The ATGATT Rat: October 2009

Following a 2010 HD ShowBoat(tm)

Leaving work riding Jezebel, I saw a chrome monster about two car-lengths ahead of me. Dude was decked out in chaps, boots, leather jacket, fingerless gloves, and no helmet. His monster burping out nuisance at 120db or more. Organ donor. Dressed to the nines, no helmet.

I'm cursing my luck to be behind him, having to listen to his bike. Part of me wanted to pull up next to him and say, "You're bike doesn't sound right, like it's only running on two cylinders or something" Part of me was thankful for the minivan that served as a sound deadening wall between him and me. I stayed in place behind the van.

We all sat and waited for the light to change. I listened as his monster revved up, it got louder and louder, I kept expecting movement and got none.

Oops, he forgot to put it in gear. He shifted with a clunk and pulled away, loud sound like before, this time with actual movement.

"Works better when you put it in gear, Einstein."

We've all done it, or at least, I've done it, revved it up trying to pull away from a stop, not realizing it had popped into neutral. I don't usually mock folks who do it.

Except when they're deafening me with their little no-forward-motion twist of the throttle.

Thankfully he pulled into the nearest bar and left me alone, to carve the winding streets alone and homeward bound in relative peace.

I'm usually not contemptuous toward other riders. Ride your own ride and all that; I leave them alone and they leave me alone.

But the whole scene -- from his carefully coiffed hair, to his helmet-less head, to his showboat on the bar-hopping tour -- just annoyed me today for some reason.

VFR1200 T

Gizmag has an article (see "The Worlds Safest Bike") on Honda's patent filing for a new VFR1200-based touring motorcycle.

It's an exciting time, seeing Honda roll out innovation in their Moto division.

The oddball styling of Honda's forthcoming VFR1200T tourer isn't just the result of a designer's whim; the shape is designed to radically reduce rider injuries in the most common sorts of accidents. The appearance of the touring version of Honda's fourthcoming V4 has already been revealed in design patents which copyright the bike's styling, but for the first time we've managed to dig beneath the skin and discover that the looks aren't simply there to catch buyers' eyes. In fact, they've been dictated by the technology underneath.

Crumple zone and air bags on a motorcycle!

...when it hits an object like a car, the bike won't pitch forward; the new upper crash structure acting as a brace to keep the bike level with the rear wheel on the ground. So instead of being thrown upwards, the rider will continue traveling straight forward. On a normal bike, that would simply mean you'll go straight into the fuel tank and bars, a prospect that's no more attractive than being thrown over the top of them. But that's where Honda's next safety innovation – in the form of the company's second-generation motorcycle airbag system – comes into its own.

Buell supporters try to save the company...

The Kneeslider reports Buell supporters try to save the company

Bob Klein, Harley’s director of corporate communications, reiterated that Harley is “discontinuing the Buell product line rather than selling the business because of how deeply integrated Buell is into our business systems and distribution network.”

The statement by Klein is unfortunate, Harley Davidson seems to indicate they could not run Buell in a profitable manner and no one else should be given the opportunity to try. The “deeply integrated” argument sounds hollow because the new owners can worry about getting it running, setting up their own suppliers and distribution, Harley just needs to let go.

5 Stroke Engine

Kneeslider had an article on an innovative 5-stroke -- yes, 5 stroke -- internal combustion engine.

Test Drive of the new VFR

The new VFR is getting some good reviews, like this one in the Toronto Star...

Kingston-It's sunny, the temperature display shows 7C and an icy wind is blowing off Lake Ontario but I don't care. I've been allotted 20 minutes on Honda's technological showcase, the 2010 VFR1200, and I'm making the best of it.

Approaching the VFR, I note it's much better looking in person than in pictures. My eyes are drawn to the shapes, angles, contours, paintwork and interesting use of metal accents. It's unique, I'll give it that. The red and black paint reminds me of a first-year CBX and the overall fit and finish is the best I've ever seen on a motorcycle - and this was a pre-production model.

At press time, pricing hadn't been set but Honda expects it to be in the high teens, low 20s (about the same as the ST1300) and availability will be limited: fewer than 200 units will be coming to the Great White North.

The VFR1200 is a sport-touring motorcycle and more likely to go against the Suzuki Hayabusa, Kawasaki ZX14 and BMW K1300S rather than the sport-touring Yamaha FJR1300, BMW K1300GT and Honda's own ST1300.

The motor pumps out a claimed 172 hp - not class leading, but certainly nothing to sneeze at. It's quality horsepower too, not living way up in the powerband's stratosphere. The 92 lb.-ft. of torque make for a surprisingly strong mid-range once you're over 3000 r.p.m.

