2010 Honda Elite (nhx110) on 2040-motos

Honda Other tech info

Type:Scooter Phone:(888) 849-1950

Moto blog

Schwantz and Mackenzie on the Nurburgring box

A 500GP bike never fails to stop me in my tracks and that’s exactly what happened when I spotted this Schwantz example from the early nineties, proudly displayed on the Arai stand at the recent Motorcyclelive show.  On loan from Crescent Suzuki and accompanied by a rostrum publicity shot from the 1990 German GP at the Nurburgring, I felt the urge to write a few words on that special weekend. I started the year running my own 250 GP team with fairly standard TZ Yamahas but was drafted in as Kevin Schwantz’s team mate after Kevin Magee suffered a serious head injury at the second Grand Prix in Laguna Seca.  With no testing and some major Spanish food poisoning I finished 8th at the next round in Jerez then followed that up with a 5th place in Misano. Next up was the Nurburgring and after qualifying on the second row of the grid, my crew chief Geoff Crust informed me he had a premonition of a race day rostrum finish. He also told me I better make it come true as he was already looking forward to a few post race celebratory refreshments. While I hoped Crusty was the new mystic meg, the truth was I would have been more than happy to buy the beers if I made it to the flag inside the top five. I had an outside chance of catching one major scalp as Wayne Rainey was riding with a nasty hand injury but I suspected adrenalin would see him through the day. I also followed Mick Doohan a fair bit in practice but he was beginning to find his feet on the Rothmans Honda so was going to be another problem.  When the lights went out Schwantz and Rainey went straight to the front I while I hung in behind Doohan and Pier Francesco Chilli, and then it happened. Coming out of the bottom right hand hairpin, Doohan and Chilli simultaneously high sided in one of the most spectacular crashes of the season. I never liked seeing any fellow riders crash but I made the most of this early race gift and rode my 160bhp/115kg RGV hard to the flag, claiming my first podium of the season.  We partied hard (win or lose we always did) that night and I went on to have my best ever season finishing fourth overall in the championship. After the last round in Australia, I finished second to Kevin at Sugo in Japan then won in Malaysia at another international race that KS didn’t attend. I also tested at Eastern Creek for the following season but then was flicked from the team for reasons that still remain a mystery. Hey Ho!       

Team HRC CRF450 Rally Prototype Video

In a just released video HRC Team Director Katsumi Yamazaki describes Honda’s Dakar weapon, the CRF450 Rally. Warning: Yamazaki-san’s monotone delivery manages to snuff the excitement factor of what is an incredibly trick motorcycle, but it’s still interesting to watch. Honda returned to the Dakar Rally for the first time in 24 years in January 2013.

EICMA 2011 Preview: 2012 Honda Crosstourer Headed for Production

Honda announced it will mass produce the Crosstourer adventure tourer unveiled first in concept form at the 2010 EICMA show in Milan, Italy. The 2012 Honda Crosstourer will use a V4 engine similar to the one used in the VFR1200F and will also be available with Honda’s dual clutch transmission. Long-travel suspension adds to the adventure touring theme, but the Crosstourer is still more suited to paved roads than dirt.