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New Honda RN01 at Keystone bike park?

jonKranked

Detective Dookie
Nov 10, 2005
85,562
24,182
media blackout
Dug this shot up:



It does look like someone saved some pieces from the old bike if you ask me...
nice find! and yes, easier to change one piece than more than one piece.

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.
yes, and i believe yes
 

radodhr

Chimp
Jul 29, 2010
5
0
Colorado, USA
I heard from my friend that works at the resort that they are still out at the bike park today! I am going to check it out in a little bit and see if I can talk to them. And it was indeed Tomac and Honda. I recognized the owner of Tomac out there from a Bike Mag story. When I snapped the pictures they were all in the bus, so I didn’t get a chance to actually talk to anyone. More to come later!
 

slyfink

Turbo Monkey
Sep 16, 2008
9,288
5,028
Ottawa, Canada
I wonder what Minnaar (and weren't Leihikoinen and Fairclough on Honda too) would have to say about that bike, compared to their current crop of bikes...
 

IH8Rice

I'm Mr. Negative! I Fail!
Aug 2, 2008
24,524
494
Im over here now
Anything you guys want me to ask or try to get photos of?!
why is it there?
is it going into production?
are the shock and fork going to production?
whats different about this one and the last ones?
price?
why?
why tomac?


I wonder what Minnaar (and weren't Leihikoinen and Fairclough on Honda too) would have to say about that bike, compared to their current crop of bikes...
im sure their current bike "are the best theyve ever ridden."
 

jon-boy

Monkey
May 26, 2004
799
0
Vancouver BC
Any thought to this just being one of the orignal bikes that stayed with Honda that someone decided to go riding on for a day? Maybe it's a purely innocent appearance? I hate to p!ss on anyones fire but I doubt that Honda crushed all the bikes as per the rumour.
 

stringcheese

Monkey
Jun 6, 2002
359
0
Golden, CO
The derailleur-in-a-box thing is so disappointing, unless they're still developing the gearbox concept and they only threw the derailleur in it so that Minnar would have a functioning bike to race with.
 

MDJ

Monkey
Dec 15, 2005
669
0
San Jose, CA
-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
Showa - Never sold a DH fork
Gearbox - So what?
Raced.... - Those riders are doing better now that they have real bikes
Honda - Who have never sold a DH bike.

I have not idea why people lusted and now lust again over this bike. It is an ugly single pivot. Oh yeah I forgot, it has this magical gearbox.

Now were going to have a million gearbox posts again, just when it finally died down. :rolleyes:
 

Cordsport

Chimp
Feb 15, 2009
26
0
Steep head angle? 2nd pic looks pretty square on, anybody who can drive photoshop or whatever going to measure it?
 

jonKranked

Detective Dookie
Nov 10, 2005
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Showa - Never sold a DH fork
neither did fox until a few years ago. Marzocchi also makes moto suspension, and the current iteration have Manitou is drawing experience from the moto industry. Not sure about Rock Shox.


Gearbox - So what?
its new and fancy. people get excited about that kind of crap.


Raced.... - Those riders are doing better now that they have real bikes
Fairclough - not surprising he got better, his only season racing for Honda was his first year racing world cups out of junior class

Matti got second overall in '07 on the Honda and won Champery on it the same year as well. He's had some tough luck since then.

Minaar won overall on both the honda ('05) and the v10 ('08). also got 3rd overall on the honda ('06) and second overall on the v10 ('09). so maybe marginally better, but I question whether or not it was the bike.


Honda - Who have never sold a DH bike.
Honda - who knows a thing or 6 about manufacturing, as well designing 2 wheeled vehicles with suspension. Not to knock the bike industry, but I'd be willing to bet Honda has a larger team of engineers available, not to mention more (financial) resources.
 
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blackohio

Generous jaywalker
Mar 12, 2009
2,773
122
Hellafornia. Formerly stumptown.
Any thought to this just being one of the orignal bikes that stayed with Honda that someone decided to go riding on for a day? Maybe it's a purely innocent appearance? I hate to p!ss on anyones fire but I doubt that Honda crushed all the bikes as per the rumour.
When Honda say's its going to crush something, it does. Having worked in the auto industry and known people who built show cars for Honda they crush the **** out of them. Now granted its a little different as those cars dont have titles and its done to keep someone from selling one to someone else. But the same could be said for those bikes.

