picture can't be that old, there's a current gen Tomac (that's been on the market for what, maybe a year now?) right behind it.
New Honda RN01 at Keystone bike park?
- Thread starter radodhr
- Start date
I'd love to see Honda develop the origonal idea of a CVT, maybe they should just employ Derek Lahr.
I was with the guy "who some of you hate here"AKA LAHAR at the worlds in NZ in the 1950s crappy caravan he hired, he changed the cables, and fluid in the Lahar that had just come back from a season racing over seas. We sat there, chatting, drinking, while the Honda crew next door in their massive tent with their mega budget outfit and aprox ten or more staff, dissassembled the Hondas I'm guessing after every time they went out, as they should with such a budget.
The Lahar won what I believe was the first ever WC for a gearbox bike(JNRs), and possibly carbon bike, and definately first gararge built bike.
Hate on, but I know what bike I'd rather see evolve. Lahar just needed different geo options for me, oh, and of cause a lighter 7spped gearbox, preferably by Rohloff. But as I said above, CTV would probably be most ideal.
Hmmm, would be great if Lahr and Lahar joined forces, oh and someone to fund it and manage it.
Damn, looks exactly like my CRF450R without the plastics.
Try three years and has been discontinued.
Jeebus...the e-emotions run high and devoid of all common sense. I hate to break your honda revival party but....
I don't know radodhr either, but doesn't that fact that he could almost swipe the bike from their front porch tell you something?
Seriously, I was there too. There is nothing about that crew that said Honda or sweet technology or super secret product testing...besides that big bus that happened to say Honda. Seriously, they were all American looking (fat and out of shape) and old. Like they were rich folks taking their kids out to Keystone. That's pretty much the best description of the people that I saw as they rolled in and were trying to find out if they could even park that huge monstrosity in that small lot, so close to the lift. At least they knew where the "cool" lot was, I'll give 'em that.
If it where Honda I'd expect them to be as far away from the lift as possible, lots of Asian doods (or at least foreign), tight security, and definitely not talking about BBQing and making margaritas or have a very obvious different brand bicycle in the immediate vicinity. Know what I mean? Doesn't make sense. Don't make me use the Chubaca theory/defense! (South Park reference for those who missed it)
Take it for what it is: An old Honda bike that someone (my guess is from the Honda moto world) got their hands on and still have. They were probably going thru CO and decided to stop at Keystone to ride. Can that be so hard to imagine?
Or they did act casual because they knew we would think like that
hey sylent k if you're gonna make south park references at least spell Chewbacca properly 
Thanks for the clarification, man I really butchered it, didn't I? Shoulda ran Star Wars Spell Check on that. Is there an app for that? 
I guess there is still a chance that the rno1 could be on the comeback. But from what I saw, it leads me to believe Honda Japan isn't heading up the project.
Carry on the e-speculation!
I guess there is still a chance that the rno1 could be on the comeback. But from what I saw, it leads me to believe Honda Japan isn't heading up the project.
Carry on the e-speculation!
A carbon frame with a derailer box minus the cover... First I remember was Alex of bcd.
You may be right..............but damn you for killing our fantasies
Not at all.....having the inside track in the industry you're working is nice, i.e. how sweet would it be to rock one of those pimped Carbon V10's all summer?
J
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You can check here next time:Thanks for the clarification, man I really butchered it, didn't I? Shoulda ran Star Wars Spell Check on that. Is there an app for that?
wookieepedia.org/
I wouldn't listen to him...You may be right..............but damn you for killing our fantasies
Well, I can't speak for the rest of the haters. But for me, if I had a chance to ride all of the DH bikes out there I wouldn't pick this one first. It might make the top 10, but certainly not the top 5. And I most definitely wouldn't consider buying one it it's current state.
Again, even though I'm a hater and don't consider buying anything Honda makes, I would love to see them put the effort into developing this and the gearbox.
I'll just skip to the last page and post my e-speculation... pm'ed silentk on mtbr earlier with this message:
I asked one of the guys hanging around the bus, he said they are testing and may race it next year. I briefly met the Honda rider (riding with another rider on the Tomac) loading up the chair and we both ended up riding Milky>HSD>Jam Rock for a bit... he was pretty quick.
I also think it looks like the old Honda bike, and it could be they are testing the gearbox or something on the old frame or the new frame looks a lot like the old one, I have no idea... should've gotten a pic....
It's nice someone got a pic, I forgot my camera.
