Honda has unvieled the all new 2011 Honda CBR250R and it has been launched in India in April 2011. According to sources it will be manufactured in India and Thailand. Thanks to localisation of parts,base variant of Honda CBR250R is priced at Rs. 1.51 lakhs abd ABS variant is available for 1.77 lakhs. Click here for more details of Honda CBR250R.
Aiming to sell 10 lakh units in the current fiscal, Honda Motorcycle & Scooter India on Monday launched its new 125 cc sports bike in the country priced between Rs 47,070 and Rs 51,655 (Ex-Showroom, Delhi).
"We plan to achieve a sale of one million units in the current fiscal and the launch of this new bike will help us in materialising this target," HMSI Pvt Ltd Divisional Head (Sales and Marketing) N K Rattan said in New Delhi.
"We plan to sell 80,000 units of the new bike, CBF Stunner, in this fiscal," he added.
The company had recorded sales of 9.07 lakh units in the previous fiscal.
In the current fiscal year, the firm targets to sell three lakh motorcycles and seven lakh scooters, he added.
HMSI had earlier announced to set up a new manufacturing facility, but it has now decided to go slow on this front.
Wednesday, May 4, 2011
Friday, April 22, 2011
Honda Rocks With New CB1000R
Think Honda is too conservative for you? Think they won’t put a modern sportbike engine in a naked? Think again. The new CB1000R has radical styling and radical performance for the naked market.
Chassis features found on modern sportbikes include radial mount brake calipers, adjustable suspension and state-of-the-art inline 998cc engine bring the new Honda CB1000R front and center in the naked bike wars.
Here is a link to a cool, online brochure (increase your monitor resolution to view it) for the new CB1000R. For now, it appears the CB1000R is a Europe-only model, not available in the U.S.
Thursday, April 21, 2011
XL125 Varadero
The Varadero 125 offers superb quality of design and execution with aggressive Adventure Sports styling and unbeatable versatility. Its fuel-injected four-stroke V-twin engine delivers strong power and quick acceleration, delivered smoothly via its rugged 5-speed transmission. Compliant front and rear suspension systems provide precise, responsive handling and a comfortable ride, whether nipping around town or chasing along unpaved roads and rougher trails. Its spacious proportions incorporate effective wind protection which combines with a broad, contoured seat for comfortable day-to-day transport and weekend adventures for one or two.
Both fuel consumption and emissions are low and its large tank provides for nearly a weeks worth of average commuting, or approximately 248 miles before fill-ups. Always ready for action, the Varadero 125 offers ample comfort, perky performance, easy handling and unbeatable economy in the most stylish small-displacement package on the road.
Engine
Engine Type Liquid-cooled 4-stroke 4-valve SOHC 90° V-twin
Compression Ratio 11.8: 1
Bore & Stroke 42 x 45mm
Carburation PGM-FI electronic fuel injection
Ignition Fully transistorised with electronic advance
Max. Torque 10Nm/8,500min-1 (95/1/EC)
Starter Electric
Max. Power Output 10.6kW/11,000min-1 (95/1/EC)
Engine Displacement 125cm3
Top 10 Hottest Bikes of 2010
This crop of 2011 and 2012 offerings shows an almost unparalleled variety and further category fracturing and blending. We’re on tap to receive three cool entry-level, small-displacement sportbikes, an Italian power cruiser, a bleeding-edge Japanese literbike and the first inline 6-cylinder motorcycle engine we’ve seen in decades, among many other noteworthy machines.
For this article, we’ve whittled down a list of our 10 most anticipated bikes we’ll see in 2011. In alphabetical order…
Aprilia Tuono V4R
Aprilia Dorsoduro 1200
BMW K1600GT and GTL
Ducati Diavel
Honda CB1000R
Honda CBR250R
Kawasaki ZX-10R
MV Agusta F3
Suzuki GSX-R600 and GSX-R750
Triumph Tiger 800 and Tiger 800 XC
Five bonus Hot Bikes, just missing the Top 10
Aprilia RS4 125: Riding a small bike was never as sporty as this. Aprilia adapted a 2-stroke GP bike’s chassis and fitted a fuel-injected 125cc 4-stroke motor wrapped in RSV4-style bodywork. It won’t arrive in the U.S. until the fourth quarter of 2011 as a 2012 model.
