Compare Bike

It’s that time of year again when bike makers barrage us with new and updated model info in attempts to get us primed for when their new machines hit dealer floors. Thus far for 2008 we know that the liter wars are shaping up nicely. For all intents and purposes, we have four new bikes from the Big Four.

Last year Yamaha and Suzuki got the jump when they brought in a revised R1 and GSX-R1000, leaving Kawi and Big Red resting on their venerable laurels. Losing ground to the competition usually doesn’t sit well with Japanese business philosophies, so it wasn’t much of a surprise when Kawasaki revealed their heavily revamped and trim-looking ZX-10R a couple of weeks ago. Now we have the final player, Honda, bringing their A-game with a ground-up make-over of the CBR1000RR.

Motorcycle.com was invited to American Honda’s Torrance, CA, headquarters to get a first-hand look at the 2008 CBR1000RR. Though appearances are a subjective matter, in this writer’s opinion this is one beautiful sportbike. The new CBR has shed the angular edges of the previous incarnation in favor of smooth lines that draw you in with hypnotic power, beckoning you to run your hands across its fluid, understated shapes.

This new look is something of a departure for the conservative maker of many things with an engine, but the leap in styling may pay untold dividends. Assistant Manager of Motorcycle Press for American Honda, Jon Seidel, told Motorcycle.com that reaction from dealers during the annual dealer convention recently held in Anaheim, CA, was quite favorable.

“More than anything, what we were hearing was how excited dealers were about the looks of the bike,” Seidel remarked. He also said dealers cited the reality that comparable performance levels between today’s sportbikes often leaves styling to be the deal maker or breaker. Especially so for the younger “impulse” buyer.

No matter how much image dominates motorcycling, looks will only get you so far. On the surface it would appear that the CBR can walk the walk. The 16-valve inline-Four gained 1cc in volume this year with its 76mm x 55.1mm bore and stroke resulting in 999ccs, making it slightly more oversquare than last year’s 75mm x 56.5mm. This, along with the switch to lightweight titanium intake valves, enables a higher rev limit, although what that is remains a mystery at this point. The inlet valves are also larger this year, up to 30.5mm. Additionally, the intake ports were cleaned up with a new shot-peening process that’s claimed to improve power and torque, and the compression ratio has increased incrementally to 12.3:1 (12.2:1 in ‘07). The removable cylinder block’s Nikasil-coated cylinders are sleeveless, and the forged-aluminum pistons are said to be thinner and stronger.

Specifications

Engine Type: 999cc liquid-cooled inline four-cylinder

Bore and Stroke: 76mm x 55.1mm

Compression ratio: 12.3:1

Valve Train: DOHC; four valves per cylinder

Induction: Dual Stage Fuel Injection (DSFI)

Ignition: Computer-controlled digital transistorized with three-dimensional mapping

Transmission: Close-ratio six-speed

Final Drive: #530 O-ring–sealed chain

Suspension

Front: 43mm inverted HMAS cartridge fork with spring preload, rebound and compression damping adjustability; 4.7 inches travel

Rear: Unit Pro-Link HMAS single shock with spring pre-load, rebound and compression damping adjustability; 5.4 inches travel

Brakes

Front: Dual radial-mounted four-piston calipers with full-floating 320mm discs

Rear: Single 220mm disc

Tires

Front: 120/70ZR-17 radial

Rear: 190/50ZR-17 radial

Wheelbase: 55.4 inches

Rake (Caster angle): 23.3°

Trail: 96.2mm (3.8 inches)

Seat Height: 32.3 inches

Fuel Capacity: 4.7 gallons, including 1.06-gallon reserve

Colors

Red/Black

Black/Metallic Grey†

Black/Metallic Silver

Pearl Yellow/Black

Candy Dark Red/Metallic Silver

In the cruiser category bigger is definitely better, and the super-macho new Vulcan 2000 is the largest displacement V-Twin in the world. This high-powered flagship machine is unlike anything in the cruiser category and completely redefines Kawasaki’s brand DNA in this important market. Complementing the engine’s massive size and impressive power output is an attractive style that mixes modern and traditional design elements in a streamlined, highly integrated package. Centrepiece of the Vulcan 2000’s remarkable styling is the streamlined headlight nacelle enclosing a “gatling” projector-beam headlamp.

Engine displacement is an incredible 2,053 cc, making the Vulcan 2000 the largest displacement production V-Twin in history. Not only does this muscular power plant produce massive amounts of torque and horsepower, it is also one of the best-looking VTwin engines in the world, with the huge gracefully tapered cylinders attractively accentuated by the long pushrod tubes and curvaceous engine covers.

The “stretched” low-and-long chas9:15 PMsis is just as impressive. As the top model in Kawasaki’s cruiser line-up, every detail expresses the high quality, superb comfort and feeling of trustworthiness customers expect from a flagship machine.

Japanese auto giant, Yamaha will launch two bike models, R15 and FZ in the country before Diwali, Executive vice-president Takahiro Maeda said today.

“The two super-bikes R15 and FZ will be launched before Diwali. One of them will be launched quite soon,” Mr Maeda said.The company would initially sell the bikes from five retail outlets in four cities — Ahmedabad, Chennai, New Delhi and Bangalore which would be increased to 50 by mid 2010.

Yamaha, which did not have any major success in the Indian market, had earlier launched two sport bikes 1,680 cc engine powered MT01 and 998 cc YZF R1 last December.

Giving details about the response, Mr Maeda said about 50 bikes of the two models have already been sold throughout India.

“The maximum sale is done in Delhi and Bangalore,” Mr Maeda revealed. The company operates in the domestic market through a wholly-owned subsidiary Yamaha Motor.

The Yamaha YZF-R1 bike, launched in 1998, revolutionized the sportbike scenery by efficiently combine the grand power available previously in the true liter class (1,000cc) with the lightweight and receptiveness that a 600-class chassis affords.

Over the years, despite maintaining its characteristic sharp look, the R1 has undergon technical up gradations to keep pace with the times. The 2006 edition features a short-stroke 998cc DOHC, 20-valve, liquid-cooled inline four-cylinder engine that produces a peak power of 175 bhp.

The dual-valve petroleum inoculation system usesmotor-driven secondary throttle valves and 32-bit ECU for receptive, immediatepower delivery. The refurbished Deltabox V frame, revised forks and a 20mm longer swingarm facilitate excellent handling in the R1.

In 2006, to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Yamaha racing in America, Yamaha released a Limited Edition yellow/white/black YZF-R1 in original Yamaha racing colors.

 

Yamaha YZF R1 Technical information

Suzuki introduced the sport bike Suzuki GSX1300R,commonly known as the Hayabusa, in 1999. As its beginning the Suzuki Hayabusa was extensively look upon as the fastest production motorcycle in the world until major Japanese motorcycle manufacturers voluntarily imposed rate regulators in their bikes.

The Hayabusa gain its name from the Japanese term for the Peregrine Falcon,the fastest person on the planet with speeds in surplus of 300 km/h in itshunting dive. The Hayabusa’s 4-stroke, four-cylinder liquid-cooled 1299ccengine enables it to generate an huge peak power of 175 bhp at 9800 rpm andarrive at from 0-100 km/h in three seconds flat.

The Hayabusa’s roaring achievement prompted other motorcycle producer to
come up with alike speed merchants like the BMW K1200S and the Kawasaki
ZX-14R.

Suzuki Hayabusa Technical Specifications