Honda

Honda brought one of its most recognized model families into the 21st century with a complete overhaul of the much celebrated Rebel range in 2017. Available as the Rebel 300 and 500, this reworked line features water-cooled mills and fuel-injection induction control to meet modern and near-future emissions standards. A sportier look greets the eye this time around, though the Rebel still targets the same small-[cruiser-mot392], entry-level market.

Continue reading for my review of the Honda Rebel 300 and Rebel 500.

Honda showcased the current CBR 1000RR at the 2016 Intermot. It is an all-new redesigned package from Honda which showcased major updates from since nearly a decade to give them a fighting chance in the already competitive high-tech superbike arena.

Ever since its launch, it has been proving its mettle on the track and on the road. And with Honda’s proven reliability, Honda wants to ramp it up and tickle the liter-class market with an updated CBR1000RR. Well, for now, they have filed for trademarking the name “Fireblade” in the US market, and we cannot stop smiling. Some say the 2019 model will make 212 hp even. Drooool.

Honda made an honest attempt to capture that look and feel of yesteryear with the Shadow duo, the big brothers to the Rebel range. Maybe just a little too honest – is that a mechanical drum brake I see? Still with a 745 cc engine and a wide-ratio transmission, the Shadow Phantom and the Aero fill the "cruiser" slot quite adequately for Honda.

Continue reading for my review of the Honda Shadow Phantom and Shadow Aero.

The Honda designers targeted the outlaw chopper culture of the ’60s and ’70s, and managed to turn out a fairly faithful interpretation in the Fury, which is carried into 2019 though we lost its stablemate, the Stateline, from the lineup in 2017. The deep saddle and cut-down rear fender combined with the sweep of the fuel tank give it that stretched, custom look. For the American market, the 52-degree V-twin fits right in with a 1,312 cc engine that isn’t so big as to be intimidating. Join me as I critique Honda’s attempt to recapture our glory days.

Continue reading for my review of the Honda Stateline and Fury.

Introduced by Honda in 2003 as a race replica version of Honda’s CBR600F series, the CBR600RR was the most successful at the Supersport World Championship from 2002 to 2008, and again in 2010 and 2014. It was Honda’s more street-oriented 600-class sports bike that received periodical updates all the way until the 2013 model that lasted till the beginning of 2017, just when the Euro-IV norms kicked in. (The US markets still run the same model even today.)

Fresh new information from the CARB documents confirm the return of the most prolific mid-weight sportsbike, and this time, it is going to be 22 pounds lighter than the one it is replacing. In a bid to get back into the market after almost half a decade of no development on this particular platform, Honda will leave nothing to chances.

Honda carries its venerable XR650L line into 2019, but to be honest, it’s almost completely unchanged from the original version unleashed on the world back in 1993. Before you scoff, I would point out that sharks haven’t changed in millions of years, having evolved long ago into creatures perfectly suited to their environments, and apparently, so it is with the XR650L. The Red Riders got it right out of the gate with this one, and popular support keeps the bike on Honda’s showroom floors even after nearly a quarter-century. I want to see what Honda has going on over there that gives this bike such longevity.

Continue reading for my review of the Honda XR650L.

Honda’s latest generation of 600 cc, CBR supersports toes the family line with its race-winning blend of power and maneuverability all packed onto a MotoGP-inspired chassis. Much like the original CBR600RR that hit the streets back in ’03 and was built as a racebike replica, the current model features a strong engine along with a front suspension featuring Honda’s 41mm Big Piston Fork for superb handling and snappy action, plus MotoGP-inspired bodywork in a race-tested aerodynamic supersport design.

Continue reading for more my review of the Honda CBR600RR.

Honda sort of created a niche for itself with the original Grom in 2014 when it combined big-bike features with scooter-like proportions. Then, Honda dressed up their little Grom in 2017, giving it more aggressive styling and a new LED headlight that was carried over to 2018. Twelve-inch tires, while still small for a motorcycle, are a lot bigger than the Z-series tires and a 30-inch seat sits anyone without hindrances.