Honda Crossrunner: This Multistrada-esque crossover uses adventure-bike styling encasing a 782cc V-Four derived from the old Interceptor. It might be worth talking more about if it was coming to America, but it’s not.
Horex VR6 Roadster: This naked is powered by a 1218cc narrow-angle (15-degrees) V-6 engine boosted by a supercharger. Do we have to explain why this is interesting? If so, perhaps you need to hear this video clip.
KTM 125 Duke: Like the little Aprilia above, the lil’ Duke is powered by a fuel-injected four-stroke single-cylinder engine. Americans might not get a chance to see if the eighth-liter Duke would sell to entry-level sportbikers, as it’s doubtful it will be imported over here.
Yamaha Super Tenere: The Super Ten proved to be a worthy BMW GS fighter when we tested it last month in Arizona. This will be a tight competition when we bring them together for an adventure-touring shootout.
For this article, we’ve whittled down a list of our 10 most anticipated bikes we’ll see in 2011. In alphabetical order…
Aprilia Tuono V4R
Aprilia Dorsoduro 1200
BMW K1600GT and GTL
Ducati Diavel
Honda CB1000R
Honda CBR250R
Kawasaki ZX-10R
MV Agusta F3
Suzuki GSX-R600 and GSX-R750
Triumph Tiger 800 and Tiger 800 XC
Five bonus Hot Bikes, just missing the Top 10
Aprilia RS4 125: Riding a small bike was never as sporty as this. Aprilia adapted a 2-stroke GP bike’s chassis and fitted a fuel-injected 125cc 4-stroke motor wrapped in RSV4-style bodywork. It won’t arrive in the U.S. until the fourth quarter of 2011 as a 2012 model.
Honda Crossrunner: This Multistrada-esque crossover uses adventure-bike styling encasing a 782cc V-Four derived from the old Interceptor. It might be worth talking more about if it was coming to America, but it’s not.
Horex VR6 Roadster: This naked is powered by a 1218cc narrow-angle (15-degrees) V-6 engine boosted by a supercharger. Do we have to explain why this is interesting? If so, perhaps you need to hear this video clip.
KTM 125 Duke: Like the little Aprilia above, the lil’ Duke is powered by a fuel-injected four-stroke single-cylinder engine. Americans might not get a chance to see if the eighth-liter Duke would sell to entry-level sportbikers, as it’s doubtful it will be imported over here.
Yamaha Super Tenere: The Super Ten proved to be a worthy BMW GS fighter when we tested it last month in Arizona. This will be a tight competition when we bring them together for an adventure-touring shootout.
Honda VT1300-based Concept Cruisers
In the spring of 2010 Honda released a trio of new cruisers called the Sabre, Interstate and Stateline, making up the heart of the VT1300 line of cruisers.
The custom-type cruiser models share the same powertrain platform of a 1312cc, liquid-cooled, SOHC, 3-valve-per-cylinder, single-pin crank, 52-degree V-Twin – the same Twin design found in the wildly successful Fury – which has been a core platform in Honda’s arsenal for some time now.
However, each of the three new VTs received a specific design directive, thereby creating three separate models.
The VT1300 Sabre, with its long, low and unencumbered look accented by a chopper-ish 21-inch front wheel, is what Honda considers the “pro-street” VT. The VT1300 Stateline retains the Sabre’s flowing lines, but it sports a chubbier 17-inch front tire; it’s essentially a stripped version of the VT1300 Interstate that wears a windshield, soft saddlebags and roomy floorboards rather than footpegs, as standard touring equipment.
If you’d asked us before this year’s Long Beach, Calif., stop of the 2010/11 IMS whether custom-type bikes were still a strong part of the cruiser segment, we’d have guessed no, not so much. Honda thinks differently.
Starting with bone-stock models of the already-edgy-for-Honda Fury, joined by a Sabre and Stateline, Honda gave three of its designers from Honda Research & Development Americas located in Southern California, an opportunity to build customs based on where their visions would take each machine.
