2012 Honda Gold Wing

A new Gold Wing had been expected, but anyone who was waiting for an all-new bike to challenge the just-released BMW K 1600 GT / GTL is going to be disappointed.



The 2012 Gold Wing, at dealers from May this year, is virtually identical to the model it replaces. Major changes are limited to a partly redesigned fairing with better protection from the elements, slightly larger panniers and revised suspension settings.

Other modifications include an MP3 player interface, clear-coated wheels, a reshaped taillight, urethane seat coverings, updated instruments and an improved satellite navigation system.



Despite Honda’s decision to shift Gold Wing production from Ohio to Japan, the United States will undoubtedly remain an important market. So it’s no surprise that the first public display of the revised version will be at the International Motorcycle Show in Greenville, South Carolina (25 - 27 February 2011), followed by an appearance at the Daytona Bike Week in Daytona Beach, Florida (5 - 12 March 2011).

Pricing for the US has been confirmed at $23,199 to $28,499. Given current exchange rates, UK buyers should therefore have to pay no more than £17,700, right? No, sadly not - the 2011 Gold Wing is currently listed at £23,125, so something similar to that is a more realistic prospect.



The Gold Wing might have an extremely dedicated following, but it seems that the 2012 model is a missed opportunity. Next to the fresh six-cylinder competition from BMW, Honda’s offering is beginning to look overly bulky and old-fashioned.



Related post:

BMW K 1600 GT and GTL

BTCC-inspired Civic Ti

A major appeal of touring car racing is that the machinery used is similar - at least in looks - to the models that the public can buy from their local showroom.



Honda has decided to capitalise on this association by launching the limited edition Civic Ti. Unashamedly inspired by its own British Touring Car Championship contender, the Ti is based on the five-door 1.4 i-VTEC SE and 1.8 i-VTEC SE. Production will be restricted to just 500 examples.

A marketeer’s dream, the Ti builds on relationships already forged by the Honda Racing Team. For starters, the 17” wheels are supplied by Team Dynamics, and their dark finish undoubtedly looks good against the Premium White Pearl paintwork - the only colour choice available for the Ti.



There’s also a navigation system from Pioneer which, conveniently, is the company that has just been announced as title sponsor for Honda’s 2011 BTCC campaign. Featuring a 3D graphical touch screen, the Pioneer hardware includes mapping for 44 countries, incorporates a hands-free phone system and supports playback for CDs, DVDs and USB devices.



The package is completed by a fairly subtle ‘GP’ body kit.



According to Honda, all of that extra specification adds up to £3,700, but the good news is that the cost hasn’t been reflected in the Ti’s pricing.



In fact, the on the road prices for the Ti variants are over £300 less than their equivalent SE models. That makes the £15,995 1.4 i-VTEC Ti and £16,995 1.8 i-VTEC Ti rather a bargain. Both will go on sale in March.



Meanwhile, Honda Racing has made its intentions for the imminent BTCC season very clear, stating that the target is to win the Drivers’, Teams’ and Manufacturers’ titles.

Team Dynamics will again be running the cars, although a big difference for 2011 is that they are going to be powered by NGTC-spec turbocharged engines. Matt Neal and Gordon Shedden continue as Honda’s works drivers.

Honda WSB team launch

Honda has unveiled its works team for the 2011 World Superbike championship.

The announcement of Castrol as title sponsor means the return to a very familiar colour scheme for the pair of CBR1000RR Fireblade bikes, which will be ridden by Jonathan Rea and Ruben Xaus.



As in recent years, Honda has entrusted Dutch concern Ten Kate Racing with running the factory WSB team. First thing on the Castrol Honda agenda is a two day testing session at the Motorland Aragón circuit in Spain later this week.



The 2011 WSB season comprises thirteen rounds with Phillip Island, Australia hosting the opening race on 27 February.

Honda Sport Cars Air Concept

Honda Sport Cars Air Concept

The Japanese Cars company has created the Air concept, an alternative transportation solutions for those with a hyperactive lifestyle. The company's designers took inspiration from roller coasters and skydiving wind suits, the Honda Sport Cars Air Concept is powered by a compressed air and pneumatic regulator system.

Honda Sport Cars Air Concept

This system ‘utilizes turbo vacuums and external air-flow to regenerate tank pressure for extended range and increased boost for an estimated 100 miles’. to keep the car lightweight, all components are mounted directly to the chassis, eliminating unnecessary structures.

With a chassis composed of vegetable-based polymer panels, Honda Sport Cars Air Concept weighs a mere 800 pounds and its reserve tanks can be filled via a gas station tire filler or a common off-the-shelf air compressor.