2 weeks earlier I got to parking lot test the new '11 Demo at Keystone too, the demo was for industry so I didn't get to take it out, but it is low and the sus is very progressive. It looks good too....
I asked one of the guys hanging around the bus, he said they are testing and may race it next year. I briefly met the Honda rider (riding with another rider on the Tomac) loading up the chair and we both ended up riding Milky>HSD>Jam Rock for a bit... he was pretty quick.
I also think it looks like the old Honda bike, and it could be they are testing the gearbox or something on the old frame or the new frame looks a lot like the old one, I have no idea... should've gotten a pic....
It's nice someone got a pic, I forgot my camera.
2 weeks earlier I got to parking lot test the new '11 Demo at Keystone too, the demo was for industry so I didn't get to take it out, but it is low and the sus is very progressive. It looks good too....
Mr Min has his, that was my photo of it along with his Haro and Orange 222 from just over a year ago. Its still there today, unless Greg moved it since last week. Rumor has it that its the most stable, controlled suspension platform of any bike out there(coming from a guy who was never paid a cent by Honda). Gregs' comments as I recall from a conversation I had with him after moving to Santa Cruz were that the gearbox made cornering much easier and controlled and he was having trouble getting used to the conventional derailer on the v10.
I always was of the opinion that the Honda was far too small for Greg, it just never looked right in person. It seemed like he was on top of the bike, kinda like a bmxer but hey, what do I know?
I'm going to join the fanboys here and put my name down for one if the ever sell it, even if I have to wait a few years before I can afford a second hand one.
So you're saying the Asian division refuses to eat BBQ or drink margaritas, are on a strict diet and never saw South Park?Thanks for the clarification, man I really butchered it, didn't I? Shoulda ran Star Wars Spell Check on that. Is there an app for that?
I guess there is still a chance that the rno1 could be on the comeback. But from what I saw, it leads me to believe Honda Japan isn't heading up the project.
Carry on the e-speculation!
06- Cam Cole , Rotorua ???
That's the exact photo I was thinking of when I wrote that. Do you remember where it was? Stoked that Minaar still has it, I just remember the old bikes being very loud ala Foes.
Hate to rain on your parade, an feel free to correct me if I'm wrong but. I'm pretty sure that CVT's are now illegal under uci rules????
Stop bursting my bubbles dude
Bummer, not sure if they'd be the go anyway. Up down shifters on each side of the bars might be better.
UCI killing progress again
Sponsored by Sram or Shimanno?LOL. Are they working for the sport, or......
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I believe its the infinite number of selectable gear ratios that is illegal, not the actual CVT mechanisms, Honda got round this by having 9 gears on the original CVT design.
Why? What the reasoning behind the ban of CVT?
It gives you technical advantage of being always in proper gear. Did they also ban disc brakes when they were first used in racing?
I wonder if it was banned because Honda patented the **** out of it so no other brands could use it.
I wonder if the whole Honda bike wasjust made to patent a lot of gearbox possabilities to keep DH less advanced to not hurt moto sales.
I wonder if the whole Honda bike wasjust made to patent a lot of gearbox possabilities to keep DH less advanced to not hurt moto sales.
Now there's a conspiracy theory if I ever heard one!
Stranger things have happened, but I was just stirring the potNow there's a conspiracy theory if I ever heard one!
The UCI ruling predates the Honda bike, Transcend would be the best person to ask about the specifics, but if my memory serves me correctly the original design (the very first one, not the one shown a few pages back) was automatic and had an infinite number of gears, hence the ban.
As regards the patent, there are a few very similar patents that also predate the Honda patent, in fact i'm surprised it was awarded to them. If they wanted to keep gearboxes out of MTB they would only have to own the patent, actually building the bike/gearbox wouldn't be essential.
As regards the patent, there are a few very similar patents that also predate the Honda patent, in fact i'm surprised it was awarded to them. If they wanted to keep gearboxes out of MTB they would only have to own the patent, actually building the bike/gearbox wouldn't be essential.
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Banning progression of technology in a sport as mundane as mountain biking i think is stupid.
There were a number of factors that made Honda jump into the MTB field and test it out.
1. Way Cheaper than anything else they were doing.
2. The suspension could translate very well into MX.
3. Crazy legislators are actually considering the banning of motorized two wheel vehicles. So it could replace that market that would shrink. I believe this bill only applies to public land such as Parks but not sure it is still on the table at this point.
4. THE SUSPENSION WAS A MAIN REASON AND THATS COMING FROM A SHOWA ENGINEER.
But who knows
