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Mystery shopkeeper

Until INTERMOT, Honda was silent about the 1999 models. What animated technological dreams – and now leads to partial disenchantment.

Honda has really driven the motorcycle community: From an eight-cylinder Gold Wing to a 400cc scooter with a boxer engine, rumors have been heard in the rumor mill. And every attempt to elicit more details about the new year from Honda officials failed: The Japanese had prescribed a worldwide information stop. It remains to be seen who will benefit from such a policy, because since Tuesday, September 15, the waiting has been over. But some speculator will be a little confused looking for the expected model flood.
Increased efforts by the competition caused Honda to completely redesign the CBR 600 F. More power, less weight, was the simple requirement profile, meeting it not only required a new engine, but above all a move away from the steel frame. A visually highlighted bridge frame made of aluminum double profiles simply saves seven kilograms, an aluminum swing arm does its job, and because the engine also lost six pounds, the new CBR is 16 kilograms lighter than its predecessor.
The frame manages without massive mounts for the swing arm because the latter is also stored in the motor housing. In the steering head, which is closer to the engine, there is a fully adjustable fork with 43 millimeter thick stanchions, new four-piston pliers from Nissin act on brake discs measuring 296 millimeters. At the front there is a tire of size 120/70 (previously 120/60), at the rear there are fashionable 180/55 instead of 160/60, both on 17-inch aluminum rims.
The engine housing turned out to be a bit more compact, but at the same time stiffer due to the modified swing arm mount. It was also important to minimize friction and maximize mixture throughput. The bore grew from 65 to 67, the stroke shrank from 45.2 to an ultra-short 42.5 millimeters. Because the space between the cylinders has been reduced, the new Four is no wider than its predecessor. Equal-pressure flat slide carburettors, which have been enlarged to a minimum of 36.5 millimeters, dispense their mixture into extremely compact combustion chambers (valve angle 24.5 instead of the previous 32 degrees); they draw the combustion air through an air filter that has been enlarged from 5.5 to 6.5 liters. Reserve chambers in the air ducts are intended to improve the response behavior at very low speeds when there is not yet enough dynamic pressure.
As with the VFR and CBR 900, the three-ring slipper pistons rustle up and down in sintered aluminum liners coated with ceramic and graphite. They are 600 grams lighter than their steel predecessors. The ignition coils integrated in the spark plug connector provide the spark, a secondary air system takes care of clean exhaust gases, and an enlarged water cooler guarantees healthy temperatures. The result of all efforts: 110 hp at 12500 rpm. Significantly less than with the new Yamaha R6, and that’s why Honda tries to emphasize that the CBR is still primarily intended for the road.
What can be said of the Blackbird, the CBR 1100 XX. As a premium model, it now gets what it would have been entitled to a long time ago, namely the injection plus secondary air system and two three-way cats known from the Superbike RC 45. The package comes largely from the VFR, in which XX it should work a little better: Honda promises the very best exhaust emissions. Changes from the air ducts to the exhaust system, now made of stainless steel, indicate that caring care has to be taken, and so that the good part does not fall into the wrong hands, it receives an electronic immobilizer – like the CBR 600.
Honda ended the discussions about a new Africa Twin in two ways. First: The old one will continue to be built. Second, the new one is called Varadero. Which gives rise to further questions: Varadero is a seaside resort in Cuba. Now, although this 1000 is by no means an amphibious vehicle, the vehicle, which is in the tradition of large travel enduros, certainly arouses wanderlust.
A water-cooled 90-degree V-Twin known from the VTR 1000 works in its steel bridge frame. In the passage from 45 to 42 millimeters, the constant pressure carburetors reduce its output from 105 to 95 hp at 8000 rpm – still tight. The maximum torque of 99 Newton meters is at 6000 tours – roughly BMW R 1100 GS level. Of course, the dry weight also hovers 220 kilograms in Bavarian heights. It is praiseworthy that the Varadero can store a whopping 25 liters of fuel, and it is worth mentioning that a secondary air system ensures that the exhaust gases are cleaned.
The fork with its 43 millimeter thick stanchions allows a spring travel of 175 millimeters, at the rear it is 155. The shock absorber can be easily adjusted via an opening in the large fairing designed for high touring comfort. Tourists will also be delighted with the dual CBS braking system known from the CBR 1000 since 1993: Regardless of whether the lever for the double disc in the front or the single disc in the rear wheel is activated, this clever device directs a well-measured portion of the braking force to the each other wheel around. Which would prove that the Varadero is really not looking for its Eldorado on slippery gravel, where you can work excellently with a locking rear wheel.
Finally, the world market leader offers two dedicated, smaller bikes that are primarily aimed at beginners. The Shadow 125 with a snappy V2 four-stroke engine looks for those car converters who want a lot of motorcycles for their money with an old three-person driver’s license. A water-cooled 90-degree twin with 15 HP stands against 145 kilograms of dry weight, which in turn are so cleverly distributed that they almost have the dimensions of a VT 600 Shadow. The development goal was thus achieved. The step is much more modest Vigor 650, a mixture of a handy street bike and enduro. If that sounds familiar to you, you’re right, because Vigor is indeed replacing the SLR 650, which was somewhat hapless on the sales front, but much praised by testers. Exhaust – Vigor dressed up nicely. Because the rest, especially the powerful four-valve single with 39 hp, remained untouched, the 650 can still be considered a recommendation. And not as a blender.

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