Trail – 2015 Crossrunner test: the VFR800X has found its way! – Technical update Honda Crossrunner 2015

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2015 Crossrunner test: the VFR800X found its way !

Trail - 2015 Crossrunner test: the VFR800X has found its way! - Technical update Honda Crossrunner 2015

Since its launch in 2011, the Honda VFR800X Crossrunner has been looking for the path to success … Blame it on its offbeat positioning and look, its mediocre comfort and its practical shortcomings. Honda fixed everything for 2015… And that changes everything ! Test.

Technical update Honda Crossrunner 2015

Engine

Directly taken from the latest generation VFR800 V-Tec, the engine of the 2015 Crossrunner benefits from recent improvements made by Honda to its water-cooled 90 ° open-V 4-cylinder.

As usual on this 782cc V4 equipped with V-Tec variable valve timing, the areas of work focused on low and mid-range revival as well as on the softening of the transition phase from two to four valves managed by the V-Tec, at 6500 rpm under acceleration and at 6300 rpm when the throttle is cut off. Either the two main faults regularly blamed on this engine…

To achieve this, Honda revised the injection mapping, lengthened the intake ducts and redesigned the exhaust system, now a 4-into-2-into-1 type as on the VFR800. The compression ratio increases from 11.6: 1 to 11.8: 1 in order to boost power in the revs of this short stroke engine (48mm for 72mm bore). In addition, the distribution diagram has been revised to optimize engine filling..

Result: the V4 develops 4 additional horsepower (from 101.8 to 106 hp in Full) and its torque increases from 72.8 to 75 Nm. As in the previous vintage, these values ​​are reached at fairly high speeds (10,500 rpm / min for power, 8,500 rpm for torque), which results in driving by a sporty temperament, almost angry at high speed.

Other changes relating to exhaust gas pollution control and V4 cooling have also been adopted. The collectors are therefore shorter to promote the temperature rise of the catalytic cartridges, while the radiators are now in the front position..

Thanks to this displacement of the radiators from the sides to the front, the Crossrunner becomes narrower. Incidentally, the efficiency of its cooling system is "naturally" improved thanks to the more direct exposure to the air of these elements announced as lighter. The heat rises towards the pilot are logically less important than with radiators in the lateral position: a real plus in town !

Finally, the starter and the alternator have been revised: the first in order to nibble a few grams, while the second sees its power increase to meet the greater electrical needs, caused in particular by the arrival of the heated grips..

Consumption is said to be down thanks, among other things, to the changes made to injection and distribution. A point to refine: Honda announces 5.3 l / 100 km, while MNC noted at the pump consumption ranging from 6.2 to 7.4 l / 100 on the ten motorcycles tested – at a good pace, of course – during this presentation…

Regarding maintenance and reliability, the head of the Honda workshop told us that the mechanics were of the "beefy" type and that its service intervals remained fixed at 12,000 km. As for the valve clearance check, it takes place every 24,000 km..

Cycle part

As on the previous model, the cycle part of the 2015 Honda Crossrunner revolves around a double beam aluminum frame chipped from the VFR800 V-Tec. The rear part of this chassis – redesigned and lighter – incorporates in 2015 the attachments of the cases supplied as an option.

The general geometry evolves with a view to seeking stability, as indicated by the increase in the wheelbase (from 1464 to 1475 mm) and the caster angle (from 25.4 to 26.3 °). The weight in running order remains high for a motorcycle of this displacement, especially since it amounts to almost 2 kg (from 240.4 in 2014 to 242 in 2015).

Questioned by MNC, Honda justifies this overweight by adding standard equipment such as the adjustable saddle and heated grips … The replacement of a short burst of wind and the single lens of the previous model by a double headlight and a larger windshield also certainly contributes to this weight gain.

MNC, however, remains amazed by these additional kilos insofar as the chassis is at the same time announced significantly lighter: the rear loop would be 1.2 kg less, while the single swing arm and rims – taken from the last VFR800 – would also be lightened. In addition, the abandonment of combined braking in favor of a "simple" ABS and the tank shrunk from 21.5 liters to 20.8 liters should logically make the VFR800X lose weight….

Taken from the VFR800, the trail suspensions see their travel increase to improve comfort. The 43 mm non-inverted telescopic fork (adjustable in preload and rebound) swings over 145 mm, 25 more than in 2014. For its part, the mono-shock absorber adjustable in rebound and preload offers a travel of 148 mm, i.e. 28 mm more than in 2014.

At the rear, the preload is easily adjusted to 35 notches (!) Thanks to a knob located behind the left footrest. Thanks to this increase in travel, the ground clearance takes height (140 mm in 2014, 165 mm in 2015), reinforcing the adventurer side of the Crossrunner. MNC especially appreciated the gain made in terms of progressiveness, especially on small shocks, and the excellent sensitivity to settings..

Other important changes: the 17-inch front wheel trades its previous 3-piston calipers for radially-mounted 4-piston elements, mounted around larger diameter floating discs (310 mm instead of 296). The rear rim, surrounded by a 180 mm wide tire, receives a two-piston caliper and a 256 mm disc..

ABS is still fitted as standard, but as mentioned above the rear-to-front C-ABS coupled brake system has been removed – as on more and more Honda motorcycles – in order to reduce weight and costs.

Electronics, piloting aids

In addition to the ABS described above, the Crossrunner "2.0" received in 2015 the anti-slip system unveiled by Honda on the Crosstourer, then installed on the VFR800 and VFR1200.

Easily adjustable in two positions and disconnectable – even while driving – this Honda Selectable Torque System (HSTC) is set by default at start-up to mode 2, the most intrusive. This implies that each time the engine is stopped, the setting chosen by the driver is deleted….

It is therefore necessary, on each start-up, to press again the unsightly command "T" on the left stalk (designated by the red arrow above) to lower its level of intervention or disengage it. An understandable security measure – especially from Honda, generally very sensitive on this subject – but burdensome on a daily basis…

Like all motorcycle traction control devices, that of the 2015 Crossrunner is informed by the toothed wheels installed on the rims and acts as soon as it detects a difference in speed between the front and rear wheel. The electronic control unit then compares this difference with the values ​​preset by the program, and acts accordingly on the injection and the ignition advance if necessary..

Another small electronic subtlety taken from the VFR800: the installation of the automatic blinker reminder, a system specific to Honda which intervenes after comparing the speed of rotation of the wheels (when a motorcycle is turning, the speed between its two wheels differs because the ‘forward has more distance to cover).

Finally, a new shifter is available as an option: a first in the VFR800 family.

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