The designers were given free reign within a limited budget and two stipulations: that each bike remains a full-on runner and stays true to the core of the production vehicle. The designers had a scant three months to accomplish their reimagining of the VTs.
The Furious, based on the Fury, is the chopper; the Switchblade pro-dragger was morphed from the Sabre, and the Slammer is a low-lying bagger born from the Stateline. The concept models debuted at the December 17th, 2010 International Motorcycle in Long Beach, Calif., and will stay on as part of the Honda display for the remainder of the IMS 2011 show dates.
2010 Honda Stateline "Slammer"
Based on a 2010 Stateline, designer Erik Dunshee (Honda R&D Americas) sees the Slammer bagger as an ultra-low interpretation of the genre. The Slammer sports fully adjustable air-ride suspension, NAV/Multimedia, 10-inch subwoofer and 500 watts of music-pumping power. With a full front-end conversion, including a lean 23-inch custom wheel, the designer achieved all this without frame or engine modification.
What makes the baggerized Statline into the Slammer:
* Stock: Frame, swing arm, VT1300cc engine and tank
* 23-inch spec designed front wheel
* Fully adjustable air-ride front & rear suspension w/6-inch ride height to 2.25 inches lowered
* Composite coated narrow-track front rotor with 6-piston caliper
* Nav/Multimedia head unit with GPS speed display
* Three speakers including a 10-inch subwoofer & 500-watt sound system
* Full custom bodywork including a leather drop seat
* Two-tone Satin metallic black & pearl black paint
* Custom spec crossover twin pipe exhaust
* Airbox/cleaner conversion
2010 Honda Sabre "Switchblade"
Taking the 2010 Sabre as a starting point, designer Edward Birtulescu conceived the Switchblade. Racing-inspired styling cues come from Formula1 and MotoGP according to Honda. The ‘Blade sports full carbon fiber bodywork, an Ohlins front-end, a single-sided swing arm with a 535 chain conversion from the VT1300’s standard shaft final drive and dual Brembo calipers, as indicators of the concept bike’s race bike-influenced design.
Changes implemented on the Sabre to create the Switchblade:
* Stock frame, VT1300cc engine & tank
* Three-way fully adjustable sport suspension
* Carbon fiber custom bodywork & spec seat
* 535 Chain conversion from shaft final drive
* Single-sided swing arm conversion
* Racing spec calipers & rotors
* Carbon fiber 18-inch rear wheel - 21-inch carbon fiber front wheel
* Onboard GPS laptimer & data acquisition unit
* Oversize billet top and lower “bridge” (triple clamp)
* Airbox/cleaner conversion
2010 Honda Fury "Furious"
Nick Renner remolded a 2010 Fury into the Furious, a design exercise Honda says is a blend of new and old school flavor. Pounding the street with a 23-inch wheel up front and a 20-incher for the rear, the Furious concept strikes a stretched, no-b.s. pose. A 45-degree rake makes for a long looking front joined by a converted hard tail that says simply: chopper. Metal-flake, variegated leafing, and diamond-stitched seat contrast with the five-spoke hoops and Fury tank. An instant neo-classic, says Honda materials.
From Fury to Furious:
* Stock: VT1300cc engine & tank
* 23-inch front wheel & 20-inch rear wheel
* Exposed shaft drive
* Hard tail custom spec frame conversion (37-degree head pipe with a 8-degree fork angle offset)
* Custom oversize drag bars
* Custom paint
* Straight pipe exhaust
* Custom diamond stitched leather seat & rear hugger
The custom-type cruiser models share the same powertrain platform of a 1312cc, liquid-cooled, SOHC, 3-valve-per-cylinder, single-pin crank, 52-degree V-Twin – the same Twin design found in the wildly successful Fury – which has been a core platform in Honda’s arsenal for some time now.
However, each of the three new VTs received a specific design directive, thereby creating three separate models.
The VT1300 Sabre, with its long, low and unencumbered look accented by a chopper-ish 21-inch front wheel, is what Honda considers the “pro-street” VT. The VT1300 Stateline retains the Sabre’s flowing lines, but it sports a chubbier 17-inch front tire; it’s essentially a stripped version of the VT1300 Interstate that wears a windshield, soft saddlebags and roomy floorboards rather than footpegs, as standard touring equipment.
