Sports Cycle

Honda SL350 History : When Yamaha stirred it all up back in 1968 with the DT1 250 trail bike the future of motorcycling took a very specific and divergent turn. The days of making a half-hearted attempt at an off-roader were over.

Honda’s immediate response was actually little more than a papering over-the-cracks exercise; it might even be seen as a cynical effort. The first Honda SL350 really was little more than a CB350 in a pretty summer outfit. The bike’s mass at 364lb (165kg) meant it was still far too heavy for its intended purpose: Honda arguably still hadn’t quite grasped what a trail bike actually was and was still too focused on the desert sled side of things as successfully capitalised on by the big Brit twins.

The CB’s geometry meant that the ‘new’ SL had too much understeer on fast bends and the power came in a little too hard at 5.000 RPM. The bike was okay but not exactly what the market wanted; there was too much CB about the bike; it even retained the roadster’s electric start. However, there were two facets of the Honda SL350 Motorsport that everyone seemed to love; the looks were stunning and the saddle was one of the most comfortable ever.



With customer feedback taken on board, Honda’s 1970 offering was an altogether better machine. If the Honda SL350 K1 wasn’t a totally all-new machine it was pretty damn close. The heavy single down tube frame had been dropped in favour of a purpose-built lightweight twin down tube chassis; this helped drop weight by an astonishing 60lb (27kg). Smaller slide carbs had replace the previous 30mm CV units, which had had a nasty habit of slamming shut when landing from higher jumps – never the ideal scenario on the dirt! The electric foot was also dropped.

A heavily revised camshaft allowed for maximum torque to be delivered at a much more reasonable 6.000 RPM and although the peak power had dropped from a claimed 33 to 25 HP the motor was much more usable. Revised frame geometry, increased trail, redesigned forks and different shocks all contributed to make the Honda SL350 K1 the bike the K0 should have been. Smaller diameter brakes more in-keeping with the bike’s intended use pretty much completed the upgrade and Honda was onto a winner. There were a host of minor revisions in 1972, including the fitment of a 21in front wheel in place of the previous 19in unit, revised paintwork and the adoption of anodised alloy guards in place of the previous painted ones.




This, the K2, was the end of the line for the Honda SL350. The Japanese had taken a longer term view and realised that it was simply not viable to run an essentially compromised design based on a road bike in a rapidly expanding market sector. Late 1972 saw the launch of the purpose-made XL250 Motorsport. This single re-established the genre that had pretty much died out during the death throes of the British bike industry and arguably it would lead to such ground-changing dirt bikes as the seminal Yamaha XT500.

Honda SL 350 Specifications

Engine : Air Cooled, Four Stroke, Twin-Cylinder, SOHC 4-Valve
Displacement : 326 cc
Bore x Stroke: 64 x 50.6 mm
Compression Ratio : 9.5;1
Carburetion : 2x 36mm Keihin CV
Max Power : 33 HP @ 9.500 RPM
Transmission / Drive : 5-Speed / Chain-Driven

Weight : 165 Kg
Front Suspension : Telescopic Fork
Rear Suspension : Dual-Shock
Front Brakes : Drum
Rear Brakes : Drum
Front Tyre : 3.00 - 19
Rear Tyre : 3.50 -18

Gambar Honda New Scoopy 2010

New Honda Scoopy Motor Scooter Today

Honda’s CB72 – or Dream Super Sport – is one of the most important bikes ever built by the Japanese giant. And it did it while still a teenager...

The young guy on the modern 125cc race-replica didn’t back off the throttle as he went screaming past the stationary CB72. He barely gave the Honda a second glance, and if he had done he probably wouldn’t have been impressed. To most people this was just some old bike with a shiny, chromed petrol tank; and a rider who was jumping up and down on its kickstarter in an attempt to get it running.

A few moments later the twin-cylinder motor fired up and I roared off in pursuit, with a half-formed plan to catch the newer bike and restore the ageing Honda’s honour. It was no use, of course; he’d long since disappeared into the distance. But if ever there’s been a small-capacity roadster that deserves respect from a modern-day motorcyclist – especially a young guy in a hurry – it’s the Honda CB72.

Honda’s Game Changer

This 247cc Honda parallel twin from the Sixties might not look very fast and exciting in comparison with a modern, fully-faired CBR300R, at least if you’re a teenager. But it’s no exaggeration to say that not only was the CB72 the best small-capacity sports bike of its day, but that half a century later it is right up there with the CB750, VFR750 and CBR900RR FireBlade as one of the most significant models that Honda has ever built.


