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/128600
(coupled with that extra power) that showed the most. Going through the turn one-two chicane (preceded by a mini-jump at the transition between the banking and infield) is usually a tiresome task at Las Vegas. The 929, however, made the left-right transition simple, turning a difficult portion of the racetrack into an uncomplicated one. This held true for the rest of the track as well, though in the other (faster) corners it was the positive feel from the front end that was really noticeable, a testament to the front fork and the Michelin tire. One of Honda's aims was to make the bike turn better at speed, and they've pulled that off as well. The bike is easy to toss into a corner at any speed, thanks to turn-in characteristics that are unmatched, and it remains stable even through the two fast lefts at each end of Las Vegas Motor Speedway. One thing that can't be overlooked on the new CBR is the front brake. For easy reference as to the size of the front discs, give Domino's a call. These things aren't brakes, they're steel pizzas. How does 330mm of front disc sound? Each and every time I ran the CBR929 off into turn one at Las Vegas, I exited the corner disappointed with my lack of bravado. There was the constant notion of, "Damn, I could have waited longer to brake." Not so with the 900. When I jumped on it, I went to the same braking marker as on the 929 and exited turn one with a rapidly rising heart rate. Not only does the 929 stop well, but it also has good feel. Initially, I was disappointed with the amount of lever play, but that disappointment was adjusted out on my second stint. Once you get the lever adjusted the way you want it, you can trail brake to your little heart's content on the CBR929 - mainly because you don't have that feeling of really having to tug much on the lever. Which begs the question: If you're trail-braking and don't really know it, are you really trail-braking? All it takes is a light squeeze to get you slowed to within your comfort zone, allowing you to worry only about where you need to be on the racetrack rather than being consumed with the fear of losing the front end under braking. The natural thing to do with the CBR929 is to compare it to Yamaha's R1. Having ridden the new R1 only a month or so earlier, I can really only say that the bikes are similar - yet different. To say one is better than the other would be unfair - until both are ridden at the same place, on the same day. And with more than my opinion counting for anything. One thing is clear: As long as the new CBR929RR was on hand (Honda can leave that archaic 900RR in the shed), that would make for a pretty damn good day at the racetrack. CN • Build WEEKLY FOOT TRAFFIC in your store • Create ENTHUSIASM for new products, latest events and trends in the sport of motorcycling • Local COVERAGE of events in your area, in addition to National & Worldwide news about motorcycles - as it happens! Plus... You get a free display rack and "authorized dealer" decals for your store GET STARTED TODAY! call our O~a'er Sales Manager at (714) 751-7433 24 Hour FAX Order Une (714) 751-6685 B'LUNG PLAN A B'WNGPLAN B "You Only Pay for What You Self" "Less Paperwork· 56% Profit Margin With Returns 72% Profit Margin No Returns More Profit'"