If you’d asked us before this year’s Long Beach, Calif., stop of the 2010/11 IMS whether custom-type bikes were still a strong part of the cruiser segment, we’d have guessed no, not so much. Honda thinks differently.
Starting with bone-stock models of the already-edgy-for-Honda Fury, joined by a Sabre and Stateline, Honda gave three of its designers from Honda Research & Development Americas located in Southern California, an opportunity to build customs based on where their visions would take each machine.
The designers were given free reign within a limited budget and two stipulations: that each bike remains a full-on runner and stays true to the core of the production vehicle. The designers had a scant three months to accomplish their reimagining of the VTs.
The Furious, based on the Fury, is the chopper; the Switchblade pro-dragger was morphed from the Sabre, and the Slammer is a low-lying bagger born from the Stateline. The concept models debuted at the December 17th, 2010 International Motorcycle in Long Beach, Calif., and will stay on as part of the Honda display for the remainder of the IMS 2011 show dates.
2010 Honda Stateline "Slammer"
Based on a 2010 Stateline, designer Erik Dunshee (Honda R&D Americas) sees the Slammer bagger as an ultra-low interpretation of the genre. The Slammer sports fully adjustable air-ride suspension, NAV/Multimedia, 10-inch subwoofer and 500 watts of music-pumping power. With a full front-end conversion, including a lean 23-inch custom wheel, the designer achieved all this without frame or engine modification.
What makes the baggerized Statline into the Slammer:
* Stock: Frame, swing arm, VT1300cc engine and tank
* 23-inch spec designed front wheel
* Fully adjustable air-ride front & rear suspension w/6-inch ride height to 2.25 inches lowered
* Composite coated narrow-track front rotor with 6-piston caliper
* Nav/Multimedia head unit with GPS speed display
* Three speakers including a 10-inch subwoofer & 500-watt sound system
* Full custom bodywork including a leather drop seat
* Two-tone Satin metallic black & pearl black paint
* Custom spec crossover twin pipe exhaust
* Airbox/cleaner conversion
2010 Honda Sabre "Switchblade"
Taking the 2010 Sabre as a starting point, designer Edward Birtulescu conceived the Switchblade. Racing-inspired styling cues come from Formula1 and MotoGP according to Honda. The ‘Blade sports full carbon fiber bodywork, an Ohlins front-end, a single-sided swing arm with a 535 chain conversion from the VT1300’s standard shaft final drive and dual Brembo calipers, as indicators of the concept bike’s race bike-influenced design.
Changes implemented on the Sabre to create the Switchblade:
* Stock frame, VT1300cc engine & tank
* Three-way fully adjustable sport suspension
* Carbon fiber custom bodywork & spec seat
* 535 Chain conversion from shaft final drive
* Single-sided swing arm conversion
* Racing spec calipers & rotors
* Carbon fiber 18-inch rear wheel - 21-inch carbon fiber front wheel
* Onboard GPS laptimer & data acquisition unit
* Oversize billet top and lower “bridge” (triple clamp)
* Airbox/cleaner conversion
2010 Honda Fury "Furious"
Nick Renner remolded a 2010 Fury into the Furious, a design exercise Honda says is a blend of new and old school flavor. Pounding the street with a 23-inch wheel up front and a 20-incher for the rear, the Furious concept strikes a stretched, no-b.s. pose. A 45-degree rake makes for a long looking front joined by a converted hard tail that says simply: chopper. Metal-flake, variegated leafing, and diamond-stitched seat contrast with the five-spoke hoops and Fury tank. An instant neo-classic, says Honda materials.
From Fury to Furious:
* Stock: VT1300cc engine & tank
* 23-inch front wheel & 20-inch rear wheel
* Exposed shaft drive
* Hard tail custom spec frame conversion (37-degree head pipe with a 8-degree fork angle offset)
* Custom oversize drag bars
* Custom paint
* Straight pipe exhaust
* Custom diamond stitched leather seat & rear hugger
2012 Honda Gold Wing
Honda’s Gold Wing has for years stood at the pinnacle of the luxury-touring market, providing the best balance of comfort and performance in its class. But that supremacy is now under threat from BMW’s new K1600 GTL that received a very favorable review from Editor Duke a few weeks ago.