The muffler has an internal servo valve emitting a rather uninspiring tone at idle that morphs into that famous Honda V4 drone as the revs rise.

Production VFR1200s will have an automatic transmission option (actually an electronically shifted, dual-clutch six-speed), but the unit I rode had a standard six-speed manual box. I thought the hydraulic clutch felt a bit on the stiff side - not the light, silky-smooth unit I've come to expect on the VFR800, but the transmission itself shifted positively, although the throw was a bit on the long side.

Instead of traditional double overhead cams, the 1,237 cc, V4 engine goes with Uni-cams first found on Honda's four-stroke motocrossers. The cam sits directly over the intake valves (which are larger and heavier) while the exhaust valves are activated by a rocker system. This reduces reciprocating mass as well as removing some fairly heavy components from the far reaches of the engine.

The VFR1200 motor is not only lighter than the 800 version; it's physically smaller, allowing for optimal engine placement within the frame. The rear cylinders are narrower than the front, so sitting astride the motorcycle it's remarkably wasp-waisted.

Once underway, the throttle response was linear and consistent. The 76-degree V of the new engine, combined with offset crankpins allow the engine to function without the weight and complexity of any sort of counter-balancers. Just enough "character" seeps through the bars, pegs and seat so the rider knows he's not aboard a refrigerator.

The pegs and bar placement seemed pretty close to the VFR800, which is on the sporty side rather than the "sit up and beg" riding position of the more touring-oriented ST1300.

A blast up through the gears was a real eye opener. Once the tach hits 3000 r.p.m. and up, it's got retina-flattening acceleration. But the VFR is so refined, it feels as if it's just loafing.

The legal cruising speed of 100 km/h comes up at 3500 r.p.m. in sixth so the VFR1200 will be an effective touring bike, although the 18.5 L tank will mean a fairly limited cruising range.

Wind protection from the double-skinned fairing seemed good, although more time at freeway speeds would be required to fully evaluate the "fatigue factor."

Curb weight with a full tank and all fluids is a reasonable 268 kg only 18 kg more than the VFR800. Once underway, it feels like a 600, proving that mass centralization really works. The steering is light and neutral, and even the turning radius is quite reasonable as pulling feet-up U-turns on two-lane roads was no problem.

It seemed odd that even with the ambient temperature in the single digits, if the bike idled for a moment, the fan came on.

Even odder was that the turn-signal switch and horn-button positions were reversed on the left grip. Every time I signaled a lane change or a turn, I beeped the horn.

Riding the VFR1200 back to back with the VFR800 was a real eye-opener. Honda's VFR800, one of the most sophisticated and technologically advanced motorcycles on the planet, comes off as being coarse and even somewhat raucous (especially when the V-Tec boost hits).

But in reality, it is none of the above. The VFR1200 is simply much more refined.

After 20 minutes aboard, my overwhelming impression was that the VFR1200 is extremely solid and a remarkable blend of performance with sophistication.

Cool Scoots

These cool scooters look like they belong in a Transformers movie.

The manufacturer's website has a few hundred photos of several concept scooters.

Harley Kills Buell

Harley Davidson pulled the plug on Buell motorcycles today.

Buell's website had a Q-and-A page that had a bit of a teaser...

Will Harley-Davidson be using any Buell designs or incorporating Buell technology into the H-D product line?
Buell has introduced many advancements in motorcycle design and technology over the years. Harley-Davidson will continue to benefit from that knowledge going forward and it’s possible that some of this technology will find its way into a Harley-Davidson motorcycle.

2011 Naked Gold Wing?

The rumormill says that Honda will produce a naked Gold Wing based on the EVO concept bike of 1999.

I love naked Gold Wings... this ought to be good.

Measurable Ergonomics

Looking at Kawasaki's new Z1000, or Honda's new VFR1200, I wonder what their ergonomics are like.

This is one gripe I have with the moto mags ... nobody has come up with a way to describe seating position in an objective manner. We can quantify wet weight, hp, torque, displacement, gear ratios, but we haven't found a way to quantify seating position. Seems like some genius ought to figure out a way to do that...

Seat height? Bar height?

How about measuring the distance in inches that the pegs are fore or aft of the front of the seat? There's no substitute for sitting on the bike but it would give you an objective means of comparison.

If I say that my bike's pegs are 12" forward of the seat, and I notice that the new Fat Boy Lo's pegs are 18" in front of the seat, that is quantifiable, usable information.

The Hayabusa's pegs are 18" behind the front of the seat, the Speed Triples are 12" behind the front of the seat. It is an objective piece of data. Not the whole picture, but better than nothing.

I wonder if I can persuade the moto mags to add these metrics to their stats.