My hope would be that Honda didnt crush them all and saved one or two. But thats a big rig for someone just "out for a ride"
 

Kevin

Turbo Monkey
Just some guys from an ex factory team riding some old bikes...

Yes the Honda is a cool bike, high bling factor, custom parts and a gear box which I think is awsome. Ive test ridden a Nicolai with a gearbox once and theres an advantage over regular drivetrains.
Other then that I think its prolly on the heavy side and high maintanance.

Would be cool to see a new bike (especially the Honda after all the hype) come on the market.
I wouldnt hold my breath or spend my money on it as soon as it comes out...
 

ianjenn

Turbo Monkey
Sep 12, 2006
2,998
702
SLO
Just some guys from an ex factory team riding some old bikes...

Yes the Honda is a cool bike, high bling factor, custom parts and a gear box which I think is awsome. Ive test ridden a Nicolai with a gearbox once and theres an advantage over regular drivetrains.
Other then that I think its prolly on the heavy side and high maintanance.

Would be cool to see a new bike (especially the Honda after all the hype) come on the market.
I wouldnt hold my breath or spend my money on it as soon as it comes out...

Showa seals don't leak very often. The GB may be high maint. though!
 

S.K.C.

Turbo Monkey
Feb 28, 2005
4,096
25
Pa. / North Jersey
Hmmm... intersting...

It seems like HRC hasn't entirely killed their DH program, or why would an entire support crew show up with an RN01 at a mountain?

EDIT: This might be an erroneous presumption on my part as upon closer examination, the Honda Bus looks more like one of the busses that support the Moto program - so it might be like what Butch was saying and one of the guys asked Honda for something fun to play with at the mountain... still... strange that they would have one floating around stateside...

I think g-boxes aren't necessarily all hype, as it would be nice to have the advantages of one:

- No derailleur to rip off
- Shifting while coasting
- No chainguides to mess with
- Less maintanence duties for drivetrain (no exposure to elements)
- More ground clearance at BB

...but as of now, the costs outweigh the advantages as Honda had concluded. If they could sell a frame WITHOUT bundling the fork with it - as originally planned through cooperation with SHOWA - this might bring the price down a bit. If they could juuuust hit a target price of $3500 to $4000 they might have something there.... (frame plus g-box and shock, OR sell the frame and shock with different trim levels of the g-box aka, Derailleur in a Box, at different price points.)

*NOTE: There is a serial number sticker of some sort by the top tube where it meets the head tube, but in all of the pics it is obscured - any shots of that number?
 
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Dox

Monkey
Aug 26, 2009
263
0
Montreal, QC, Canada
Hmmm... intersting...

*NOTE: There is a serial number sticker of some sort by the top tube where it meets the head tube, but in all of the pics it is obscured - any shots of that number?
I don't think it has something to do with the number of bikes build. It looks like NIHAP-4603

 

W4S

Turbo Monkey
Mar 2, 2004
1,282
23
Back in Hell A, b1thces
Washougal outdoor national was this past weekend, next outdoor is in NY in 3 weeks. This is one of Honda's team buses cruising through on its way to NY is my guess, Eli Tomac rides for a Honda sponsored team. maybe its Minaar's stolen bike haha :rofl:
 

MDJ

Monkey
Dec 15, 2005
669
0
San Jose, CA
Honda - who knows a thing or 6 about manufacturing, as well designing 2 wheeled vehicles with suspension. Not to knock the bike industry, but I'd be willing to bet Honda has a larger team of engineers available, not to mention more (financial) resources.
And all they came up with is an ugly single pivot that costs $100,000.

:D:D

Don't get me wrong, I would love to see Honda get serious and put resources into making a good bike AND getting the gearbox into production. I also would really like to see Showa jump into the market as well.

However, I just can't see why eveyone is so excited over this old design. Especially when there is a Carbon V10 waiting for your money.
 