In the face of increased competition, Honda chose to arm the 2012 Gold Wing with only moderate improvements. This nonchalance begs the question: When will Honda retaliate with a full-model revamp? Until that event, whenever it may come, “it’s the little things that count” adage will have to suffice for Gold Wing devotees.
With Honda providing both 2012 and 2010 Gold Wing models for back-to-back comparison purposes, the minor upgrades gracing the 2012 GL were readily apparent. Trivial as the upgrades may be, they do exist, and the effort at least justifies the $300 increase in MSRP between 2010 and 2012 base models ($22,899 vs. $23,199, respectively).
The purpose for this back-to-back comparo – made evident on the tight, switchback roads of California’s Coastal Range we were traversing – was to highlight the improved handling of the 2012 Gold Wing. Where the old Wing wore Dunlop tires, the new Wing is shod with Bridgestone rubber. But, as Honda was quick to point out, the Bridgestones were developed to work in harmony with the 2012’s revised suspension, so they won’t necessarily give new life to the old Wing.
Besides new top and bottom internal bushings in the fork, Honda was only able to say that there are revised front and rear suspension settings in the 2012 Wing. Front-wheel travel is stated at 4.8 inches, which is a reduction from the 5.5 claimed for the previous Wings. But Honda tells us that travel is actually unchanged, figuring the old spec was a typo and confirming the new 4.8-inch figure.
Whatever the case, there is a marginally improved aspect to the 2012 Gold Wing’s handling manners. I say marginally because the 2010’s handling is already impeccable for such weighty machine, but the new model is a little more eager to drop into a corner. And where the 2010 model requires slightly more input to hold its line navigating a long corner, the 2012 holds its lean angle and maintains the rider’s chosen arc. Cornering clearance seemed equal to the ’10 Wing, and both were equally resistant to bottoming out.
The most noticeable seat-of-the-pants improvement to the 2012 Wing, quite literally, is its seat. Hopping off the old model and onto the new model, it was clear that the new urethane seat material and seat cover are truly an improvement. Not quite Tempur-Pedic mattress material, but the GL’s new seat provided support equivalent to that level of comfort. And any passenger will be greeted by one of the best pillion seats in the business, a much more comforting place to sit than the BMW GTL’s seat – if you don’t want whining from the back seat, you’ll hear less of it with the Wing.
Because navigating a 900-pound motorcycle through territory where sportbikes normally roam demanded my full attention, I wasn’t able to fiddle with the Gold Wing’s upgraded electronics. Yes, I did manage to find an appropriate station on the Wing’s XM satellite radio (some heavy metal to accentuate the heavy peg grinding), but Honda did upgrade other aspects of its audio and navigation systems.
New for the Wing’s audio system is MP3/iPod connectivity. Yes, the device connection resides in the top box, but its location is unimportant because Honda incorporated control of the iPod into its handlebar controls and dashboard view screen. You can access playlists, artists, albums, etc., just as if you had the device in your hand. There’s also a new surround-sound aspect to the speaker layout providing an enhanced listening experience. I could hear the rear speakers more clearly, even at freeway speeds.
Before leaving on our day ride, we were given a tech briefing on Honda’s new satellite-linked navigation system. According to Honda, the updated system provides more up-to-date information because of a quicker connection between bike and satellite. The viewing screen is also now brighter for better viewing.
A very usable new feature when traveling to unknown regions is the GPS’s lane-assist function that tells the rider in advance if the desired off-ramp is on the left or right of the freeway. There’s also a new 3-D terrain view. Next to the iPod connection in the top box is a new, removable flash card that allows Gold Wing owners to remove their route, download it to a personal computer then upload it and share it with fellow Gold Wingers.
