American Honda today announced a few 2015 models, including the all-new NM4 (pictured above) that we discussed a few days ago, as well as a redesigned PCX150 scooter.
It looks like the U.S. model NM4 will feature the smaller displacement 670cc parallel twin, rather than the 745 cc unit in Europe. While it has “love it or hate it” styling, the NM4 should be quite practical with all of the available storage compartments. Additionally, if you had the chance to chase a Gurney Alligator through the Southern California canyons a decade or so ago, you will realize this chassis has great handling potential. From the photos, it appears Honda has built in excellent ground clearance … hopefully, for a reason.
Here is Honda’s press release covering each of the 2015 models it is announcing today, with corresponding links to appropriate web pages.
Torrance, CA: In recent new-model releases, Honda has covered an extensive span across all categories with more than 20 exciting new powersports products. This remarkably wide variety has impacted virtually all segments of the market, from lightweight, fun bikes such as the Grom™ and 500 series, to big-displacement trendsetters such as the Valkyrie®, F6B and CTX1300, from the innovative Pioneer™ side-by-sides to great new ATVs. What more can Honda possibly do for 2015? Plenty.
“Honda has a deeply rooted drive toward innovation,” said Powersports Press Manager Bill Savino. “That’s something Honda has repeatedly demonstrated throughout its history in its role as market leader. For 2015, we’re pressing forward with more innovative new products, as well as updates to some of our most popular models.”
NM4
If you’ve ever wanted to transport yourself into the future, this is your machine. By design, the NM4 shakes up the status quo and explodes conventional barriers in order to attract a whole new segment of forward-thinking riders to motorcycling. Beneath its futuristic bodywork there’s a 670cc, liquid-cooled, parallel-twin engine with four valves per cylinder, automatic dual-clutch transmission and ABS. Storage pockets in the fairing plus saddlebags add real-world utility, and the rear turn signals are neatly integrated into the rear bags. The rider settles easily onto a comfy seat that’s perched a low, 25.6 inches off the ground, and there’s also a cool and practical rider backrest feature—the passenger seat flips up and can be set at three different angles and slides fore and aft to one of four positions. Full LED lighting lets the NM4 stand out whether it’s coming or going, the fat, 200mm rear tire imparts a cool look, and the meter display can be illuminated in any of 25 different color choices—nearly one for every day of the month. All this and more add up to one of the coolest new bikes in the Honda line. Color: Black Metallic; Price: $10,999; Availability: June
http://powersports.honda.com/nm4.aspx
Honda PCX150
PCX150
The PCX150 stands out as a best-seller worldwide thanks to its modern design and remarkable value for money in terms of initial purchase price, low operating costs and thrifty fuel efficiency. Now the next generation arrives. Its low-friction Enhanced Smart Power [eSP™] 153cc, liquid-cooled engine is even more efficient than before, and a larger, 2.1-gallon fuel tank helps give it greater range between fill-ups too. The PCX150 also gets a new look and increased comfort and convenience features, including new seating for rider and passenger comfort. Stylish LED headlights, taillight and turn signals add a trendsetting touch, and a handy 12-volt accessory socket serves as a convenient charging station for personal electronics. With a light curb weight of 295 pounds, a nimble, 51.8-inch wheelbase and a low, 29.9-inch seat height, the PCX150 serves as an easygoing ride that adds a big element of fun to the day’s travels. Colors: Metallic Black, Pearl White; Price: $3449; Availability: July
http://powersports.honda.com/2015/pcx.aspx
CRF110F
The CRF110F fills an important role as an entry-level bike for beginning riders because it has all the right stuff: electric starter, modest size, low seat height, automatic clutch to go with the four-speed transmission and a broad power spread from the 109cc, four-stroke engine. It’s tuned to meet the needs of those new to riding with great ergonomics, comfortable and confidence-inspiring rider triangle. And there’s also a throttle-limiter feature for further adjustability. It also features race-inspired looks from the pro-level CRF450R and CRF250R. Color: Red; Price: TBD; Availability: June
http://powersports.honda.com/2015/crf110f.aspx
CRF50F
Every rider has to start somewhere, and for thousands of riders that somewhere has been a very happy place—the Honda CRF50F. For decades, Honda’s off-road 50s have proven to have the right stuff for beginners to get a great start in off-road riding. There’s the strong and tough 49cc four-stroke engine that’s famous for its durability and friendly power characteristics. The automatic clutch and three-speed gearbox make it easy to build up a strong riding foundation, as do the telescopic fork and single-shock rear suspension. For more than 40 years, Honda 50s have stood tall as the bike of choice for beginners, and that tradition continues today with the CRF50F. Color: Red; Price: TBD; Availability: June
I’ve had Honda motorcycles nearly all my riding life,ie CD125,CB400,Cb500,VFR750,i’m on my last one now,theres nothing left for me after my Blackbird,I won’t be buying this rubbish,Triumph here I come!!
Vultus? Is that vulva plus vulture plus vomitus?
How is the rocking chair seating position good? They say we riders are stuck with styles and concepts that we do not want changed. They say we only want bikes that look like bikes we already have and we wont tolerate anything new. Then they roll this stuff out and claim we are fuddy-duddy’s for not likeing it. But the thing is – there’s only so much you can do with two wheels, a gas tank, a motor, and a seat. Laying back like I’m watching a movie aint the way to enjoy a ride.
“the NM4 should be quite practical”
and therefore will not do well in the US market. If it even smells like a “good all around motorcycle”, regardless of styling, we just don’t buy them…mighty sad, but true. But being odd ball sometimes works ’cause we’ll buy weird stuff… Who knows.
NM4- At least Honda did not put one of those useless and ugly beaks under the headlight and jutting out through the…the…OMG, the entire bike is a beak.
Well they incorporated what you call a beak into a useful wind deflecting, storage holding, and possibly gas saving fairing, so it kind of had to be fairly big to achieve its utilitarian purposes, of which it at least has, rather than being merely being a gigantic phallic symbol right in the very front of your bike, and existing for no other purpose than that. Can’t we all agree, a beak used merely as a not so subtle phallic symbol is a bit more laughable and silly than one incorporated with a serious purpose in mind, regardless of whether you think it is ugly or not – at least it is not a gargantuan phallic symbol right smack in front of your freaking 20K bike. What else could be more embarrassing?
Also, at least from the side, the NM4 is a fairly attractive machine. Trent below is right. This design would have worked well as a muscle bike, think modernized B-King here. And the muffs, oh, the B-Kings muffs would just look killer on the NM4 if it could so how be workably fitted onto the bike somehow.
Honda can keep the BAT bike and bring in a real mid size 450 or 650 adventure bike since its one of the fastest growing markets. I think honda should find some new marketing guys and start listening to its dealerships that are losing customers!
“If you’ve ever wanted to transport yourself into the future, this is your machine.”
