Honda Exhibits World Premiere V4 Concept Model, Signifying a New Era at the International Motorcycle Show held in Cologne, Germany

Cologne, Germany, October 7, 2008— Honda Motor Europe Ltd. exhibited the World Premiere V4 Concept Model at Intermot Cologne. The V4 Concept Model proposes a new, sensual design direction based on Honda’s trademark 4-cylinder V- engine.

This year Honda celebrates its 60th anniversary as a company and next year the 50th anniversary of its participation in road racing, as well as the 30th anniversary of racing with an innovative 4-cylinder V-engine with oval pistons. Considering these milestones, Honda chose “The New Beginning” as its exhibition theme leading into 2009 and exhibited the V4 Concept Model which signifies the beginning of a new era.

For Intermot, Honda collected and exhibited successive V4 race machines as well as mass-market motorcycle products which were developed by feeding back the technologies cultivated through participation in challenging race competition, enabling visitors to review the lineage of 30 years of V4 engine technologies and see how Honda will take motorcycling somewhere it has not been before. The exhibition also offers an easy-to-understand introduction to various challenges Honda has undertaken in order to create joy for its customers, by utilizing its technologies that have been continuously advanced through Honda’s 60-year history and by its participation in motorsports.

Honda understands the global trend today that motorcycle users see increasing value in more emotional and sensual performance during the real world riding experience rather than absolute performance measured in numeric specifications. On another front, user friendly features that meet with human sensibilities are also becoming important along with safety and environmental features, especially in mature markets.

Honda believes that the challenge to create attractive products with an increased focus on sensual performance will be the key for the future. At the same time, safety and environmental technologies as well as future energy technologies will continue to become an important theme for the development of motorcycle products. Moreover, in order to offer a comfortable life with motorcycles for a larger number of customers, Honda will put increased focus on the human-fitting match of rider and machine. Conceived around the trademark 4-cylinder V-engine, the V4 Concept Model expresses functional beauty as well as a more sensual image to appeal more to the emotions of people. Embodying Honda’s passion for motorcycle development, the V4 Concept Model expresses the unique characteristics of Honda for a new era.

The V4 Concept Model mobilizes the driving forces of Honda – dreams, challenges, and creating new value. Honda positions this model as “the new beginning” of Honda’s motorcycles.

Honda will also exhibit one other World Premier mass-production model and three Europe Premier models at Intermot.

List of major exhibition models: World Premier Models:
• V4 Concept Model
• CBF125F (scheduled for release)

Europe Premier Models (scheduled for release):
• CBR1000RR (C-ABS option available)
• CBR600RR(C-ABS option available)
• CRF450R

via: www.world.honda.com

Good Qualities of Honda Motorcycles

Honda Motorcycles have been considered as the most efficient riding machinery, both on the tracks and off the tracks. And since these motorcycles are manufactured to be the best in the league, they are guaranteed to deliver the most pleasurable ride than any other bike. The Japanese company has grown leaps and bounces over the last 30 years and has been designing vehicles for every need and requirement. Honda Motorcycles promise to deliver satisfaction and that is exactly what they have been doing over the years.

The Honda Motorcycles are unique in many technical as well as physical aspects. Buying Honda motorcycles put you into the club of those who have made the right decision at the right places. And if you already are a proud owner of one you must be aware of what I?m talking about. Satisfaction par excellence is what Honda promises and delivers.

Honda manufactures motorbikes for every terrain and reason. Whatever the climatic conditions might be, the Honda motorcycles turn out to be the most reliable machinery of all. Whether it be racing, off road trekking or the day to day house hold activities, the Honda bikes are all that you need. Honda motorcycles are unarguably the best and they constantly keep proving their metal through all the impossible tasks that they accomplish.

The Honda Super Cub has been the most popular product of Honda for over the decades. These are one of the longest running models any company has ever produced. Honda Super Cup were started in 1958 and it has been delivering the goods ever since. And by now there must be millions of satisfied customers who must eagerly await another super machine like it. These bikes are best suited to today?s economy as they are much more fuel efficient than any other motor bike in its league. And of course it has been the most popular vehicle all across Asia.

The multipurpose utilities of Honda vehicles make them the most popular choices among the everyday users and the racers alike. Producing champions in sports like Moto GP has been just another hobby for Honda.

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2009 Yamaha YZ250 & YZ125 First Ride

There's just nothing like the smell of a 2-stroke dirt bike, or the sound for that matter. The mixing of pre-mix oil and race gas, combusted and then expelled from the shorty exhaust canister of a 2-stroke motocrosser is the original testosterone perfume. While I'm sure it wouldn't be good for my health, I could pump the exhaust straight from the canister of the 2009 Yamaha YZ125 into the vents of my house; living immersed in the glorious odor, and would be a happy man. My girlfriend, on the other hand, might not be quite as happy. But if you grew up riding 2-strokes like I did, I'm sure you wouldn't mind either.

