Cycle News - Archive Issues - 2000's

By PAUL CARRUTHERS PHOTOS BY KEV1N Wr G S urprisingly enough, it felt somewhat portly, a bit difficult to flick side to side. And it didn't seem aII that fast, nor did it have much in the way of low-end grunt. Not to mention that it didn't stop all that well. This definitely wasn't what I'd expected from the likes of the Honda Motor Company. I was bitterly disappointed in what was supposed to be Honda's flagship entry in the big-bore sportbike market. Thankfully, I had another option something else to throw my leg over and scream around Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Confused? So was I. How could something that seemed so good, suddenly seem so inferior? Progress, my son, progress. You see, the bike I was riding 12 FEBRUARY 16_ 2000' cue wasn't the new CBR929. It was last year's CBR900. In what was either a brilliant marketing move or a rather daft one - depending entirely on how many 900s dealers currently have sitting on the showroom floor - Honda brought its 1999-model CBR900 to Las Vegas for back-to-back comparison testing with its brand-new CBR929. Since its Honda's problem if they can no longer sell leftover 900s and not ours (hey, I didn't tell 'em to bring the old model), I'm here to give you a little bit of free advice. If you were thinking of purchasing a CBR900, think again. If you've already put a deposit on one at your local dealer, drop this paper right now and sprint down there fls fast as you can and get your money back. Fake a terminal illness - anything to get your money back. A bigger problem exists if you •• nevus All new. The Honda CBR929RR gets bigger and lighter. And faster. , ~ look in your garage and see that you already have a CBR900 sitting there. There's only one thing I can suggest: stop reading - right now. Instead, grab an issue of anyone of the motorcycle newspapers/magazines that you have sitting around from last year and just read the raves your bike got. But whatever you do, don't read anything about the new CBR. Okay, with some of our readership now searching the closet for issues of old magazines, the rest of you can read on without apprehension. To you, I say: What a difference a year makes. Well, a year and 18 less pounds, 22 percent more horsepower ""' and 17 percent more torque. All for exactly zero more dollars (boy, I really hope those CBR900 owners listened to me and put this paper down). That's right. You get more, lots more, and it won't cost you a nickel more than last year's CBR900. It's. still $9999. So what do you get for not a nickel more? Let's start with the engine. The CBR900 has grown up over the years, with its engine capacity always flirting around the 900cc mark but never actually hitting it right on the money. Originally, back in 1993, the bike was actually 893cc. Ditto for the '94 and '95 model years, though for '95 the model did get refined somewhat. In 1996, the bike jumped to 918cc (while still weighing in at 407.9 pounds) and it has stayed that way. Until now. Now the bike finally gets a new designation: the CBR929. And it's actually 929cc go figure. Weighing in at 136 pounds compared to last year's engine weight of 147 pounds, the CBR929 engine got bigger while also getting smaller. Things like magnesium cam covers, lighter pistons (now forged instead of cast), a lighter crankshaft, camshafts (1.4 pounds lighter than before and forged instead of cast), cylinder head etc. have dropped the engine's weight despite the fact that some things had to be beefed up to support the extra power output (e.g., the engine cases). The valves have also grown, jumping to 29mm '(intake) and 24mm (exhaust), and the 16-valve cylinder head now runs at an 11.3: 1 compression ratio. The engine now redlines at 11,500 rpm, producing a max horsepower of 150 hp at 10,500 rpm, according to Honda. That's a 22-percent gain over the 918cc model, with Honda also claiming a 17 -percent increase in torque. Honda has also opted to add a clutch plate to the CBR929, though the amount of springs is still five. But perhaps the biggest change to the powerplant is the first-time use.of .....fuel injection. The system uses Keihin 40mm throttle bodies (the carbureted version used 38mm flat-slides) that feed the engine at 50 psi via four nozzle tips in each injector. The system also eliminates the need for a manual choke. Throttle response on the CBR929 is unparalleled. Again, this was something that became even more evident after a back-to-back spin on the 900. Las Vegas Motor Speedway features a critical and difficult doubleleft that leads into the fast left that in turn runs you up on the banking and down the front straight. The drive you get out of the double-left pays dividends on your speed through the fast left-hander, and that corner is the difference between good lap times and

• Cover