Now that I’ve seen the future, I can safely say there won’t be any new Hondas in my garage! For ST1100/1300 owners, our future looks bleak!
Which is probably good, cause just when most of you all lose hope is just when Honda will probably release an update of the bike. Honda is sadistic like that. Honda and V-4 are synonymous. Doubtful if they let go of the category forever. The wait just maybe due to Honda wanting to make a decent, fairly innovative update rather than a lame one like that of the latest VFR.
Honda just needs some of these growing brands who survive off of these high profit categories to mature and establish themselves a little more before it feels comfortable releasing a bike which might take sales away from them. Given a choice between these other brands survival and leaving the big bike market all together in both Europe and America, Honda would probably choose to leave the market. That’s how important it is for Honda that these other, off brands do fairly well and continue to grow, even if that growth is at Honda’s expense.
Actually, Honda has a recent patent application put in that covers several details of what appears to be a V4 sportbike. So we may see something sooner rather than later? Who knows?
What is the performance specs of this piece of paper. Will believe it …..when I see and read the tests!
Additionally, not one of Hondas patents has resulted in a class winner in comparison tests over the past couple of years.
And by the way……..you want a performance V4………..Aprilia is the manufacturer, not Honda
Also, whether you choose to have a Honda in your garage, make sure you have some in your stock portfolio. It seems pretty clear that in the transportation world to come, one of the big, big winners – in fact, probably the biggest winner of them all, although BMW might run a close second – is going to be Honda Motor Corp.
So whether you choose to ride one or not is your personal preference, but whether to own shares in Honda, well that’s just a no brainer. You don’t have to like them to make money off of them. Only a numbnut would pass on shares of Honda.
Don’t be a numbnut.
Cut the crap just once or provide a pix of you riding your portfolio…….this is a motorcycle website not a base camp the few Honda supporters still trying to justify the companies pathetic motorcycle offerings over the past 2 decades based solely on the companies investment potential.
Agree totally. The NM4 is just a reworded second pass attempt on the DOA DN-01. If you are looking for a replacement for the ST1100 or ST1300 don’t expect it from Honda as they are too busy redesigning another redo for the 1200 Interceptor sales disaster.
And……how can Honda be proud of the NM4 which is an all to obvious knockoff of the Gurney Alligator design concept http://allamericanracers.com/gator-gallery/
Honda America Motorcycles should be disbanded and put in charge of the USA lawn/garden division…….
Knight Rider and David Hasselhoff want royalties.
NM4 – I couldn’t imagine anything better suited to America. Now if only the rest of us can avoid the monstrosity.
Roscoau, if you are who I think you are, shoot man, we ride Urals! Do we really have room to talk?
Hell yeah! This will prompt a new movie: Wild Hoglets.
the NM4 looks good well done Honda for being a bit different again , it kind of reminds me of the Honda civic fn2 and the NM4 looks way better than the dn-01. though i bet you a $100 this bike will not sell well , to many motorcyclist are traditional/conservative in their tastes, look at this whole retro cafe racer trend going on
Honda retro sports bike ………huhhhhhhhhhh
Kawasaki marketed the ZRX 1100 and 1200 in the US through 2005 or so.
Hondas response was to finally introduce their variant …the CB1100f in 2013 !!!!!!!!!!
Honda …..first in introducing bikes that will not sell in America
Honda….. last to introduce a competing bike to something that actually is selling in America like the ZRX 1100 and 1200………but only 15 years too late.
This is the only significant new design that Honda can come up with? A big scooter… *~*
This is the company that brought us the CB750SS, CBR900RR, Blackbird, CB1100F, CBX, and so many other kick ass bikes.
All they seem interested in now are utility based, easy to ride machines with no interest in excitement or passion. Honda has always been the manufacturer closest to my heart. Now, they are an embarrassment.
I appreciate that they are trying to make machines that appeal to folks that are new to riding, or elderly folks that may have a hard time getting a leg over a regular motorcycle. But, what about people like me who’ve loved and owned many Honda bikes, and want something from probably the most capable company in the industry? They make the most dependable, well built bikes anywhere! They are leaving their loyal fans out in the cold. They’ve done it in their auto division for years, and now their motorcycles are following along.
Toyota and Honda seem to have forgotten that PASSION is what creates the real love for their products. Not “golly, this vehicle sure is economical and has abundant storage capacity”. Honda, go ahead and make your plebeian transportation modules. Just don’t forget what made you the best manufacturer in the world. Don’t forget to make motorcycles that capture the spirit and the imagination. If you become a company with a singular, dispassionate focus, you will capture minds, but lose hearts.
re: “This is the only significant new design that Honda can come up with? A big scooter…”
exactly. and this isn’t the first one either so may I suggest we stop (cogitate) and use our brains and the sense god gave a cat…
right then, this is the company everybody seems to think is going to suddenly drop a cutting edge RC-XX V4 superbike in between releasing all these models (something they’ve been doing for almost a decade and half now) that sit at the complete OPPOSITE end of the performance spectrum…? okay, and they’re going to break with tradition why…?
re: “I appreciate that they are trying to make machines that appeal to folks that are new to riding”
is that what they’re doing…? okay, who are these people…? (Seinfeld voice) show me the survey data, ’cause I run into new riders all the time and I’ve never heard a ONE say these are the things they’re interested in. granted, it’s not some super scientific Quinnipiac poll like CNN might reference during an election year, but does it have to be…?
re: “Honda, go ahead and make your plebeian transportation modules. Just don’t forget what made you the best manufacturer in the world.”
too late.
re: “Don’t forget to make motorcycles that capture the spirit and the imagination.”
too late.
re: “if you become a company with a singular, dispassionate focus, you will capture minds, but lose hearts.”
too late.
if there’s any consolation (some may have heard the report elsewhere) they’ve made a management change. the current head of HRC is now going to oversee the motorcycle division. unfortunately there may not be anything in this, since Honda corporate policy has long been to rotate it’s employees.
It was the 50cc Cub and utilitarian derivatives that made Honda the best manufacturer in the world, not the low selling, asperational bikes you mention.
NM4, I served with the Honda Cub, I knew the Honda Cub. The Honda Cub was a friend of mine. You, NM4, are no Honda Cub.
Re: “Toyota and Honda seem to have forgotten that PASSION is what creates the real love for their products.”
Passion is for the young. In America, the young no longer have the money to follow their passion (at least not to the motorcycle store). This is why you’re seeing Honda and so many other brands trying to reinvent the cruiser.
I’d dig one of those PCX150’s to get around on. That looks fun/simple.
The NM4 provides the same gas mileage as a CBR250. Yes, it’s no Honda Cub (how could it be, it’s a 750), but certainly it is along the same spirit as one. You meet the nicest people on a Honda. Yes, aside from possibly its futuristic styling, the NM4 conforms very closely to the spirit of that slogan.