Honda Sport Cars Air Concept

The Honda Sport Cars Air Concept’s cockpit and package is aimed at maximizing the open air experience. In order to save weight and increase performance, a hub-less wheel and drive system eliminates the use of heavy drive train components. Additional weight savings are achieved thanks to the glass reinforced seating panels, urethane tire composition and skeletal sub-frame components.

The main tanks and reserves can be filled quickly and safely using a simple generator / air compressor at home or a tire filler at the local filling station.

Honda Sport Cars Air Concept

At just under 800 lbs., the powerful anthem of pneumatic propulsion and a character unlike any zero-emission vehicle exemplifies Honda's concept of fun to drive. The pow[air] of dreams Honda Sport Cars Air Concept.

Overall design and look of Honda Sport Cars Air Concept paves way for futuristic cruiser cars that have the perfect combo of style, ride elation and most importantly zero-emission properties combined with ample power under the hood to set your heart beat racing.

Honda Sport Cars Air Concept

Tiguan has best residuals

Glass’s, publisher of the eponymous used car values guide, has revealed which three-year old models have best held their values in the UK market.



The study looked at ‘57’ plate cars (i.e. first registered between 1 September 2007 and 29 February 2008), which had covered 37,000 miles (59,545 kilometres). The results were ranked by residual value as a percentage of original list price, although low volume models and exotica were excluded.



Given the tough economic climate, it might be expected that used buyers would be flocking towards cheaper, more economical vehicles, so driving up their residual value percentages. Surprisingly, though, seven of the top ten are 4x4s or SUVs, with top spot taken by the Volkswagen Tiguan SE 4Motion.

Glass’s Top Ten Residuals 2010
Position	Model	Residual %	Average Yearly Depreciation
1	Volkswagen Tiguan (168 bhp) SE 4Motion	68.0%	£2,394
2	MINI 1.6 Cooper Hatch	65.9%	£1,462
3	Honda CR-V 2.2 CTDi (138 bhp) SE	64.3%	£2,356
4=	Land Rover Freelander 2 GS Td4 auto	63.8%	£2,965
4=	Audi Q7 3.0TDI (237 bhp) Quattro S Line tiptronic	63.8%	£4,962
6	Land Rover Discovery 3 2.7TD (190 bhp)	63.7%	£3,720
7	Audi TT Coupé 2.0T FSI (197 bhp)	63.6%	£3,123
8	Nissan Qashqai 1.6 (113 bhp) 2WD Visia	63.3%	£1,628
9	Land Rover Range Rover Sport 2.7TD (187 bhp) S auto	62.5%	£4,425
10	Audi A5 2.7TDI (187 bhp) Sport Coupé S tronic	62.2%	£4,123

Honda BRIO Prototype

Honda has unveiled the BRIO Prototype at the 27th Thailand International Motor Expo.

Although it’s being described as a prototype, the BRIO is scheduled for launch in Thailand in March 2011, while India will get a unique version of the car towards the end of next year.



The BRIO is designed primarily for urban use, hence the diminutive dimensions: it’s 3,610 mm long, 1,680 mm wide and 1,475 mm high. Despite the small size, Honda is keen to emphasise that there’s still plenty of room inside thanks to clever packaging.

In order to sell well in its target markets, the BRIO is going to have to be affordable to buy and cheap to run. According to Honda, the Thai model will achieve 56.4 mpg (5.0 l/100km) and it’ll cost around 400,000 Baht (approximately £8,500 / €10,165 / US$13,240).



Cost competitiveness will be even more critical if the BRIO is to succeed in India. Honda has recognised this, stating that ‘local customer needs for a small car will be reflected and local content will be increased to create a model that achieves a good balance between vehicle performance and price’. There’s no word yet on what that price might be, but the rumour is something like Rs. 4.50 lakh (approximately £6,300 / €7,500 / US$9,800).

As well as India and Thailand, the BRIO is also due to be sold in other Asian countries. The chances of it being exported to Europe appear slim at the moment, but the Honda could make an interesting competitor to existing budget models such as the Chevrolet Spark, Suzuki Alto / Nissan Pixo, Kia Picanto and Volkswagen Fox.

2011 Honda Crossrunner

Someone at Honda must be a fan of the dual sport Yamaha TDM900, because its new Crossrunner is similarly aimed at those who want the benefits of an adventure bike but are never going to go off-road.

It’s a concept that has proved successful in mainland Europe, but not so much so in other markets. UK riders might be surprised to learn that Yamaha still offers the TDM900 here, while it simply doesn’t bother in North America. An odd situation, especially given the very healthy sales figures of ‘proper’ adventure bikes such as the BMW R 1200 GS.



Whether the looks of the Crossrunner will help increase the popularity of this class of bike is debateable. Of course, beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but the Crossrunner’s styling seems to pull off the trick of appearing bulky yet overly fussy at the same time. Photogenic it is not.

