An all too brief revival of the famous Moto Morini name commenced in 1999 when Alfonso Morini’s nephew, Franco, bought the name back from Ducati (who had acquired it in the TPG buyout in 1996). The new joint-stock company Morini Franco Motori S.p.A. came into being in 2003.
The following year saw the announcement of a completely new motorcycle – the 1200 Corsaro. It was powered by a 87° DOHC V-twin that was designed by Franco Lambertini – who had been responsible for Morini’s V-twins, such as the 3½, back in the ’70s.
Corsaro Veloce, Sport & Scrambler variants followed before the enterprise went bankrupt in 2009. About 40 bikes were assembled from spare parts in early 2011 before the name was sold to Eagle Bike (a company run by two Italian entrepreneurs).
Limited production continued, from 2014 at a new location in Trivizio. The management changed again in 2015 with one of the owners leaving, the dropping of internet only sales and the establishment of a dealer network. New models were introduced including a revised Granpasso, Scrambler and Corsaro ZZ.
Moto Morini are about to be re-born yet again with a display at EICMA next month where the company will present a new platform of mid-engine size motorbikes. A new platform which will be available in different models starting from the Naked and Adventure segment, a first teaser image of that new bike is below.
The new Morini range will be powered by the CorsaCorta 1200 cc engine, composed by the sporty Corsaro ZZ, the Corsaro ZT and the Milano, the company will also present a new element with what they claim will be a definitive version of the Super Scrambler.
In this feature though we focus on this June 2008 build Corsaro Avio that has only done 250km, and apart from being fitted with factory accessory Termignoni mufflers and having the pillion pegs removed, is in completely standard condition. Power output is claimed as 120hp at 8500rpm pushing a dry weight of 198kg.
This was a little cutie, and inexpensive, too. Just $430 ($3,200 today) would get you this minimalist high-piped single in 1967. Not that the bike was set up for quarter-mile times, but a real lightweight rider with a strong wind at his back might break 20 seconds. What do you expect from a 120?
Kawasaki was the last of the Japanese Big Four to get into the American market, when an American-owned subsidiary appeared in Chicago in 1963 offering a few two-stroke singles. Early ads promoted its connection with the Kawasaki Aircraft Co. Ltd., which was shut down following WWII but started building planes again in 1954. The big K soon saw the error of its ways and set up a Kawasaki-owned operation in Los Angeles in 1965, sensibly giving the Americans involved a good deal of say in what should be built for the U.S. market.
Two-stroke singles were the rage, cheap and simple, the essential engine having just three moving parts. In the home market Kawasaki knew that winning on Sunday meant selling on Monday, so it worked hard to score points in the racing world of Japan, using rotary valves instead of the old-fashioned piston-port design and applying the same sophistication to its street bikes.
In 1964 Kawasaki showed the C2SS (Street Scrambler) to the home market, an attractive little single intended for the pavement, with a stylish upswept exhaust pipe. It also offered the “trail kit,” an optional bundle of pieces that would turn this into a proper trail bike…of sorts. The kit had an adapter for raising the front fender, a luggage rack and a second rear sprocket mounted next to the stock one. The stock sprocket had 37 teeth and a first-gear ratio of 25:1. In a few minutes time the rider could loosen a few bolts and slide the new 59-tooth sprocket over the old one, giving a ratio of 40:1. Good for going up Mount Fuji!
In 1967 two very similar C2 120 models came to the U.S., the TR (Trail Rider) and the SS, both with street-scrambler styling. Obviously the word was that Americans thought that an upswept exhaust system was cool, and that occasionally leaving the pavement was great fun. The bikes were also given the Road Runner name. Most of us can remember the Road Runner cartoon character, a bird that was always being chased across the desert by Wile E. Coyote. The owner’s manual had an illustration of the bird. Obviously the California fellows thought this would be a great name for the bike, but there is no mention of whether the KMC execs ever asked “Looney Tunes” for permission.
The TR was slightly more off-road oriented, having knobbier tires, a smaller front fender mounted well above the wheel, slightly shortened saddle, bash plate and a big luggage rack — for carrying all that camping gear for the trip into the wilderness. Although the engine was a bit on the small side for anyone wanting to tackle rough, steep terrain.