Also, that Lloyd Benson line was a full of bull, with no substance and merit only on the rhetorical level. Quail and JFK were cut from the same cloth, so close as to be interchangeable parts. Both from historically wealthy, well connected families, both young, good looking, articulate, womanizing, lousy at school, whose very image was created by the media. In the case of JFK, in a positive light, in the case of Quail, in a negative one. Put Quail in JFK’s time and with his media support and he becomes JFK, and vice versa.
And that’s exactly why I used it here. Does a Trail90 count as a Cub?
Honda will never introduce world beater sport bikes again because they are a car company.
Soichiro Honda died 13 years ago and with this the drive, passion and goal of winning he demanded disappeared
It is as if he made two 20 item lists before he died
List 1 = What to do related to motorcycles
List 2 = What not to do related to motorcycles
Result: Even the NM4 and DN-01 are not unique concepts………just knockoffs of the Gurney Alligator design
And Honda management since his death has been following the wrong list ever since.
Honda appears to going in a different direction than the rest of the industry.Building “futuristic” machines with small displacement engines , like the NM4.THe ctx1300 is a answer to a question that no one asked.Check any of the ST1300 rider forms and there are significant numbers begging for an update to the venerable ST1300,with the resources to buy it.Triumph,BMW and KTM are posting double digit sales gains tapping into lucrative existing markets.I wonder what Soichiro Honda would think of the direction his company is going.
re: “THe ctx1300 is a answer to a question that no one asked”
dont know if it’s reasonable, but see, there’s that phrase.
He would be jumping for joy. There are many ways to make money and be successful rather than the direct and simple minded way. What if Honda just buys stock in the company which are replacing them in the market they are intentionally retreating from, as they did with Harley back in the 80’s? Then you sit back, make money, have others do all the work, and get the heat off of yourself by being low key and because it appears to the general buying public as if domestic industries and a variety of different competitors are being successful, instead of just monolithic Honda.
re: “There are many ways to make money and be successful rather than the direct and simple minded way.”
now if only the franchisees on main street holding contracts with Honda could tap into these convoluted financial instruments.
re: “What if Honda just buys stock in the company which are replacing them in the market they are intentionally retreating from, as they did with Harley back in the 80′s? Then you sit back, make money, have others do all the work, and get the heat off of yourself by being low key”
dunno, but it sounds like a an SEC investigator’s wet dream…?
(1) Not as convoluted as credit default sways, which we all know from past experience the SEC turned a deliberate blind eye to. Besides me feels as if such deals are done strictly under the table anyway and away from the public eye.
(2) Wet Dream in what sense? In the chance to play renta cop or in the opportunity to get their hands greased some more. Who do you think has greasier hands, an auto mechanic or an SEC regulator? I believe the answer is clear. I may be a different kind of grease, but grease it is nevertheless.
Norm, you are supposed to be the “no free lunch” guy around here, the wise old owl who protects us less experienced, worldly wise newbies from our own innocent naivety and gullibility, the one self appointed guardian who protects the rest of us from ourselves, from our own self destructive ignorance, the one who catches us before we fall.
In that role you are much appreciated around here. Don’t let my mere Norm/Heaven on Earth parody post tempt you to sway you from your alloted task. Honest to God, there was nothing offensive in it whatsoever and it was not allowed to hit the light of day anyway.
Don’t let your paranoia and bitterness over a non-existence post cause you to sway from your greater duty. You are a bigger man than that.
re: “Norm, you are supposed to be the “no free lunch” guy around here, the wise old owl who protects us less experienced, worldly wise newbies from our own innocent naivety and gullibility, the one self appointed guardian who protects the rest of us from ourselves, from our own self destructive ignorance, the one who catches us before we fall.”
nope, sometimes it’s just easier to hand out rope. this is one of those times.
So 4 all others there is no limit to how much you will post to act in your self appointed, superhero, guardian, saving people from their own stupid, gullible gullibility role, but in my case, you would rather hand out a rope and tell me to go and hang myself.
Ha, ha, ha. Norm, that’s like Spiderman telling a poor little, crippled women in a burning building to go and F herself cause she did not clap hard enough at the Spiderman day parade. I guess you are not the bigger man, at least just in this particular moment in time, and with respect to just me, but I want to let you know – the feelings between us are not mutual.
I still believe in you, in the nobility of your heart and the merit of your cause. Dang, I wished they had not modded the post out. Then you would have seen how your offense is all just in your head and how truly harmless all the fun was, and we would not be having this the NM4 will fail or I, Norm G., will die trying to sabotage it discussion we are having now.
re: “Triumph, BMW and KTM are posting double digit sales gains tapping into lucrative existing markets.”
Triumph, BMW, KTM, and Ducati…
that’s 4 Europeans and 4 different full size adventure bikes being sold domestically helping drive those numbers.
I keep checking back and it keeps not going away.
Don’t know why, but the pic Honda released shows the Vultus at its ugliest. Check out the side view. Looks alot like a Moto Guzzi California Classic, everyone was raving about, except modernized and with a big, honking nose, or a natural, most welcomed, wind deflecting fairing depending on how you wish to see it.
Another funny thing. Honda decided to make a futuristic concept bike, but one with the front fender and muffler of a GS500 on it. Remove the muff, maybe replace it with one from a VFR1200, and mod the fender with something more fitting, even the one from the PCX150 looks more appropriate for the NM4 than the one Honda placed on it, and it will help the looks quite a bit.
The smaller engine and rev limit issue shouldn’t be much of an issue since all these bikes will have DCT and the auto tranny will shift for you before you hit the rev limit.
All in all, I think this bike will be more of a sales success than most of the mocking old geezers around here think. We will definitely have at least one more year of the model. Yes, this Honda is most likely gonna make you old geezers eat a bunch of crow.
re: “Remove the muff, maybe replace it with one from a VFR1200, and mod the fender with something more fitting, even the one from the PCX150 looks more appropriate for the NM4 than the one Honda placed on it, and it will help the looks quite a bit.”
3 words… BIGGEST REACH EVER.
re: “The smaller engine and rev limit issue shouldn’t be much of an issue”
correct, consumers will be STYMIED by the price long before they get to any of that.
re: “I think this bike will be more of a sales success than most of the mocking old geezers around here think.”
correct again, they will move 1 unit. OG bets are on ZERO units.
re: “this Honda is most likely gonna make you old geezers eat a bunch of crow.
gotta have a dream i guess.
