At Hyundai MO, we probably wouldn’t be posting a road test of the new Honda without a few photos in action. However, 20 years ago, there might have been a perfectly reasonable excuse: my dog ate the film, the bear ate the photographer… Most likely, someone threw their shiny new Honda 919 on the road on their way to shoot, and the spectacle had to go on. who knows? You should not call this color “asphalt”. Regardless, this CBR900RR-based naked bike has become a cult classic beloved by Honda enthusiasts. Enjoy tiny studio photos and full specification.
Torrance, California. As a people we must be weak. Maybe it’s the years of feel-good politics taking its toll on us, or the antibiotics in our milk. Despite this, more people than ever can’t bear the thought of riding a narrowly focused sport bike. “It’s so uncomfortable,” they said. “Too harsh,” others thought. “It’s too complicated,” said another group of disgruntled people tired of the current replica superbikes. However, Honda insists that these guys are far from trading their daily dose of adrenaline for a bottle of Geritol. To these people, the Honda 919 seems to be made to order. In fact, this bike might even appeal to some crossover enthusiasts who want a bike that is almost as fast as any pure sport bike on the track, doing all of the above with street fighter torch and old school charm. Duty, there’s only one bike. like a 919 can have. After all, its engine is based on the same powerplant that made the CBR900RR such a popular tracked vehicle in 1993.
At the time, with just 893 cubic centimeters, Honda was able to cheer the sportbike world on with a best-in-class power-to-weight ratio. Today, for those old and new crowds, the engine has grown to 919 cubic meters and pumps more torque, although peak power figures are unsurprising in favor of more performance in city driving. But then again, that’s the point of this bike, and its predecessor was much more narrow-minded.
But just because the new 919 isn’t a race car doesn’t mean it has to have the same torque or weight as a milking car. The claimed dry weight makes it the lightest naked in the open class. Even if the engine doesn’t have class-leading peak power, Honda is very pleased with the power output, insisting that the torque and light feel will attract more buyers than the peak power schedule.
Starting from the top, the engine is a double overhead cam design with shims under the bucket. Valves open at 32 degrees for ease of use, and valve maintenance intervals are up to 16,000 miles. These cylinders have a bore of 71 mm, a stroke of 58 mm and a compression ratio of 10:1.
Of course, Honda’s latest programmable fuel injection system delivers fuel at 50 psi through four injectors in each 36mm throttle body. Each injector has four laser-drilled holes for “a highly atomized charge of air/fuel for maximum combustion, efficiency and power,” Honda said.
“Engine cooling is provided by a liquid-cooled oil cooler and a lightweight aluminum radiator.”
The exhaust system is a four-in-two-in-one-in-two type with “expanded diameter” pipes leading directly to two “center” mufflers. The stainless steel muffler cover keeps the rider’s feet safe and cool. A liquid-cooled oil cooler and lightweight aluminum radiator keep the engine cool. There’s also a lightweight one-piece alternator that puts out more power than the block on the old 893cc engine that helps power the dual-filament multi-reflector headlights.
Like the engine, the 919′s frame was designed primarily for street use, adopting noticeably less aggressive lines than the original CBR900RR and even incorporating some of Honda’s “tuned flex” theories. The frame is a single-frame square tube steel block, and the engine is used as a power member. A single box section downtube runs to the front engine mount, which contains a cross member that connects the frame to the sturdy front engine mount. At the rear of the bike is an aluminum swingarm with a large one-piece cast pivot block and a pressed box section beam.
The 919 suspension uses a 43mm fork with 4.7 inches of travel. At the rear of the bike, a single shock provides 5.0 inches of travel and has a remote reservoir. Unfortunately, neither end has the ability to adjust compression or rebound damping. The only change a rider can make without tearing things up is to increase or decrease the shock preload. There are seven positions to choose from to satisfy every rider’s thirst for destruction.
Braking is handled by a pair of 296mm discs at the front and a single 240mm rotor at the rear. Four-piston calipers press against the front rotor, while single-piston calipers press the spinning disc backwards. These discs are mounted on hollow three-spoke aluminum alloy wheels.
Since the motorcycle’s target audience is clearly more inclined to spend time in urban areas than in rural areas, finding the perfect route through perfect corners, the 919′s dashboard is also focused on rider comfort and up-to-date information. The instrument cluster is equipped with a black analog speedometer, tachometer and water temperature indicator with white numbers. There’s also a digital odometer and trip meter, as well as indicators for turn signals, neutral, high beam, and the usual low fuel and oil pressure indicators. Oddly enough, for a bike with such an “urban” design, there is apparently no clock.