The cylinder was aluminum with a cast iron liner and was almost square, with a 53mm bore, 52.5mm stroke for an actual 115cc and a compression ratio of 6.7:1. The factory was claiming 11.5 horses at 7,000 rpm, which was a small herd from a small paddock, with one pony for every 10cc; very neat. The advertised torque curve — what there was of it — was pleasantly flat, with 6.5 lb-ft at 2,000 rpm, maxing out at 9.1 lb-ft at 5,000 and dropping off to 7 lb-ft at an over-revved 8,000.
An 18mm Mikuni carburetor was coupled with an automatic lubrication system, called Superlube. The oil tank, easily accessible under the seat, delivered the lubricant (the amount being dependent on the throttle opening) to the front of the rotary valve, where it would mix with the gas. Fouling plugs was a thing pretty much of the past.
Oil-level viewing was on the left side panel.
The engine cases, made of aluminum alloy, held the cylinder up front, gearbox behind. Power ran back to a four-speed transmission of the rotary style, which meant the rider could go all the way around from fourth directly to neutral to first gear, or shift backwards through third and second. The shift lever was heel and toe so downshifting could be done without besmirching the rider’s white bucks. Remember those?
The chassis did have some off-road pretensions, the photo model having a curious optional brace bolted to the lower legs of the fork and looping over the wheel in front of the fender. It may also have fended off the brush that an enthusiastic rider might get into. The full double-cradle frame was made of mild steel and very strong by the swingarm pivot. The double-cradle aspect extended to a pair of tubes forming the backbone under the tank and then going farther back from the main cradle to support the saddle and the tops of the two shock absorbers. Even with the aforementioned bash plate, there was more than six inches of ground clearance. Suspension was, well, not competitive, but quite adequate for the college-aged fellow who liked having a coed pressed against his back as they cruised the city streets.
Wheels were 18 inches at both ends, with small drum brakes that worked OK considering the speeds the Road Runner went. Forty-five inches between the axles made for a short machine. With 1.7 gallons of gas in the tank, weight was a modest 186 pounds.
The C2 Road Runners went away late in 1969; did“Looney Tunes” have anything to do with that?
One of the only two such bikes ever built, this 250cc two-stroke twin was developed in conjunction with the Villa brothers in 1967. Francesco sold his 125 and 250 designs (which he had originally conceived for FB Mondial) to Montesa in return for becoming the company’s exclusive importer for Italy.
While extremely fast it proved too fragile to be a success – its best result was a second place behind Mike Hailwood on the Honda 250/6 at the Italian Riccione circuit in April 1967, with Walter Villa riding.
However with Montesa’s efforts becoming increasingly focused on off road bikes the road racing team was disbanded at the end of the year. The Villas went on to producing bikes under their own Moto Villa name.
An interesting technical feature was the part water cooling system. The rotary disc valves were water cooled while the heads were air cooled. An eight-speed gearbox was used, and power output was claimed as 35hp at 9800rpm.
It started innocently enough. At 507 pounds ready to ride, Honda’s CRF1000L Africa Twin is the lightweight among the liter-class ADV machines, and given my short legs and lukewarm off-road riding skills I had little desire to make it any heavier. What goes down must come up in order to carry on, and much beyond 550 pounds or so there’s little chance I’m picking it up by myself.
But before riding off into the sunset, every proper ADV machine should have a centerstand and heated grips, right? Both are Honda accessories and were easily installed. Hard saddlebag mounts were next — Honda’s bags are good-looking and convenient since they drop and lock right onto the bike’s built-in mounts, but aren’t quite sturdy enough for the adventures I have in mind. Wanting to mount either soft waterproof saddlebags to save weight or locking aluminum panniers for riding behind enemy lines, a good option is theHepco & Becker Fixed Side Carrier ($281.18), distributed in the U.S. by Moto Machines. This adds just 10 pounds and carries my Hepco & Becker Alu-Case Xplorer 30-Liter Panniers ($821) quite securely, providing some tipover protection as well as storage. The bag/carrier combination on the bike is about an inch wider than the handlebars, and asymmetrical since neither the carrier nor right bag wraps around the muffler, but the offset is only two inches (which can be symmetrized by mounting a 40-liter Xplorer on the left).