(1) No, the biggest reach ever would be you attempting get the rest of us to believe that the SEC could be clear, transparent, fair handed, and utterly honest in its dealings and in its choice of enforcement. I mean, it’s a fact. The NM4 from that angle looks short and stubby. From a complete sideways pic, it looks long and lean, with very similar lines to that of a Moto Guzzi California. Also what would women be without their black eye liner, or sports cars without their blinged out mags. Slight details can make or break a look. Put the wheels of a Buick on a Ferrari and see how that works out, or put the NM4’s muffs and fender on a MV Augusta and see how that works. But vice versa, put the MV Agusta’s on the NM4 and its looks would improve dramatically.
re: “No, the biggest reach ever would be you attempting get the rest of us to believe that the SEC could be clear, transparent, fair handed, and utterly honest”
sorry, the Guinness people have already updated their records. it’s official, you’re IN THE BOOK. a press conference has been scheduled for later this afternoon, they’re hoping you’ll attend…?
Yea, right below the picture of you kissing the SEC’s ginormous hiney, saying I made to number 2, but could never ever overtake the duzzie that is number 1.
(2) The thing costs the same as a Burgman, while offering so much more. The DCT alone is worth half the price of the bike. If Honda had chosen to license the DCT out to the snob brands, is there any doubt that the HD’s, Ducati’s, and BMW’s of the world would have offered it as a 5K option, and all the old geezers around here currently dissing it would instead be full of endless praise because of its exclusivity, snob appeal, and it’s association with the snob brands, not mention cause they all need it because of their creeping arthritis? I mean, doesn’t BMW offer mere heated hand grips and seats as a 1K option? And yet, no one around here seems to be able to appreciate the offer of once in a generation, cutting edge tech for only a grand, or realize what an utter bargain that is. Honda is basically giving the DCT away, and no one around here has the good sense to thank them for the freebie.
Honda, because of their overall plans and because they care about how history will view them, because they want to take credit for next coming evolution of the motorcycle, is offering the DCT at bargain basement prices, so low that even the average Joe can partake of it, and all the people can do around here is diss it, completely failing to appreciate its historical significance due to their own personal biases.
The DCT is the new inline 4. It will change motorcycling, ushering in a new era, as significantly if not more, than the I-4 did in the 70’s. All the old geezers around here were alive back then to see the change happen right before their very eyes, and yet they, it seems, are completely oblivious to the same type of change happening right before their eyes once again, just cause its happening with a different aspect of the bike, or because it is happening through a brand which they do not favor.
(3) 1 unit. Really, Norm, you are letting your personally biases, whatever they maybe, show through. I guess the movie, Noah, being released around the same time was appropriate. Yea, back then, the set in their ways, full of personal biases, old Geezers also said the dang thing will never float, and the world would never change, that it would never flood.
Well, all I’ve got to say is just sit back and watch how the world of motor vehicle transportation changes and sit back and watch her float, cause the NM4 will not be a complete sales dud. It will sell well enough to warrant at least one more year. It’s been priced to sell.
I’ll be around still in few months and I’ll be back. Let’s just see who the real dreamer happens to be.
re: “Really, Norm, you are letting your personally biases, whatever they maybe, show through.”
no worries, REALITY has already sorted the light work. personal biases haven’t even gotten a word in edgewise…!? 🙂 LOL
Really, you can be serious. You claim at most they will sell only one of these and your position is the one of REALITY, the realistic one? Even the biggest, most vehement hater of the NM4 around wouldn’t go that far, and then go even further by claiming they have REALITY on their side with such an obvious to all, over extreme claim and that all other possible outcomes are superfluous, impossible, and just pie in the sky, wishful thinking.
Norm, just chill. We here all know it is not the real Norm G. talking right now, but the ticked off, full of resentment Norm G.
Norm, geez, you are the most thin skinned, over sensitive caped crusader I know. Superman has his Kryptonite, Spidey his Green Goblin, Batman his inability and unwillingness to use a simple firearm, but for Norm G., extraordinaire, it name calling, even just the innuendo of it, even when it’s never even allowed to exist.
A very unique and special superhero you are, Norm.
When looked at simply as a maxi scooter alternative it starts making a little more sense(emphasis on little). It’s a little weird but self cooler than a burgman, or silverwing and has normal sized wheels but if honda is hoping for more than that they will be dissapointed.
Unlike most everyone else, I actually like the NM4. It reminds me of Kaneda’s bike. However, I’d want to put the Super Blackbird’s 1137cc motor in it, and swap out the suspension for a real superbike’s.
Best idea in all posts herein. I was wondering what would make the NM4 make more sense, and you nailed it.
In some places in the world, like India, the NM4 is a big bike and a hot rod, compared to all the other weenie bikes everyone else is riding around on. Eventually, even in the States, the weenie bikes like those of India will become the norm rather than the exception.
So the point is – if you want to see the NM4 as a sexy, ubber powerful, gas guzzling hot rod, instead of the trouble and expense of an engine mod or transplant, just live really, really healthy and just don’t die. If the NM4 merely stands still, the rest of the market in time will simply come to its level and become ever more weaker, more weenie, and more concerned about MPG.
Youth of the future maybe wowed by the NM4’s sudden and dangerous levels of acceleration and power, amazed that men at one time dared to ride around on such a raw, testosterone dripping beast. Things like that are all relative. Remember the first time we jumped off our bicycles and rode our first 50cc? Remember how wowed we were by the acceleration and raw power of thing.
Riding this bike is like dating a fat chick. It’s a lot of fun until your friends see you. (old joke)
I don’t know. The pic of the Japanese chick riding one doesn’t seem to remind me of fattiness. She kinda of looks cool on one. And how fat we talking about? Cause I happened to be quite fond of a women with some meat on her bones, and not the anorexic, eating disorder, holocaust victim looking toothpicks you see on Vogue and such.
Hey keep laughing Bud, but I’ll just continue to enjoy the soft, cushy, not overly big headed, won’t break your bank account ride. Big Boobs > Big Heads in my book.
re: “If you’ve ever wanted to transport yourself into the future”
yes.
re: “this is your machine”
no. i want my MTV and my gull-wing doors.
I can’t stop laughing. What are they smoking over there?
Judge Dredd, your bike is ready…
I like the idea of a ‘recumbent’ motorcycle like the Gurney ‘Gator but Honda could have done so much more with the styling. I don’t know who their design studio is but it’s time for a reality check.
Craig Vetter should sue Honda for copying his early 1980’s fairing.
let’s see: an eleven thousand dollar maxi-scooter done up in jet-ski trim, I’m thinking this one will be a tough sell along with most of the Jetson line. Bless their pointy little heads, at least they are trying.
The NM4 is our punishment for not buying the DN-01. Honda knows what’s good for us and they’re going to keep building futuristic underpowered auto-trans black plastic batbikes until we see the light. I’m trying, Honda! Honest!
Don’t know if anyone elae mentioned the joke I heard at the dealer: DN-01 = Do not own one
Re: “the joke I heard at the dealer: DN-01 = Do not own one”
They sound really serious about being a successful business. I wish I could buy expensive goods from them (not..).
