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Difference between revisions of "Defining the '80s (Honda)"
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One of Honda's brightest stars of the '80s is certainly the [[Honda CBR600F|CBR®600F Hurricane®]]. For most of the late '80s as well as the '90s the CBR set the sales and performance standards for the 600 class. That the inline-four-cylinder CBR could forge its own identity in a Honda product roster headlined by the V-4 VFR is a testimony to its spectacular engineering. Fully clad in aerodynamic bodywork, the CBR changed the notion that a motorcycle's engine must be seen. For Honda, the dollars normally spent on external engine cosmetics were instead put into performance development. Not only did the CBR establish a new manufacturing direction for sport bikes, the Hurricane also attracted legions of riders into the sport bike segment. | One of Honda's brightest stars of the '80s is certainly the [[Honda CBR600F|CBR®600F Hurricane®]]. For most of the late '80s as well as the '90s the CBR set the sales and performance standards for the 600 class. That the inline-four-cylinder CBR could forge its own identity in a Honda product roster headlined by the V-4 VFR is a testimony to its spectacular engineering. Fully clad in aerodynamic bodywork, the CBR changed the notion that a motorcycle's engine must be seen. For Honda, the dollars normally spent on external engine cosmetics were instead put into performance development. Not only did the CBR establish a new manufacturing direction for sport bikes, the Hurricane also attracted legions of riders into the sport bike segment. | ||
Other models also showed Honda's willingness to think off the page, venturing into the rarefied air of discovery. These included the [[Honda GL500I|1982 GL500I Silver Wing® Interstate, a mini Gold Wing]]; the recumbent [[Honda CN250|Helix™]] [[scooter]]; the CBX sport tourer; the ferocious [[Honda CX500T|'82 CX500 Turbo]], Honda's first [[turbocharged]] production street bike; and the [[Honda PC800|1989 Pacific Coast®]]. The most successful of all was Honda's line of Shadow® cruisers. The technical accomplishments of the original [[Honda VT750C|'83 VT™750C V-twin Shadow]] cruiser are often overlooked in the bright glare of other Honda innovations of the time. Even so, the Shadow's liquid-cooled, narrow-angle V-twin engine offered a variety of innovative technologies, including three-valve combustion | Other models also showed Honda's willingness to think off the page, venturing into the rarefied air of discovery. These included the [[Honda GL500I|1982 GL500I Silver Wing® Interstate, a mini Gold Wing]]; the recumbent [[Honda CN250|Helix™]] [[scooter]]; the CBX sport tourer; the ferocious [[Honda CX500T|'82 CX500 Turbo]], Honda's first [[turbocharged]] production street bike; and the [[Honda PC800|1989 Pacific Coast®]]. The most successful of all was Honda's line of Shadow® cruisers. The technical accomplishments of the original [[Honda VT750C|'83 VT™750C V-twin Shadow]] cruiser are often overlooked in the bright glare of other Honda innovations of the time. Even so, the Shadow's liquid-cooled, narrow-angle V-twin engine offered a variety of innovative technologies, including three-valve [[combustion chamber]]s and a vibration-canceling offset dual-pin crankshaft, a classic Honda feature still in use today. More importantly, the Shadow line helped strengthen the Japanese cruiser segment, currently the fastest-growing class in today's marketplace. | ||
Off-road, the [[Honda CR125R|CR®125]] and [[Honda CR250R|CR250]] motocrossers made Honda by far the dominant player in motocross. It all began with the world's first liquid-cooled motocrosser, the 1981 CR250. With its progressive-rate [[Pro-Link]]® suspension, this bike established the major engineering protocols for motocross machinery for the entire decade. Through the 1980s, Honda's Red Riders™ won 22 National [[motocross]] and [[Supercross]] titles, while helping Honda win eight manufacturers' titles. | Off-road, the [[Honda CR125R|CR®125]] and [[Honda CR250R|CR250]] motocrossers made Honda by far the dominant player in motocross. It all began with the world's first liquid-cooled motocrosser, the 1981 CR250. With its progressive-rate [[Pro-Link]]® suspension, this bike established the major engineering protocols for motocross machinery for the entire decade. Through the 1980s, Honda's Red Riders™ won 22 National [[motocross]] and [[Supercross]] titles, while helping Honda win eight manufacturers' titles. | ||