But this Blackpool (UK) based dealer has just found a way to make it look like the fasted monkey bike ever by slapping a super cool replica of Marc Marquez’s MotoGP Repsol Fireblade to it, with full fairing and rear panel with seat cowls.

Lighter weight, new engine, and updated looks feature prominently in the Honda Gold Wing rolled out in 2018. Looking to appeal to a younger buyer, the factory brought performance back to the top of the list of priorities for its flagship tourer, as well. The all-new engine comes in the typical flat-six configuration and 1,833 cc displacement with 120+ ponies just waiting to be called upon. What else has Honda done to try to make the ’Wing something other than “my grandfather’s bike” to the younger buyers?

Continue reading for my review of the Honda Gold Wing and Honda Gold Wing Tour.

Serving 100 million happy customers, the Honda Cub is the first two-wheeler to cross such a mark. Now, the moped is being made at 16 plants spread across 15 countries around the world that serves customers in more than 160 countries. That is some mind-boggling numbers considering the popularity and logistics involved with the Super Cub.

Looking at the future, a Chinese custom house that goes by the name Shanghai Customs is offering their answer to the depleting dinosaur fuel and the increasing environment concerns - the eCub 2. It is a 1000 watt electric scooter that can make a swift 28-mile distance in one full charge. It also comes in a DIY kit to convert an existing Honda Cub to the eCub 2.

The Honda CB600F (known as the Hornet in Europe and Brazil) was undoubtedly one of the most influential middleweight naked motorcycles. Originally launched in 1998, it had close ties to the race-winning CBR600RR but had always presented its own unique package of sporty performance and light, user-friendly handling.

In 2014 the model received a major update and got a displacement increase of 49 cc, the new model is called CB650F, which is currently sold in the US for $ 8,249. And according to Fabrice Recoque, director of the motorcycle division of Honda France, the world is getting TWO new 650cc naked motorcycles.

Manufactured by Honda between 1978 and 1982, the CBX was a production bike that has deceiving bodywork and a massive 1047cc inline, 24-valve, 6-cylinder engine that produced 105 hp. That low-frequency rumble coming out of this at idle and the high pitch tone when revved could make the hair on the back of your neck stand.

Until now, Honda hadn’t shown much interest in recreating that magic, but fresh patent application images show the Japanese intent to bring the beauty of the six cylinders onto a café-racer of the future.

Prior to 2013, the PCX came with a 125 cc engine and a 1.6-gallon fuel tank in the US. With a make-over in 2013, the PCX125 gave way to the PCX150 and a new chapter in the globally produced Honda scooter was launched. Since then, the scooter has received periodical updates to keep things fresh in the segment.

Now, Honda Japan is launching a new PCX carrying the same old 125cc mill but this time, they have a new trick up its sleeve. Launching a couple of months from now, the new PCX 125 will carry a hybrid powertrain. Doing so, Honda Motor will become the first manufacturer to launch a production hybrid scooter and it was first showcased at the previous Tokyo Auto Show.

Motorcycle theft is a growing criminal activity in certain parts of the world. Things in London, however, is in a different level altogether. There were over 14,000 motorcycle thefts reported in London the last year, and 23,430 crimes were committed using motorcycles that were stolen of course.

On an average, 65 bikes are stolen per day and to crack this atrocity, London Mayor Sadiq Khan spoke about manufacturers incorporating better anti-theft measures into their products to make it difficult for people just to whisk away bike without authorization. And the first signs of this effort has been shown by Honda UK who has committed to fit all their new products with tracking equipment free-of-charge.

One of the largest motorcycle manufacturer, Honda, is in full gear and firing on all pistons and doing tremendously well in pioneering many great technology and features onto the world streets. The most recent being the development of hydrogen fuel based engines and self-balancing motorcycles.

