[RAZR51]

I wish Honda would make this V4...Honda VFR800RR Bioblade - Motorcycle USA

 

[JBs_SP3]

Thanks for that. It amazes me Honda continue to put their heads in the sand on this one. I hoped last year that the rumours of an RVF1000R might actually come to something given the CBR1000 was getting it's arse handed to it by the RSV4 in WSBK and changes to the MotoGP regulations would allow CRT teams to use production engines. Honda had an opportunity to be competitive in both classes using the same motor, maybe even by using the VFR1200's lump with it's 81 mm cylinders as a base engine. Perhaps the Tsunami in Japan combined with the world economic situation conspired to shelve the idea. Then again maybe not ... for reasons only they could understand they went in the complete opposite direction and produced the Crossrunner aka Crossdresser.

So it doesn't surprise me at all that a group of frustrated consumers in Belgium are trying to make for themselves the bike that Honda should be making for all of us.

 

[dasrider]

I wouldn't go so far as to say the CBR1000RR is getting its butt handed to it in WSBK. Jonathan Rea had a pretty solid showing both races (7th and 4th iirc) at Phillip Island. Now the 2012 streetbike isn't chock full of the latest electronic wizardry or a brand new motor, true, but I wouldn't write it off yet.

My opinion is it's more of a political thing at Honda right now. They have invested plenty in keeping the 1000RR around, doing a paradigm shift to a V4 primary liter sportbike would be huge. Not saying it won't happen but it'll take some manufacturing realigning and PR preparation. It would be cool to see, no doubt.

 

[Tacheny]

I like the chunk of the RC51 fairing they used!

 

[JBs_SP3]

I wouldn't go so far as to say the CBR1000RR is getting its butt handed to it in WSBK. Jonathan Rea had a pretty solid showing both races (7th and 4th iirc) at Phillip Island. Now the 2012 streetbike isn't chock full of the latest electronic wizardry or a brand new motor, true, but I wouldn't write it off yet.

My opinion is it's more of a political thing at Honda right now. They have invested plenty in keeping the 1000RR around, doing a paradigm shift to a V4 primary liter sportbike would be huge. Not saying it won't happen but it'll take some manufacturing realigning and PR preparation. It would be cool to see, no doubt.

And the Ape was 1st and 2nd and ate everything else in the field alive for sheer straight line speed and acceleration. Last year Biaggi was sidelined with an injury for a chunk of the season and Honda still managed to come second last in the constructors championship. The CBR is a great bike and if I was in the market for a litre sports bike right now it's most likely the one I would buy. My point is V4 sports bikes are traditionally Honda's domain, they wrote the book on it. They obviously still see it as the best platform for racing hence their prototype class machine is based on it (while none of the CRT teams are using a CBR motor). They have a history of making homologation specials like the RC30 and RC45 alongside their CBR sports bikes so I don't think for them it would be a paradigm shift and since there's still so much enthusiasm for a Honda V4 sports bike why don't they do it again now? Political maybe, financial more likely IMO. It would indeed be cool to see.

 

[sburns2421]

For some reason I doubt the VFR1200 engine would be a great basis for a VF1000RR, as the engine castings and head probably are not suitable for a tiny race bike with lights. They would probably be better off starting with the RC213V engine and making it streetable.

But Honda certainly has the skill and money to build the bike if they wanted to. One thing I wonder is if they made it and it wasn't obviously superior to the RSV4 (for likely similar MSRP), the perception would be that Honda failed for the production machine.

I actually doubt the bike will happen, sportbikes are much more sophisticated these days than in 1988 (RC30) or 1994 (RC45). Today producing something super-exotic, super-high-performance and clearly above everything else is much more difficult. Even making a bike like this doesn't assure race track success. And the risk of that failure might keep Honda from taking chances like it used to.