Say what you want about Honda, but no one can accuse them of sitting on their hands and not building new motorcycles. Case in point, the V-four-powered CTX1300 that Honda took the wraps off today at the EICMA show in Italy.
A cross between a cruiser, a sport tourer and a bagger, the CTX is for someone wanting something a bit different. The big CTX is powered by a fuel-injected, water-cooled 1261cc V-four (modified from its normal home in the ST1300 sport-tourer) that is traverse mounted and shaft-driven. The big CTX joins the CTX700 and will be available in two versions – deluxe and standard – and Honda is aiming for a retail price in the neighborhood of $17,000.
At least in its initial incarnation, the CTX1300 will not feature Honda’s Dual-Clutch Transmission (DCT). Instead it gets a manual five-speed transmission that features taller gearing for touring. Honda says torque has also been improved and all the power of the CTX1300 gets to the pavement via a wide 200-series rear tire.
The bike has a claimed 724 pounds and that’s with its 5.1-gallon fuel tank, which sits below the seat, full. The CTX1300 will likely feel lighter than that, however – thanks to a low center of gravity and low 29.1-inch seat height. Although we didn’t ride the bike, we did get to sit on it during our sneak peak at American Honda’s headquarters in Torrance, California, and it’s plenty comfortable and spacious and the swept-back handlebars and low seat height making the bike seem smaller than it is – or at least lighter.
The CTX gets an inverted fork up front and dual shocks at the rear that can be adjusted for additional weight – i.e. passengers and/or luggage.
The CTX has a different look with its low windshield allowing for that wind-in-your-face feeling that makes it different from a touring motorcycle. The bike also gets tons of instrumentation with two big analog gauges and an LCD display between them that shows pertinent trip information.
On the Deluxe version, that LCD screen will also help owners control their Bluetooth-enabled audio system. Other goodies featured on the Deluxe version that aren’t on the Standard model are ABS and traction control, self-canceling turn signals and blacked-out frame and wheels.
The new CTXs are expected to arrive in Honda dealerships in the Spring of 2014.
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