That humped, chrome-plated tank with its rubber knee-pads looks quaintly dated now, but when the CB72 reached Britain and other export markets in the early Sixties its style and specification were a big step forward. This was the bike that proved Honda was getting serious; the first Japanese machine with enough performance and street cred to appeal strongly to European enthusiasts.

Honda had already begun making a big name for itself on the world’s racetracks. In 1961, just two years after the firm’s first, exploratory attempt at the TT, Mike Hailwood and Aussie Tom Phillis won the 250 and 125cc world championships. The following season Honda retained both, and added the 350cc title for good measure.

But although Honda’s twin-cylinder racers – inspired by the German NSUs that had impressed Soichiro Honda during his earlier TT visit – were fast and competitive, the same couldn’t be said of the firm’s roadsters.

Models such as the 250cc C71 – which became the first Honda twin seen in Europe when it arrived in 1959 – were well engineered and reliable. But with its huge mudguards, pressed-steel frame, leading-link forks and rectangular-section shocks, the C71 was heavy and pretty ugly. It was also slow, and didn’t handle particularly well.

The CB72 – known as the DreamSuper Sport in this country and the Hawk in the States – was very different. This was the sporty version of the year’s three-model 250cc range, which also consisted of the basic C72 and dual-purpose CS72.

It had low, flat handlebars, a relatively thinly padded dual-seat, and an innovative instrument panel incorporating a speedometer and rev-counter whose needles rotated in opposite directions. There was even a degree of adjustability in its footrests, which were respectably high and rear-set.

All three 1960 models retained the previous year’s SOHC engine layout, plus dimensions of 54 x 54mm, and switched from dry- to wet-sump lubrication. In addition the CB72 had a 180º crankshaft instead of the C72’s British-style 360º set-up. It also had twin carbs instead of just one, and a higher 9.5:1 compression ratio that helped increase maximum output by 4bhp to 24bhp at 9000 RPM.

The CB72’s chassis changes were even more important. In place of the pressed-steel frame retained by the C72, the sports model had a new and more rigid construction – based on that of Honda’s works racers – combining a tubular-steel main spine with short twin down-tubes leading to the cylinder head.

The old-style leading-link front suspension was replaced by telescopics, with a pair of conventional round-section shocks at the rear. Both front and rear brakes were of high spec: finned, eight-inch diameter twin-leading-shoe drums.

That all gave the CB72 a much more racy and modern look, and riding it did not disappoint. As US mag Cycle World put it at the time:

"Rider position is of necessity very ‘Mike Hailwood’, and although it looks ferociously uncomfortable for touring, the controls and the seat are positioned in such a way that it is, in fact, quite good. In any case, the combination makes the rider feel as though he is very much a part of the machine – and it is fun to drop into a crouch and bare your teeth at other riders as you go by."

The gap between the top two ratios necessitated an occasional tread down into third on uphill stretches, prompting some contemporary testers to suggest that the bike would have been improved by a five-speed box. But they didn’t complain about the CB72’s performance.

The Motor Cycle speed-tested it at an average of 89mph, with a one-way best of 91mph, and said: “The Dream Super Sport is far and away the fastest production two-fifty yet tested. It would hold 70-75mph for the entire length of the M1 motorway with the rider normally seated.” That was impressive stuff, though less so than it would be now, because in 1961 the newly opened M1 was only 60 miles long!

Handling was good, too, in contrast to that of the CB72’s heavier and less well equipped forebears. Cycle World described the Honda as “stable and fast cornering”, adding that “fork angle, trail, spring rates and damper settings are near-perfect, and even a fairly timid rider will find it very natural to ride faster and lean over farther than is his habit to do.”

Building the Brand

Back in the early Sixties the Honda impressed not only with its speed and handling but with its quality and reliability. As the Motor Cycle put it:

“Have racing successes any bearing on production quality? Does racing really improve the breed? that the answer to both these questions is a decided ‘yes’ is immediately obvious ! That a machine of such full blooded performance should at the same time be so unobtrusive and docile reflects tremendous credit on a firmfounded only 13 years ago.”

The CB72 made an excellent impression with almost everyone who rode one, and did much to increase the respect with which Honda was regarded in many countries. It was followed in 1963 by a 305cc version – the CB77 – which was good for a genuine 95mph and had “performance that would do credit to a 500”, according to one report.