Now, I swear I was going to stop there, but the Moto Machines website sucked me in and before I could tame the mouse it had clicked on Hepco & Becker Handlebar Protection bars(2.75 pounds, $163.33) and its Tank Guard (8 pounds, $301.68) for the Africa Twin. I like the style and wind protection of the stock plastic hand guards on the AT — the sturdy steel Protection bars beef them up like an exoskeleton and install in about 10 minutes. And Tank Guard is kind of a misnomer — it protects far more than just the tank by mounting the tubular-steel bars solidly to the bike’s frame at top and bottom and wrapping around the front and sides of the AT’s fairing. Should make a good grab point as well.
When I was installing the Tank Guard, I noticed just how exposed and vulnerable the Africa Twin’s radiators are to flying rocks and such, and that the thin plastic grates Honda has installed over them aren’t much better than soft cheese. That led me to Black Dog Cycle Works (BDCW), which offers a pair of well-made aluminum Radiator Guards ($95) that bolt on over the stock ones and don’t impede airflow. Turns out BDCW has lots of nice stuff for the AT, including tubular-steel Lower Engine Bars(6.5 pounds, $285); lightweight aluminum Connector Rods (1.75 pounds, $160) that link its Engine Bars to the Hepco & Becker Tank Guard; an aluminum Rear Rack(3 pounds, $149) extension; and large aluminum Traction Footpegs ($229). All of this stuff somehow found its way onto my bike in about 2.5 hours, helped by good instructions, well thought-out design and an underpaid second pair of hands.
But what really blew me away was BDCW’s Ultimate Skid Plate (11.5 pounds, $349). Not only because it covers so much more of the bike’s tender underbits with tough 3/16-inch-thick aluminum than the stock 3-pound unit, but because its clever design takes less than 10 minutes to install, and it comes off for oil changes and such with just two bolts. The smooth bottom lets the Skid Plate slide over obstacles, and it’s contoured to the frame for maximum ground clearance.
Oh boy, I was on a roll now. More wind protection: National Cycle’s VStream Sport/Tour Windscreen($159.95) is about 3 inches taller and wider than stock, and quiets wind noise down quite a bit. Protection for that expensive LED headlight: Touratech’s Quick-Release Clear Headlight Guard ($139.95) is like a pair of safety goggles, straps on and can be removed in seconds. It doesn’t seem to affect the headlight beam either. More aggressive DP559 and DP121 Brake Pads from DP Brakes, a Nelson-Rigg Adventure Tank Bag ($101.95) and Sahara Duffel ($112.95), and I was nearly finished except for suitable rubber. We gave Michelin’s new Anakee Adventure Tires (MSRP front $202.95, rear $287.95) a thorough review in the June 2019 issue, and found them to be an exceptional choice for 80/20 ADV work. In addition to greater grip off-road than the Africa Twin’s stock tires, the Anakee Adventures sacrifice very little wet or dry on-road performance, and don’t make any noise riding in a straight line, just a mild hum in faster bends.
All told I ended up adding about 50 pounds to my 2018 Africa Twin (not including the Xplorer bags), but now it’s ready for almost any adventure, and some of that weight should pay for itself the first time it takes a dirt nap….
Favorite Rides & Destinations is the online motorcycle touring and adventure magazine from the editors of Rider. It includes touring features with printable maps, inspiring photography and gear reviews.
And it’s mobile-friendly, so it’s easy to view and read on your smartphone or tablet.
Click HERE to view Issue 8 of Favorite Rides & Destinations for FREE on your computer, smartphone or tablet. You can also view past issues.
Highlights from Favorite Rides & Destinations Issue 8:
5 Photos of Epic Rides
Road to Wisdom A journey of mind and motorcycles from the Midwest to the Rockies.
Chasing Dinosaurs A fan of terrible lizards takes us on a great tour of Colorado, Utah and Wyoming.
Graded on a Curve Reviews of products from HJC and Michelin.
Data released today by the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries (FCAI) revealed 62,898 motorcycles, ATVs and scooters were sold during the first nine months of 2019, compared with 68,460 for the same period in 2018.
This represents an 8.1 per cent decline for the market, with all market categories except scooters affected by the downturn.
Looking back further, there were 73,141 machines sold during Q1/Q2/Q3 in 2017, and 79,352 in 2016. Thus, in comparison to four years ago, 16,454 fewer machines were sold this year.
If we go back to 2008, the trend looks even worse, as during the first three-quarters of 2008, 96,281 sales were recorded, 33,383 more than this year.
