other hondas you've wanted but not actually owned

I'm a right fickle bugger, me - one week I'm thinking about how good it would be to own one bike, next week another. I 'research' their strengths and weaknesses, imagine what each one would be best for (local shopper, intercontinental blaster, dry day fun bike, all-rounder, etc. etc.) - then lose interest and bumble bee onto the next bike that catches my eye / imagination.

Some of my recent crushes from Mr. H -

VFR400 - diddy screamer, revs to 16k or something mental, chuck it around like a CG. Downside - I'm 15 stone and 45 years old. What am I gonna do? Fold myself up like a cheap B&Q bbq chair, ride around at 100mph for half an hour, and climb off with chronic lumbago??? Answer - very probably.

CB250RS - Kick only unless deluxe, thrape-proof little thumper of yesteryear, getting hard to find esp. in decent nick. Great for pointless bimbling south of real world speeds, ticks the vaguely interesting almost kinda but not quite classic box. But really - why bother when there are still very decent cb500s to be had for the same money or less.

VTR thou - Insaniac torque beast, big twin - if the vfr was the thinking man's bike, the vtr is the thinking hooligan's choice. Ugly as an SV650 unless fitted w/ belly pan, but just imagine the awesome racket one of these muthas would kick out w/ some bafflectomied aftermarkets. Bad side - thirstier than oliver reid, and has the range of a chieftan tank.

I wanted a CBR600 for my first bike, then I got an insurance quote   

Fireblade would be nice, but then I would probably go broke buying rear tyres.

I'd love a Cub, but it doesn't have long enough legs, really and the CB500 does everything I need. If I could afford it, perhaps the new CBR1000SP, that one with Ohlins knobs on, or a new CB500. I'd have a Blackbird again, but my VFR already fills the role that would take up.

I dunno.

I'd like a really tidy late 60's early 70's Honda 90.

I had a VF400F back in the late eighties and it was, on reflection, an incredibly accomplished machine. Small, light, poky (55bhp) and revved to 14,000 rpm. In all honesty I've not ridden anything as good all-round until I got the CB500. I sold it because they had a bad reputation for camshaft problems at higher mileages, but it turned out that was mainly the 500 and 750cc V4's Achilles heel, and the 400s were less prone to it. Still, I was restless and easily bored back then and the temptation of something bigger/faster/flashier etc. lead me to part with it for a succession of bigger/faster/flashier stuff that was always less capable in one way or another...

I'd like one of the 50cc Honda Solos, they look minimilastically cool, but I'm not sure I can cope with moped performance these days.

I've also always hankered after a tidy CB250RS, indeed, I was on the lookout for one before the 500 appeared. I think I might have been dissatisfied with the lack of go though.

The Jap market CB400SS looks like a nice bike, really retro in a 60s/70s Honda style. Once again, not much poke for a heavy lump though. 

A mate had a doggy CB400 Four, that he blew up and replaced with a much tidier CB500 Four They were nice looking bikes, but I'd struggle to justify spending what the fetch these days.

I always had a hankering for an XL185 too, I had the 125 version as a kid and the slightly bigger engine would have made it a nice machine I'd think.

I know they're not Hondas, but I liked the look of both the T100 Bonneville and the W800 Kawasaki, but in the flesh they're both just too physically big. A bit like the BMW MINI; fine in pictures, or at a distance, but when you get up close all the proportions are too big. What would be nice is a proper retro styled 500 twin, with performance on a par with our CB500s. 

Ah well, with my current budget I'm unlikely to be changing the contents of the stable for the foreseeable, so all the above remains a bit of a daydream!  

HomeBrew wrote:Fireblade would be nice, but then I would probably go broke buying rear tyres.

Tell me about it!!!! I have had fireblade's for the last 14 years and I chew thru tyres, my current top of the line Pirelli's last about 3000-3250 miles amd cost me a pocket, super grippy in dry, not quite as good in wet. This was one of the reasons why I bought my CB500 as everything lasts longer and I get better miles per gallon as the fireblade, especially the way I ride is very thirsty!!!

The only other Honda I fancy is the new Fireblade SP   That would be awesome, ridden and owned plenty of others, rather have the ZX-14R over the 1100 Blackbird

I love how the Fireblade SP has a blueprinted engine and no traction control or fancy electronics, just engineering perfection.