nice find! and yes, easier to change one piece than more than one piece.Dug this shot up:
It does look like someone saved some pieces from the old bike if you ask me...
yes, and i believe yes
New Honda RN01 at Keystone bike park?
- Thread starter radodhr
- Start date
I believe they removed the most quintessential problem from DH....the DNF!
That alone made the bike the best ever.
That alone made the bike the best ever.
Yeah, but it has a fender
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!
Anything you guys want me to ask or try to get photos of?!
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...
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?
im sure their current bike "are the best theyve ever ridden."
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.
I thought the rumor was that Godzilla crushed all the Honda bikes.
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.
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.
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.
its new and fancy. people get excited about that kind of crap.
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 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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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 starting to see spiritual parallels.
Raised from the dead...
...it's the MESSIAH!
...but only some believe. (I'm an apathetic agnostic in this case.)
Raised from the dead...
...it's the MESSIAH!
...but only some believe. (I'm an apathetic agnostic in this case.)
Note to self: How to make the best performing, most desireable bike ever: never release it to public and never let anyone but top WC pros ride it. Let imagination do the rest.
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...
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!
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?
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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I don't think it has something to do with the number of bikes build. It looks like NIHAP-4603
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 
And all they came up with is an ugly single pivot that costs $100,000.
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.
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.
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
So all of you who hate it would refuse a chance to ride it? Whatever...
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.
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.
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.
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.
http://dirt.mpora.com/news/hot-news-honda-dh-bike-spotted.html
I'd love to know who radodhr is. Funny he could just wonder up to a bike that honda were always mega possessive of and take high res photos with no one around.
DW-esq pre release marketing hype development anyone?
I'd love to know who radodhr is. Funny he could just wonder up to a bike that honda were always mega possessive of and take high res photos with no one around.
DW-esq pre release marketing hype development anyone?
Why the hate? Did no one realise it comes stock with 2 fenderzzz! 2!!!
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.
Truf.com
-edit- didn't realize Minaars bike was stolen.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
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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
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