A Bike We Deserve
A BIKE WE DESERVE
Honda's world-class CBR1000 isn't coming to America. Not yet, at least.
DAVID EDWARDS
"AYE, TIS A SMART BEEK YER GOT THARE." I COULD barely fathom the workman’s bunker-thick, northern-English accent, but after he repeated the phrase, I understood. And he was right: The bike I was on was exceptionally good-looking. More than that, though, the “beek,” a 1989 Honda CBR1000, is the best big sportbike in the world. And, unfortunately, it’s not sold in America.
Blame that unhappy turn of events on the fact that there were some leftover 1988 Hurricane 1000s on hand, and that Honda was concerned that bringing yet another highperformance motorcycle into this country would fan lires that already were burning on insurance and legislative fronts. Those threats have subsided, though, and at a time when Kawasaki continues with its powerhouse ZX-10, Suzuki is doing business with its all-new GSX-R l 100 and Yamaha has its brilliant FZR1000, Honda’s largest-displacement U.S. sportbike is the CBR600.
CBR1000
In other countries, that’s not the case, because the CBR 1000, successor to the Hurricane 1000, has just been released. Because it seems unlikely that Honda will go into l 990 without this flagship sportbike in America, I flew to England to report first-hand on the bike that is—for now, at least—off-limits to U.S. sport riders.
I was greeted by a bike that looks dramatically better than the Hurricane 1000, the motorcycle that was considered radically styled when introduced in 1987 but soon began to look dated as more all-enclosed machines hit the marketplace. Placed alongside the new bike, the old one seems much more ponderous. “We wanted a more-aggressive look,” a Honda U.K. spokesman told me. And, clearly, that goal was met, although the new bodywork is actually bigger than the old bike’s, and includes such handy features as: replaceable side-bumpers for tip-over protection; air intakes above the wrap-around headlight that funnel air up the inside of the windshield to smooth airflow around the rider’s helmet; and over-center bungee hooks that swing out of the passenger grabrail.
But what makes the new CBR1000 so outstanding is that it is much more than just a re-skinning of an already good motorcycle, one that won Cycle Worlds “Superbike Shootout’’ last year and was named, on the basis of its allaround versatility, Best Open Streetbike of 1988 in our annual Ten Best awards. The CBR is improved in almost every way over the old bike.
Its engine, for instance, while very similar to the Hurricane 1000’s liquid-cooled, 998cc, 16-valve inline-Four, actually benefits from more than 30 minor modifications. Among the more-notable changes is a reshaped oil sump that allows the new bike’s engine to sit lower in the frame, thereby bringing down the center of gravity while at the same time permitting the fairing and exhaust headers to be tucked in tighter for increased ground clearance. And to help take any added heat out of the oil, a larger-capacity oil cooler has been fitted, along with an enlarged radiator.
Also, Honda claims it has a motorcycling first with the CBR’s remote, oil-cooled AC generator, which is smaller than a comparable air-cooled generator simply because it doesn’t need cooling fans. Piggyback-mounted behind the cylinder block to reduce engine width, the generator is cooled by engine oil that is fed through its hollow main shaft and then circulated back to the engine sump via a passage cast into the alternator body. The alternator’s power output is up, as well, to 420 watts at 5000 rpm.
The cam-chain tensioner has been redesigned, too, a response to problems experienced with a few Hurricane 1000 tensioners, at least in Europe, where riders tend to be harder on equipment than in the U.S. The tensioner spring itself is now stronger, the check-ball mechanism in the hydraulic plunger has been improved and the tensioner assembly has thicker sideplates for increased rigidity.
Another change is one made to the CBR carburetors. Like the ’88 Hurricane’s, they are 38.5mm constant-velocity units; but instead of the vacuum slides being vented into the intake tracts as is usual practice, they are now vented directly to the atmosphere via a small plenum chamber, which Honda claims results in more-accurate throttle-slide action. Again, a minor alteration, but one that shows how dedicated Honda was to getting the most out of its top-of-the-line sport machine.
All of the engine modifications add up to a powerplant that churns out a claimed 132 horsepower at 9500 rpm and is even more likable than the one in the Hurricane 1000. With a powerband as flat and smooth as a frozen lake, my test CBR was happy to be lugged through quaint English villages in sixth gear at 2000 rpm, yet moments later it would pull cleanly toward its 10,500-rpm redline as I merged into the 85to 100-mph traffic flow prevalent on British motorways, all without a twitch toward the clutch or shift levers. Take that flexibility, then factor in low levels of vibration, and you’ve got perhaps the easiest-touse, easiest-to-live-with large-displacement engine in motorcycling.
