| Author | Message | ||
     Danger_dave |
Just sent this to KR. 2008. The year of something different. It’s been a great year for innovative new machines. I’ve got a Jeremy Clarkson piece saved as a favourite on YouTube. In it he says ‘This is a current, family hatchback’ pointing to a somewhat non-descript car. ‘It has dual air bags, CD sound, air con and anti-lock brakes. If you wanted those items in a car 10 years ago – you had a limited choice – an expensive European luxury sedan.’ The bit that got me was when he said: ‘So what we should do is look at the appointments in that luxury sedan today - as a pointer to what we will be driving in the future.’ I’m telling anyone who will listen that the Honda DN-01 is a milestone vehicle. It has a variable ratio hydraulic transmission that delivers ‘power’ or ‘economy’ modes and also offers a fixed ratio trip-tronic selector into the bargain. It’s the easiest bike I’ve ridden. The Can-Am Spyder has two computers to manage stability and traction control systems and the new Automatic transmission uses exactly the same gearbox as the manual, but employs a power shifter that weighs one kilogram more than the manual unit. All at the touch of a button. The Honda Goldwing now has built in Satellite Navigation and Air Bag and Air Bags are becoming available on motorcycle jackets. I see a future where top of the line sports bikes will change gears like the button shift in modern race cars and the technology will help keep it all under control and safer. I marvel at the technology and innovation. >>----- snipped paragraph details my bike of the year choice - later - I will divulge it's expensive --------<< The $30K price tag makes it Jeremy’s Luxury sedan today, but let’s look forward to the time when the ‘hatchback’ goes like it! ------------ And a similar theme The invitation announced that the inaugural ‘Club Spyder’ media event was to be held in Sydney and seeing I’d done the most saddle time on the machine, the quick trip ‘home’ was mine. The event was held in The Rocks and the associated ride was a simple crossing of the Harbour Bridge and back, a photo call or two, followed by a jaunt out to Watsons Bay in the Eastern Suburbs. A few hours in the saddle in urban and high density surroundings. Pleasant enough, although the Sydney traffic conditions are remarkably similar to Auckland’s and the road surface was noticeably worse. One thing that was also quite noticeable on these three-wheeled vehicles is how well the roads are marked in old Sydney town and how well those road markings are observed. However, this trip was much more ‘about the machine’. We were treated to a nice hotel and the day started with a presentation of some particularly slick corporate imagery. Bombardier Recreational Products is an impressive group. One of the first things I noticed is there a sort of restrained ‘glee’ in the products from the people who work for BRP. It becomes obvious why when you start delving into some of their blub: ‘At BRP we understand that nothing is more valuable than your playtime. That is why BRP is dedicated to continuously finding new and better ways to help you enjoy your favourite power sports.’ These guys make and play with cool and cutting edge toys for a living and hide it behind the façade of a successful business. ‘Headquartered in Valcourt, Québec, Canada, Bombardier Recreational Products Inc. (BRP) is a privately-held company. A world leader in motorized recreational vehicles for powersports enthusiasts, BRP's portfolio of brands and products includes: Ski-Doo® and Lynx® snowmobiles, Sea-Doo® watercraft and sport boats, Evinrude® and Johnson® outboard engines, direct injection technologies such as E-TECTM, Can-Am all-terrain vehicles and roadsters, Rotax® engines and karts. The way Erik Buell talks about the relationship with Rotax made a lot more sense after the presentations. There’s an obvious similarity of corporate dynamic. The Club Spyder Specification sheet remains relatively unchanged from the figures published in November KR. It’s still powered by the Rotax 990 engine that delivers 106 HP @ 8500rpm and develops a healthy 104nm of torque at 6,250. The Safety & Security systems check list still reads like a manual for ‘acronyms r us’. The VSS (Vehicle Stability System), ABS (Anti-lock Braking System – yeah I know – you knew that one), TCS (Traction Control System), SCS (Stability Control System with Roll-Over Mitigation), DPS (Dynamic Power Steering) and DESS (Digitally Encoded Security System) all still quietly do their jobs and keep this amazing vehicle on the twisty and narrow. The geometry and vehicle dimensions are all similar to those previously published. It’s when you get down to the gearbox part of the specifications sheet that the difference - and the reason for the Trans-Tasman trip become apparent. It reads: Sequential Manual 5-Speed (SM5) with transmission-based reverse OR Sequential Electronic 5-Speed (SE5) with transmission-based reverse. It was the sequential changer that we were being introduced to, and what an impressive innovation it is. The Automatic unit uses exactly the same gearbox as the manual unit, but it has a button operated power shifter, operated by thumb and forefinger. It changes faster and more accurately than the manual unit that was also available for comparison. What was more impressive is that the whole system is only 1kg heavier than the manual changer. What is even more fun is the way the changer matches engine speed to wheel speed and blips the throttle for super smooth downshifts. It made me appreciate why racing cars have gone this way. The Spyder is still great fun, an exhilarating vehicle that you do indeed ride. With the automatic it gets a whole lot easier to manage. I suspect that dedicated motorcyclists who add a Spyder to the garage will still prefer the manual gearbox whereas a career motorist would more likely go for the Automatic. Whatever the choice (the Auto adds about $2000), with the technology it employs, the SE5 is a fascinating pointer to the future – for two wheels as well as three. I’m definitely a fan caught in its web. ------------- (Message edited by danger_dave on November 19, 2008) | ||
| Danger_dave |
oops - fixed that bad typo. |
