Join Date: May 2005
Location: Las VLXas (Vegas, baby!) NV U.S.A.
Posts: 11,909
That's the problem, the VTX ushered in the cubic inch wars. In doing so people lost sight of the former mid-sized models (which are now considered small models, because someone came along that was much bigger than Mike Tyson thus making Tyson a middle weight...it makes perfect sense when you don't think about it).
Just to show how far Honda's ignorance stretched, the 750 Nighthawk died shortly after the debut of the 1800. Meanwhile the 250 soldiered on, however due to the Rebel's "more bang for the buck" lower MSRP the 250 Nighthawk became a showroom pariah. Dealers had a difficult time moving a more expensive bike that lacked the popular cruiser styling while at the same time was boasting a less efficient drum brake up front (meanwhile European CB250 models had made the switch to a disc brake up front a decade earlier). It got to the point that dealers simply would not order a CB250 unless someone put a deposit down for one, it actually became the only model that the VTX outsold (if only because there was nothing to sell).
So this is where Honda really gets a brilliant idea. Hot on the heels of several MC magazine articles that ran fuel economy comparisons hailing the CB250 with upwards of 80mpg at a time when gas was fetching north of $4 per gallon --- mind you, this was all free and positive advertising for Honda's product --- Honda does what they did best during the reign of the VTX: they nixed the model everyone who read the articles came in asking about.
While I never took a single marketing class in college, I marvel at how these decisions could ever possibly be above my pay grade...
"Ride Safe, Chop Safer" Motorcycles are not unsafe. However; they are extremely unforgiving of inattention, incompetence, ignorance, and stupidity.
Dismantling, sawzalling, and rattle canning does not make a bobber.
Those are STEPS toward customizing, not customizing unto itself.