Press a tiny black lever nearly hidden on the right handlebar just behind the D/N button and the DN-01 switches to manual/automatic transmission mode. Just hit + to go up in gear ratio, - to go down. The tranny will not downshift if the rpms are too high. A Sport mode toggle kicks up the revs some 500 turns for a more pull, but reduces fuel efficiency. I didn't notice much of a difference between D and S, but the auto-shift manual was fun as hell. Once you've ridden this electronic pushbutton shifter thing, you start to wonder why other brands don't offer it, especially since it's been around in one form or another on the drag strip and street for years. Suddenly, mechanical foot shifters and cable clutches feel antiquated and awkward.
If you happen to like to blip your throttle at red lights due to boredom or some overcompensating manful need to remind others that you're a cool guy, prepare to launch yourself into the bike or bumper ahead of you. This will hurt. After the third or so time of smacking my nose into the handlebar after an emergency three-foot stop, I learned two things - one, the ABS brakes are damned good; and two, the better part of manly cool was stoic stillness. Flick the button back to N to avoid emasculating name-calling and permanent ridicule.
With headlights that burn like the eyes of a geisha, the DN-01 is a sex machine. Its sculpted body looks sensual and feminine from one angle, razor sharp from another. Its sleek curves cut through wind like a shark through bloody water. It moves with lethal stealth, deceptively accelerating to illegal speeds as the auto box slips silently through its hydraulically pushed drive ratios.
The Honda's ergonomics are so cushy the bike seems to ride itself. A plush seat hangs just 27.2 inches above the blacktop, so planting both big black boots on the street at stops is a certainty, except for maybe a leprechaun.
The pullback bars and cozy floorboards enhance the La-Z-Boy experience. The seamless integration of fairing and bodywork wraps the rider in a passive cocoon, nicely protected from the elements. The windshield keeps airy highway blasts off the average-height rider's chest, smacking him in the kisser instead. Passengers ride several inches higher, positioned just right to get a full spanking. Since the Dream New is Honda's rolling display of state-of-the-art stuff, it's surprising that the super-scooter isn't equipped with an electrically adjustable windshield.
In fact, the DN-01 has a pretty short list of options/accessories - heated grips, passenger backrest, gold emblems, generic bike cover and u-lock, and a curious center cowl cover to protect the under-seat fuel tank (I can't quite envision how this would work). But conspicuous in its complete absence is storage capacity. There is none whatsoever - no saddlebag or tool bag or luggage rack. You can throw some soft bags over the passenger pillion, but they would fly out like leathery wings. I expect Honda will somehow add built-in hard bags if they bring back the model in 2010.