I was hoping the CRF50F would get a supermoto variant with upside-down forks, radial brakes and sticky gumball rubber. Maybe next year, Honda? 🙂
You forgot, it should be a two-stroke:)
The NM4 going into production (or being available?) by June, with the looks (based on the pictures we’ve seen) it has – that’s got to be an April Fools joke, right? I mean the concept is not bad (maybe), but that thing is pretty damned ugly, which is saying something coming from a V-Strom owner. Can we assume the engine is the same gutless wonder they put in the NC700? Bike engines of that size should NOT be limited to a mere 6500 rpm.
No idea who the intended target market for this bike is. Honda touts new riders and women as the goal here, but at $11K for a wheezy little 670cc parallel twin with acres of plastic, chain drive, and a wet weight well in excess of six hundred pounds it just ain’t happening. This thing would need to lose a hundred pounds, half the bodywork and at least $4500 from the msrp before it would have any appeal to noobs. At its current weight and asking price only older (arthritic), more affluent (disposable income to burn) riders might be willing to pony up for the thing. We’re talking the Can-Am Spyder/BMW C650/Silver Wing blue hair crowd.
And I would love to hear Honda’s excuse for offering two motors worldwide, and sticking the U.S. with the weaker one.
Wet weight is 562 pounds, still mighty porky. The front brake is a single disc with one two-piston caliper, it will certainly have its work cut out for it to stop this thing.
VLJ: Being ready to go for more comfortable ergonomics – like the NC700X’s – I, too, would love to hear Honda’s excuse for giving the engine a 75cc boost + a few precious additional horsepower and higher gearing (to slow the repeated slamming into the rev limiter), and only offering it outside the U.S.: To me, it’s insulting.
We have become a very minor motorcycle market. We get the leftovers.
It is also possible that they are only building the bikes with the newer, larger engine in factories that are cost prohibitive for us to access bikes from. this is why the CB1000 took so long to make it to the US. It was manufactured in Italy, making it financially unreasonable to bring it over (paying in Euros, EU import taxes, etc.).
‘Could be. I believe the NCs are built in Japan, however, and sold in Canada, which is only 20 miles away from me (and certainly a much smaller market than the U.S.) — very frustrating.
I’ve been riding motorcycles and motor scooters for 40+ years. My next motorcycle (car?) which I have placed a deposit on is the Elio at http://www.eliomotors.com . Fully enclosed, seat two in comfort, 84 mpg highway, and an MSRP of only $6800. What’s not to like? When my Elio hopefully arrives next year, it will be the last motorcycle I will ever buy, and I will be selling the 3 motorcycles and scooters I now own and ride at that time. If for some reason the Elio never materializes, I would strongly consider one of these NM4’s, but not at the new MSRP price — but at a hopefully much lower used price. I thought Dan Gurney’s Alligator was quite the motorcycle, unfortunately I could never afford one – or else I would have been riding one. I’ve also spent my life owning small city cars, and riding recumbent bicycles – so I must be out of the mainstream, as I really do like this NM4 and would own one, my new Elio next year not withstanding.
They can promise the world when the have never sold a single vehicle. I give Elio about a 1% chance of delivering vehicles to the people that gave them deposits. Until the production line is up and running it is just hopes and dreams and government grants.
I am interested in the Elio too but will believe it’s production and ‘features’ when they are really for sale to the public. Those that now pay $100 are on a wish list to buy 1. If you want to be on a supposed real buy list you pay $1,000. But again the production date keeps on changing. Don’t know of any govt. grants in this deal.
Right now I have 2 Piaggio MP3s and plan on keeping them a long time. The Elio would be for the wife and our 2 small dogs.
The local government bought the GM plant that Elio intends to use as a production facility.
“Troy, Mi. (Jan. 7, 2013) – Elio Motors has taken the next step in its plan to manufacture its 3-wheel vehicles and bring 1,500 jobs back to the facility just southwest of Shreveport. The Caddo Parish Industrial Development Board (IDB) completed its purchase of the former General Motors Shreveport Assembly and Stamping Plant, allowing Elio Motors to progress in their manufacturing timeline.
Elio Motors will rent approximately 1.5 million square feet of the 4.1 million square foot building from Industrial Realty Group, who leases the building from the IDB. IRG will seek a tenant or tenants for the 2.6 million remaining square feet of the building, which may include suppliers for Elio Motors.”
http://www.eliomotors.com/press-release-elio-completes-plant-deal/
A few months ago Elio claimed a private party had bought the empty former GM plant and they were going to rent it from him. Elio sounds as trustworthy as Obama.
But an Elio is not a motorcycle, good luck with it.
Technically the Elio is considered a trike, not a car. It doesn’t have to meet all the safety nor the EPA standards of a new car.
It’s interesting that there was a great expose recently on the Dale, a 3 wheel car/cycle of remarkably similar design. Fred and others might be interested in http://gas2.org/2013/08/21/the-elio-motors-saga-if-it-looks-like-a-dale-and-quacks-like-a-dale/
A cautionary tale if there ever was one.
Odd. I want to hate the NM4, but for some reason I just can’t. The idea of a maxi-scoot has it’s appeal (yes, I know it doesn’t have step-through frame or swingarm mounted engine…it’s still about 90% functionally equivalent to a scooter), but I could never picture myself on a Burgman, Silverwing, etc.
It’s better looking than the DN-01 (kind of a low bar, I admit) and cheaper too. I still wouldn’t pay MSRP for one, but I could see myself getting a used one a few years down the line.
It’s not like “scooters” are “step-through” any more any way. Go look at a Vespa which is a true step-through, yet an achronism because it has a manual tranny. A scooter is what a scooter is.
I think the price was the April Fools joke. This needs to be priced around the cb500x & cb500F range, especially with such a small power plant.
Stop living in the 80’s an 90’s. 10K is chump change in an era where the average salary, for those that still work that is, is 50K. 10K for a bike like no other with the pedigree of being one of the first volleys in the future and final form which the motorcycle will take. Sort of like the Abraham of motorcycles, the father of all the future nations of bikes.
Dude, it’s a bargain and a surefire cult classic. If you buy it within 10 years you will not lose a dime in the bargain. The thing will never depreciate.
If you compare it against scooters like the Suzuki Burgman (same size engine, same price, no panniers) it makes some sense. If you still think it is too high, buy one of Honda’s 500 or 700 cc bikes.
Have to remember that Honda is a tweener brand. They mainly make bikes for the average Joe, although occasionally they will make an aspirational model, but even then aspirational not so much for its flair and looks as much as for its overall competence and ability to function.
Could Honda have made this bike more beautiful and appealing. Sure, but they, even in their concepts, intend with stick within the borders of the brand. Honda may allow others to beautify the future or to add minimal masculinity to it, but it is clear that Honda wants to take most of the credit for the overall direction the industry is headed. That they do not wish to share.
