[Repack]

I haven't seen any pics of the bike yet without the gearbox. So when I saw that trailer door open up, showing off the bike front-and-center in all its glory, I was very interested. This pic was taken as the teams were packing up. I asked permission before I took it. Two people said OK, so long as I didn't step inside the tent.

Let the speculation begin: I was surprised at how minimal the frame is. All the 'tubes' look like they are formed on the same way. I was also surprised about the setup of the gearbox. I looks like it is a structural part of the frame. Also, it looks like the cranks must mount directly to it. That must save a ton of weight over a jackshaft and/or Rohloff-based transmission bikes.
The thing was loud, though.

This was the only picture I took so enjoy.

 

[fasterTHANyou]

funny how un-beefy it looks in that pic without the gearbox...

 

[RD]

thanks for the info James

 

[Repack]

funny how un-beefy it looks in that pic without the gearbox...

Thats what I was thinking. The other thing that I forgot to say was that the frame almost looks leaded (or like the welds were made big and then sanded down). The bike is just 'smooth'.

 

[Rainer Wolfcastle]

It looks so sad. All alone and different....

 

[bizutch]

so where are all the galleries of photos from Snowshoe....I count no more than a dozen photos total?

 

[Acadian]

so where are all the galleries of photos from Snowshoe....I count no more than a dozen photos total?

are you anxious to see pics of yourself?

 

[Transcend]

I will have the transcend galleries up momentarily. Also, I did an hour long interview with MArtin whiteley, team manager of Honda G cross, as well as Greg Minnaar on Saturday about the bike, racing in general and the signifigance of the honda program on MTB in general.

Look for it hopefully before mt snow if i get the time to figure it out between partying here in vermont

 

[Matt D]

We talked with the Honda folks for a few minutes about the bike. The guy said only 4 people outside of Honda Engineering has seen the internals, and he was one of them! That's keeping it under wraps if you ask me!

Inside the fully enclosed tent was a Technician from Showa, and one of Honda's lead engineers. It was like out of movie where these super high tech foreign guys in uniform show up with computers and hack into something.

The Rep said that Honda is definitely in this for the long run and was fully committed to DH mountain biking. I thanked him for that. He said that DH is very well suited as a testing grounds for motocross.

Good things to hear, but we'll never be able to buy one of these.

 

[RideND]

Holy Zipties, Batman. Look at that seat.

 

[Repack]

Good things to hear, but we'll never be able to buy one of these.

I know its just a pipe-dream, but I can't help but wonder if they might offer a greatly simplified version some day. Its not like tying dirt bikes and DH bikes is a stretch. There are already a number of mtb companies sponsoring dirtbike racers. So who knows. I'm allowed to dream, aint I? I just think that it would be huge for the sport if companies like Honda started selling DH bikes, at least as far as exposure goes.

 

[Jm_]

I'm not exactly sure what the point is. The pictures are just as interesting to me as any other honda DH pictures I've seen. Not that they are worthless, they are not, but to me it just looks like the honda DH bike with the gear box removed...it doesn't show us anything that we couldn't see already.

I'm glad honda is moving ahead. My guess is that the first bikes will be more like current DH bikes in terms of some of the components and stuff, and later on honda might start to do everything themselves like brakes and components. It will be interesting!

 

[Tom DH]

Is the shifter just a modified Shimano 7sp rapid fire one? Dose any body know is it is indexed or friction?

 

[profro]

Holy Zipties, Batman. Look at that seat.

I did that exact thing. I ziptied a cut up piece of tire tread to keep traction on my saddle. The mud was so slippery that it was needed in my opinion. It helped me alot. I should have switched to my Wetscream tires as well. I ran Swampthing and they worked well until the conditions on Sunday, by then I think Wetscreams were the ticket... narrow and spiky! My 2.5 Swampthings were too big and way too heavy.

 

[Repack]

Is the shifter just a modified Shimano 7sp rapid fire one? Dose any body know is it is indexed or friction?

I zoomed in on the original, but it was hard to tell. It looks more like an STX RC shifter with the clamp modified so that it sits further below the handle bar- the gear indicater is def below the hb. There is also a large molded-looking piece of plastic on the thumb paddle, and what looks to be a wire loop added to the index-finger paddle to make it larger, but who knows.
Hmmm... Another thought. Shimano used to make a two-paddle friction shifter that they put on 24" kids bikes and cheap adult bikes. I am pretty sure that that shifter had the gear indicater below the hb. Guessing and speculation rules!
JM_: I know that the picture isn't anything groundbreaking, but I thought it was cool to see it "undressed". I was surprised (although it makes a ton of sense) to see that the gear box was part of the frame. With all the fairings removed, it reminded me of a fluffy cat after being soaked.

 

[thaflyinfatman]

I'm glad honda is moving ahead. My guess is that the first bikes will be more like current DH bikes in terms of some of the components and stuff, and later on honda might start to do everything themselves like brakes and components. It will be interesting!

Honda don't do the brakes for their motos (afaik) anyway, why would they do them for MTBs when companies like Akebono, Brembo, Nissin etc have so much expertise in the field...?

 

[Trond]

Holy Zipties, Batman. Look at that seat.

It works like a champ in the mud. It's not comfy but adds a lot more control.

 

[Matt D]

I don't know exactly what the shifter is, but from what I heard you just twist the shifter w/o any clicks. Just a smooth twist.

