Honda CBR250R is first entry-level motorcycle with ABS

If you’re looking forward to celebrating warmer weather by getting into motorcycle riding, Honda may have the bike for you. The company just introduced a new entry-level sport bike, the CBR250R, to compete with Kawasaki’s popular Ninja 250, which we tested (and liked a lot) in 2008.

Previously, Honda’s only entry-level bike this small and affordable was the Rebel 250, a cruiser which we also tested then. All our riders preferred the Ninja for its precise handling; smooth, free-revving engine; and slick-shifting six-speed transmission. Some riders also found the Rebel 250 too small and cramped.

Now the CBR250R offers a sport-bike seating position in an affordable, entry-level package starting at $4,500. Better yet for new riders, the CBR250R is available with antilock brakes, which the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) has shown reduces motorcycle crashes by as much as 37 percent.

Consumer Reports would like to see ABS offered on more motorcycles, especially affordable models aimed at newer riders. We welcome Honda’s introduction of the CBR250R as a first step in that direction and consider the $500 premium for the optional antilock brake system to be money well spent.

Source;
http://blogs.consumerreports.org/cars/2011/01/honda-cbr250r-is-first-entry-level-motorcycle-with-abs.html

Classic Honda Commercial

Old School John Travolta Honda Motorcycle Commercial

I've never seen this one before....

Honda 3R-C concept World Debut at Geneva International Motor Show 2010

Honda 3R-C concept World Debut at Geneva International Motor Show 2010

The revolutionary Honda 3R-C concept will make its world debut in Geneva, alongside the EV-N concept which makes its European debut at the show.

Both the three-wheeled 3R-C concept, which envisions a single occupant vehicle for zero emission commuting, and the EV-N urban concept, draw on Honda's vast working knowledge of vehicles utilising electric motors.

3R-C
This revolutionary three wheeled battery electric vehicle concept shows what a future minimal urban transport vehicle for one person might look like. The battery electric drivetrain is mounted low in the three wheeled chassis, therefore keeping the centre of gravity low and thus improving stability.

The 3R-C has a clear canopy that covers the driver's seat while it is parked and not in use. When 3R-C vehicle is in motion, the canopy becomes an enveloping wind-shield that provides the pilot, who sits low in the vehicle, with significant protection from the bodywork and doors.

The high sides of the safety shell seat give greater safety to the occupant, reducing the threat from side impacts and improving weather protection. In front of the driver is a lockable boot area, which gives significant secure storage for luggage or other items. The 3R-C's designers created a flexible cover that surrounds the upper torso to reduce exposure to bad weather and improving comfort.

The 3R-C study was created by European designers working at Honda's Research and Design facility in Milan.

EV-N
The EV-N concept, which has only previously been shown at the Tokyo Motor Show will make its European debut in Geneva.

The EV-N is a battery electric vehicle study, which evokes the spirit of the diminutive 1967 N360 city car. Honda designers have incorporated Honda's own solar panels in to the roof of the concept, to charge the car while it is parked. Two of Honda's U3-X, electric personal mobility devices are attached to the inside of each door. The two-door EV-N concept is envisioned with a Lithium ion battery pack, and small electric motor for predominantly urban use.

FCX Clarity
The two concept vehicles will be displayed alongside Honda's production fuel cell electric vehicle, the FCX Clarity. The World Green Car winner is being leased by customers in Japan and the US, who are experiencing the range, performance and practicality of this unique zero-emission vehicle. Two of the bespoke hydrogen fuelled vehicles are now permanently stationed in Europe for long-term research purposes. Alongside research work, the pair of FCX Claritys are being demonstrated at events like the COP 15 climate summit in Copenhagen, and the Berlin Climate Conference. The FCX Clarity shows Honda's continuing commitment to fuel cell electric vehicles as the ultimate zero harmful emission mobility technology.

Source;
http://www.hondanews.eu/en/news/index.pmode/modul,detail,0,1431-DEFAULT,21,text,1/index.pmode

Honda Ends U.S. Motorcycle Production

Did not see this coming....
In a strange juxtapositioning of the auto and motorcycle industries -- and a business decision that marks the end to an era -- Honda Motor Co. Ltd. this week said that after three decades, it ended production of motorcycles made in the U.S.

The Honda of America Manufacturing Marysville, Ohio, motorcycle assembly plant was in 1979 the start of the company's manufacturing footprint in the U.S. The HAM site eventually expanded to auto and engine production as well as major stamping and casting activities.

At the time of its closing, the motorcycle plant was exclusively building Honda's flagship motorcycle, the Goldwing. The reported capacity was about 70,000 units and Goldwings sold in the U.S. now will be imported from Japan.

But with U.S. motorcycle consumption on a steady decline for the past four years, Honda is said to have decided the advantages of localized production had diminished. The move is a contrast with Honda's recent automotive endeavors, which have created a dedicated North American research and development and engineering operations and the steady expansion of U.S. manufacturing capacity, including the construction of a second automotive assembly plant near Marysville in East Liberty, Ohio.

In 1982, Honda began making the Accord in Marysville and in 1985 started production of motorcycle engines. A year later, a plant in nearby Anna, Ohio, began assembly of auto engines, the first being a four-cylinder for the Civic; the same year, the company added a second auto assembly line in Marysville.

Honda continues with U.S. production of various off-road powersport vehicles and power-equipment pieces, but none of the powersports models are two-wheelers. -- Bill Visnic


Source;
http://www.autoobserver.com/2009/07/honda-ends-us-motorcycle-production.html