Honda's new CTX series is all about taking the best of motorcycling, adding new technology, and making it even better. The modern engines and chassis designs mean you get great performance, superior fuel economy, and plenty of useable power. The laid-back seating position is just as comfortable for a weekday commute, a weekend cruise, or a week-long vacation trip. And their low center of gravity makes for a better all-around riding experience, especially for new riders. And these two models are just the start.
Welcome to the second installment of Honda’s Comfort Technology eXperience series (CTX), the CTX1300 and CTX1300 Deluxe. It’s safe to say nobody really saw this one coming, but it actually makes a lot of sense. The ST1300 is no longer fashionable, but its V-4 powerplant is still a jewel—and that longitudinally mounted 1261cc engine is what the CTX gets, displayed to really nice effect with its four chrome exhaust headers giving the bike a look like a cross between a Honda Guzzi and a T-bucket roadster. Okay, maybe not. Slight tuning changes, including lower compression and taller gearing compared to the ST, are meant to give the CTX better around-town rideability and fuel economy: its tachometer numbers turn red at 7000.