Curiously, the new Gold Wing’s wheels come encased in a sheen of clear coating. Honda says it’s for easier cleaning and to keep the wheels in better shape for a longer period of time. For anyone who remembers the yellowy, peeling, clear-coated wheels from the 1980s, this may seem like a mistake. But Honda assured me that while the clear coat is the same recipe, the process of application has changed, and it was the process 30 years ago that caused motorcycle owners to spend hours with a fistful of steel wool stripping the baneful sealant from the wheels of their ride.
The redesigned fairing of the 2012 Gold Wing, with its color-contrasting side panels, is distinctive, setting the largely unchanged new Wing apart from its predecessors. The new look freshens the Gold Wing’s profile and, according to Honda, the fairing is slightly wider, providing improved wind protection.
While a better wind pocket was hard to confirm during the blustery afternoon spent aboard the two Wings, the restyled rear of the bike, with its relocated taillight, was visually pleasing and its functionality evident. By centralizing the taillight between the saddlebags and lengthening the saddlebags themselves, the new Gold Wing gains an additional seven liters of storage. Parked next to one another, the 2012 saddlebags appear smaller, but ‘tis only an optical illusion.
Another visual cue on the new GL is the engine cover directly above the brake/shift levers. It was chrome on the old model, but it’s now black to, according to Honda, “modernize” the look. But instead of being chrome or color-matched with an upgrade to one of the three trim levels above the base model, this unfinished, plastic, black panel comes on all 2012 Gold Wings. It looks cheaper in person than it does in pictures and is unbecoming for such a high-end motorcycle.
So the updated 2012 Gold Wing is a better a motorcycle, receiving upgrades in areas that truly benefit its rider. However, at $23,199 to $28,499, the Gold Wing is pricier than the new BMW K1600 GTL which retails for $23,200 to $25,845.
The new Beemer is faster, lighter, has Bluetooth connectivity and an electrically adjustable windscreen. But the Wing has more luxurious passenger accommodations and perhaps has a slight edge in slow-speed handling.
In the face of increased competition, Honda chose to arm the 2012 Gold Wing with only moderate improvements. This nonchalance begs the question: When will Honda retaliate with a full-model revamp? Until that event, whenever it may come, “it’s the little things that count” adage will have to suffice for Gold Wing devotees.
With Honda providing both 2012 and 2010 Gold Wing models for back-to-back comparison purposes, the minor upgrades gracing the 2012 GL were readily apparent. Trivial as the upgrades may be, they do exist, and the effort at least justifies the $300 increase in MSRP between 2010 and 2012 base models ($22,899 vs. $23,199, respectively).
The purpose for this back-to-back comparo – made evident on the tight, switchback roads of California’s Coastal Range we were traversing – was to highlight the improved handling of the 2012 Gold Wing. Where the old Wing wore Dunlop tires, the new Wing is shod with Bridgestone rubber. But, as Honda was quick to point out, the Bridgestones were developed to work in harmony with the 2012’s revised suspension, so they won’t necessarily give new life to the old Wing.
Besides new top and bottom internal bushings in the fork, Honda was only able to say that there are revised front and rear suspension settings in the 2012 Wing. Front-wheel travel is stated at 4.8 inches, which is a reduction from the 5.5 claimed for the previous Wings. But Honda tells us that travel is actually unchanged, figuring the old spec was a typo and confirming the new 4.8-inch figure.
Whatever the case, there is a marginally improved aspect to the 2012 Gold Wing’s handling manners. I say marginally because the 2010’s handling is already impeccable for such weighty machine, but the new model is a little more eager to drop into a corner. And where the 2010 model requires slightly more input to hold its line navigating a long corner, the 2012 holds its lean angle and maintains the rider’s chosen arc. Cornering clearance seemed equal to the ’10 Wing, and both were equally resistant to bottoming out.
The most noticeable seat-of-the-pants improvement to the 2012 Wing, quite literally, is its seat. Hopping off the old model and onto the new model, it was clear that the new urethane seat material and seat cover are truly an improvement. Not quite Tempur-Pedic mattress material, but the GL’s new seat provided support equivalent to that level of comfort. And any passenger will be greeted by one of the best pillion seats in the business, a much more comforting place to sit than the BMW GTL’s seat – if you don’t want whining from the back seat, you’ll hear less of it with the Wing.