Currently, Honda is the overall leader with a 23.1 per cent share of the national market, followed by Yamaha with 21 per cent and Kawasaki with 10.6 per cent.
Across the industry segments, Scooters defied the market trend, with a 14.5 per cent climb in sales during the first three quarters. Honda holds a 39.9 per cent share of the scooter market, followed by Vespa with 14.8 per cent and Piaggio with 14.2 per cent in the segment.
Off-road category sales fell 2.4 per cent compared with the same period in 2018. Yamaha now leads this segment with a 28.1 per cent share, followed by Honda with 27.4 per cent, and KTM with 18.8 per cent.
The Road segment fell by over 13 per cent. Harley-Davidson was the market leader with more than 19 per cent of the road motorcycle sales, followed by Honda and Yamaha who both had just under a 17 per cent share of the market.
Overall volume across all sectors (Brands)
COMPARISON REPORT
January – September 2019 compared to January – September 2018
Manufacturer
Total
YTD 2019
YTD 2018
% CHAN
Honda
14547
16051
-9.4%
Yamaha
13235
14393
-8.0%
Kawasaki
6679
6857
-2.6%
KTM
5638
5792
-2.7%
Suzuki
4780
5278
-9.4%
Harley Davidson
4617
5196
-11.1%
Polaris
3682
4143
-11.1%
BMW
1984
2061
-3.7%
BRP Australia
1879
1919
-2.1%
Husqvarna
1783
1741
2.4%
Triumph
1325
1679
-21.1%
Ducati
1005
1088
-7.6%
Indian Motorcycle
550
622
-11.6%
Vespa
520
618
-15.9%
Piaggio
499
664
-24.8%
Aprilia
147
260
-43.5%
Moto Guzzi
101
98
3.1%
TOTAL
62971
68460
-8.0%
2019 Road Motorcycle Sales (Brands)
COMPARISON REPORT
January – September 2019 compared to January – September 2018
Manufacturer
Road
YTD 2019
YTD 2018
% CHAN
Harley Davidson
4617
5196
-11.1%
Honda
3957
5451
-27.4%
Yamaha
3905
4273
-8.6%
Kawasaki
2941
3317
-11.3%
BMW
1851
1992
-7.1%
Suzuki
1679
2020
-16.9%
KTM
1372
1232
11.4%
Triumph
1325
1679
-21.1%
Ducati
1005
1088
-7.6%
Indian Motorcycle
550
622
-11.6%
Husqvarna
226
200
13.0%
Moto Guzzi
101
98
3.1%
Aprilia
91
157
-42.0%
TOTAL
23620
27325
-13.6%
2019 Off-Road Motorcycle Sales (Brands)
COMPARISON REPORT
January – September 2019 compared to January – September 2018
Manufacturer
Off Road
YTD 2019
YTD 2018
% CHAN
Yamaha
6393
6961
-8.2%
Honda
6232
6000
3.9%
KTM
4266
4560
-6.4%
Kawasaki
2659
2532
5.0%
Suzuki
1611
1683
-4.3%
Husqvarna
1557
1541
1.0%
TOTAL
22718
23277
-2.4%
2019 Scooter Sales (Brands)
COMPARISON REPORT
January – September 2019 compared to January – September 2018
Manufacturer
Scooter
YTD 2019
YTD 2018
% CHAN
Honda
1404
874
60.6%
Vespa
520
618
-15.9%
Suzuki
508
384
32.3%
Piaggio
499
664
-24.8%
Yamaha
401
362
10.8%
BMW
133
69
92.8%
Aprilia
56
103
-45.6%
TOTAL
3521
3074
14.5%
2019 ATV Sales (Brands)
The ATV/SSV category showed a decline of 11.3 per cent. Within this category, Polaris maintained market leadership with a 28.1 per cent share, followed by Honda with 22.5 per cent, and Yamaha with 19.3 per cent.
