GTCz-Roger

After filtering to the front of traffic, I come to a stop and wait for the light to turn green. I flick the shifter into neutral and rest my hands patiently in my lap. Meanwhile, a lady crosses the road. Her age was difficult to decipher but she could have easily been old enough to be my mother. Maybe even my grandmother. As she crossed, the bright blue menacing figure of my Honda Sabre caught her eye. She paused as she approached, looked me up and down and said, “Nice bike.” I nodded and she continued on her way. “You really do meet the nicest people on a Honda,” I thought.

Why do I bring this up? Because if Honda’s intention with the pro-street-styled Sabre was to intimidate, then it would seem as if it missed the mark. However, there’s no denying that the Sabre — now with a color-matched frame for 2011 — is hard not to look at. Together with all the blue, the presence of chrome hits your eyes like a one-two punch. The centerpiece, of course, being the 1312cc, 52-degree, liquid-cooled V-Twin at the heart of it all. Honda fans may be familiar with this engine as it’s the same unit that powers the slightly more aggressively styled Fury.

The Sabre is part of a trio of Honda Customs which also includes the Stateline and Interstate, all of which share the same engine. While the Stateline is the muscle-cruiser of the bunch and the Interstate the tourer, think of the Sabre as the boulevard bruiser. Its minimalist styling, 33-degree rake, long wheelbase, 21-inch front wheel and low ride height all add a bit of personality that, during our testing, attracted attention wherever we went. Although, amongst our testers, that attention wasn’t always flattering. With its plastic fenders, body panels and various chrome-plated plastic engine covers, T-Rod noted the “plasticized look” makes it feel like an “industrial-sized toy purchased from the 99-cent store.”

Plastic aside, we all agreed that the Sabre’s flowing lines are attractive. Another thing we noticed was a lack of branding on the motorcycle. Nowhere on the (beautifully formed) fuel tank do we see any clue as to what kind of steed this is. The only giveaways are small Honda logos on the body panels just below the seat and a sticker on the rear fender, cleverly placed on top of the paint’s clear coat so those who prefer the stealth look can easily remove it.

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