Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/128129
Underneath the deep "retro" fender sits a cast-alloy wheel with a pair of 296mm discs and twin three-piston calipers. The braking system features linked brakes the front-brake lever only actuates the front brake, but the rear pedal actuates the center piston on the front caliper as well. also features the largest connecting rods that have ever pounded a piston up and down in a Honda motorcycle. One of the keys to the ground-shaking torque delivered by the VTX is in the huge, 41.4-pound, forged-steel crankshaft. If Honda had decided to go with a one-piece crankshaft design instead of the bolt-on weights they used, it would have weighed 8.8 pounds more! One of the Honda designers' concerns relating to the huge motor was vibration. Honda's dual-offsetcrankpin design and twin counterbalancer weights (which spin on the primary shaft) help the rubbermounted motor keep the vibrations in check, without taking away too much of that V-twin feel. The other requirement for an efficient fuel·bum was to accurately feed the cylinder the proper charge in the first place. The only way to do this on the VTX was to fit a high-pressure PGM-FI (programmed fuel injection) system to the bike. The system features two 42mm throttle bodies, and two specially designed Denso 50-psi injectors, which feature 12 laserdrilled nozzle holes to atomize the fuel efficiently. The VTX's ECU (electronic control unit) stores digital 3-D fuelinjection maps and ignition maps for each of the two cylinders to optimize performance in all circumstances. All of this is delivered to the rear wheel via a five-speed transmission, and then on through a shaft final drive, chosen for its low maintenance and smooth delivery. Each cylinder head features three valves - two large 36mm intake valves and one super-giant 45mm exhaust valve. Another concern for Honda designers was how to efficiently burn the fuel/air mixture in the huge combustion chambers. A triedand-true method was used by fitting twin iridium-tip sparkplugs to each cylinder to burn the charge efficiently and completely. CHAf;?SIS The VTX chassis features a huge steel frame in order to harness the power and torque of the powerplant. The front fork is a 45mm inverted unit that has 5_1 inches of travel. Suspension out back is handled by twin chromed units with 3.9 inches of travel. Stopping this hard-charging machine are a pair of 296mm discs This is one of the final concept drawings for the VTX1800RIVTX1800S. It looks like they nailed the designer's idea on the head in final production. Final drive is handled by a low-maintenance shaft drive. The chrome rear shocks feature five positions of preload adjustment, and offer 3.9 inches of travel. Both versions of the new VTX feature floorboards and heel-toe shifters. squeezed by twin three-piston calipers on the front, and a huge 316mm disc and twin-piston caliper out back. The system features Honda's linked braking system for more efficient, powerful stops. When the front brake is applied, the two outer pistons of the front calipers are activated, and when the rear brake is applied, the two rear pistons of the rear caliper are activated, in addition to the center pistons on the frontbrake calipers. ~@@~ [J{)@[fjJ@@ Wim''{j~'{j&3@)@@ UST PRICE $12,999-$13,499 DISPLACEMENT 1795cc ENGINE TYPE Uquid-cooled V-twin BORE x STROKE ..... 101 x 112mm COMPRESSION RATIO .....•.9.0:1 CARBORETION ..PGM-Fl w/(2) 42mm throttle bodies IGNITION Solid-state digital TRANSMISSION Five-speed STARTING SySTEM Electric FOEL CAPACITY 5.3 gal. WHEELBASE 67.5 in. RAKE/TRAll . .32.04 degrees/6.4 inches SEAT HEIGHT 27.3 in. FRONT TIRE 150/80RJ7 Radial (VTXl800R), 150/80-17 bias-ply (VTXI800S) REAR TIRE J80/70RI6 Radial (VTX1800R),180/70-15 bias-ply (VTXI800S) FRONT·WHEEL TRAVEL 5.1 in. REAR-WHEEL TRAVEL 3.9 in. FRONT BRAKE Dual 296mm Disc REAR BRAKE Single 316mm Disc FINAL DRIVE Shaft CLAIMED DRY WEIGHT 739Ibs. OTHER STUFF The VTX1800RjVTX1800S will be available in four color combinations: Pearl Orange, Candy Red, Illusion Blue w/ChromaFlair light pigment (which alters hue in changing light), and black. MSRP for the VTX 1800R is $12,999 ($13,299 with the Illusion Blue paint), and the VTX 1800S goes for $13,199 ($13,499 with the special color). The "R" version will be available at dealers in November, with the US" version arriving in March 2002. eN cue' e n • _ s • NOVEMBER 7, 2001 15