But the Crossrunner won’t be short on power. Its engine is a V4 unit, previously seen in the VFR800 sports tourer. Producing 100 bhp (75 kW / 101 PS) and 72 Nm of torque, it features the VTEC valve timing system, which wasn’t always too popular with VFR riders. However, in this application, Honda engineers have tweaked it to ensure that power delivery is smooth and linear.



A claimed side effect of the engine retune is improved fuel consumption. It’s reckoned that the Crossrunner will have a range of 216 miles (348 km) from its 4.7 gallon (21.5 litre) fuel tank, which is equivalent to around 45 mpg (6.2 l/100km).

The Crossrunner has an aluminium twin-spar frame. Connected to it are 43 mm cartridge forks with adjustable dampers at the front, while at the rear there’s a Honda Pro-link rising-rate linkage system with a gas filled damper and coil-over spring, both of which are adjustable.



Braking performance should be one of the bike’s strong points. There are twin 296 mm floating discs with three-piston calipers at the front, while the rear wheel gets a 256 mm single disc with a twin-piston caliper. An anti-lock system comes as standard.

Prices for the Honda Crossrunner have yet to be announced, but European buyers will have a choice of three colour schemes: Graphite Black / Matt Moonstone Silver Metallic, Pearl Fadeless White / Matt Bullet Silver Metallic or Candy Blazing Red / Matt Moonstone Silver Metallic.



There will be plenty of optional extras available, too. These include a higher windscreen, fairing deflectors, heated grips, centre stand (pretty much an essential on a chain-driven bike like the Crossrunner?), 12V DC socket, alarm, 29-litre capacity panniers and 31-litre capacity top box.

2011 Honda Crossrunner Technical Specification
ENGINE
Type	Liquid-cooled 4-stroke 16-valve DOHC 90° V-4
Displacement	782 cc
Bore × Stroke	72 × 48 mm
Compression Ratio	11.6:1
Max. Power Output	100 bhp / 74.9 kW / 101PS at 10,000 min-1 (95/1/EC)
Max. Torque	72.8 Nm at 9,500 min-1 (95/1/EC)
Idling Speed	1,200 min-1
Oil Capacity	3.8 litres
FUEL SYSTEM
Carburetion	PGM-FI electronic fuel injection
Throttle Bore	36 mm
Air Cleaner	Oil-permeated, cartridge-type paper filter
Fuel Tank Capacity	21.5 litres
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Ignition System	Computer-controlled digital transistorised with electronic advance
Ignition Timing	8° BTDC (idle) ~ 50° BTDC (1,200 min-1)
Sparkplug Type	IMR9D-9H (NGK); VNH27Z (DENSO)
Starter	Electric
Battery Capacity	12 V / 11 AH (YTZ-12S)
ACG Output	386 W
Headlights	12 V; 55 W × 1 (low) / 55 W × 1 (high)
DRIVETRAIN
Clutch	Wet, multi-plate with coil springs
Clutch Operation	Hydraulic
Transmission Type	Constant mesh 6-speed
Primary Reduction	1.934 (64/33)
Gear Ratios	1: 2.846 (37/13) / 2: 2.062 (33/16) / 3: 1.578 (30/19) / 4: 1.291 (31/24) / 5: 1.111 (30/27) / 6: 0.965 (28/29)
Final Reduction	2.687 (43/16)
Final Drive	O-ring sealed chain
FRAME
Type	Diamond; aluminium twin-spar; pivotless
CHASSIS
Dimensions (L×W×H)	2,130 × 799 × 1,243 mm
Wheelbase	1,464 mm
Caster Angle	25° 45'
Trail	96 mm
Turning Radius	2.8 m
Seat Height	816 mm
Ground Clearance	140 mm
Kerb Weight	240.4 kg (F: 115.2 kg; R: 125.2 kg)
SUSPENSION
Type Front	43 mm cartridge-type telescopic fork with stepless preload adjustment, 108 mm axle travel
Type Rear	Pro-Link with gas-charged HMAS damper, 7-step preload and stepless rebound damping adjustment, 119 mm axle travel
WHEELS
Type Front	6-spoke cast aluminium
Type Rear	5-spoke cast aluminium
Rim Size Front	17M/C × MT3.50
Rim Size Rear	17M/C × MT5.50
Tyre Size Front	120/70 R17
Tyre Size Rear	180/55 R17
BRAKES
Type Front	296 mm dual floating hydraulic disc with 3-piston calipers, C-ABS and sintered metal pads
Type Rear	256 mm hydraulic disc with 2-piston caliper, C-ABS and sintered metal pads

2011 CBR600F tech spec

Following the unveiling of the new 2011 CBR600F earlier this week, Honda has now released full technical specs for the bike.

