So today I wanna share how I spent the whole dang weekend figuring out these big Honda 2000cc bikes. Kinda wild ride, honestly. Started cause my buddy Dave kept yapping about upgrading his Harley, got me curious ’bout what Honda’s cooking up these days.
The Messy Start
First thing Friday night, I grabbed my laptop, cracked open a beer, and just dove headfirst into Google. Typed in “Honda big motorcycles 2024” like some amateur. Pages felt endless, man. Some sites looked straight outta 1998, others tried selling me oil changes before even showing prices. Got so fed up I almost closed everything.
Dealership Drama
Saturday morning, dragged myself to two Honda dealers. First place? Sales guy barely looked up from his phone. Told me “Yeah we got Gold Wings somewhere” and waved vaguely toward the back. Found two dusty ones crammed between ATVs. No price tags, nobody around. Left feeling salty.
Second spot was better. Young guy named Ricky actually knew stuff. He walked me through four beasts:
- Gold Wing Tour DCT: Ricky called it a “two-wheeled Cadillac.” Sat on it – felt like a recliner with handlebars. Controls looked like a spaceship dashboard.
- Rebel 1100: Way lighter than the Gold Wing. Super low seat, kinda my style. Blacked-out engine looked mean as hell.
- Africa Twin: Ricky kept bragging ’bout off-road chops. Tall as heck though – my feet barely touched. Knobby tires felt weird on smooth showroom floor.
- CBR1000RR: Pure race bike. Hunched over that thing? My back screamed just holding the position. Ricky said “It’s fast.” Understatement of the year.
The Price Shock
Then came the sticker talk. Ricky pulled up numbers on his tablet. My beer almost went down the wrong pipe.
- Gold Wing? Practically $29,000. More than my damn car.
- Rebel sat around $13,500. Okay, slightly less heart attack.
- Africa Twin started near $18,000 in basic trim.
- CBR? Just under $17,500. Still crazy for something I couldn’t ride longer than 20 minutes.
Ricky tried selling me on financing like I won the lottery. Kept saying “Low monthly payments!” Yeah, low for fifteen years maybe.
Reality Check
Drove home Saturday night with brochures stuffed in my glovebox. Sunday morning? Laid ’em all out on my kitchen table next to bills and my bank app. Did the math while eating cold pizza. Even the Rebel needed four grand down and payments higher than my grocery budget. Dream kinda died right there, man.
What’s the Verdict?
Honda makes incredible machines, no lie. That Gold Wing’s a rolling palace, Rebel’s cool as ice. But 2000cc means huge cost – both cash and commitment. Maybe I’m sticking with my 750 for now. Or heck, buying Dave a coffee so I can mooch rides off his Harley.
