Thursday, November 13, 2008

First pics: 2009 Honda Fireblade CBR1000RR


The 2009 Honda Fireblade, now with C-ABS

Honda have released the first official pics of the 2009 Fireblade. And the biggest new development on the bike seems to be Honda’s new-generation sportsbike-spec Combined ABS, which will now be available as an option on the 2009 CBR1000RR. The bike will be available in MotoGP-replica Repsol Honda colours (though such a bike was first prepared privately by an Italian Honda dealer a few months ago), and a red-blue-and-white HRC paintscheme will also be offered.

But coming back to the new Combined ABS on the new Fireblade, according to Honda, the system has been optimized for sportsbike, taking into account things like short wheelbase and extreme steering geometry. Honda’s C-ABS doesn’t take control away from the rider and allows very hard braking before cutting in. And even when it does get activated, the anti-lock system acts in a subtle manner, never upsetting the machine’s stability.

The 2009 CBR1000RR’s engine, suspension and chassis remain unchanged over the 2008 model. However, various carbonfibre accessories will be available for the new Fireblade, as will be a slightly bigger screen, rear seat cowl, soft luggage that can be mounted on the rear seat / fuel tank, and anti-theft alarm.

2009 Honda CBR600RR unveiled


The 2009 Honda CBR600RR, now with C-ABS. The paintjob looks hot!

Honda have released the first official pics of the 2009 CBR600RR, and like it is with the new Fireblade, the big news on the 600 is ABS. Yes, the Honda’s new 600RR will be available with electronically controlled anti-lock brakes as an option. Honda’s C-ABS not only prevents wheel lockups under very hard braking, but also modulates brake force between the front and rear wheels, and is probably a big advance in safety for sportsbike riders.

Other changes on the 2009 Honda CBR600RR include an engine that’s been fettled for better low-rpm power delivery, radial-mount monoblock brake calipers at the front, minor changes to the fairing for a reduction in wind noise and for better high-speed stability, and new paintjobs. Power output stands at 120bhp and the new 600RR weighs in at 184 kilos, so performance should be quite nice…

Honda factory accessories for the 2009 CBR600RR include a tinted bubble screen, rear seat cowl, various carbonfibre bits, and anti-theft alarm. Again, like with the 2009 Fireblade, not much seems to have changed on the new 600RR, but we still expect it to be the best 600cc supersports machine in the market in 2009…

Details on pricing and availability soon.


Another new paint scheme for the 2009 CBR600RR

BMW S600RR to be shown in 2009?


A computer mock-up of BMW's S6RR / S600RR, which might be officially unveiled in 2009
Pic: Motociclismo

According to a report on Motociclismo, BMW are working on a new 600cc supersports machine, which will be officially unveiled by late-2009. To be called the S6RR or the S600RR, the bike is likely to have a 600-675cc three-cylinder engine, and single-side front suspension.

We’ve earlier done reports on Benelli and MV Agusta working on brand-new 600cc supersport machines, and now it’s BMW. So maybe the Triumph Daytona 675 has finally inspired other European bike manufacturers after all…


The 2009 BMW F800R is likely to be on display at the upcoming EICMA in Milan

BMW are also reported to be working on a new, high-performance ‘Maxiscooter,’ which, along with the new F800R, could possibly be unveiled at the upcoming EICMA show in Milan.

Streetfighter Bling’s Suzuki GSX-R1100s


This is what a lot of money, time, talent and hard work will do to old GSX-R1100s
Pics: MCN

The two streetfighter GSX-R1100s here are from the UK-based Streetfighter Bling. First up, the black bike with the yellow wheels. Special bits on the 1991 GSX-R1100 include a specially fabricated single-sided swingarm from Spondon, lightweight magnesium wheels (Marvic front, Dymag rear), and Ohlins steering damper. The tail unit is from a Cagiva Mito.

The GSX-R’s 1100cc, air-and-oil-cooled inline-four has been bored out to 1186cc, the head has been flowed and ported, and re-profiled cams with adjustable sprockets have been fitted. Carbs are 38mm Mikuni flat slides, with individual K&N filters. The engine now makes 163 horsepower at 10,500rpm, which should be… er, adequate for most people.

The bike also gets USD forks from a GSX-R1000 (with upgraded internals), ISR fully adjustable clutch and brake master cylinders, fully adjustable Ohlins rear shock, and LED traillamps and turn-indicators.

We don’t, unfortunately, have any details on the blue-and-white GSX-R1100, but from what can be seen in the picture, the bike has been fitted with a USD fork (from a GSX-R1000?), Tokico front brakes with six-piston calipers, Yoshimura exhaust (routed below the seat unit), JMC swingarm and Ohlins rear shock. And, yes, we think the bike looks amazing.

Team Nescafe CAN Yamaha replica YZF750SP


TT-F1 Team Nescafe replica Yamaha YZF750SP. Cool!!

Pics: PB mag forum

From the PB mag forum, what we have here is a 1990s TT-F1 Team Nescafe CAN Yamaha replica YZF750. The bike – a Yamaha YZF750SP homologation special, based on Yamaha’s TT-F1 racer of that time – was bought by the current owner way back in 1992.

