Thu, 17 Sep 1998 14:35:30 +0100 - Message No. 4040
From: gmitropoulos@pnc.co.uk

Subject: RE: Varadero : I will buy it (when I 'll got the dosh that




>>> I am sure there are loads of @ riders who, like me, spend the 99.9999%
of
>>> their riding time on tarmac rather than off road.

>But then, what's the point of riding an offroad bike? And even more so:
>what's the piont in making/buying a street bike with mild offroad
>cosmetics? A VTR would do the job much better on winding tarmac roads
>thanks to lower center of gravity and smaller wheels.

For a start I do not believe that who ever has an RD07 is actually riding
an off road bike. A bike that can go off road, maybe, but far from off road
bike.

Well, I will answer your question with a question. What is the point of
riding a supermoto? I am sure you know the answer. Give me a KTM Duke which
IS "a street bike with mild offroad cosmetics" and try to catch me in any
back/mountain twisty road, using a VTR/CBRRR/ZXR/etc.

What's the point? the point is ease of use, power delivery that does not
scare the rider, better control, more comfortable, much easier and safer to
ride in a city, faster in the city, faster in twisty roads, shall I
continue???

The @ has been a hybrid from the moment it first appeared. Lately Honda
does push it more and more towards the Tiger/R1100GS concept and I think
it's a good thing. After all, if you prefer the @ as it is, Honda still do
sell it...

Regards
George






"Jorn Ronnow"  on 17/09/98 12:41:18

Please respond to d97jorn@dtek.chalmers.se
                                                              
                                                              
                                                              
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 Subject: RE: (XRV) Varadero : I will buy it (when I 'll got  
          the dosh that is...)                                
                                                              






gmitropoulos@pnc.co.uk wrote:

> I am sure there are loads of @ riders who, like me, spend the 99.9999% of
> their riding time on tarmac rather than off road.

But then, what's the point of riding an offroad bike? And even more so:
what's the piont in making/buying a street bike with mild offroad
cosmetics? A VTR would do the job much better on winding tarmac roads
thanks to lower center of gravity and smaller wheels.

It's a bit like American car industry logic:

1) We don't have a sports car. We'll make one! (e.g. the original
   Thunderbird)

2) People with families are a larger consumer group. Let's graudally
   transform the Thunderbird into a family car.

3) Now, we don't have a sports car anymore, just another family car.
   Go back to 1) after some years...

So, this is translated into Honda terms:

1) We don't have a big offroader. Let's make one!

2) Most people ride on tarmac, anyway. Let's transform an offroader
   into a street bike!

3) And now we have yet another street bike, as if we didn't have
   enough of them already...


Keep sliding (which requires an offroad bike)
-Jorn







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