the fact that I got the right motorcycle. A fine machine it is!