Because navigating a 900-pound motorcycle through territory where sportbikes normally roam demanded my full attention, I wasn’t able to fiddle with the Gold Wing’s upgraded electronics. Yes, I did manage to find an appropriate station on the Wing’s XM satellite radio (some heavy metal to accentuate the heavy peg grinding), but Honda did upgrade other aspects of its audio and navigation systems.
New for the Wing’s audio system is MP3/iPod connectivity. Yes, the device connection resides in the top box, but its location is unimportant because Honda incorporated control of the iPod into its handlebar controls and dashboard view screen. You can access playlists, artists, albums, etc., just as if you had the device in your hand. There’s also a new surround-sound aspect to the speaker layout providing an enhanced listening experience. I could hear the rear speakers more clearly, even at freeway speeds.
Before leaving on our day ride, we were given a tech briefing on Honda’s new satellite-linked navigation system. According to Honda, the updated system provides more up-to-date information because of a quicker connection between bike and satellite. The viewing screen is also now brighter for better viewing.
A very usable new feature when traveling to unknown regions is the GPS’s lane-assist function that tells the rider in advance if the desired off-ramp is on the left or right of the freeway. There’s also a new 3-D terrain view. Next to the iPod connection in the top box is a new, removable flash card that allows Gold Wing owners to remove their route, download it to a personal computer then upload it and share it with fellow Gold Wingers.
Curiously, the new Gold Wing’s wheels come encased in a sheen of clear coating. Honda says it’s for easier cleaning and to keep the wheels in better shape for a longer period of time. For anyone who remembers the yellowy, peeling, clear-coated wheels from the 1980s, this may seem like a mistake. But Honda assured me that while the clear coat is the same recipe, the process of application has changed, and it was the process 30 years ago that caused motorcycle owners to spend hours with a fistful of steel wool stripping the baneful sealant from the wheels of their ride.
The redesigned fairing of the 2012 Gold Wing, with its color-contrasting side panels, is distinctive, setting the largely unchanged new Wing apart from its predecessors. The new look freshens the Gold Wing’s profile and, according to Honda, the fairing is slightly wider, providing improved wind protection.
While a better wind pocket was hard to confirm during the blustery afternoon spent aboard the two Wings, the restyled rear of the bike, with its relocated taillight, was visually pleasing and its functionality evident. By centralizing the taillight between the saddlebags and lengthening the saddlebags themselves, the new Gold Wing gains an additional seven liters of storage. Parked next to one another, the 2012 saddlebags appear smaller, but ‘tis only an optical illusion.
Another visual cue on the new GL is the engine cover directly above the brake/shift levers. It was chrome on the old model, but it’s now black to, according to Honda, “modernize” the look. But instead of being chrome or color-matched with an upgrade to one of the three trim levels above the base model, this unfinished, plastic, black panel comes on all 2012 Gold Wings. It looks cheaper in person than it does in pictures and is unbecoming for such a high-end motorcycle.
So the updated 2012 Gold Wing is a better a motorcycle, receiving upgrades in areas that truly benefit its rider. However, at $23,199 to $28,499, the Gold Wing is pricier than the new BMW K1600 GTL which retails for $23,200 to $25,845.
The new Beemer is faster, lighter, has Bluetooth connectivity and an electrically adjustable windscreen. But the Wing has more luxurious passenger accommodations and perhaps has a slight edge in slow-speed handling.
2011 Honda CB1000R
Turns out they listen to us after all. For years we’ve complained that our European counterparts get all the cool-looking motorcycles, and whenever we try to get them here those requests seem to fall on deaf ears. This holds especially true when it comes to naked sportbikes, which never seem to sell well over here.
Not this time. Honda’s CB1000R has already been available in Europe since 2008, and the liter-size sports naked has received positive reviews. For 2011, American Honda reps finally agreed to bring it to the USA.
Conservative as the company is, Honda is producing the CB1000R in limited numbers initially from its Italian manufacturing plant and will increase shipments if sales deem it worthy. As such, don’t expect to see it here in anything except black.
