Riding motorbikes in the City of Angels is always a gamble. Little did I know that I would actually be gambling today when I woke up and prepared to attend the model intro for Honda’s 2010 Elite. Mystery is a big part of working at Motorcycle.com, so I didn’t blink when presented with this morning’s challenge.
No, I didn’t ‘lay ‘er down’ as Eric Bass would call it – textbook or otherwise – instead I was actually gambling, kinda. Motorcycle magazines regularly race against each other to be the first to publish our stories, but Honda added the extra pressure of making a contest of the intro itself.
I don’t get to attend many biker rallies, but I know what a poker run is. I attended my first at the 2004 Star Days Rally in Roanoke, and my second attempt would take place in Hollywood, California on the new fuel-injected Elite 110, buzzing around town like actual owners on errand runs but actually picking up playing cards. Imagine a dozen journalists in a reality-show-type race against the clock to pick up the best poker hand at both planned and mystery stops.
Be it a quick trip to the market or trolling the pits, the 254-pound (wet) Elite is easy to ride and easy to maneuver on and off the street. Built in Honda’s Wuyang factory in China and packed full of Honda quality, the 2010 Honda Elite is a globally “green” machine, complete with an exhaust catalyst and some advanced digital mapping to reduce overall emissions.
The Elite is being delivered to dealers as you read this story and sold in a choice of two colors, red or black. Go be a nice person and ride red!
