Honda, Kawasaki and Yamaha are all introducing new 600cc bikes for next year. Just a few years ago all bikes in this class were carbureted now they all carry the latest in electronic fuel injection. The advancements are coming so fast to this lucrative middleweight class that it has me jogging to the dealer at dawn and pressing my forehead against the glass windows (I know they won't be arriving for a few more months, but the dealer is on the way, I swear). Both Honda and Yamaha have introduced new casting processes for the production of aluminum components that promise to strengthen and reduce the weight of frames, swingarms, wheels and engine castings. Honda's new CBR600RR is going with a new look courtesy of their MotoGP winning RC211V. The new bike has an engine that revs to 15,000rpm and an exhaust canister tucked neatly underneath the passenger seat. The new Yamaha YZF-R6 gains 3 hp and losses 8 lbs, which begs us to ask whether anyone needs over 120 hp to carry a 357 lb bike. The new Kawasaki ZX-6R and ZX-6RR follows the styling trend of the segment with sharper-looking fairings and a bugeyed face. The new ZX-6R and RR also features upside-down forks and radial mounted brakes (a first for the class). Evolution in this segment of the motorcycle market is happening at such a rapid pace that I may just sit out and wait for the flying cycle that's sure to appear in a few years. Actually, I'll make a few more reasonable predictions:
1. Bikes will not only have LED lighting for the brakes and instrumentation but also for turn signals along with more advanced lighting for headlights. In fact, the different electronic controls and their complex wiring will give way to a single centralized fiber-optic connection between the electronic controls and the electronic subjects (e.g. throttle cable will become an e-throttle).
2. Upside-down forks will be the standard setup.
3. Exhausts will be designed inboard to reduce drag and contribute to mass centralization.
4. Fairings will turn away from the sharp angles that we see today to something more aerodynamic, with fuller coverage. I also see extension of the forward fairing over the front wheel in future designs (like the current motoGP racers).
5. All sport bikes will come with a fuel gauge and a clock (it's getting so cheap and light to add these items, I'm surprised it's not de rigueur already).
6. This is just a prayer and not a prediction, but I'd like to see a middleweight bike with a single-sided swingarm and a monoshock front end. Can't you just image a bike that looks as if the wheels are floating when seen from afar?
7. Bikes will move to light weight geared cams, like in the current Honda RC-51, as engine rotational speeds reach beyond the limit of cam chains and their pathetic tensioners.
8. They will fly.
Comments (1)
Yeah dude, bikes are gonna fly soon... Actually, it would be kind of cool if they do fly, I'd get one!
Posted by lisa | September 17, 2002 2:47 PM
Posted on September 17, 2002 14:47