Equally as intoxicating as the odor is the sound. The high-pitched scream of a 2-stroke climbing a fourth-gear-pinned hill will raise the hair on your arms unlike anything else. While 4-strokes are deep and throaty, sounding equally as gnarly per se, it's just not the same. This is why when the invite for Yamaha's 2009 YZ125 and YZ250 intro rolled across my desk, instead of giving it to one of my guys, I personally jumped at the chance. It's been a long time since I've heard that high-pitched scream, and I've missed it...


Sadly, 2-strokes are a dying breed. At one point they were the only option
for an MX'er, but with the improved technology of 4-strokes and the tightening of environmental regulations, they are going the way of the dinosaur. With Kawasaki, Honda and Suzuki discontinuing them, Yamaha is now the only Japanese OE still producing the smokers. European brands, most notably KTM, still do as well, but the list is dwindling. Sad, very sad.

In the pre-ride technical briefing, Yamaha made it well known that they want to keep making 2-strokes for as long as possible. Their history is with 2-strokes, as its first-ever motorcycle was a "ring-dinger" and, in fact, for the first 15 years it's all the tuning fork gang produced. Problem is, they can only make what people will buy, and sales have been declining steadily, thus if things don't turn around, it may have to follow the competition. I can tell you one thing, after riding the latest YZs, it'll be a travesty to see them go - they are amazing machines.

Written by: MotorcycleUSA.com Staff
Motorcycle-USA.com http://www.motorcycle-usa.com

JAPANESE MANUFACTURERS CUT PRODUCTION AS SALES SLUMP

Japanese motorcycle makers are curtailing production as demand in the U.S. and Europe continues to cool due to the economic downturn.

Total domestic motorcycle output came to 1.67 million units in 2007. Slightly more than 20% of those bikes were sold in Japan, and nearly 60% were exported to the U.S. and Europe. With sales of 250cc or larger motorcycles making up a high proportion of sales in the two regions, the production cuts are focusing on those products.

Honda has downgraded its fiscal 2008 production plans in Japan to slightly less than 400,000 units, down 10% from a year earlier.

Yamaha has lowered its production schedule for 250cc or larger motorcycles at its main factory in Iwata, Shizuoka Prefecture, to 350,000 to 360,000 units, a drop of 20% from fiscal 2007. The company also plans to trim production in Italy by the end of the year because of sharply falling sales in Europe.

Suzuki has decided to reduce total domestic output of motorcycles and buggy carts by 7% to 509,000 units this fiscal year. The company sees its motorcycle sales in the U.S. declining 19% from a year earlier to 100,000 units in fiscal 2008.

Motorcycle sales have also been decelerating in Japan since the beginning of the year. Honda, Yamaha, Suzuki and Kawasaki collectively shipped 680,000 motorcycles last year in Japan. For the current year, the number is projected to slide by 20% to below 600,000 units, less than one-fifth of their aggregate output during a peak in the 1980s.

Facing the prospect of a prolonged sales slump in Japan, the U.S. and Europe, the four Japanese motorcycle makers are stepping up efforts to bolster their operations in emerging economies in Asia and South America.

Honda plans to increase its fleet of motorcycle dealerships in India by roughly 40% to about 5,000 over the next three years or so, with a focus on small stores. Thanks to its active business expansion in India, Southeast Asia, South America and elsewhere, Honda has more than doubled its motorcycle sales in emerging countries in the last 10 years.

Emerging markets have also become the biggest revenue source for Yamaha, Suzuki and Kawasaki.

Small motorcycles, whose profit margins are thinner than those of larger products, make up high portions of their sales in emerging markets. Because price competition with local makers is intensifying, the Japanese motorcycle manufacturers are facing the need to bolster sales networks and transfer low-cost production know-how to their local factories to ensure success in those markets.


Via: Nikkei Net

Burgman concept scooter

SUZUKI Burgman 400 which is a scooter replica of Suzuki’s road racing lineup. At a first glance there really isn’t anything not to like about the recently unveiled concept at a Las Vegas Suzuki conference.

Like the GSX-R series, it features an aerodynamic front end characterized by perfectly integrated headlights, signal lights as well as air scoops, everything being adapted to the fairly bigger scooter front end. The seat is extremely spacious and the passenger’s handles unite into what replicas a racing rear end on top of the scooter one.

