2001 Honda Reflex

**Jngrbrdman** · 06-21-2007, 10:35 AM

Man, I love this thing. It is a much better choice of transportation for my commute. If I had to drive further then I would probably want a bike, but thing works great! I had it at 70 on the freeway without a problem and it is the most comfy ride I`ve ever had. It`s like driving your couch to work. With the lower back support it really makes for a nice drive. The one thing I hated about my bike was when I got slid back in the seat. That doesn`t happen with this bike.

The first thing I had to do was clean it up. The former owner had some nice scrapes on it that I knew would come out. I polished the scrapes and paint swapping with a Chemical Guys level 3 cutting compound after giving it a good wash and clay bar treatment. I also took of three or four annoying Honda stickers. The Reflex emblem I don`t mind, but the Honda stickers had to go. Then I threw on two coats (over a couple days) of Danase Acrylic Sealant. Man that stuff looks great on silver!! Just check out the body lines and how they glow. This thing looks like it is in the sun even when it isn`t. Gotta love it!

Oh, prior to getting the paint in shape I did manage to clean up and treat all the plastic. I used Meguiar`s Quik Interior Detailer to dust it off and then I used Wolfgang Rubber/Vinyl protectant on it. I`m considering covering parts of it with silver or maybe black vinyl just to save it from scuffs. I`m going to have to photoshop it some and see what I can come up with. Other than perhaps a little bit taller windshield to cut down on the wind noise, I think the vinyl may be the only mods I do to it. There really isn`t much that can be changed on this bike. I`m putting new tires on it next week and the windshield is in the mail. After that it will be good as new.

Technically it already is good as new. It`s a 2001 with 2300 miles on it. lol I got it for $2500, so I`m not complaining. It books for about $3200 since it has the ABS on this particular model. Oh, one other mod I`m doing is that I`m going to get a vanity plate on it that says 70 MPG. lol

**budman3** · 06-21-2007, 01:31 PM

Looking good. I`ve never seen one until you posted it .... and then the next day I saw one on the road. That`s a little different then people would consider a scooter

. Congrats on it ... seems like the only practical choice for your situation.

**Jngrbrdman** · 06-21-2007, 02:35 PM

It really is. It has a lot of good points going for it too. For example, I can ride it in the rain or on wet streets without having the front tire spray water all over my legs. I can also ride it with my son and not worry about him falling off. He is sitting securely between my legs and isn`t in any danger of falling. I feel much better about that than having him on the back of a bike holding on to me or something. Having all the storage space is just a real help. I can pick up a six pack and a bag of doritos and it all fits under the seat. Way cool.

**GearHead_1** · 06-21-2007, 05:17 PM

Jngrbrdman,

I`ve always heard that riding a scooter is like kissing your sister. You don`t want to have your friends see you do it.

I`ve never seen anyone quite as excited about one as you. This is not a criticism, I`m glad you`re enjoying your toy. The fact that it`s practical and saves you a buck is all the better. I can honestly say that it is detailed better than any scooter I`ve ever looked at.

As far as your son on your bike, well.... as much as I love bikes ultimately that`s the reason I sold my last motorcycle. My kids were reason enough to go on living. I`m sure you`ve heard the saying. There are two types of motorcycle riders, one that has been in a wreck and one that is going to be. It`s almost always the other guys fault.

**Jngrbrdman** · 06-21-2007, 07:58 PM

For the most part I would agree with that statement about scooters. The little 50cc ones are definitely the reason for that. They are like driving a dining room table chair around. This is a lot different though. They even make 600cc scooters in this style. You should see what they look like in Australia. I was never much of a scooter kind of guy before now, but there is something about the lines on this bike and the way it feels when I`m riding on it that really pushes my buttons. I`m sure I`ll get another bike for real cruising sometime soon, but for now this is doing the trick. I just went to Reams and picked up four 2 liter bottles of Coke and a bag of chips for a softball game and I still had room in it for my glove. I can`t say enough about how nice it is to have a trunk again. lol

I only drive up and down the street with my son. I`m not crazy enough to go out into traffic with him. I`ve been riding bikes for 20 years and I`m pretty familiar with the bad end of an accident. Believe me when I say that I`m a very careful rider and my kids aren`t ever going to be passengers if there is any traffic around. Going around the block is one thing, but driving anywhere that has intersections is another thing entirely.