On Waiting for Honda to import UK/Euro accessories

[Phil Tarman]

Particularly the big pannier lids: I have it confidentially from a high-placed official in the upper reaches of the Honda hierarchy that if you want those lids, you might as well go ahead and order them from a source on the other side of the big water to the east of us.

 

[karl]

The US is a huge market spread over a very large area. We buy very few bikes and most of those get blown dry after each infrequent use. In a year I have not seen myself coming out on the street.
I got what I was looking for. Every ride is a compromise and I am happy with mine. Glad to be able to source things across the pond. enjoy

 

[RedLdr1]

A low volume model isn't worth the effort is what you can read between the lines... Plus corporate Honda makes money whether I buy them from my local dealer or import them from Europe.

 

[bish79]

Sort of on subject... I wonder how high gas prices need to go before American motorcyclists start to consider their MC's for basic transportation?? I would bet that the fact that European riders pay much more for gasoline factors in to their MC riding habits.

If and when that shift occurs over here, I bet you'd see alot more NT's around.

 

[Phil Tarman]

Sort of on subject... I wonder how high gas prices need to go before American motorcyclists start to consider their MC's for basic transportation?? I would bet that the fact that European riders pay much more for gasoline factors in to their MC riding habits. If and when that shift occurs over here, I bet you'd see alot more NT's around.

Brandon, I think you're right. If I were a Honda corporate planner, I would be advocating the import of quite a few more NTs in '11!

 

[bish79]

Oh shoot!! I forgot that I'm an oddball and buy fuel efficient vehicles. I can't begin to tell you how many times someone on a big "gas guzzling" cruiser has told me that they "have to ride" the bike in order to save gas. I never have the heart to tell them that my car gets better gas mileage than their bike... I actually factored in fuel mileage in my MC purchase. Silly me.

 

[Bear]

I factored in fuel economy as well. Our cage is a Pontiac Vibe, manual transmission-5SP, and two wheel drive. It is essentially a Toyota Matrix. 35 MPG is not uncommon. We inherited a Chev Suburban 3/4 Ton with a 6.5L Turbo diesel--also two wheel drive. That monster gets about 18 MPG. We plan to trade it for a Ford Focus or Fiesta.

When I have a medical appointment, it is 100 mi round trip to the VA. The appointments seem to be more frequent as I get older. The motorcycle makes more sense than a car. The VA also has a motorcycle parking lot--a lot of the doctors ride.

 

[Phil Tarman]

My last Kawasaki got better millage than the NT, but I could not walk after a 300 mile sanity ride. That feeling is somewhere around 650 miles on the NT for me..

With my knee replacements, the bike has been a huge improvement for traveling. I can ride all day and be tired, but my knees don't hurt. 200 miles in the car and I can hardly walk. I've decided that it has something to do with having my weight on my heels and torquing the whole leg as the weight of the foot tends to rotate outward.

Or maybe it's just because I want to ride and don't really care about driving.

 

[elizilla]

I've never had any knee injuries and I'm a youngster here, but my knees hurt after a long car ride as well. I never have trouble with that on the bike.

Maybe this will be the year I get rid of my truck and replace it with the small car I keep saying I want. A small car with heated seats.

 

[keystone]

Most of the people I ride with in eastern Ohio are cruiser riders and the majority of them have gas guzzling SUV's and 4X4 trucks. I on the other hand ride my NT and VW Golf. I don't know what kind of a hit at the gas pumps it's going to take to wake them.

 

[karl]

I remember the Pinto and K car years well no matter how hard i try to forget. There are lots of good small cars out there today and even some reasonably comfortable ones that can get decent mileage. Even some with heated seats front and back...

 

[Warren]

Particularly the big pannier lids: I have it confidentially from a high-placed official in the upper reaches of the Honda hierarchy that if you want those lids, you might as well go ahead and order them from a source on the other side of the big water to the east of us.

Whats the big deal? Its a global economy as they say. Other than a little extra cost in shipping its just as easy to order the accessories from an online UK dealer as it is from one in the US. The UK dealers I have used had good service I got the product almost as fast as I did from US suppliers. It is taking me longer to install the stuff than it took to get it.

 

[RedLdr1]

Even some with heated seats front and back...

Unfortunately some Pinto's came with those as a undocumented option....

 

[Chucksklrst]

Hey, Hey I owned a 74 pinto wagon for 11 years, Bought it brand new here in Denver. Put over 90k miles on it, two clutches, a timing belt, a waterpump and some inside door handles was the only maint. ever needed. Also put a paint job on it. Drove it all over the US and Europe. Was a great car for Germany as it had the 2300cc motor, same as the German Caprire. Fit very nicly on the small German roads. Attached picture is My Blue Pinto next to my old Chevy Pickup. Taken almost 38 years ago. When I had no money and was an E-5 in the Army. (I still don't have any money):frown:

 

[Phil Tarman]

I used to rent a Pinto at the Fallon, NV, airport after flying to Fallon from Santa Rosa. The Pinto was an honor deal. The keys were in it and there was a coffee can where you put $10 for a day's rental and you were expected to bring it back full of gas.

I used it to drive out into the desert calling on drilling rigs. I always kind of liked it...in a sick sort of way, it was a satisfying little car.

I was glad that I wasn't driving my company Caprice on those roads (although the Caprice did well on them, too. In fact, I don't know if Chevrolet has ever made a car that was just as flat out good as that Caprice was. I once got 23mpg between Gerlach and Reno while averaging right at 100mph. I needed to ge to Reno before the gas stations closed.

It was fun driving in Nevada in those days. May still be, but I'm older and probably wouldn't do it that rapidly again.

 

[Chucksklrst]

I used to rent a Pinto at the Fallon, NV, airport after flying to Fallon from Santa Rosa. The Pinto was an honor deal. The keys were in it and there was a coffee can where you put $10 for a day's rental and you were expected to bring it back full of gas.

I used it to drive out into the desert calling on drilling rigs. I always kind of liked it...in a sick sort of way, it was a satisfying little car.

I was glad that I wasn't driving my company Caprice on those roads (although the Caprice did well on them, too. In fact, I don't know if Chevrolet has ever made a car that was just as flat out good as that Caprice was. I once got 23mpg between Gerlach and Reno while averaging right at 100mph. I needed to ge to Reno before the gas stations closed.

It was fun driving in Nevada in those days. May still be, but I'm older and probably wouldn't do it that rapidly again.

Did not know a Pinto would do 100. When I drove mine on the Autobahns, Best I got was 97 indicated. Of course the wagons were heavier than the Fastbacks

 

[RedLdr1]

I had a "Pintang", a 1975 Mustang II Mach 1 I ordered when I returned from my first tour in Europe. Nothing but a fancy Pinto with a little better looks, nicer interior, and a V-6 / 4 speed... After living in Europe I thought a 2.8L V-6 would be okay in the US. Unfortunately the power to weight ratio of that Mustang II was probably around 250 pounds per horsepower when empty... Nothing like the Euro Ford Capri of that time frame at all.:rolleyes1: It was traded for a Z-28 Camaro after about six months of feeling I should have ordered the Fred Flintstone drive system...!

 

[MAC]

I owned a 74 pinto wagon

To funny Chuck, my wife had one when we tied the knott, but it had the wood siding and it was green. LOL

 

[Igo]

I also owned a 74 Pinto Wagon for many years. But I'd rather have my Mazda3 2.3 Sport. It is a very fun car.

 

[Igo]

1974 to 1978 was the most embarrassing years in American automotive history. Pitiful isn't the right word. In fact, other than joining with the few famous 1962-1973 muscle cars, I'd say America is building it's proudest cars ever right now.