Motorcycles with large engines are becoming more popular, especially among middle-aged and older riders, prompting manufacturers to develop new models and services to meet demand.
Last year, sales of Honda Motor Co.'s 1,300cc CB1300 series motorcycles jumped by more than 40 percent compared with the year before, topping its other models, whose sales have risen by just a few percent over the last several years.
Honda's new model is equipped with a windshield, a feature that has become more popular since April 2005, when a ban on riding on expressways with passengers was lifted, company officials said.