MOTOCYCLER's BBS

Honda NT700V

Be careful what you wish for

For years, American motorcycle consumers have longed for the greener grass of European motorcycle models. For instance, Euro Honda buyers have an all-you-can-eat buffet of naked bikes, from the VTR250 to the bone-crushing CB1300. "Bring 'em here and we'll buy 'em!" is the din arising from magazine readers and web surfers alike.

Done! For 2010, Honda brings us the NT700V. Dubbed the "Deauville" in European markets, where it has been available since 1998, the NT is a middleweight V-Twin "light tourer." If you remember Honda's NT650 Hawk, you'll see some family resemblance: the NT's motor shares a common ancestor, although the liquid-cooled, sohc 680cc now has four valves per cylinder, compared to the 647cc Hawk's three. It also uses a steel frame (unlike the Hawk's sexy aluminum design,) and convenient, much-requested shaft drive.

Don't expect an adrenaline-pumping ride from the 700. The motor is in a mild state of tune, with horsepower in the 60s, and the bike is hefty at a claimed 566 pounds of wet weight. But it should be a great all-around machine, able to commute or tour for mile after mile. Locking hard luggage-with a pass-through between the bags to accommodate long objects-is standard, as is an adjustable windscreen, fuel-injection and combined brakes. ABS is a $1000 option. The package weighs in at 566 pounds and should prove an able touring companion with its 5.2-gallon tank. Pricing is $9999, and it should hit dealers in November.

That's not all Honda has in store for the U.S. in 2010. The Fury chopper was received well by the public and press, so why not try a bobber? The Shadow Phantom gives us just that. It's based on the Shadow 750, but uses a black-finish drag bar and lots of tough-looking matte-black and polished aluminum finishes to give it a tough-guy image. At $7999 (and also in Honda dealers in November), it should leave plenty of dough left over for fuzzy dice and skull tattoos.

Honda Shadow Phantom

The sportbikes weren't left alone. The CBR1000RR gets a new, easy-to-remove license-plate bracket, new muffler cover and larger flywheel (presumably to smooth out power delivery a bit), plus some new paint schemes. Middleweight fans will have to wait another year (at least) for an updated CBR600RR: aside from the BNG, it's the same as last year. Pricing and availability for the CBR models hasn't been announced.

But don't despair, Honda fans: two notable gaps in the 2010 lineup (in both the USA and Europe) are the Interceptor and ST13000. We're pretty sure we'll see a new (and rumored 200 hp) VFR, and maybe a new ST1300 as well.