Surprisingly, the engine seems to be exactly the same as the one found in the CB600F Hornet, the model on which the CBR is based. Perhaps Honda felt that 100 bhp (75 kW / 101 PS) was sufficient for the target audience, and any increase in power might be embarrassing for the 118 bhp (88 kW / 119 PS) CBR600RR?

2011 Honda CBR600F Technical Specification
ENGINE
Type	Liquid-cooled 4-stroke 16-valve DOHC inline-4
Displacement	599 cc
Bore × Stroke	67 × 42.5 mm
Compression Ratio	12 : 1
Max. Power	100 bhp / 75kW / 101 PS at 12,000 min-1 (95/1/EC)
Max. Torque	64 Nm at 10,500 min-1 (95/1/EC)
FUEL SYSTEM
Carburetion	PGM-FI electronic fuel injection
Throttle Bore	36 mm
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Ignition System	Computer-controlled digital transistorised with electronic advance
Starter	Electric
Battery Capacity	12 V / 8.6 AH
Headlights	12 V; 60 / 55 W low and high
DRIVETRAIN
Clutch	Wet, multiplate with coil springs
Clutch Operation	Mechanical; cable-actuated
Transmission Type	6-speed
Final Drive	#525 ‘O’ ring sealed chain
FRAME
Type	Mono-backbone; rectangular-section gravity die-cast aluminium
CHASSIS
Dimensions (L×W×H)	2,150 x 740 x 1,150 mm
Wheelbase	1,437 mm
Caster Angle	25°
Trail	99 mm
Seat Height	800 mm
Ground Clearance	135 mm
SUSPENSION
Front	41 mm tension and preload adjustable inverted HMAS cartridge-type telescopic fork, 120 mm stroke
Rear	Monoshock damper with adjustable tension and preload, 128 mm stroke
WHEELS
Rim Size Front	17M/C x MT3.50
Rim Size Rear	17M/C x 5.50
Tyre Size Front	120/70 ZR17M/C
Tyre Size Rear	180/55 ZR17M/C

Honda hasn’t stated what the fuel tank capacity is, but expect it to be the same as the 19 litres (4.1 imperial gallons / 5.0 US gallons) of the CB600F Hornet. There’s no mention of weight either, but the CBR’s fairing should add a bit to the 200.4 kg kerb weight of the Hornet.



Related post:

Honda CBR600F returns

Honda CBR600F returns

After an absence of four years, the CBR600F middleweight is returning to the Honda line-up.

Judging by the images, it appears to essentially be a faired version of the updated-for-2011 Hornet, although it’s thought the CBR600F may boast slightly more power than the 100 bhp (75 kW / 101PS) that the un-faired bike currently has.

2011 CBR600F and...

...2011 CB600F Hornet

The new all-rounder is aimed at riders who want more practicality and versatility than the more hardcore CBR600RR offers, but without losing sports bike performance. That said, it doesn’t look like pillion passengers are particularly well catered for.

Pricing for the 2011 Honda CBR600F, which goes on sale sometime in the first half of next year, is yet to be finalised.



Launch colours will be Pearl Cool White / Hyper Red, Pearl Cool White / Moody Blue Metallic and Pearl Nightstar Black / Matt Cynos Grey Metallic.

Honda CBR250R first look

With the Ninja 250R, Kawasaki has had the quarter-litre sports bike class pretty much to itself of late.



But now that’s set to change. Honda has just announced the CBR250R, which is designed to plug the gap in its supersports range between the CBR125R and the CBR600RR.

Due to make its debut at next month’s EICMA Motorcycle Show in Milan, power for the CBR250R will come from a 249.4 cc PGM-FI fuel injected engine driving through a six-speed transmission. There’s no word on output yet, but it’ll need to be close to the 32 bhp (24 kW / 33 PS) of the Ninja 250R to be competitive.



However, unlike the Kawasaki which features a parallel twin, the Honda is a single cylinder bike. Although it gets a counterbalancing shaft to help combat any inherent roughness, it might well be that some buyers just prefer a multi-cylinder set up.

The styling of the CBR250R, particularly around the fairing, is reminiscent of the Honda VFR1200F. That’s either a good or bad thing, depending on whether or not you like the unusual looks of the VFR.



Beneath the bodywork lies a steel frame, connected to which are non-adjustable 37 mm forks at the front and Honda’s Pro-link rear suspension with five-position preload adjustment at the rear. Braking is taken care of by single discs, and ABS will be an option.



The Honda CBR250R will be available in North America for the first time, where buyers will get a choice of black or red / silver colour schemes. It’ll also appear in Europe, painted white / blue / red or black, although it’s to be confirmed whether that includes the UK.

Pricing has yet to be revealed, but one thing’s for sure - it won’t need to cost much more than the Kawasaki Ninja 250R, which currently retails for £4,099 (plus government charges) in the UK, and $3,999 (MSRP) in the US.