COMPARISON REPORT
January – September 2019 compared to January – September 2018
Manufacturer
ATV
YTD 2019
YTD 2018
% CHAN
Polaris
3682
4143
-11.1%
Honda
2954
3726
-20.7%
Yamaha
2536
2797
-9.3%
BRP Australia
1879
1919
-2.1%
Kawasaki
1079
1008
7.0%
Suzuki
982
1191
-17.5%
TOTAL
13112
14784
-11.3%
Top Ten Selling Motorcycles in Australia YTD 2019 (Models)
Top 10 Overall – Excludes ATVs
January – September 2019 compared to January – September 2018
Manufacturer
Model
Total
YTD 2019
YTD 2018
% CHAN
Kawasaki
KLX110
1189
795
49.6%
Honda
CRF110F
1017
760
33.8%
Yamaha
PW50
1011
997
1.4%
Honda
CRF50F
1008
972
3.7%
Yamaha
WR450F
909
816
11.4%
Honda
NSC110
779
359
117.0%
Honda
CB125E
756
851
-11.2%
Yamaha
TTR50E
752
808
-6.9%
Kawasaki
NINJA 400
749
749
0.0%
Yamaha
MT07L
693
736
-5.8%
What about the other brands….?
It should be noted that some brands are not represented in the official audit figures in relation to motorcycle sales. Brands under the UMI group such as MV Agusta, Royal Enfield and Gas Gas, along with the likes of Sherco, CF Moto, Kymco and SWM which come under the stewardship of Mojo Motorcycles, are not included in the sales figures as these companies choose not to be members of the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries.
An educated guesstimate suggests that these brands represent around 10-15 per cent of the whole market, thus the data is formulated from audited figures that cover around 85-90 per cent of the motorcycles sold in Australia.
Along with compiling motorcycles sales data, the FCAI is the primary organisation funded by the motorcycle industry to deal with government agencies. FCAI helped lobby for the Learner Approved Motorcycles Scheme and the Recreational Registration Scheme. They also lobby for exemptions on tightening emissions schemes in relation to motorcycles, and helping to prevent governments trying to restrict or ban the use of ATVs.
With just eight employees and three models, Honda began selling motorcycles in the U.S. 60 years ago, in September 1959. To celebrate the milestone, American Honda hosted an event in late September in conjunction with the American International Motorcycle Expo (AIMExpo) in Columbus, Ohio.
It began with a technical briefing and in-person look at the new CRF1100L Africa Twin and CRF1100L Africa Twin Adventure Sports ES, held at the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame Museum in Pickerington, Ohio. The next day, aboard a selection of 2019 models from its demo fleet, Honda’s motorcycle press relations staff, select dealers and members of the press rode through the central Ohio countryside to Marysville, home of the Honda Heritage Center, which houses a museum highlighting the company’s achievements in North America, as well as Honda of America Manufacturing, where the company began building motorcycles in 1979.
Although many people associate Honda the company with Honda the man–Soichiro Honda, the former race-car driver, brilliant engineer and charismatic, outspoken leader of the company until his retirement in 1973–in fact Honda Motor Company, Ltd. had a co-founder. Takeo Fujisawa was in charge of sales, and his keen business acumen was the perfect complement to Mr. Honda’s talent for engineering and design. Referring to his partnership with Mr. Fujisawa, Mr. Honda said, “Honda is like a motorcycle–without two wheels it fails to go.”
The company that would ultimately become the largest engine manufacturer in the world got its start by creating low-cost motorized bicycles using small engines left over from World War II. Honda grafted 50cc two-stroke radio generator engines built by Tohatsu onto bicycles. Once its supply of 500 surplus engines ran out, Honda built its own 50cc two-stroke engine, the A-Type, which made 0.5 horsepower and was nicknamed Bata Bata for the sound it made. Honda Motor introduced its first originally designed and engineered product, the D-Type Dream motorcycle, in 1949.
When Honda was looking to expand outside of Japan, the logical next step was to enter other markets in Asia. But Mr. Fujisawa made a bold proposition. “On second thought, let’s do America,” he said. “After all, America is the stronghold of capitalism, and the center of the world’s economy. To succeed in the U.S. is to succeed worldwide. To take up the challenge of the American market may be the most difficult thing to do, but it’s a critical step in expanding the export of our products.”
And rather than sell its products in the U.S. through trading companies, as many Japanese companies did at the time, Mr. Fujisawa decided to build Honda’s own sales network by establishing a wholly owned distributorship. Mr. Fujisawa ordered Kihachiro Kawashima, a sales manager at Honda’s headquarters in Japan, to move to the U.S. and build the new subsidiary.
