Interesting comparison

[The ferret]

SL70..you are correct... maybe I should have specified they abandoned the air cooled I 4s which were Hondas mainstay for the previous 22 years. In 2002 Honda brought in the 919, a liquid cooled I-4 developed for Europe. although a sales success in Europe, it was a sales failure in the US because it was style weird, expensive and still not competitive power wise with offerings from other manufacturers and was shortly discontinued for the CBR line.

[SL70]

Indeed, the 919 never caught on in the states. The 599 actually sold better.
Funny, I remember sitting on a new Nighthawk 750 back in about 1991-92 and thinking "I must have this motorcycle." Never did buy one, and now I find myself saying the same thing after sitting on and test riding the CB11, only now I think I am going to end up with one in the garage.

[Obliviontoad]

I love the 919, and saw one in the place I picked up my CB1100. They are just well built nimble things that are not encumbered by a lot of plastic and crap. At one time,I was going to get a used one before I settled on the Shadow. Just didn't think I could handle it at the time. They sell for 4-5k, but are mostly abused by their owners. Every one I have seen road rash of some sort or another. Now, I think I'll try to get one as a second bike,if the right one was found.Maybe even a 599, great bikes the both of em.

[Flynrider]

The 919 and the 599 were the only two bikes that came close to temping me in the mid 2000s. I recall that, because of currency fluctuations, the Japan made 919 was only a few hundred dollars more than the Italian built 599/Hornet. Both bikes were competing for similar customers in the same basic price range. It didn't work out well for either one. Niether did the fact that they were not encased in plastic. Something that seems important to the average American bike customer these days.