Well, I'll add my three cents to this issue. I think that Honda will have a very good bike on their hands. Everyone has learned something from Cannondale and it's pre-production woes. Honda knows much about reputation and protecting it. Bugs there will be. I don't know of any first year bike that didn't grow a weed or two. That what R&D is all about. Bringing things to their limits and learning from it. But here is something to think about. When Yamaha introduced the 98 YZ400F, it was impossible to get and turned out to be a pretty decent bike. They then made something like 40 or so changes to the 99. Another 20 or so to the 00, and so on. Did it make the 98 YZ400F any worse of a bike? I know guys still hauling on their 98's and loving it. Verdict: It's 95% rider (enthusiasm/heart) and 5% bike. If it were my choice, I would probably hold onto the tried and true between my legs before the smoke clears. There's always 03, 04, 05............