There are also performance additions to the quiet, fairly small machine that often finds its purpose of life underneath modern European couples. These are the powerful brakes featuring waved discs and the exhaust which, like on the GSX-R models, have that nice triangle shape and follow up the machine’s design lines.

God knows what they’ve done to the engine, but as far as we can see, the road behavior has been improved by lowering the concept scooter while the color scheme is exactly like the one of the bike that inspired its creation in the first place.

Now, I love super sport bikes and everything that has to do with them, but if you can come up with a plausibly reason to why would anybody wish such a transformation, I am ready to accept it. Until then, I find no reason for it to go into production as it isn’t practical at all…though I would love to swing a leg over it during a day at the track.

The New 2009 Yamaha YZF-R1 Superbike

The radical and innovative new 2009 model YZF-R1 represents the most significant development in engine and chassis technology ever seen in the 11-year history of this legendary motorcycle.

Since the original YZF-R1 was released into an awe-struck marketplace, Yamaha’s flagship 1,000cc model has established a reputation as being one of the most innovative and exciting motorcycles in the large-capacity supersport class. For 2009 that outstanding reputation is sure to be reinforced more than ever before!

Featuring an all-new 998cc engine whose design, feel and character has been influenced by our championship winning M1, the new high-tech R1 powerplant is closely linked to our MotoGP bike. Indeed, in its long and illustrious history, the R1 engine has never benefited from so much MotoGP developed technology as the 2009 model.

In addition, the completely redesigned aluminium Deltabox chassis and aggressive new styling, give the new-generation YZF-R1 a radical new look and bring innovative technology to the class. In the same way that the original YZF-R1 threw the rule book out of the window, this revolutionary new model sets a new benchmark for the super-competitive 1,000cc supersport category.

Suzuki Unveil New Bandit 650 Range

Suzuki unveiled a new Bandit 650 range at the Milan Show this week, with both the 650 and 650SA models receiving styling and practical updates, that bring a new sharp and dynamic look to the 2009 middleweight class.

With new edgy styling, the naked Bandit 650 is headlined by sleeker modern headlights, changing the face of the iconic Bandit. With newly styled mirrors, a slimmer tail light, new instrumentation, a black engine finish and newly shaped muffler ends, the Bandit 650 mixes proven reliability with great style.

For those that want added weather protection, the Bandit 650SA offers stylish practicality thanks to a newly designed fairing. Aerodynamically efficient, the new half fairing incorporates stacked high and low beam multi-reflector headlights, in a cowl that offers new storage bays on both sides, along with the styling updates of the naked 650.

Talking about the new models, Suzuki GB's George Cheeseman commented, "The Bandit 650 range is very popular for us in the UK and so we welcome the news of updated versions for 2009. At the same time, I'm pleased to confirm that these models will make their UK debut at the NEC Motorcycle Show later this month."

For more information on the new Bandit 650 range, visit suzuki.co.uk

Honda to Launch Hybrid Motorcycle by 2011

Earlier this month, Japanese media reported Honda and Yamaha were each planning a line of electric motorcycles by 2010. The new bikes, which reports say can travel up to 60 miles on a charge, will use lithium-ion batteries for power. Now, word from Japan's Mainichi news service is Honda is also planning new gas-electric hybrid motorcycles.

According to a report, the planned hybrid motos would employ a similar hybrid-drive system as the one used in Honda's hybrid cars like the Civic and upcoming Insight sedan. The two-wheeled hybrids will reportedly come in engine displacements of between 200 cc and 1,000 cc and see fuel-efficiency gains of 50 percent over traditional motorcycles. Production cost savings would come from using common hybrid components in both cars and motorcycles.

Can a hybrid engine be shrunk small enough to fit within the very narrow confines of a motorcycle? Honda thinks it can do it and if I was going to bet $700 billion of taxpayers' money on that gamble, I would place the bet on Honda.

The Japanese automaker says it is working on hybrid motorcycles and the first models could be on the market within two years.

By 2011, Honda plans to take it even one step smaller and introduce scooters with hybrid engines.

The problem with making hybrid motorcycles have been compacting all the components of a hybrid engine and making it efficient enough in such a small surface area that the vehicle can actually travel a decent distance.

The first roll out with the motorcycle will be for engine displacements between 200 and 1,000 cc and Honda claims the hybrid motorcycles will be 50 per cent more fuel efficient. The automaker thinks production costs could be kept reasonable by using common components in its current lines of hybrid cars and motorcycles.

Next will be the electric scooters ranging from 50 to 125 cc.

The smaller electric motorcycles will only be able to run about 18 miles, or 30 kilometers, on one charge.

Via Mainich News