- Honda's CBR300F and CBR300R were, as is usually the case with Honda, top-notch. Unfortunately, a few minutes of seat time was enough to confirm that my aging back just isn't compatible with the riding position.
- Suzuki's SR400 was an absolute show-stopper: all retro-gorgeous and sharp. Problem for me was the price, with an MSRP pushing the 6K envelope. Spoke to one of the reps there and he informed me that they only plan on making about 1200 or so a year, so I don't think there will be enough volume to make this a future "used" bargain. All of the reviews I read seemed to be in agreement that a more realistic price point would have been in the $4500 range, but you can't fight City Hall.
-The Royal Enfield Continental GT was a beautiful piece of eye-candy, but way out in left field with a 6K price tag. Felt a bit top-heavy and twitchy to me as well. Even ignoring those issues, as was the case with the Honda sport bikes, it turns out that cafes don't do much for my back either.
- Wasn't really considering them, but the 2015 Kawi Vulcans are gorgeous. They also come "custom fit" with combinations of seats and bar positions to suit a wide range of rider sizes. If I understood correctly, the dealer does the fitting at sale time.
The day wasn't a total loss since it gave me a chance to learn what isn't a match. There was one bright spot however. This year they had a charity booth for near-sighted blondes, one of whom graciously agreed to have her picture taken with me:
Approximately 5 seconds after this picture was taken, the young lady put her glasses back on, took one look at me, and ran screaming in the direction of St. Patrick's Cathedral. (Something about wanting to enter a convent.) Sometimes I think my ugly mug has saved more young ladies from a life of debauchery than all the popes combined.