Complementing the engine is a chassis that has received a thorough upgrading. The perimeter-style, steel frame is visually similar to last year’s, but has been revised to place the engine lower and better handle the loads vectored into it by other chassis changes that allow harder cornering. Chief among those changes is a switch to wider rims and tires. The Hurricane’s combination of relatively narrow rims and hard-compound tires meant it was prone to slides during aggressive cornering. But the CBR—supplied with 17-inch Bridgestone radiais on a 3.5-inch-wide front rim and a 5.5-inch-wide rear hoop—is now up-to-date in its tire and wheel technology.
An interesting sidenote to the tires is that they are of dual-compound construction—that is, fairly hard in the center for better wear and softer towards the edges for better cornering grip. Because I had to ride in typically cool and wet British spring weather, I didn’t really push the tires to their performance limits; but in the few spirited corner-assaults I did muster, the Bridgestones stuck nicely.
Helping to keep the CBR 1000 in line during hard riding is a new, 41 mm front fork, a cartridge-type unit similar to that fitted to Honda’s limited-production, 750cc RC30 race-replica, though without the benefit of adjustability. In the rear, the news is that a revised shock has been mounted in an upside-down position to reduce unsprung weight, and it works through a steel swingarm made wider to accommodate the fat rear tire. The shock’s spring preload can be altered with a hydraulic adjuster, accessible— as is the shock’s damping adjuster—through a hole in the right sidepanel.
As delivered, my test CBR's rear suspension was adjusted to its middle settings; and in more than 500 miles of riding over everything from bumpy backroads not much wider than handlebar-width to snooker-table-smooth highways, I never felt the need to fiddle. At those settings, the rear end works with the front to deliver a balanced, silky ride, a sort of well-controlled “gushiness.” Out of place on a repli-racer like an FZR or GSX-R, those kinds of ride characteristics are just right for the GT-type sporttouring at which the CBR 1000 excels.
Honda recognizes that most CBR buyers will be more interested in touring at a fast clip than emulating current GP roadracing stars, and so offers large-capacity, plastic saddlebags as an option, along with a luggage rack, for about $500. Another nice touch for sport-tourers is that the CBR’s row of warning lights has been lifted to a position above the speedometer and tachometer, making them easily visible even when an overstuffed tankbag is in place.
Like the suspension, the brakes at both ends have been improved. The calipers themselves have been altered only slightly, but the discs received a makeover after some distortion was suffered by a few rotors on last year’s 1000s. Accordingly, the thickness of each disc has been increased and the number of holes drilled into the rotors has been reduced. Each front disc, for example, now has 48 8mmdiameter holes instead of 150 6mm-diameter holes. The result is excellent front brake feel and stopping power. Only a small tug at the adjustable lever is needed to begin the stopping process, which continues linearly and with good feedback until the front tire is howling and throwing off smoke.
There is considerable improvement to be found in the CBRIOOO’s ergonomics. While the Hurricane stopped a good deal short of subjecting its rider to a repli-racer scrunch, it still was a little tight in the seat-to-footpeg dimension. But even though the CBR has a slightly lower seat height, its footpegs are mounted lower and more forward; and its handlebars have been raised a little, as well, yielding the most-rational seating position of any of the current big sportbikes, with the exception of Yamaha’s FJ 1200.
My only complaints, ergonomically, center around the lower sidepanels, which intrude into ankle space—a carryover from the Hurricane 1000—and the fact that the mirrors could be an inch or so wider-spaced, to give a better view rearward. But those are minor criticisms of a machine that has such long-ride amenities as a comfortable, well-contoured seat and a range of about 200 miles from its 5.6-gallon fuel tank. Even ridden with a heavy throttle hand, the CBR returned 35 miles to the gallon. It’s easy to see, then, how Honda’s newest sportbike allows a rider to chalk up high-mileage days, no matter what kind of roads he chooses.
So, a synopsis of the CBR 1000, then? Based on the Hurricane 1000, itself a highly acclaimed motorcycle, the CBR looks better, handles better, stops better, has better suspension and is more comfortable. Its cost is comparable to that of other big sportbikes, selling in England for about $175 less than a Suzuki GSX-R 1100. If the CBR has a drawback, it’s in the weight department. Its various improvements have caused it to be approximately 1 8 pounds heavier than last year’s Hurricane, which was already on the portly side with a dry weight of 538 pounds.
Still, that’s a small toll to pay for a bike so exceedingly appealing in virtually every other area. The CBR 1000 is the most-versatile, most-complete big sportbike ever. European and Australian riders are just beginning to discover that; here’s hoping American riders get the same chance soon.
We deserve the best.
