I doubt the new bike is going to be an actual replica. I have been trying to gleen an diea of what the bike will be like from the occasional bits and peices we've all been hearing. Rather than a replica, I think it will be something of a hybrid, combining what was best, both asthetically and functionally, from the past, and coupled with modern improvements that enhance, rather than detract, from the classic feel/look of the bike.
I know that sounds too optimistic, but lets look at what we've heard:
1. It was designed in England, where viceral feel and classic looks have always been more important than flash.
2. It was tested in Japan, where all the young guys are nuts over retro bikes. I liverd there for a few years and I've seen these guys ride. They demand a lot from their machinery.
3. It is being put together by a company that has the distinction of sticking with a classic design longer than anybody else iin the world.
4. RE has always had a habit of listening to owners and watching what people were doing with their own machines before introducing changes.
If you put all those things together, it would not be much of a stretch to think that the new Neo Classic is going to be the new bench mark for retro motorcycles. While we may all morn the demise of the original, I think the new bike is going to be similar to what RE would have build in England if they had stayed in business.