Sun, 20 Sep 1998 00:04:11 +0200
- Message No. 4075
From: NMaiwald@t-online.de (Norbert Maiwald)
Subject: varadero or not to varadero
Hi everybody !
IMO this new developed bike ("varadero") is maybe not what everybody expected
Honda to do.
But I think it LOOKS quite like an @. But it surely is no @. Say goodbye to our
lovely bike ! But luckily our @s still work, even if the first varadero will
overtake my "little" RD03 with almost double of engine size and hp.(And I will
overtake the varadero back when it comes to anything else than tarmac and
highway speed...that's for sure!) But what if - one day in the future - I will
run out of spares ? What if I have to switch the bike ?
Phoebus is absolutely right: we are not married to honda and if anybody needs to
change his/her bike he/she is free to chose.
Question is what to chose...
IMO Honda did a great job in the eighties when they sold the RD03 as a replica
of the NXR 750 Paris Dakar winning bike.
As far as I am a kind of rallye-fan , I don't like the designing process of the
@ model history, they came too close to the street touring bikes, especially the
varadero now. Look at the groung clearance...try to pass street construction
areas in northern europe and have fun !( Even the (03) 04/07 bikes are
too close, but you can modify them with some reasonable effort...)
The point is, that I don't want to ride a KTM - on long distance tours!
For the type of riding I prefer, I need a bike wich can go 150 kmh on the
highway AND on gravel...and still drives straight on after you get your wheels
off the ground at 120 kmh...AND:the bike has to go 6000km without any
maintenance or oil change and without losing screws all the time!
There has to be a 2-cylindre-engine that has to work perfectly and you should
never have to waist your thoughts about when you changed the filters the last
time. And it should be cheap and RELIABLE. Simply @.
The KTM has a racing engine, we don't race usually all the time...The only thing
I miss on the @ is a kick starter. Have a look at the NXR 750...
But considering the varadero: Better don't try this thing on gravel roads.
Is this right ? 150 rear / 110 front size tires? What about handling , even on
tarmac, Phillipe ???
The only tires you will get should be T66 or similar...
Go test them on gravel!
Don't talk about compromise on this bike. Our loved @ is already compromise
enough, and it's a good bike. The varadero might be the step too far towards the
street bikes,and is there really a market for this kind of bikes ? I already
wonder about all those 1100 GS driving around, what do you need the varadero
for, that you cannot do with other bikes ?
And for those guys who think off-road means motocross: Try to get to the most
beautiful places in europe on tarmac. IMO you won't succeed, have a look at
SWEDEN,NORWAY and FINLAND on a varadero-style bike, and you will never know what
life is all about ...Even for this kind of gravel you simply need an off road
bike ! Otherwise you're going to miss a lot, I can tell you.
Another factor is fun ! Go ride in the dirt, "even" with the @. But be sure to
do it right and pick up a little speed on wide tracks and let her fly...
And watch the guys on their KLRs and XRs disappear in your mirrors at 130 kmh.
Honda will surely receive feedback on this bike, and I'm sure there will be as
much as good feedback as there will be of the bad kind ( Especially on the
painting ! uurgh! Guzzi quota style, is this what we're going to see in the
future all the time ? BTW:the hand protectors look very familiar...)
Too bad I couldn't make it to the INTERMOT and have a seat on it.
But what shall we do now ? Hope for the new XR ? I'm not so sure about single
cylindre engines and touring/travelling/long engine life... Or wait for the
KTM-Harley fusion and the new "twin-cam-88-electra-glide-adventure enduro" ? Pay
double the price of an @ for a WITEC BMW ? Dig out an NXR750 or steal
peterhansel's yamaha ?
I hope the guys at Honda and all the other producers of spare parts will go on
doing their job for my sweet RD03...And I will watch out like hell to keep this
treasure !
CHRIS
www@atic.org