On June 11, 1959, American Honda Motor Co., Inc. was established in Los Angeles, California. Due to limitations imposed by Japan’s Ministry of Finance, the venture began with an investment of just $250,000, half in cash, half in products and parts. Mr. Kawashima spent most of the cash–$100,000–to buy a former photography studio to house its operations. “I felt that we had to put down roots and establish our own building,” recalled Kawashima. “So I thought, ‘Let’s not rent for the time being. Why not just buy the building?’ It might have seemed reckless, but I didn’t feel that I was acting out of desperation. Actually, I was dreaming of a rosy future!”
From the small storefront on on West Pico Boulevard, Mr. Kawashima and seven other employees began selling motorcycles. American Honda offered three models: the Honda 50 (aka the Super Cub), the 125cc Benly and the Dream, in 250cc and 350cc sizes. Employees would load a couple of bikes into the back of a Chevrolet Apache pickup truck and drop them off at dealerships (see lead photo). When the bikes sold, they’d come back to collect payments and drop off new units.
American Honda was established with a goal of selling 1,000 motorcycles per month at a time when total annual sales in the U.S. was only 50,000 to 60,000 motorcycles. During its first four months–September through December 1959–American Honda sold only 170 motorcycles. But its “nifty, thrifty” Honda 50, which was more affordable (only about $250) and accessible than anything else you could buy, helped create a new market among young people and men and women who were not traditional motorcyclists. It was advertised in general-interest magazines such as “Life” and sold in sporting goods and outdoor/camping stores. In May 1961, American Honda finally surpassed its goal of selling 1,000 motorcycles per month. By December 1962, Honda was selling 40,000 motorcycles per year.
What really put Honda on the map was its “You Meet the Nicest People on a Honda” ad campaign, which was created by Grey Advertising. The ad depicted a mother and daughter, a father and son, a young man and his dog, polite ladies with parcels and even Santa Claus with a bag a presents, all riding bright red Honda 50s. Following the ad campaign’s launch in 1963, Honda sold 90,000 of its 50cc runabouts. By 1970, with an expanded lineup that included the Mini Trail, CL77 Scrambler and the ground-breaking CB750, Honda had sold 500,000 motorcycles in the U.S.
Soon after launching Honda Motor Company, Ltd., Soichiro Honda shared his dream of becoming the world’s leading manufacturer. Exporting motorcycles, automobiles, power equipment and other products had fueled Honda’s growth, but to become a truly global company Mr. Honda advocated “building products in the market where they are sold.”
Even though Soichiro Honda and co-founder Takeo Fujisawa retired at the same time, in October 1973, on the 25th anniversary of Honda Motor’s establishment, Mr. Honda made sure his vision of manufacturing products in other countries became a reality. What began as a handshake agreement in 1977 between Mr. Honda and Governor James Rhodes of Ohio became Honda of America Manufacturing, Inc. (HAM) in February 1978.
Starting with 64 associates, including 11 engineers from Japan and 53 Americans who had never assembled a motorcycle before (most had never worked in a factory), the first motorcycle–a CR250R Elsinore dirt bike–rolled off the assembly line on September 10, 1979, at Honda’s Marysville Motorcycle Plant. That night, HAM received a fax from Japan telling it to proceed with automobile production as soon as possible. The manufacturing facility in Marysville was expanded, and the first Honda automobile produced in America rolled off the line in 1982.
The Marysville Motorcycle Plant produced a total of 1,093,871 motorcycles and 1,240,544 ATVs during 31 years of operation, from 1979 to 2009. The last motorcycle to roll off the line was a 2009 Gold Wing GL1800. ATV production was moved to Honda of South Carolina Manufacturing and motorcycle production was moved to Honda’s new plant in Kumamoto, Japan.
Across the street from the Marysville Auto Plant is the Honda Heritage Center, a modern building that houses a free, self-guided museum that’s open to the public. Visitors can also sign up for a free, guided tour of the Auto Plant. If you have the time, the Auto Plant tour is not to be missed. The complexity, coordination, sophistication and professionalism on display in a state-of-the-art automobile assembly plant, from the constant stream of parts being delivered from suppliers and engines being delivered from Honda’s engine plant in Anna, Ohio, to the body panels being stamped out from raw sheet steel using a 4,800-metric-ton hydraulic press, the army of robotic welders and the hundreds of associates carefully installing components and testing finished products, is awe-inspiring.