Now, they are getting busy in a run to stay as the world leaders by developing a supercharged V-Twin motorcycle. As seen on a MoreBikes post, “Honda is planning a new, supercharged motorcycle that will have the power-boosting unit mounted on the left-hand side of the engine. And the new kit will power a host of new motorcycles over the next few years.”

With the V4 architecture being the flavor of choices, manufacturers are pumping in all their resources to develop a new segment of sportsbike. After the Aprilia RSV4s’ and the latest Ducati V4s’, it looks like it’s going to be Honda’s next move for a new checkmate to be showcased at the 2018 EICMA.

It won’t be a VFR1200 copy, nor a watered down RC213V-S but will create a whole new platform for the Japanese manufacturer. We can see new plans of Honda that might radically rejuvenate the mighty V4s’ that made debut with the VFR750 in 1995, a bike still termed as the ‘best road bike ever built’.

Honda Motor Europe offers 40 riders the opportunity to ride the CRF1000L Africa Twin, and its new-for-2018 “Adventure Sports” variant, on a road trip to the southern tip of the African continent in March 2019.

Continue reading for more on the Adventure Roads trip.

After much speculation and anticipation, Honda has finally announced that the all-new Super Cub C125 ABS will be hitting U.S. dealerships in January 2019. This iconic ride brings the same 124.9 cc powerplant that drives the popular Grom coupled with a semi-automatic, clutchless shifter and four-speed gearbox that delivers the same ease of operation that helped to make the original such a hit. A disc front brake and ABS help bring the classic design up to modern standards, but the looks are straight outta’ the ’50s for a genuinely dated vibe that is impossible to imitate. Entry-level pricing provides the icing for this charming little cake in order to endear itself to that critical market segment, but I’d argue that this ride is good for more than just as a trainer. Don’t believe me? Read on.

Continue reading for my review of the Honda Super Cub C125.

Honda gives its CRF1000L “Africa Twin” a complete overhaul for the 2018 model year, a rebuild so complete that the new version shares not a single part with the old, according to the factory. Engine improvements include both hardware and software that starts with a Throttle-by-Wire system that enables even more electronic wizardry under the hood, as it were. The improvements make their way into the gearboxes on both the manual tranny and the optional, auto-shifting DCT. Safety gets a buff as well with a handful of new features such as the Emergency Stop Signal feature that flashes the hazards during hard braking actions. There’s plenty more packed in there, so let’s go ahead and get into the details.

Continue reading for my review of the Honda Africa Twin.

Just announced, Honda is bringing their iconic Monkey and Super Cub C125 to the U.S. market for the 2019 model year. Both bikes have deep roots in Honda history and both were unveiled as concept models at the 2017 Tokyo Motor Show.

Continue reading for more on the Monkey and Super Cub.

William Shakespeare wrote, “a rose by any other name would smell as sweet” for a little play called Romeo and Juliet, maybe you’ve heard of it, but I would submit that the nicknames earned by motorcycles and manufacturers have much more in the way of a meaningful meaning than the simple labels we use every day. We just can’t help but come up with nicknames, sometimes for the manufacturer, sometimes for the bikes, and sometimes it applies to both. I want to take a look at some of the names that stand out among the detritus of history and try to shed some light on their origins. Just think of it as a bit of a semantic scavenger hunt. Some are pretty obvious to those in the know; this is for everyone else.

Continue reading for my exploration of manufacturers’ nicknames.

Honda puts out a lot of fun products, it’s true, but few machines can match the level of whimsy one gets from the Honda Monkey. That’s right folks, the iconic “Monkey Bike” that served as a mini self-Uber in Japanese amusement parks back in the ’60s is back with a new look and powerplant for what the factory surely hopes is a new era of monkey madness. The 2019 version of this little pocket bike bears the genetic markers of the original without being a slave to it with a 9.25-horsepower modern powerplant, larger wheels (thank goodness) and disc brakes. Join me whilst I take a trip down memory lane and take a look at this pint-sized icon destined to hit showroom floors this year.

Continue reading for my review of the Honda Monkey.