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2001 Open Bike Shootout UJffl @ [B[)~[) 0(]!JUa []]!JrmilJ Q) with graphite and ceramic materials, to reduce the friction between surfaces. Every detail 'of the 929's motor was designed with weight savings and maximum efficiency in mjnd. The thing about the 929 is that the motor isn't necessarily its strongest asset; the chassis is. The twin-spar extruded-aluminum frame is a departure from current frame-design philosophy. Instead of building a frame as stiff as possible, Honda built a frame that was designed to flex - they call it tunedflex. The front end features fully adjustable 43mm inverted cartridge forks, and 330mm discs squeezed by four-piston caHpers. Out back, there's a fully adjustable piggyback shock, mated to an aluminum tapered boxsection swingarm. same wheelbase measurements, at 54.9 inches (the two shortest), but the Honda has more aggressive geometry in the front, in terms of rake. No one complajned about the Honda's stability, but the other bikes definitely offer more of it through the fast stuff, despite the fact that the Honda has the most trail of any of the bikes (whjch should add stability). Haney pointed out that the Honda took the least amount of fiddling to get set up for the track at Willow, and he felt that we ended up trying to get the other three set up as close to that feel as possible - at least from the standpoint of turn-in. The Honda has a good motor, but it just doesn't have the power to hang with the Yamaha, let alone the Suzuki. On the dyno, our CBR made the thirdmost horsepower, but the least torque of the four. The funny thing is, everyone who rode the bike at Willow Springs thought it felt closer to a 600cc bike than an open-c1asser, but that's what happens when something like the Suzuki comes along. The fuel injection's fuel delivery is a love/hate relationship on the Honda. It makes the power curve linear and seamless, but it's very lurchy ~he CBR929RR enters its second year of production against some real stiff competition. Last year, the Honda had its hands full with the R1, but this year you can add the GSX-R to mix. Last year, the 929 had the distinction of being the Hghtest bike in the category (379 pounds, dry), but the Suzuki takes the honors this year (375 pounds, dry). Last year, the 929's motor wasn't as powerful as the Rl 's, but it was close enough to stay competitive - and it's nimble handling helped a lot. The CBR900RR was revolutionary in '93, and the CBR929RR is merely an evolution of the original, but that's all that was necessary. It had fallen behind the fab RI, but it was still a great bike. Honda took the original concept a step further by redesigning the 900RR. What they came up with is what we have now. Displacement was increased to 929cc for the liquid-cooled, inline-four, 16-valve motor, but it was the ancillary changes to the intake and exhaust systems that helped optimize the performance the most. The combination of the Programmed Fuel Injection (PGMFI) and the Honda Titanium Exhaust Valve (HTEV) not only added performance, but they greatly improved overall efficiency. The HTEV system is simi- U lar to Yamaha's EXUP system, in that it's designed to give the motor a boost in performance by creating optimal amounts of back-pressure in the exhaust system at various rpms. In addition, Honda went to great lengths to reduce friction inside the motor. The aluminum-forged pistons are screenprinted with a coating called LUB-Coat, and the cylinder walls are impregnated FEATURES 1XJ@[j\'!]@&' ©®~ Engine 929cc, liquid-cooled, inline four-cylinder with 16-valves. PGM fuel injection, with 40mm throttle bodies. Shim-under-bucket valve train, with 16,OOO-mile maintenance intervals. HTEV (Honda Titanium Exhaust Valve) mated to titanium headers and exhaust canister. Forged-aluminum pistons are screen-printed with low friction material called LUB-coat. Cylinder walls are impregnated with ceramic and graphite materials to reduce friction. Chassis Lightweight twin-spar frame, designed for tuned flex. Tapered braced box-section aluminum swingarm. Full adjustable 43mm inverted cartridge forks. Fully adjustable Pro-link piggyback-style rear shock. Dual 330mm front-brake discs, with four-piston calipers. Single 220mm rear-brake disc, with a single-piston caliper. What's hot? Quick tum-in Easy to start in the moming - automatic-choke Great quality What's not Lurchy fuel injection Twitchy front end on the racetrack Bottom Line Still a nice bike. Needs to have the fuel-injection problem sorted out. Great fit and finish. It has fallen behind in terms of power and needs more motor to stay competitive. 28 APRIL 18. 2001 • cue • e n _ VII S The Honda has the best instrument cluster of the group, with easy to read gauges and a clock. The CBR929RR also sports the largest front-brake rotors, at 330mm. The CBR929RR is one of the easiest bikes to ride on the racetrack. The combination of excellent turn-in capabilities and its tiny feel make it a reassuring ride. Everyone was impressed with the CBR's brakes on the track but, on the street ride, some testers complained that the brakes felt weak, which may be due to the long lever travel necessary to get into the meat of the stopping power. Our "talented" tester, Haney, felt that the front end is too soft on the Honda for the racetrack, but felt that it is only a set of springs away from perfection. Another thing that bothers us on the track is that the footpeg feelers drag in about every tight corner, which takes some getting used to. We had the suspension working perfectly, so we didn't want to mess it up by adding too much preload to the shock and, by the end of the day, the feelers were almost gone anyway. Mid-corner stability in Willow's extremely fast turn eight was decent, but care was needed so as to not upset the slightly twitchier front end at the ridiculous speeds we were traveling. The Honda and Yamaha both have the especially around town and in the canyons. Our least-experienced tester felt that it was bad enough in the canyons to make him lose confidence in the front end in the tight stuff. It's something that can be compensated for, but it's way more noticeable than on the Suzuki. The Honda has a good riding position and a comfortable seat, with an easy reach to the c1ip-ons. One thing that is annoying about the Honda is the functionality of the mirrors (or lack thereof). They are well placed, but they vibrate so much on the freeway that the reflection is never clear - you're can't tell the difference between a cop, a cab, or a ski-rack equipped car. The dash display is the best of the group. It has all the information you could ever need, and it's easy to read - it even has a clock! I:11III