A Throwback To The Way Things Used To Be
Before the age of CBRs, GSX-Rs, ZX-Rs, and YZF-Rs, bikes like the CB1000R were considered the superbikes of the day. With minimal bodywork and upright handlebars, standard bikes like this didn’t have a category – they could do it all. Over the years, that formula has mutated into the genre-specific motorcycles we see today. Honda is aiming to bring back that classic style of the CB750 into a form fit for the 21st century.
Where else should we start, then, but the engine. Based on the 2007 CBR1000RR 998cc motor (before the current generation), Honda refrains from calling the repurposed mill detuned, but instead calls it “retuned” for “loads of right-now power.” Whatever you want to call it, the “old” Honda superbike engine from just a few years ago now pumps out a modest 107 horsepower and 63.6 ft.-lb. of torque, according to the Superflow dyno at Gene Thomason Racing.
Retuned as it might be, the mill has plenty of power to get you out of the tightest situations. Or, if you’re like me, it has enough grunt to allow the rider to leave it in sixth gear and never touch the shift lever again at speeds above 20 mph. Speaking of gearing, the CB1K shifts with precise clicks each time you call for a gear. This is a feat we’re used to in many of Honda’s sport and sporty-type bikes.
Unlike Honda’s sportbikes, or any sportbike for that matter, the cockpit of the CB1K is noticeably neutral and unusually narrow, especially considering there’s a liter-class engine underneath you. Seat height is a reasonable 32.5 inches. The reach to the gold-anodized, tapered handlebars feels natural, while the footpegs are seemingly directly underneath the seat, which itself is fairly well cushioned. All told, the rider triangle harkens back to that of the CB750 of yore. Its narrow stature, however, “almost feels motard-like” as our own Pete Brissette put it.
http://www.motorcycle.com/gallery/gallery.php/d/282871-2/Honda_CB1000R__+FONZ5245.jpg?g2_GALLERYSID=TMP_SESSION_ID_DI_NOISSES_PMT
Not this time. Honda’s CB1000R has already been available in Europe since 2008, and the liter-size sports naked has received positive reviews. For 2011, American Honda reps finally agreed to bring it to the USA.
Conservative as the company is, Honda is producing the CB1000R in limited numbers initially from its Italian manufacturing plant and will increase shipments if sales deem it worthy. As such, don’t expect to see it here in anything except black.
A Throwback To The Way Things Used To Be
Before the age of CBRs, GSX-Rs, ZX-Rs, and YZF-Rs, bikes like the CB1000R were considered the superbikes of the day. With minimal bodywork and upright handlebars, standard bikes like this didn’t have a category – they could do it all. Over the years, that formula has mutated into the genre-specific motorcycles we see today. Honda is aiming to bring back that classic style of the CB750 into a form fit for the 21st century.
Where else should we start, then, but the engine. Based on the 2007 CBR1000RR 998cc motor (before the current generation), Honda refrains from calling the repurposed mill detuned, but instead calls it “retuned” for “loads of right-now power.” Whatever you want to call it, the “old” Honda superbike engine from just a few years ago now pumps out a modest 107 horsepower and 63.6 ft.-lb. of torque, according to the Superflow dyno at Gene Thomason Racing.
Retuned as it might be, the mill has plenty of power to get you out of the tightest situations. Or, if you’re like me, it has enough grunt to allow the rider to leave it in sixth gear and never touch the shift lever again at speeds above 20 mph. Speaking of gearing, the CB1K shifts with precise clicks each time you call for a gear. This is a feat we’re used to in many of Honda’s sport and sporty-type bikes.
Unlike Honda’s sportbikes, or any sportbike for that matter, the cockpit of the CB1K is noticeably neutral and unusually narrow, especially considering there’s a liter-class engine underneath you. Seat height is a reasonable 32.5 inches. The reach to the gold-anodized, tapered handlebars feels natural, while the footpegs are seemingly directly underneath the seat, which itself is fairly well cushioned. All told, the rider triangle harkens back to that of the CB750 of yore. Its narrow stature, however, “almost feels motard-like” as our own Pete Brissette put it.
http://www.motorcycle.com/gallery/gallery.php/d/282871-2/Honda_CB1000R__+FONZ5245.jpg?g2_GALLERYSID=TMP_SESSION_ID_DI_NOISSES_PMT
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