Although Honda no longer builds motorcycles in the U.S., Honda of America Manufacturing is still going strong. Since 1982 it has built 26.1 million cars and light trucks. The Marysville Auto Plant, part of which is on the former site of the motorcycle plant, produces most of the Honda Accords and CR-Vs and several Acura models sold in the U.S., and the Acura NSX sports car is hand-built next door at Honda’s Performance Manufacturing Center. Throughout the U.S. Honda has 31,000 associates and 75 facilities, including 12 manufacturing plants, 14 R&D facilities, 12 parts centers, as well as American Honda’s marketing, sales, service and financing operations.
Honda has 12,400 automobile, powersports and power equipment dealers in the U.S. that employ 159,000 people, and just over 1,000 powersports dealers sell motorcycles, ATVs and side-by-sides. American Honda’s motorcycle lineup includes a full line of on-road models, ranging from the 49cc, $2,749 Ruckus scooter to the 1,833cc, $31,800 Gold Wing Tour Airbag DCT, in almost every conceivable segment, as well as a full line of off-road models, from the CRF50F minibike to the CRF450R Works Edition competition machine. According to Honda’s Summer 2018 Corporate Update, in 2017 it sold roughly 700,000 motorcycles, ATVs and side-by-sides in the U.S. and its market share was 21%. The United States remains an important market for Honda, but it comprised only about 4% of Honda’s 17,661,000 global motorcycle unit sales in 2017.
The first step to addressing a problem is to first acknowledge that you have a problem. With that, I openly admit to all of you that I have a serious non-drinking problem. Despite years as a professional motorcycling safety expert, I habitually fail to hydrate before, during and after a ride. In excess, I don’t drink.
If you are one of the many riders like me who forgets to drink enough water, here are some indicators of dehydration and a handful of steps you can take to break your non-drinking habit.
Recognize the warning signs
If you ride for long periods without urgency to stop at a rest area to relieve yourself, you may be dehydrated. When you do go, if your pee is dark yellow, that’s a warning sign as well. If you drink a lot of coffee instead of water, you may have to go more frequently but are actually flushing out vital water reserves since coffee acts as a mild diuretic.
If your skin, mouth, lips and eyes are dry, you may be low on H2O. Similarly, if you find yourself becoming fatigued or achy, or are beginning to experience headaches, don’t wait; you’re overdue to rehydrate.
In extreme dehydration, you may become dizzy, experience elevated heartbeat and rapid breathing, or even become confused and disoriented. At that point, consider it an emergency; it’s time to get help as soon as possible.
Avoiding dehydration
Begin to drink water in the hours before you hit the road. Don’t think you can just down a large bottle of water minutes before hopping on the bike. It doesn’t work that way. Drink smaller amounts more often so your body can absorb instead of pass the vital fluid.
Pack bottles of water and make a point to refill yourself each time you refill your gas tank or stop to stretch your legs. One of the easiest ways to stay hydrated en route is to take a water bladder with you (such as those made by Camelbak). They are typically wearable and include a hose that you can sip from as you ride. Add ice to keep that water cool and refreshing.
Keep the drinking habit going after the sidestand is down for the day to continue to replenish your body and prepare for the next day’s journey.
By being more conscious of the issue and following these guidelines, I’ve begun to control my own non-drinking problem. As I do, I can ride for hours and still feel fresh at the end of the day. Hopefully these steps will help you as well. Now drink up!
Adding electrical accessories to your bike is an age-old custom for street and touring riders. Heated grips, fog lights, USB charging ports, GPS systems, sound systems, gear-position indicators and auxiliary brake lights all add to our comfort, enjoyment and safety out on the road. All of these devices need power, however, and it’s important that any electrical connections you make are done properly and that your bike’s charging system is up to the task.
Before you ask anything more of your motorcycle’s electrical system (it’s already supporting a headlight and taillight, fuel pump, gauges, an ignition system, and the occasional turn signal, brake light and horn) you’ll want to verify the health of your battery. A good place to start is by checking the resting voltage with a multimeter. Despite being a “12-volt” battery, it should actually show closer to 12.6 volts when fully charged, with 12.0 volts correlating to an unhealthy 50-percent state of charge.
Modern absorbed glass mat (AGM) and gel batteries have a lifespan of about four to seven years, so you would be wise to swap it for a fresh one if it’s getting on in years. If there’s any corrosion on the terminals, remove the battery and scrub the lugs with a wire brush and a one-to-one solution of baking soda and water. It’s important to keep those terminals nice and clean to reduce resistance to current flow.