Bike sales have always been limited by 2 things: the inherent instability of 2 wheels and the horrible fuel economy they get compared to autos. Solve those issues and the bike industry will essentially replace that of the auto – and that’s exactly what Honda eventually intends to do.
Better fuel economy will sell more bikes, I believe, as will the advent of the leaning three-wheelers in the near future, I bet. But heat, cold, precipitation and an unfair advantage vs. an Escalade bumper are the reasons that motorcycles will never replace the auto in this country.
They say the smaller, more nimble and efficient mammals would have never evolved if the dinosaurs did not give away and yield an open opportunity for them to develop. Consider the Escalade as a dinosaur. Commonsense will tell you that over time, not now of course, the excess that is the Escalade has a higher chance of going extinct and obsolete than the smaller, more efficient bikes, and no more Escalade means no more danger from its bumper.
Also, future bikes will be different. All those other concerns of yours will be addressed. Of course, not as well as that of a modern, 4000lb auto, but addressed enough to where the other pluses of the motorcycle begin to outweigh the areas where it will always be somewhat lacking.
I can see a future where there are more bikes than there are now, but I can’t see them replacing autos. Not here anyway. Our lifestyles and vehicle needs are just vastly different than most parts of the world. Even when I lived in Europe, most of the motorcycle/scooter riders rode their scoots not for fuel economy, but for the low cost of entry, the ability to filter through traffic and far more options for parking. Frankly, tires and maintenance for the bikes I have owned nullify any savings from the fuel economy advantage of the bikes.
I think the quickest way to increase motorcycle sales in this country would be to allow lane-splitting throughout the US. I’d wager we’d see bike sales increase by a pretty fat % in just a few years. If there is anything we value enough to give up an air-conditioner and roof for, it’s time. I don’t commute on my bike, but I would if I could filter through traffic. I’d be interested to know the motorcycle:car commuter ratio in the large California metros where lane splitting is allowed vs. places like Houston, Atlanta or Miami.
The U.S. maybe one of the last holdouts, but when its time comes, the era of the giant auto will fall about as quickly and easily as that of the Berlin Wall. Some fool DIY guy is getting 220 mpg out of 125 cc simply by putting a DIY fairing on it.
The advantage of 3 wheels or of a smallish, leanable 4 wheel configuration is not just increased stability and safety, but also the ability to increase the aerodynamics of the bike, it’s Achilles heal when it comes to MPG.
Add 3 wheels to the NM4, with its DCT and high MPG engine, increase its aerodynamics, and you have vehicle which potentially would get 100 mpg easily, right out of the box, with today’s tech and with Honda not even trying.
If they did try, 200 mpg would probably not be too hard to achieve in a package which still provided adequate performance. I’m sorry, but for 200 mpg, esp. when gas hits 10/15 bucks a gallon, even the most die hard auto guy is gonna at least consider making that switch.
Also, when bikes outnumber cars, economy of scales will drastically reduce tire and maintenance costs. Naturally, any boutique item, which motorcycles are in the U.S., used more for recreation than purpose, will have artificially high costs.
When bikes or bike like hybrids become the main mode of transport, all associated costs will drop like a rock.
re: “If there is anything we value enough to give up an air-conditioner and roof for, it’s time.”
not a hot chick.
Now the maintenance on one of those will definitely set you back!
Already addressed the issue, Jeremy. It’s just on mod. Why? I don’t know, but it’s been addressed. Hopefully, my letting you know I’m on mod doesn’t get modded as well.
“… for 200 mpg…”
That would have a significant impact even with $4/gal gas. But I guarantee you that if there were a mass produced, useful motorcycle that could get 200 mpg, then there would be a car that would get 150 mpg and we’d be in the same boat we are now.
And you are right, but that car will be an awful like a bike, and the bike which gets 200mpg will probably be awful like a car. In other words, the unification of the bike and auto industry which the wealth and population boom of Asia alone will necessitate – the forced sharing of resources – even if there were no other factors driving this change, of which there are plenty more.
And unification will happen whether Norm likes it or not, even if they have to drag Norm kicking and screaming to it and ram it down his throat. No matter, this change is coming and there is not a dang thing anyone of us can do about it, not even the almighty Norm G., we all know and love.
re: “Solve those issues and the bike industry will essentially replace that of the auto – and that’s exactly what Honda eventually intends to do.”
sorry jake, but you missed the evolution. the automobile IS the better mouse trap that has supplanted the motorcycle.
Maybe, but I will not missed the next one. This notion of the unification of the motorcycle and scooter, which gets so much fanfare around here, is not what Honda is truly after. That’s mere small potatoes for them. What they are after is the Holy Grail of the motor vehicle industry, the unification of the motorcycle and auto industries.
This could also be why BMW never let go of its bike sector, and why Audi picked up Ducati, and why now Fiat is interested in MV Augusta. Maybe Ford will be interested in HD, LOL. It’s all a preliminary sign of things to come down the line, not in the near future, but also not too far off either.
re: “What they are after is the Holy Grail of the motor vehicle industry, the unification of the motorcycle and auto industries.”
good luck with that.
re: “This could also be why BMW never let go of its bike sector”
could be, but isn’t.
the reason why “Bey Oom Vey” never let go of it’s bike sector is because it was another marketing and distribution platform for displaying what is actually their biggest asset… The Roundel.
the knock on benefit of this is it cultivates brand loyalty and drives sales (pun intended) to car side where profit margins are robust and money flows like the Wolf of Wall Street.
once the CPA’s analysed it, they realized Motorrad really wasn’t a bike line at all…? it was what Warren Buffet would call a “competitive advantage” over it’s rivals. ie. Mercedes, Audi, and Lexus.
The more I look at it the more I like it. I would like to try it out looks very comfortable.
NM4-The concept is there, the looks are wwwaaayyy off! Haven’t we seen that bike in an old 80’s Mad Max movie?
The concept of a low center of gravity, bagged commuter potential bike is an excellent one. Beginners are jumping on bikes for the first time by the thousands lately. They’re craving easy to ride (low seat and center of gravity), high fuel economy, low maintenance bikes with storage options to ride to work Monday through Friday and then out for a Sunday ride on the weekend. This concept and design would also appeal to the vertically challenged and seniors that have a hard time “getting a leg over”. But the design definitely needs to be changed or no one is going to buy one.
NM4…..either Honda is in la la land or they think we are
That’s one of the ugliest motorcycles I have ever seen.
No thank you.
Ugly motorcycle for ugly times…..
I would like to test ride that NM thing, if only to test Dan Gurney’s “Gator” thesis. This could be a breakthrough model, if motorcyclists can free themselves from hide bound “what does a motorcycle look like” mindset. Comfort, storage, weather protection and probably decent mileage and handling, what is not to like. Besides, maybe cagers will notice these bikes. Certainly feet forward hasn’t hurt billions of Harley riders.