Taking a closer look at the specs that Honda revealed at the 919 tech briefing, we’re poised to be underwhelmed when their latest bike hits the roads. First, the dyno chart shown to us looked like an old CBR900 with the first 2000 rpm cut off. “Get your ‘retuned mid-range’,” we thought. Then there’s the overwhelming lack of suspension setup and steel frame, which brings us to the “Nimble Flyer”.
So it’s good that we know when our first instincts are wrong, and we’re not afraid to change our perceptions when confronted with new information that contradicts our mistaken prejudices. The first, weight, must be dropped immediately. Just sitting on a bike, this bike is surprisingly small. The photos show something similar in size to an old CB1000, although the bike looks about 20% larger in comparison.
Ergonomics on the car – not superfluous – a classic standard. The seat is all you need to keep your soft butt from the hard plastic tray underneath, but that’s about it. While the 919′s seat is much better than most sportbikes, the Gold Wing’s comfort can be found elsewhere.
The bar is also standard, made of steel and folded back in such a way that your hands are in a natural but slightly uncomfortable position, your elbows are down and slightly in front of you. Of course, you will find that your feet are comfortable under you and not too far back or in front of your knees.
This puts you in a slightly forward leaning position, which is great for frolicking around town or frolicking from behind.
Since the driver’s seat is very upright, the 919′s lightness is easy to associate with ergonomic conventions – at least at first. But when you round a corner, start a turn, and then tighten the line, just with a little thought, push the handlebars in the direction you want, and the bike will follow your commands, and you will be immediately reminded of the spec sheet and Honda’s statement of “the lightest in his class.” There’s no doubt that this bike’s 25-degree front angle and 57.5-inch wheelbase play a role here, as does the low center of gravity.
However, things start to go a little wrong in the middle corner. The stock suspension allows the rear of the bike to move up and down at will if there is a bump or series of bumps at corner entry. This makes it difficult to maintain trajectory at best, as the bouncing rear end tends to do awkward things to the front end feel. To fix this, we tried increasing rear shock preload (the only option available) by changing the ramp adjustment from the second available seventh position to four.
The rear immediately became stiffer, but no longer coped with bumps. In fact, the stiffer settings only increased our awareness of the bike’s need for more rebound damping. The ride became choppy, with only a slight improvement in control. We ended up dropping the dial one notch (three out of seven) and just learned to live with things and focus on other, more positive aspects of the 919′s performance.
For example, the motor is a great unit, which allowed us to develop a serious body with a headband in which we constantly strained our facial muscles when exiting corners. Any gear, any speed, and the 919cc engine pulls effortlessly. Even at 2000 rpm, the engine does not complain about the throttle opening. The same compliment can be said for the engine’s higher rpm performance, though you rarely have to take chances there. We found ourselves playing in the 5000 to 9000 rpm range most of the time, we never needed more or less.
That said, we shifted gears from time to time, if only to try the smooth shifts and carefully matched gear ratios of the excellent six-speed gearbox. It also allowed us to hear the sound of the twin under-seat mufflers coming out from the aft of our own aft section. Not loud, not very quiet, but quite pleasant. Shifting gears is another reason to enjoy the 919′s superior Nissin front mount. A superb opening bite followed by an equally great modulation that inspires confidence in every corner.
On the open track, the engine’s smooth character shines again, virtually eliminating any mains rumble you’d expect. The only thing stopping this bike from being a serious all-round mileage eater is the Yamaha FZ-1 style fairing that provides such blast deflection that you can’t best mimic a human parachute.
Overall, Honda has done a great job with their new 919. It is on track to become a favorite among employees. So much love has been shed that we asked Honda to make this bike a long term tester because we assume this great machine is just a set of clamps and has quite a bit of power to be a good bike.
Specifications: MSRP: $7,999 Engine type: 919cc DOHC liquid-cooled inline-four Bore and stroke: 71.0mm x 58.0mm Compression ratio: 10.8:1 Valvetrain : DOHC, four valves per cylinder Carburetor: PGM-FI with manual hub Ignition: Computer controlled 3D digital mapping Transmission: Six-speed final drive: #530 O-ring chain Front suspension: 43mm barrel fork; 4.7″ travel, 5.0″ travel Front: Dual 296mm fully floating disc with four piston caliper Rear: Single 240mm disc with single piston caliper Front tire: 120/70ZR-17 Radial rear tire: 180/55ZR -17 Radial Wheelbase: 57.5″ Front Tilt (Caster): 25.0 degrees Track: 98.0 mm (3.9″) Seat Height: 31.5″ Dry Weight: 427.0 lbs Fuel Capacity tank: 5.0 gallons Color: asphalt
Post time: Oct-24-2022