Lingering anti-Japanese prejudice combined with a high price to ensure that the CB72 didn’t sell in vast numbers. In 1962 it cost almost £300 when Ariel’s 250cc Sports Arrow was priced at £190. But the twin made a strong impression, and was much loved by many of its owners. Most importantly, the CB72 proved that Honda could make fast, fine-handling, stylish bikes that appealed to enthusiasts all over the world – much as they’ve been doing ever since.

What’s It Like to Ride?

Aggressive riding comes naturally to the pilot of a CB72, as I soon discovered after setting off on this very original machine, borrowed from specialist Oxford Classic Honda. With 13,000 miles on the clock the 1967-registered bike looked in good, unrestored condition.

Its distinctive speedo face was slightly faded, while the chrome and paintwork had a few minor marks and rustspots, but generally the Honda had aged well. It had been borrowed on short notice, and not run for some time, which explained its reluctance to start on the button, due to a weak battery. But the air-cooled motor generally fired-up easily enough after a few leaps on the unusual kick-starter, which swung forward rather than backwards when I applied my boot to it.

Once under way the Honda soon confirmed that its character was pretty much as you’d expect from the sporty riding position and the tacho’s 9000rpm redline. Revved hard, the CB72 performed well enough to make me realise why it had so impressed testers and owners alike back in the early Sixties.

There was a notable flat-spot at 4-5000rpm, almost certainly due to this bike’s carbs being in need of a cleanout due to the bike having been standing for a while. Then the motor got into its stride, revving smoothly with a dull drone from the low-set twin pipes. Soon I was barrelling along at 70mph, leant comfortably forward into the breeze, and with plenty of speed in hand. At that pace the engine wasn’t even particularly stressed, because top gear in the four-speed box was quite tall. Even so it was easy to understand those contemporary testers’ desire for a fifth cog.

The Honda was quick enough to be plenty of fun, and it also went round corners well for a small and elderly machine. Its suspension was reasonably firmand welldamped, even at the rear where the shocks didn’t make me want to replace them with a pair of Girling units, as some hard-riding owners did in the Sixties. At 153kg dry the CB72 was light even by modern standards, and was stable enough to encourage me to flick it around.

The only aspect of the chassis that disappointed was the twin-leading-shoe front drum brake, which was regarded as excellent in its day, but in this bike’s case was rather spongy and ineffective. New and freshly set-up shoes would doubtless have helped.

At least the lack of stopping power meant there was no danger of overwhelming the skinny, 2.75-section front Avon tyre.

Honda shows the refreshment form of their Middleweight Sportbike, CBR500R. Some of the latest features also added to the 2016 New Honda CBR500R.

As well as new edgier design, the latest features are also added in the 2016 New Honda CBR500R, such as Adjustable front suspension, Larger gas tank, New Hinged Fuel Cap, the brake lever that can be adjustable as well, New ignition key, and also shorter exhaust muffler that tuned for a satisfying low, crisp exhaust note, and more pleasing to the ear.

This 2016 New CBR500R was first exhibited at the American International Motorcycle Expo in Orlando, Florida, USA on October 15, 2015. The Mid-range CBR Sportsbike prepared for the novice rider, or a veteran rider who is looking for comfortable riding on a sportbike.




The styling refers to the flagship design CBR1000RR Fireblade. "'Aggressive Speed ​​Shape' is a concept style of the New CBR500R," wrote Honda. For lights, this new Baby CBR will use dual LED headlight that is also combined with the LED tail lights. This bike will be launched in US next year. Honda also had planned to sell this bike in North America, Europe, Asia and Japan too.

Honda discharged the points of interest of its 2015 Honda CRF450R last June, and we have been tensely anticipating the opportunity to toss some perch on it since the time that. That risk at last came this week, as Honda welcomed us to the beautiful Zaca Station MX Park north of Santa Barbara, California, to example its most recent red chicken. We're glad to report that the 2015 model gloats overhauls to make it much more focused in what is a severely exceptional class. 

Of the key changes made to the CRF450R, large portions of them focus on its 449cc, fluid cooled, Unicam (SOHC), four-valve, four-stroke Single. The objective for 2015 was to give the 450 livelier midrange and top-end execution without harming its low-end snort. The CRF450R specialists handled this mission by outlining another barrel head that holds the same burning chamber shape and same size titanium admission and steel deplete valves as in the recent past, yet its fumes port has been overhauled. 