You’ve never noticed how many Harley riders get out of their mounts holding their butts or back while wincing with pain and discomfort? Feet forward sucks for me. Granted this Honda takes it a step further – this is not so much feet-forward as it is body back. Maybe it’s comfortable. I don’t know. As far as the looks, I actually think the bagless version would look good with a higher seat sans back rest and proper peg location.
Hideous,I would rather ride a Suzuki Burgman with a milk crate than this.Now get off this nonsense and lets start talking direct inject two-strokes.
I’m with you Gham let’s talk two-strokes.
Too easy to make cleaner four-strokes and in that realm it makes two-strokes about on par with diesels in bikes except in certain parts of the world.
Diesel and two stroke gas are both superior engines compared to gas 4-strokes.
I think that would depend on how you define “superior”.
Power density, longevity, and simplicity (cost).
Diesels are far from simple or cheap, and they are relatively heavy. Current emission regs also take the cheap (and probably the feasibility) out of two-strokes. All three platforms have advantages and disadvantages. I certainly wouldn’t call either one superior over the other, only superior in certain areas.
Um, Dave said two stroke too. If you have never done a valve check on a two stroke you aren’t missing anything.
Who the heck is trying to adjust valves on a 2-stroke? What was your comment referring to, todd?
Think about it again Jeremy.
Or it could be that you just hate anything with 4 in it. A fan of the Fantastic Four, you were not.
Of course it makes more sense to build or own the 4 stroke,thats why I want the 2 stroke.Just clean enough to be 50 state legal,mileage be damned and something like an old enduro with 350-400CC’s.WR gearbox, 80 something top speeds and not stupid tall.
re: “Diesels are far from simple or cheap, and they are relatively heavy. Current emission regs also take the cheap (and probably the feasibility) out of two-strokes. All three platforms have advantages and disadvantages. I certainly wouldn’t call either one superior over the other, only superior in certain areas.”
and there it is again. someone articulating the reoccurring theme of “no free lunch”.
Definitely not designed for a existing motorcycle crowd but rather getting new riders into motorcycling. Younger generations, women, etc. are targets of this bike.
I hope it is a success but it will have to sell to people who’s minds are not ossified like most motorcyclists. I also hope it looks better in person to this semi-ossified brain equipped long time motorcyclist, it seems like a really practical bike.
I would also like to join the people whining about US motorcyclists being stuck with outdated 670 motor when the rest of the world gets the new 745 version. Gee, more power, less vibration, better sound and better milage, why would we want that? It seems Honda NA is dumping the old 670 motor here in the US. Maybe Honda Japan has a bunch of the 670s left over and NA Honda is getting them at garage sale prices? Maybe they are still paying off the homologation cost of the 670?
I also find it odd this supposedly futuristic bike has an exposed chain drive. Not very Star Trek. I know real bikers love chain drive, I have to wonder how non-bikers view what looks like a device designed to cut off fingers and toes sicking out of all that body work.
Goose
i think the NM4 might actually be a success, but solely in the Japanese market. they’re into some pretty weird sh!#t over there when you think about it.
but for the US market, same as the DN-01 that preceded it, i’m afraid it’s still the proverbial answer to a question nobody’s asked…? any time somebody can reasonably make that statement about your product, it’s the kiss of death.
Even when it seems people like something it doesn’t always translate to the sale’s floor.
Re. the NM4 model: OK, Hope and Change, I get it.
Random thoughts in no particular order…
Is it just me, or do male readers/riders notice a certain delicate part of the anatomy at risk of injury under severe braking?
I’m torn by this bike. Yes, on the one hand it’s styling is among the most polarizing of any known mass-market vehicle. OTOH, it looks like it might perform OK, and the storage capacity is welcome.
Thank goodness it’s black, because the sheer volume of body work with such unique angles prohibits any other color.
Honda says nothing about the little gill-like vent in vicinity of the motor. I wonder if it’s a simple pass-through for motor heat or if it might heat the rider in cooler climate.
Don’t point and laugh at me if you see me test-riding it!
Ha, Ha, evidently if we went by the preferences of the MD crowd, the Earth would stop moving and all progress and change would come to a screeching halt. Whether the consumer base likes it or not, change is coming. The NM4 is mere child’s play compared to what Honda ultimately has in mind. Honda considers the consumer base’s opinions as worthless and irrelevant.
They figure whatever it is they want to develop and sell, they can do it with ease, with or without the support of the consumer base – at least initially – and esp. those of the gray hairs.
The only constant is change … Heraclitus.
Ah, the old one never steps in the same river twice quote. But Heraclitus was a firm believer in the logos and as such he would have been highly aware of the clear distinction between the realm of “what is” vs. that of “what ought to be”. One of the reasons why thinking is so difficult, with it seeming always wanting to give us false positives and lead us in the wrong or at least not fully right direction, is because “what is” (final reality) by its very nature is always distinct and separate from “what ought to be”, what our brains at least initially tells us, what we naturally assume, is supposed to be true, although a somewhat tenuous link is always maintained between the two realms.
In other words, Heraclitus’s statement can be read in two ways. Factually, literally, and analytically, which gives us the relativistic interpretation of perpetual change, or from the perspective of the logos, or from a more reflective and intuitive point of view. Even from the first viewpoint, his statement carries with it some weight, wisdom, and profundity, but when the viewpoint from the latter is fully understood, then his statement really lights up with meaning, revealing the true nature of how his mind must have been working.
Never stepping in the same river twice now signifying that reality and life in its final, deepest, and most profound levels, never gets old and is always renewing itself. It’s like seeing someone you really love and care for. No matter how often you see her, her face, her beauty and innocent vulnerability never ever get old, and always seems refreshed, always seems new, with her needs and demands seeming like they are too much or a burden, in contrast with things which only attract us due to our own self-seeking gratification. Those things, things which belong in the realm of “what ought to be”, what the Greeks called the realm of becoming, what becomes but never is, eventually, like clockwork and a law of nature, fade away, decay, and get old with time, always becoming more of a burden than an attraction.
So Heraclitus with his statement was probably not affirming that change is constant, although he most likely believed that the mere appearance of change was constant, instead his famous quote was his way of saying in a sly and slightly veiled way that he had found eternal life, the life which never gets old and dies, or that he was close enough to it to be able to describe it with some fair degree of confidence and subtlety.
You know, good ole eternal life, the realm where the sun is always shining, day or night, realm of the sunshine in the rain, the realm where the world of idealism is brought down from high up in the clouds and nailed by the cross to the realm of matter, thereby being reconciled with it – or what is more commonly known as Heaven on Earth. You see, Christianity is merely the culmination in its most beautiful and insightful form, the final flowering, of the philosophy of the Ancient Mediterranean world. Heraclitus stands as an example and proof of that.
On a side note, did you guys really have to mod out my Heaven on Earth and Norm post? I thought it was a funny post and thought the MD crowd, including Norm, would have enjoyed it. Didn’t think it was offensive in the least, but I guess I was in the minority on that one. I guess I kind of have a thicker skin than most.