 

[rockracing]

I presume they would be able to change the gear ratio's ? so if they get to a course which is really tech and everyone is puting on 39t blades, could they also do something similar, and the other way round for an effective bigger chainring ??

 

[RaID]

It works like a champ in the mud. It's not comfy but adds a lot more control.

hmmmm
i might have to give that a try at the weekend race as its meant to be very wet

 

[Sandwich]

did anyone else but me notice that the gearbox appears structural? Maybe this has been discussed before...but what a neat innovation- eliminate excess mass by engineering strength into the gearbox. I bet that thing hauls. It's like an enzo- the transmission is a stressed part of the frame.

Hella cool. hella.

I wish there were a better angle...

 

[Repack]

did anyone else but me notice that the gearbox appears structural? Maybe this has been discussed before...but what a neat innovation- eliminate excess mass by engineering strength into the gearbox. I bet that thing hauls. It's like an enzo- the transmission is a stressed part of the frame.

Hella cool. hella.

I wish there were a better angle...

That was one of the first things I noticed/ commented on. Seems like lightyears ahead of modifying an internal hub.
(I don't mean this as any sort of jab at dw. This is Honda's R&D department we are talking about here!)

 

[RhinofromWA]

That was one of the first things I noticed/ commented on. Seems like lightyears ahead of modifying an internal hub.
(I don't mean this as any sort of jab at dw. This is Honda's R&D department we are talking about here!)

Honda bought the bike and design from someone outside Honda. I don't know how much Honda had modified the bike but it looks a lot like the Pre-Honda version pics I have seen.

I though it was weird that the tranny is a racheting affair with wierd shaped Cogs to smooth out power delivery. (per MBA article and reading it over with Skooks Pong of Cannondale/Pong bike fame now that dates me...anyone remember that bike?)

 

[Repack]

Honda bought the bike and design from someone outside Honda. I don't know how much Honda had modified the bike but it looks a lot like the Pre-Honda version pics I have seen.

I though it was weird that the tranny is a racheting affair with wierd shaped Cogs to smooth out power delivery. (per MBA article and reading it over with Skooks Pong of Cannondale/Pong bike fame now that dates me...anyone remember that bike?)

Not a Honda design? Now that is interesting.

And are you saying that the bike is biopace??? :vomit:

 

[xy9ine]

you know the pongs? what are those guys up to now? i remember lusting after the stuff (proto & production) they were producing. i was expecting big things from them, but they seem to have dissapeared after the cannondale thing. i think the company was called magic motorcycle - apparently they were building some exotic moto stuff as well...

 

[RhinofromWA]

Not a Honda design? Now that is interesting.

And are you saying that the bike is biopace??? :vomit:

Honda bought the bike and design from some guy.....

Well the cogs are shaped awfully wierd and the power is put down by a ratcheting affair were by changing the leverage on the ratcheting arm set up you are changing the "gear ratio" but that would mean the there would be a pulsing effect....correct? So there are odd shaped cogs to alter the input rate to smooth out the ratchet/pedaling input to output affair. Biopace.....not to far off Though it probably works better in this application.

 

[RhinofromWA]

you know the pongs? what are those guys up to now? i remember lusting after the stuff (proto & production) they were producing. i was expecting big things from them, but they seem to have dissapeared after the cannondale thing. i think the company was called magic motorcycle - apparently they were building some exotic moto stuff as well...

Yep. I even live within 3 miles of Alex's son right now. He is in my motorcycle club and I was around when Magic Motorcycle was pumping out parts for XR's and such.

I also was there to see Skooks (Alex's son) tear down a Cagiva 125cc motocross bike and make a single sided front end and rear swingarm. The front consisted of two USD in one big CNC machined "Upper" and a single side hub machined and holding the stanctions on a home made tri spoke aluminum wheel (or he had a rim lock like offroad trucks aluminum disk wheels)....all made by him. He ran the rear wheel with the rear sprocket doubling as a disk rotor...on a disk brake built at his shop. He raced it many times and even down in CA/NV Barstow to Vegas desert race.

Of the stories.......I also know (knew really, haven't seen them in almost a decade) his 3 sisters.

 

[ragin-sagin]

We talked with the Honda folks for a few minutes about the bike. The guy said only 4 people outside of Honda Engineering has seen the internals, and he was one of them! That's keeping it under wraps if you ask me!

Well those four guys and every human that has accessed the US patent site and seen all the internals beautifully drawn out in excruciating detail.

 

[dw]

I haven't seen any pics of the bike yet without the gearbox. So when I saw that trailer door open up, showing off the bike front-and-center in all its glory, I was very interested. This pic was taken as the teams were packing up. I asked permission before I took it. Two people said OK, so long as I didn't step inside the tent.

Let the speculation begin: I was surprised at how minimal the frame is. All the 'tubes' look like they are formed on the same way. I was also surprised about the setup of the gearbox. I looks like it is a structural part of the frame. Also, it looks like the cranks must mount directly to it. That must save a ton of weight over a jackshaft and/or Rohloff-based transmission bikes.
The thing was loud, though.

This was the only picture I took so enjoy.

looks cool, 2013i gearbox is structural too though, and a lot smaller. Id have to say that I think the 2013i system might have the advantage in terms of structural efficiency, but I don't necessarily think that its better overall.

dw

 

[Repack]

looks cool, 2013i gearbox is structural too though, and a lot smaller. Id have to say that I think the 2013i system might have the advantage in terms of structural efficiency, but I don't necessarily think that its better overall.

dw

Cool. Thanks.