[radodhr]

Long time lurker, first time poster.

Check this out. Yesterday I was downhilling at the Keystone bike park in Colorado and a big Honda bus pulled in and started setting up. A few hours later a Tomac truck pulled in. The Honda guys unloaded what looked like a new version of the Honda bike that Greg Minnaar rode in the World Cups. Three of them spent the rest of the day riding the bike at the park. Is it possible that we could see the Honda bike finally come to market with Tomac badging? The bike looks almost production ready, with a really finished looking gear box and a more developed frame. It still looks cooler than any DH bike I have ever seen!

 

[jonKranked]

would love to see it, still not holding my breath.

got any more pics?

 

[radodhr]

These are the only pictures I have of it. But if you click on the image, you should be able to see a pretty big version of the picture. I left it the original size just for that reason!

 

[jonKranked]

yea i checked 'em out full size. Did you talk to anyone from either company?

 

[LOOnatic]

The Honda bike is like a super hawt chick that doesn't put out.
I'm over even thinking about how well she bones

 

[IH8Rice]

that looks like the last version of the RN01....same Showa shock and fork, but without carbon seat mast some had

i still stand by my comment of "if they build it, i will buy it"

 

[ianjenn]

yea i checked 'em out full size. Did you talk to anyone from either company?

Closer crop. Looks like the Carbon wrapped gearbox is gone and replaced with a cast version. Also has a mixture of parts on it.... sort of weird. I would love to ride the Fork, shocks!

 

[rayhaan]

i still stand by my comment of "if they build it, i will buy it"

couldn't agree with you more!

@radodhr good work on the pictures and letting us know. that thing is just amazing

 

[Raingauge]

bonegnar

 

[jonKranked]

@radodhr good work on the pictures and letting us know. that thing is just amazing

so this is what they mean about being in the right place at the right time </cliche>

 

[time-bomb]

So cool. I would love to see this get resurrected. I'm not holding my breath that I will be riding one any time soon but it would be great to see if their technology will start to trickle down to other manufacturers. Regardless, it is always nice to look at and makes a nice conversation piece.

radodhr - thanks for sharing!

 

[IH8Rice]

couldn't agree with you more!

i drank the kool-aid.... id gladly sell all my bikes for one of those.
i was anxious when they first announced they were going to sell it

 

[bizutch]

You sir, win a prize for having MASSIVE pics with good detail to them!

My guess would be the guys at Tomac and Honda know each other. Eli is racing for them. So they came out together to put in some laps. Doubt Honda would worry about re-badging their bike. If anything, Tomac might act as US distributor to avoid having to setup their own?

But still...way cool to see them showing up again. That bike needs to be produced.

 

[Total Heckler]

Ok first off, freaking awesome! Man I hope something happens with that bike.

Second, how did I not know about this?!

 

[Pslide]

Sweet, another one of the "destroyed" RN01s...

 

[IH8Rice]

Sweet, another one of the "destroyed" RN01s...

lol. it seems they built more than they said or destroyed less than they said.

 

[4xBoy]

I am also in the if it was sold I would buy one group.

 

[kidwithbike]

i also have money that would very rapidly leave my bank account for that bike.

 

[jonKranked]

lol. it seems they built more than they said or destroyed less than they said.

or they've built bikes since they said it

 

[bizutch]

or they've built bikes since they said it

 

[CBJ]

I want that bike and the bus so I could bring the family too. What a sweet setup.

 

[jonKranked]

anybody have pictures of the bikes that were supposedly destroyed so we can do a side by side comparison?

 

[IH8Rice]

anybody have pictures of the bikes that were supposedly destroyed so we can do a side by side comparison?

(click for giant version)

 

[SylentK]

so this is what they mean about being in the right place at the right time </cliche>

That's for sure! Because I was there yesterday, too. But they just set up their tent as I was leaving. Great shots!

Was there a chick in DH gear around that Honda bus? That's the only person in that group I saw that actually looked like they rode.

 

[jonKranked]

got anything of the non drive side view?

 

[NorseManiac]

The frame design is awesome, it's so dirt bike (go figure).

Is no one gonna bitch about it being a SP?

 

[IH8Rice]

got anything of the non drive side view?

 

[ianjenn]

The frame design is awesome, it's so dirt bike (go figure).

Is no one gonna bitch about it being a SP?

The estimated $100K a piece production cost I hope not!
HAHAHAAH

 

[IH8Rice]

The estimated $100K a piece production cost I hope not!

this is RM

 

[jonKranked]

The estimated $100K a piece production cost I hope not!
HAHAHAAH

yea, the cost is ridiculous when you're only making a dozen pieces.

 

[yd35]

Honest question (no intent of snark, sarcasm): What is so exciting about this bike? Looks like a massively overbuilt gearbox bike to my (untrained?) eyes.

 

[monkeyfcuker]

i drank the kool-aid.... id gladly sell all my bikes for one of those.
i was anxious when they first announced they were going to sell it

I was gonna quote your first post butthis one is better!

 

[jonKranked]

Honest question (no intent of snark, sarcasm): What is so exciting about this bike? Looks like a massively overbuilt gearbox bike to my (untrained?) eyes.

-showa suspension
-gearbox
-raced successfully at the world cup level, yet was never available to the public
-made by honda, one of the world's largest manufacturers of offroad sports toys


essentially its one of the most lusted after downhill bikes ever

 

[IH8Rice]

there was a video years ago on MPORA that had Minaar's mechanic talking about their "gearbox" design.
anyone have it? the youtube isnt finding it

 

[binary visions]

-gearbox

Also, a gearbox that's not just a Rohloff chucked into the frame. I was partly interested in the bike just because I was curious what Honda built in there.

The weight was pretty decent, too, IIRC - for all of that gearbox mass and the big suspension.

 

[jonKranked]

Also, a gearbox that's not just a Rohloff chucked into the frame. I was partly interested in the bike just because I was curious what Honda built in there.

The weight was pretty decent, too, IIRC - for all of that gearbox mass and the big suspension.

the first iteration or 2 of it was a true gearbox. there were too many issues, and it eventually evolved into a DIAB (derailer in a box)

best pic I could find:

edit: moar and better:

 

[Sandwich]

yeah, rohloff in a box or derailleur in a box...LOL. I'd rather have the completeness of the rohloff/nexus/alfine than what equates to a centralized normal drivetrain...but yeah.

I think the bike was just so popular because they integrated so much moto tech into it. It still looks super complete, front to back to me, vs. the awkwardness of a lot of designs.

Still, I don't believe this is anything new. The only change is the formula?? brakes on there instead of the brembos. When I see a real fork and shock on there, I'll buy into the idea that they're looking to build it. Otherwise that just looks like another 07 or whatever leftover that somebody wheeled out to let the cobwebs blow off.

 

[Uncle Cliffy]

Dug this shot up:

It does look like someone saved some pieces from the old bike if you ask me...

 

[time-bomb]

Wasn't the first transmission they were running in there CVT also? The later/revised edition - derailleur in a box - was not. But couldn't they also shift while coasting? I think I remember reading about that being one of the big advantages to that design was their ability to be in the proper gear by the time they came out of a corner or gnar.

 

[IH8Rice]

But couldn't they also shift while coasting? I think I remember reading about that being one of the big advantages to that design was their ability to be in the proper gear by the time they came out of a corner or gnar.

yep, i remember the mechanic saying you could pedal while coasting or under full load too