Re: “They figure whatever it is they want to develop and sell, they can do it with ease, with or without the support of the consumer base – at least initially – and esp. those of the gray hairs. ”
The above statement is a paradox. Without the consumer’s approval, the goods do not sell and the company fails. Honda is not failing. Consider that we may not know who the consumer base is, with our US-centric moto-sensibilities.
I’m not crazy about the NM4. I think it has too much body volume in the front, making it look heavy and bulky, which historically only works for the cruiser crowd. I commend them for attempting to tap new customers. Whatever gets more people riding is good in my opinion.
Well, of course to make a clear point, I over stepped my bounds, but not by too much. In the NM4 and the responses to it on MD, we are seeing the clash between the vision of the elites for the future and the preferences of the masses. And in such a clash, I know who my money is on to win in such a contest, Honda Motor Corp. of course. Who you gonna bet on? Honda Motor Corp., the biggest, baddest motorcycle manufacturer on the planet, or the temporary, easily manipulable opinions of the average Joe on the street?
What will be telling is if due to the overall bodywork which everyone here seems to hate, fuel economy figures are actually improved slightly, by maybe around 5 mpg or so. If so, then even if it is ugly, people will begin to like, to get the ugly. The stealth bomber must have seem hideous to all at first, but then when we all understood all the cool things it could do and how well it could function, then well, the ugly, hideous thing started to become appreciated, and even cool.
Bill Gates without billions – just an ugly, hideous thing.
Bill Gates with billions – an ugly, hideous thing people have come to love, worship, respect, and even idolize. Yes, we love the ugly and the hideousness, Bill.
I don’t know, the Hero RnT thing was a hit over here. That thing was the most innovative, progressive motorcycle in a sad, long time. This Honda thing is just a bad styling exercise. It’s a shame that manufacturers only see the US as a dumping ground for styling and save all the ground breaking, innovative stuff for the rest of the world.
I feel like my eyes have been raped.
I get it! April fools.
No more boring motorcycles ………..
This is what happens when Darth Vader mates with a horseshoe crab!
lol had to look up horseshoe crab!
That’s scary
BMW had those cruisers with the flip up back rest. It was very comfortable. The only worry I have is how long all that plastic on the NM4 will last. Especially on my favorite local state road. Also called NM4.
PCX150 looks very spiffy, could see owning one of those someday.
The NM4 is another story…
April Fools for sure!
We can only hope!
Would buy that before a Burgman, although doubtful that will ever have either..
+1 agreed
I have no words……
aaaakkkkiiiiiiiirrrraaaaaaa
We need to ban assault scooters….before someone gets hurt.
Haha. That gave me a chuckle.
For the children. (Waves bloody shirt).
Nm4.
One of the ugliest bikes I have seen in almost 50 years riding.
Baggerchris
I don’t get the combination of hyper aggressive styling with the riding position of a lazy boy and the practicality of half a mini-van.
A woman is going to buy this? Doubtful. Anyone else? Doubtful.
Oh, I don’t know. From a certain perspective, it looks sort like an aerodynamic purse on 2 wheels, and with all its various compartments it sort of functions like one too. Put a Gucci tag on it and you know the chicks would be all over it.
Some reason looks like a samurai/darth vader helmet?
Hard to disagree with most of the comments here, but I still think I would buy it before I’d buy some of the big, ugly scooters that some people seem to be drooling over. The Honda is price competitive with them, probably handles much better, looks vaguely like a motorcycle and has power enough to do the ton. Yes, if a gun was held to my head, I’d buy it before a Burgman.
The Pacific Coast and RUNE are highly sought after collectors items now, pulling top dollars.
This one though is a little to futuristic for me, reminding me of something I saw in the first ‘Star Wars’ movie.
Sam:)
Hahahahahahahaaaaaaaa. Collector’s items…..
Cause you are a guy. Women have different tastes. Bike riding women want to feel empowered by their ride and that means not having to slavish follow in the footsteps of male chauvinistic styling cues.
They want styling to reflect them as blazing their own trail of glory. Honda is simply accommodating this desire of theirs for a concrete expression of independence from the male centric world of the past and its styling cues.
“All this and more add up to one of the ugliest bikes in the Honda line.”
First there was the Pacific Coast, then the Rune, now the NM4.
Actually the PC looks acceptable now. 8^ 0
HEY! My PC800 was NOT ugly! I liked it, even if most folks didn’t.
I wanted the NM4 till I saw that Honda neutered it by cutting the displacement, Ill just hold on to my BMW c650
Me too. That and the limitations of my 2 bucks an hour, high physical labor job – and I’m an old man. But just wait for them to bring over the 750 version later. I’m betting the NM4 will sell well enough to for them justify another year or so. Not like the 80’s or even the 90’s. Number and percentage of women and geeks wanting to ride bikes has jumped off the chart and hit critical mass.
You see, everyone, I told you the dang bike would be cheaper than you thought.
I keep waiting for the “April Fools” follow up.
Alas, poor Honda, I knew ye well.
I wonder why the US gets the smaller engine on the NM4? Also, are they not offering the model previewed that comes without sidebags?
Cause they probably don’t want forward leaning concepts like the the NM4 to be too highly successful in the U.S., not just as of yet. Achieving cult status and subliminally prepping the U.S. consumer for more change to come is all Honda is seeking here in the land of the giant auto. Remember Honda sells cars here too.
Could it be: the next generation ST is right around the proverbial announcement corner?
Yes, futuristic cross between jet fighter, scooter, and cruiser styling. If the ass end doesn’t need a ‘wide load’ sign hanging from it, it should be a very cool and versatile everyday ride.
Thanks Honda for the courage to step out of all the usual boxes and bring us something new.
re: “Thanks Honda for the courage to step out of all the usual boxes and bring us something new.”
(reality check)
meanwhile the business owner collective says piss on you Honda. sure, you create all this weird crap, that’s your prerogative, but it’s the dealer network that shoulders the burden of having to sell it. so, more important than stepping outside the box with something new…? is the need for bikes that pay the bills and keep the lights on.
where are the full size adventure bikes…? or is that another trend we’re waiting to “flatline” so they can be brought here after the fact…?
“where are the full size adventure bikes…? or is that another trend we’re waiting to “flatline” so they can be brought here after the fact…? ”
+1 – THAT is the only trend Honda seems to be setting these days.
If this was the only “motorcycle” I could ride, I’d stop riding – as a long time Honda rider, I am perplexed as to exactly what they are trying to achieve, especially where styling is concerned. I thought nothing could get uglier than the DN01…wrongo!!
why don’t they show some pic’s of the NM4 without that damn passenger seat sticking up as a backrest?
‘Futuristic’ NM4? Is that journo code for ugly pile of s@@t?
right!