Be sure to look at the photo section of the website when you read the article. Also, read the comments at the end. (Luzzy pipes up for the good guys.) Even if the "numbers" had been a draw, the significance of X-factor cannot be truly explained in a written article. You have to pull up on a Vision and notice the looks before you even park it and get off. You have to watch out the window from inside the business/restaurant as middle aged guys stop dead in their tracks and start walking around it. It is mind blowing how many non-motorcyclists absolutely love this bike and would never had said anything about another motorcycle. I love pulling up to a crowded four way intersection with a long stop light and playing with the power windshield and XM radio. Sit next to a stressed out mom in a minivan/SUV with young kids onboard and within seconds you can have the whole car smiling and pointing.

Comparing the Vision "numbers" against the Ultra, Goldwing, or K1200LT only goes so far. Bragging rights are nice but there will always be pluses and minuses for each one.

The reaction I get every time I go out on the Vision cannot be measured with numbers. The gate guards at work had a bet going about how much I paid for my bike. The estimate was between $40,000-55,000 since it was obviously a prototype or one-off bike. When I told them $22,000, the same as a Harley, they freaked out. None of those guys/gals will probably ever be able to afford a Vision, but every one of them absolutely loves it. They have one of the most mundane jobs on earth and they jump up, smile and comment every time I pull in.

Vision vs. XXXXXX......the numbers are nice but they're not the reason.

I think people feel that a Vision rider is more approchable than a HD rider.

I agree 100%.

I believe the article was written to be bias and when the author found it hard to say bad things about the Vision he had to over emphasize little things or make something up. I ride daily and I rode my GL1200 for two years prior to the ViVi and had it masters as close as I could get without going to a riding course. I still had stability problems coming up to stop lights, tight turns, and traffic manuevering. I rode the GL1200 to Texas and back living on it for any where from 11 hours to 19 hours a day, which was a 3,200 round trip. I still had the same issues even though I would "practice" slow stops at every stop. In heavy traffic I would back off and move to the right and stay there or even stop for a while and sike up for another shot.

From day one, when I get on the ViVi, it is as though I have always ridden it. I have a much better confidence, even in heavy traffic, even to the point that I remind myself I'm on two-wheels with no shield. At stops, I come to a complete stop before putting a foot down, but mostly, I stop and go without putting my feet down, something I was only able to do occassionaly on the GL1200. On the twisties on the GL1200 I have spooked myself many times and have backed off in turns I was uncertain of, only to find I could have taken it with ease. On the ViVi, I have yet to backed down from any twistie, even to the point of laying it hard in the lean and going WOW!, I did that.

I would like to meet the article author to find out what he really thought about the ViVi, because I believed he was paid a premium to write the dumb stuff to sway minds, but couldn't honestly put the HD on top. My 2 cents.