The fumes port now passageways to the right of focus when seen from the front, and Honda architects have changed the fumes header length so the header no more wraps around the downtube on the CRF450R aluminum border outline. The shorter header length, consolidated with overhauled suppressors that have a bigger interior breadth, help the Crf450r strike a harmony between the smooth torque of the 2014 model and the expanded midrange/top-finished objectives of the 2015 model. To raise the rpm at which the CRF450R crest force happens, modified ignition timing and fuel settings for the Dual-Timing PGM-FI fuel infusion were likewise joined. 

The CRF450R Unicam chamber head is new for 2015, with a reexamined fumes port that passageways to the right of the head centerline. This takes out the requirement for the CRF fumes header to wrap around the edge downtube. 

Obviously,the 2015 CRF450R additionally gets Honda's most recent development, the Engine Mode Select catch, which permits the rider to get to different EFI/ignitions maps put away in the CRF450R ECU essentially by pressing a catch mounted on the right half of the handlebar. A mainstream offer on top-rack sportbikes for as long as five years [oddly, Honda's own particular Cbr600rr and Cbr1000rr sportbikes don't have this gimmick -Ed.], it is an industry first among motocross machines, and we anticipate that it will multiply due to its convenience. The framework stores three distinctive EFI/ignition maps. The principal is the stock guide, which can't be modified, however the other two are custom maps that can be reconstructed by means of a HRC embellishment tuning instrument. As conveyed, Mode 2 modifies the ignition timing and fuel bend to improve footing on dangerous surfaces, while Mode 3 is more forceful for profound or high-footing surfaces. It is essential to note, be that as it may, that the framework does not 

Profound and loamy best depicts the Zaca Station circuit, and Honda commonly verified the office was overall prepared for our introduction. Test rider Ryan Abbatoye bounced on the CRF450R and rapidly got settled on board the machine. After about an hour of railing corners and taking off over Zaca's bounced, including the track's signature hop, the rugged venture up placed right amidst the course, Abbatoye began to convey his impressions. 

The 2015 CRF450R energy conveyance is observably enhanced over a year ago's model despite the fact that its crest force yield is unaltered. There is an extremely electric, exceptionally snared up feel to its motor, which moves easily and flawlessly from base to top, making the CRF450R simple to ride for amateurs while even now conveying a lot of top-end for experts. It isn't the most energizing 450cc motor we've tried this season, yet its a long way from exhausting. In the event that we needed to speculate the CRF450R back wheel hp yield, we'd say that it is some place in the middle of the "mello yellow" Suzuki RM-Z450 and the powerhouse YamahaCRF450R. The Honda feels as though it pulls longer than the Suzuki yet not with an incredible same power as the Yamaha. 

Notwithstanding, the Engine Mode Select peculiarity does have a recognizable effect, and we truly like that it is so natural to utilize. Essentially pull in the grasp and push the catch. A blazing light will show up with a comparing rhythm that tells you whether you are in Mode 1, 2 or 3. By and large, Abbatoye favored Mode 1, the stock setting. Pretty much as with the Crf250r, he felt that Mode 3, the forceful mode, exchanged away an excess of top-end pull for better mid-extent zip.

Moving is regular Honda flawlessness. Its five-pace gearbox and multi-plate grasp convey smooth movements and direct activity. Notwithstanding, the Honda's torque bend feels expansive enough that the rider has the choice of having the capacity to short-change the motor or essentially let it convey a gear and rev. 

Taking care of and suspension are as imperative to quick lap times as a thundering engine, keeping in mind the CRF450R aluminum edge frame has not experienced any progressions for 2015, its suspension has, at both closures. The huge news is in advance, where another rendition of the Honda's 48mm KYB Pneumatic Spring Fork (PSF) dwells in its thrown aluminum triple clasp. As a matter of first importance, permit us to deviate by noting that, while Honda possesses Showa, it specs a KYB fork for the CRF450R(the Crf250r utilizes Showa) and is the main Japanese 450cc motocross producer to utilize the PSF fork. Suzuki and Kawasaki use Showa SFF-Air forks, while Yamaha's KYB Separate Function fork (SFF) still gimmicks steel curl springs. 

So what makes the KYB PSF diverse? To figure out, Honda had KYB authorities available to walk us through the fork. The PSF is intended to compartmentalize the pressure and bounce back conformities like the SFF, however the specialized highlight of the fork is having high- and low-speed agents on both sides, giving the PSF an amazingly fine level of tuneability. The packing damping circuit is placed in the left leg, and the bounce back damping circuit is in the right leg, with the valve specs being the same on both sides. The fork is likewise lubing toward oneself up. At the point when the fork packs, the dislodged oil goes through a drain port at the base of the stun and through the space between the internal and external fork tubes, diminishing erosion. KYB has likewise taken defilement barrier to the following level by including a dust scrubber between the dust seal and the oil seal on each one fork leg. It is essentially a second line of barrier against any trash that makes it past the dust seal. 

