Quote Originally Posted by DarkKnt View Post
.... The fewer the options and variants, the simpler all that becomes. They want the "Goldwing" to make a certain price point (substantially cheaper than the "Tour") yet still provide their profit margin. Simple - strip it down a bit, market it the same way as they did the "B" - sportier, lighter etc, etc... and limit the options.
That's my point... The reverse feature is a "Goldwing staple". As we read in other posts, its removal, along with other platform staples like cruise and nav, are responsible for the F6B not selling anywhere near its MSRP (they stripped way too much for a + $20K asking price). The R&D for electric reverse has been more than covered over the years, and the parts have been in their warehouses for over a decade, so I just don't see it adding any significant cost to the price of the bike...while it does (needlessly IMHO) create another variant.

Removing the trunk/rear seatback, rear speakers, heated grips and seats, electronically adjustable suspension, taller windscreen, etc. are great differentiators between the base and the tour models. Yanking a tried-and-true platform staple (again) that your customers expected/wanted without at least making it an available option while knowing that your competition (BMW) does on their bike (with a similar price point and feature set) is a head scratcher.

Oh well... it is what it is. When the bike becomes available for sale, Honda's various regional decisions notwithstanding, we'll make our individual decisions on whether or not we want to buy it.