Taking a look at the new Hondas
By TMX Archives on 8th Jun 07
WITH KTM having already released pictures, specs and technical details of their entire 2008 off-road range of machines - and with first tests set for later this month - all other manufacturers are left playing catch-up, or studiously ignoring the early orange Austrian onslaught.
Honda (Japan) has opted to meet them half-way and have just released details and pictures of their range of five under-230cc four-stroke models. Three of these are non-competition models, the CRF50F, CRF70F and the electric start CR230F, all of which are cracking play/ leisure bikes but the full-on competition-ready CRF150R and CRF150R2 (Big Wheel) are included.
Introduced to fanfares last year, the 150cc four-stroke Hondas were controversially allowed in to race with the 85cc two-strokes in Europe and remain available in both Small-wheel (CRF150R) and Big- wheel (CRF150R2) versions.
And as the manufacturers get their 2008 ranges ready to roll, T+MX understands that Honda will remain the sole manufacturer (unless one of them springs a late surprise!) with a 150 four-stroke competition machine in the line-up. Honda must have hit the nail pretty much on the head first time when they unveiled their first high-performance four-stroke mini off-road racer as they are not claiming any radical changes to their unique baby four-banger for next season.
The Unicam 149cc engine sports a 66mm bore and 43.7mm stroke that breathes through a 32mm Keihin flat slide carb, is fired by a CDI with electronic advance and drives through a five-speed gearbox.
The chassis remains a simple but effective semi double cradle steel tube affair and weight is around 80kg or 82kg for the big-wheeler. There is no denying that the CRFs are Hondas as the colour available is Extreme Red with white number boards.
We'll bring you details of the baby CRFs 2008 model rip-snorting bigger siblings just as soon as we can get our sticky mits on the pictures!