IH8Rice

I'm Mr. Negative! I Fail!
Aug 2, 2008
24,524
494
Im over here now
And all they came up with is an ugly single pivot that costs $100,000.


However, I just can't see why eveyone is so excited over this old design. Especially when there is a Carbon V10 waiting for your money.
dirtbikes are single pivot.



why choose a carbon V10 that every punter will have when you can have this beauty?
 

Sandwich

Pig my fish!
Staff member
May 23, 2002
21,031
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borcester rhymes
I love how everybody is sooooooo moist about split pivot, but this "just a single pivot" bike sucks. You do realize the irony of that, right?

This bike was great because it was the complete package...and multi-link bikes fall way out of favor when pivot location can be optimized regardless of acceleration forces.
 

IH8Rice

I'm Mr. Negative! I Fail!
Aug 2, 2008
24,524
494
Im over here now
I love how everybody is sooooooo moist about split pivot, but this "just a single pivot" bike sucks. You do realize the irony of that, right?

This bike was great because it was the complete package...and multi-link bikes fall way out of favor when pivot location can be optimized regardless of acceleration forces.
it doesnt have enough acronyms and fancy tech names to back up the awesomness of it
 

norbar

KESSLER PROBLEM. Just cause
Jun 7, 2007
11,346
1,587
Warsaw :/
it doesnt have enough acronyms and fancy tech names to back up the awesomness of it
Lies, its not acronyms that are important. We need a lightning shaped axle path that makes your wheels burst into flames every time you get into a sweet manly drift!
 

Sandwich

Pig my fish!
Staff member
May 23, 2002
21,031
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borcester rhymes
Lies, its not acronyms that are important. We need a lightning shaped axle path that makes your wheels burst into flames every time you get into a sweet manly drift!
right, it's patents! people would probably buy it if you patent it and slap it on the back end of a hydroformed bike.
 

gemini2k

Turbo Monkey
Jul 31, 2005
3,526
117
San Francisco
why in the hell did you take pics and not ask sartloads of questions in the first place?
Maybe because he was too busy masturbating in public to the bikes? Let's just say the police would be asking all the questions if I happened upon one of those bikes.
 

fluider

Monkey
Jun 25, 2008
440
9
Bratislava, Slovakia
Me in a small group of those who can't understand what's so hot about this bike.

Derailleur in a box "gearbox" has been developed by more companies. Actually Czech small company RaceBike did also patented it, but probably in Czech rep. only.
I would expect some super light planetary gearbox derived from their moto gearboxes, at least. Not a derailluer.
Hey!, Derek Lahr invented and made functional prototype of CVT gearbox for his bike. One smart student, with support of his parents. What did Honda in MTB with multimilion $ support?

I'm gonna repeat myself again. The full carbon DH bike made by guy, who some of you hate here, has not been surpassed yet, imo.
 

spocomptonrider

sportin' the CROCS
Nov 30, 2007
1,412
118
spokanistan
When Honda say's its going to crush something, it does. Having worked in the auto industry and known people who built show cars for Honda they crush the **** out of them. Now granted its a little different as those cars dont have titles and its done to keep someone from selling one to someone else. But the same could be said for those bikes.

My hope would be that Honda didnt crush them all and saved one or two. But thats a big rig for someone just "out for a ride"
I'm pretty sure they let MinGNAR hang on to his, I saw a picture of his garage/ bike collection one time and he still had every bike he had ever ridden... including the Honda RN01.

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.
Truf.com


Washougal outdoor national was this past weekend, next outdoor is in NY in 3 weeks. This is one of Honda's team buses cruising through on its way to NY is my guess, Eli Tomac rides for a Honda sponsored team. maybe its Minaar's stolen bike haha :rofl:
-edit- didn't realize Minaars bike was stolen.
 
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slowmtb

Monkey
Aug 17, 2008
216
0
ChurChur, NZ
Interesting .......

It's pretty obvious people on here know sweet fack all about Hondas history in various sports over the decades, particularly in moto. I look forward to see how this one pans out - a flash in the pan or the real deal, only Honda knows the answer to that one.

Cool concept regardless :)