Honda's Big Gamble

Is the motorcycle market ready for a shiftless ‘crossover’?

During the summers of my youth, I worked on dairy farms in the California’s San Joaquin Valley. Most of my labors were on dairies that raised Jersey cows, and I recall the kidding from competitors who had Guernsey and Holstein herds; “Jersey farmers were too poor to milk a cow and too proud to milk a goat.”

This good-old-boy humor occurred to me when I climbed aboard Honda’s new DN-01 motorcycle, a bike with more than one ambition. On the one hand, it looks like a motorcycle with a bit of an identity crisis. From the front, it’s sports-like, from the rear, a big scooter while the long, low profile, seat height and footrests suggest cruiser attributes. Then there’s that automatic transmission.

Although automatic transmissions have never taken root in full-size motorcycles, including Honda’s own efforts a few decades ago, the company may be betting that with exotic sports cars going without a clutch pedal, the timing is right. Famously, Porsche made that bet back in 1990 offering a Tiptronic automatic transmission with manual shifting in its iconic 911 model. Although some diehard Porsche enthusiasts were dismayed, a host of new customers came aboard. Ferrari, Lamborghini and other sports car builders that symbolize machismo have followed suit.

That the clutch handle is absent from the left grip may attract the mild scorn of the rugged rider set, it’s not a big deal in my book. Actually, I’m grateful that Honda decided on a foot-operated rear brake instead of the scooter-centric squeeze grip that I might mistake for a clutch and end up trying to launch myself from the saddle. Besides, this is not a simple CVT, but an automatic that can simulate a six-speed.

To get underway , the 680-cc twin leaps into life at the touch of the starter button and engaging Drive is just another thumb click and you’re ready to roll. The low (27.2-inch) saddle height provides a comfortable position, especially for the height challenged. I’m used to taller seating, but once I mounted my six-foot frame to the DN-01 and put my feet forward, the position seemed natural. What didn’t appear natural were the long, low handlebars, but they were sufficient to point the nearly 600-pound bike in the right direction.

On the road, the Honda gets up to speed at a moderate pace, with enough power to merge with traffic easily. The small windscreen seems to be aboard for style points over function and it’s hard to visualize something full-size making a properly aesthetic fit, but at highway speeds, this bike acts like a heavy cruiser and a big windscreen would be a nice feature. As long as I’m compiling a wish list, cruise control and self-canceling turn signals seem like reasonable options for the DN-01.

There’s plenty of brake available, with dual 296mm cross-drilled rotors up front clamped by three-piston calipers and a 276mm disc/three-pot setup in the rear. Honda incorporates its Combined Braking System (CBS) to distribute the brake pressure whether the front or rear brakes are actuated. When that’s combined with ABS, it’s easy to control this machine, even in inclement weather.

So while Honda has made this bike to appeal to a variety of buyers, it’s not for everyone. But for someone who might be too proud to ride a scooter and not ready or willing to climb aboard a café racer or big cruiser, it’s as rewarding as a mixed herd.


NUTS & BOLTS
2010 Honda DN-01
ENGINE:  680cc V-Twin
HORSEPOWER:  60 @ 8,000rpm
FUEL CAPACITY: 4-gallons
DRY WEIGHT:  595-lb.
SEAT HEIGHT:  27.2-in.
PRICE:  $15,599