Speculation time. What is Honda going to do about its sportsbike range now that the worst of the GFC is over? Rumours are already running rife that the CBR600RR (basically unchanged since 2007) and the Fireblade (basically unchanged since its introduction in 2008) are due for replacement in 2012. This age is an age in model terms though it must be said that, barring BMW, most of the other manufacturers have pulled their horns in too. But the time might be right for the Japanese to show the leadership they usually do and lead the world of motorcycles out of the GFC and into a bright new future.
We know that Honda are planning to introduce the Crosstourer in 2012, an attempt to collar the adventure touring market (or at least a share of it)
but it’s not a sportsbike.
So, now for the crystal ball. Information about what manufacturers are planning is often first found by examining what they are doing at the Patent Office. A great deal of very accurate information about the VFR1200F was derived from just this source way before it was officially released. With that in mind, Honda has been fairly active in patent department of late, re-applying for the patent on the RVF moniker and also numerous patents on V4 engines with gear-driven cams.
It doesn’t take a genius to figure out that a combination of the two COULD mean a V4 sports bike with GDC’s in the mode of the RC45. Now wouldn’t THAT stir things up?
However, I’m going to suggest that Honda will stick with the ‘Blade for one more year (after all it is still the top-selling sportsbike in most markets) and will, if they are going to go V4, replace the aging 600 with a V4-engined supersports bike. Why? Because they CAN, and because Big Red has always liked double-guessing the market. Given that nobody has more experience than Honda in making small capacity multis, I reckon they’d find the exercise a walk in the park as well as being a colossal “gotcha” to the rest of their competitors. Having proven the concept in the 600, the full litre version would be out in 2013 by which time people would be used to the idea, be hanging for it, and the worst of the GFC would be but a distant memory.
Of course, this could all be rubbish, but, just in case it does, remember, you read it here first.
In other news, Dani Pedrosa has, as expected, undergone surgery for his broken collarbone, it being plated with a titanium plate. Dani is now beginning what has been termed “passive” rehabilitation and hopes to be ready for Catalunya in 2 and a half weeks’ time.
Honda stayed on at Jerez again yesterday, logging in lots more laps with the 2012 GP bike with Stoner and Itoh gathering lots of worthwhile data.
Oh, and, by the way, here’s a picture of Rossi riding a stock 1198S at Silverstone on the weekend.
