[ballward]

Well the day arrived and I picked up my CTX1300DL this morning. After some very thorough training from my sales guy Eric at Crofton Honda I was on my way .
I have ridden a lot of bikes in the last 57 years and each step up with Honda has been a winning experience. I traded in a NC700X which was a great ride around the country lanes but when I saw the info on the CTX1300 I was sold on longer distance travel. The 30 mile trip home somehow turned into 100+
The bike looked a bit daunting to me so I was amazed it felt as light as the NC700X and a delight to ride. As far as I am concerned it is a real winner and really in a class of its own.. By far the most joy I have had riding since I started. Those of you still waiting have no doubts it is well worth the wait
Safe travels
ballward

 

[bob]

Yep, need to up my game on the sales pitch to the "boss"

 

[ShadowRider]

I felt exactly the same way once I got used to the position of the foot controls. The shifter is much further in than it was on the Shadow, and the brake pedal is in a slightly different location, too. (But then, I had floorboards on the Shadow almost from the beginning.) I STILL have to look down to locate the kickstand, since it is in a REALLY different place! I struggled a bit after that initial takeoff from the dealer's lot, but adjusted pretty quickly.

The ride on this bike is so incredibly smooth that you don't WANT to get off of it! And it is so darned comfortable! I had a condition in my upper legs that made it really painful to sit for more than about 30 minutes without getting up and walking around. That kept me from going on rides with a group, since they would not want to stop that often. I had to replace the stock seat on the Shadow in order to be able to ride it any distance at all. Even a Mustang seat and an AirHawk cushion only helped a little.

I rode the CTX1300 all day long on Sunday and did not have a single bit of pain. It is also improving my posture and problems with lower back pain because it is forcing me to sit upright, so it will actually be GOOD for me to ride as much as I can. Maybe I can use that excuse with my other half to justify being out riding all the time!

I am SO glad that you got your bike at last and that you like it. It isn't perfect; there are some things I would have done differently. But I think it is still the best bike I have ever ridden, and I plan to put a lot of miles on it!

 

[sleepngbear]

Awesome, ballward. You and ShadowRider, that's exactly the feeling I'm hoping for. I haven't felt that since I first jumped on the VTX1800. I'm expecting this bike to take that a step further.