Out back, Honda rolled out improvements to the CRF450R KYB piggyback-supply stun so as to better deal with its 12.4 inches of back wheel travel. The suspension redesigns incorporate new high- and low-speed packing agents for 2015, and also the typical bounce back damping agent, however the bounce back damping agent has been moved to another area; it is settled with the squeezing agents, just over the oil repository, making access to every one of the three modification a snap. 

In an expression, the CRF450R KYB suspension is forgetting. Whether Abbatoye was pounding a G-power arriving while finishing one of the track's enormous hops or beating through grooves, the KYB suspension offered a smooth stroke at both finishes without bottoming. With 12.2 inches of front wheel travel accessible, the fork's magnificent control ought to rouse trust in Novice riders. The stun adjusts pleasantly with the fork, helped by Honda's climbing rate linkage back suspension to keep the backside in line at all times. It helps the CRF450R keep up reliably great footing at all times, particularly amid hard quickening out of rutted corners. 

The changed suspension additionally impacts the CRF450R taking care of, and its generally to improve things. With a 58.7-inch wheelbase, 27-degree directing head point and 4.6 inches of trail, the CRF450R numbers don't altogether separate it from different undercarriage in the class, so suspension execution truly becomes possibly the most important factor. Honda hit the nail on the head with the KYB suspension not long from now. 

"Previously, Hondas have dependably felt "stinkbug" to me, where the front end is low and the backside is high, which makes the case unsteady," Abbatoye said. "Presently it feels more adjusted front to back, and it is way more steady. I realize that Honda was mindful of the stinkbug issue, and they worked truly hard to transform it. They did, and its more planted, more unsurprising and not as skittish now. It's an enormous change.

Then again, it isn't great. 

"No, I do have one protestation," Abbatoye included. "I recognized that while the front end followed well in trenches, it needed to wash out on a percentage of the edges that were structuring in a portion of the turns at Zaca. Each bicycle will do it to some degree, however the Honda is more delicate to it. Along these lines, I needed to examination for stuff like that or be less rushed with my line choice. I picked a couple diverse lines only hence. Anyhow in general, the undercarriage is okay, and the speedier you go the better it gets." 

Brakes and tires are two more zones where the CRF450R has gotten consideration in 2015. In advance, the Honda gets another, 20mm bigger rotor, measuring 260mm in distance across, while the 245mm back rotor now emphasizes to a greater extent a wave example outline than the past variant. Both are braced by Nissin calipers, a two-cylinder unit in advance and a solitary cylinder unit out back. It is safe to say that they are enhancements of the same size as the motor and suspension? Not so much, yet that is no huge thump, as indicated by Abbatoye. 

"Genuinely, Honda has dependably been known for having great brakes, and Zaca is a truly quick track that doesn't oblige a ton of brakes," Abbatoye said. "The CRF's brakes are bounty influential and extremely direct. I like them." 

Dunlop's Mx32 and Mx52 tires might simply be the single most sizzling rough terrain item to be presented in 2014, and the CRF450R is fitted with Mx52s at both finishes. The tires offer enormous hold and smooth, practically roadbike-like transitioning from straight up to heeled-over in a corner. They are a flawless match for the CRF's suspension. 

Ergonomically talking, the CRF450R feels the same as the Crf250r that we tried in late May, and we have the same issue with it. By and large, the CRF's thin cockpit design is extremely agreeable, with a smooth seat and an excellent handlebar twist that helps in rider solace, however at the end of the day Abbatoye griped about the angularity of the CRF's radiator covers, noting that they are boot catchers. Honda's race groups supposedly like to trim and/or zip-attach the covers to make them less inclined to catching, and we expect that the 2016 models will see a correction here. 

Our general impression, however, is that Honda has made a brilliant showing with the 2015 CRF450R, and we anticipate that it will be a genuine contender for best-in-class respects. Its methodology is a bit less forceful and somewhat more cleaned than some of its rival, and it is unmistakably a machine fit for keeping masters glad while helping less experienced riders move to that next aptitude level. The Engine Mode Select catch alone goes a long to achieving that, and the new KYB PSF fork is greatly great. 

You can hope to be seeing red at your neighborhood motocross track this season.