Apart from the Team Nescafe replica paintjob, the bike’s owner has fitted a Y.E.C. KIT swingarm and Ohlins Type 46HRCLS rear shock on the machine, just to make sure the bike is as close to the original TT-F1 racer as possible. Damn cool…


The YZF750 - hard to beat for old-school racer-cool...

Preceded by the FZR750R OW01, the YZF750 EXUP was actually heavier and less powerful – in stock form, its 20-valve inline-four made around 106bhp, while the earlier FZR had 120 horsepower.

The homologation-special single-seat YZF750SP was more like it. Stiff and light Deltabox aluminium alloy frame. Adjustable 41mm USD fork and Ohlins shock, heavily braced swingarm. 17-inch wheels wearing 120/70 (front) and 180/55 (rear) ZR-rated rubber. Twin 320mm brake discs at the front, with six-piston calipers. Hotter cams, and 39mm flat-slide carbs with electronically controlled accelerator pumps. And a dry weight of 192 kilos.

Indeed, the YZF750SP was more race-ready than the standard bike. But then, at around US$20,000 it was also about 50% more expensive than the standard YZF. All said, the YZF750 wasn’t a very successful racebike and Honda’s pathbreaking 1992 CBR900RR made sure the YZF wasn’t a very successful streetbike either. Production was stopped in 1996, and Yamaha didn’t have a supersports 750 till 1999, when the OW02 R7 was launched. But that’s another story…


The Yamaha OW01, YZF750 and R7. We want all three...

2009 Yamaha YZF-R1: Pics, details


With its MotoGP-inspired engine internals, this 2009 Yamaha R1 should kick ass...

Yamaha have unveiled the 2009 R1… and the underseat exhaust pipes are still there! Well, the world was expecting a radically redesigned R1, with the underseat exhaust system making way for an all-new MotoGP-style single-side exhaust, and that hasn’t happened. Sob! Still, there might be plenty on the new R1 about which you could get excited…

To start with, Yamaha claim the 2009 R1 is the world's first production motorcycle with a crossplane crankshaft. According to a Yamaha press release, ‘Pioneered in MotoGP racing with the Yamaha M1, crossplane technology puts each crank pin 90 degrees from the next, with an uneven firing interval of 270-180-90-180 degrees. The result is incredibly smooth, roll-on power delivery, with outrageous amounts of torque. Not just new, the R1's new crossplane crank engine represents a complete paradigm shift.’ Hmm.....


Styling-wise, it isn't the radical redesign we were hoping for...

With our limited understanding of engine internals, we won’t try too hard to understand Yamaha’s new crossplane crank engine, we’ll just hope it goes like blazes. With 182bhp at 12,500rpm and 115Nm of torque at 10,000rpm, how hard can it be? And then, there are all those electronics – Yamaha Chip Control Intake (YCC-I) and Yamaha Chip Control Throttle (YCC-T) – which are still there, while D-Mode has now been added to the 2009 R1.

Yamaha’s D-Mode variable throttle control function enables the rider to adjust performance characteristics to match various riding conditions. There’s a standard mode mapped for optimum performance, ‘A’ mode for sportier response in low- to mid-speed range, and ‘B’ mode for when it’s raining/snowing or when you’re riding on greasy, slippery roads. Of course, with that 998cc Yamaha inline-four making more than 180 horsepower, you can’t ever afford to get careless with it, regardless of the D-Mode setting. And unlike the 2009 Fireblade, there's no ABS here either, so there.


The ZX-10R, Fireblade and GSX-R1000 brigade should start worrying...

Yamaha say the new R1’s chassis has also been extensively revamped, and now offers even better high speed stability and handling. At the bike’s recent unveiling at the Mirage hotel in Las Vegas, Valentino Rossi said, ‘This is a great bike. It's very like my M1 and it's exciting to see so many MotoGP qualities now appearing on a bike for the road. I think everyone who loves the R1 and Yamaha will be very excited about this new version. It's fantastic!’

First pics: 2009 Yamaha XJ6 Diversion / Yamaha FZ6R


The 2009 Yamaha XJ6 Diversion. Looks a bit dull, eh...?

Yamaha have released the first pictures of their new middleweight sports-tourer, the XJ6 Diversion. Fitted with a 599cc, liquid-cooled, inline-four that makes 78 horsepower at 11,500rpm and 60Nm at 8,500rpm, this seems to be the bike with which Yamaha will takes on the likes of the Honda CB600F, Suzuki GSR600/GSX650F and Kawasaki ER-6n.

The Yamaha XJ6 Diversion (with the addition of a full fairing, this will be sold as the FZ6R in the US market) gets a tubular steel chassis, 41mm conventional fork, preload-adjustable monoshock, box-section steel swingarm, and twin 298mm brake discs at the front, with twin-piston calipers. ABS is optional.

Fully fueled and ready to go, the 2009 XJ6 Diversion weighs in at 210 kilos. The bike will be in Yamaha showrooms by January 2009 and prices will start at US$6,990. Just one thing though – the XJ6 Diversion might prove to be a reasonably decent ride for beginners, but did it have to look so terribly dull…? Surely, Yamaha could have tried to make it look a bit more exciting…


With the addition of a full fairing, the European-spec Yamaha XJ6 Diversion becomes the Yamaha FZ6R for the American market. Still looks a bit dull anyway...