Next, you’ll want to make sure your bike’s charging system is doing its job by checking the voltage at the battery with the bike running at about 3,000 rpm. You should see 14.4 volts or more. Verifying that your charging system has enough surplus wattage is a good idea if you intend to run especially thirsty accessories like head-to-toe heated apparel, but alternator output can be an elusive or nonexistent spec in the owner’s manual. Thankfully, most modern charging systems have plenty of strength to support your bike’s vitals plus another 100 or so watts’ worth of accessories.
If your new farkle is a factory part, it’s possible that the manufacturer has already provided an electrical plug to power it. Check your fuse-box lid for an “aux” circuit and reference your owner’s manual for the plug location. (Hint: It’s often under the seat or behind the dash.)
Without a factory connection, the easiest way to power your new gadget is to tap right into the battery. While this may be convenient, bolting up to the lugs poses two major problems. For starters, there’s only room for a few ring terminals before those battery bolts run out of thread, so if you’re aiming to add more than one or two accessories you may not have room. Second, there’s the very real possibility of draining every available volt out of the electrolyte if you were to say, leave your heated grips on accidently after parking the bike for the night. You think you’ll never forget to turn ’em off, but when you eventually, inevitably do, your battery is going to be as useless as a brick when you come back to the bike.
A better alternative is to use switched power, so current only flows when the key is on. Tapping into the headlight or taillight wiring will work for low-draw items like a cellphone or GPS charger, but if you ask too much of an existing circuit you’re liable to blow a fuse.
So why not run dedicated, switched, fused circuits for accessories? The best way to do that is with a relay and a fused distribution block, both of which can be sourced at your local autoparts store or purchased as a single, integrated unit from companies like Twisted Throttle, Aerostich, Centech and others. With a relayed setup your accessories will only pull power when the key is on, and using a distribution block allows you to easily add or remove accessories, consolidate wiring and keep your battery top tidy.
However you decide to pull power, it’s critical that the new component be fused to protect both the accessory and your bike’s wiring. Push too much current through an unfused connection and things may melt or even catch fire. Good grounding is another key consideration for any electrical component. You can connect to the main chassis ground, tap into the wiring harness or connect directly to the battery’s negative terminal.
Speaking of the negative terminal, disconnecting it is the first thing you should do when working on your bike’s electrics and the last thing you should reconnect when you’re done. With the negative terminal unplugged there’s no risk of a sparks show if a live wire touches the frame or your wrench slips while fiddling with the positive terminal.
Finally, it’s important to ensure that any electrical connections you make are secure and well insulated. Shield bullet and spade connectors with rubber boots or plastic covers, and use heat-shrink tubing for any soldered joints. Don’t be tempted by electrical tape — the adhesive often fails after just a short time, exposing wiring and making a sticky mess.
Electrical accessories can keep you warm when the weather is miserable, provide a soundtrack for your journey, make you more visible on the road and improve your riding experience in numerous other ways. Outfitting your motorcycle with the latest farkles is a time-honored tradition, and if you follow these tips and precautions you’ll be powered up in no time.
The now little known Motom marque was in fact the third biggest producer of motorcycles in Italy during the mid 1950s (after Moto Guzzi and Garelli), yet most people wouldn’t even recognise the name!
It saw a spectacular rise from its founding in 1947 by Lancia engineer Battista Falchetto and businessman Frua Ernesto De Angelis. They had been inspired by the sales of Ducati’s Cucciolo motor and set about designing a complete motorcycle with a similar style of engine. The 48cc Motomic appeared later that year at the Geneva Show.
The bike proved to be a success and was soon followed by a succession of derivative models, all 48cc in capacity until 1957.
Famed Gilera designer Piero Remor joined the company briefly in 1953 and both the styling and mechanical details were tidied up during this time. Output was over 2hp at 4500rpm which was quite high for its capacity (and was easily tuned to produce more) and as a result the Motom was soon used in small capacity racing.
In 1953 it won its class in the 3200km Giro d’Italia at an average speed of almost 65km/h. In 1958 the factory team won every 50cc race held in Italy!
Motom had further success with the very avant-garde 98TS and 163 Delfino but closed its doors in 1971.