WRAPPING UP 2020:
Good news at Honda
It's impossible to ignore the huge impact all things Covid-related have had on our lives in 2020, and sometimes it can feel as though there's nothing but bad news all around us. But here at Honda,we're ending this difficult year on an optimistic note after 12 months that have had their share of positives, such as awards and accolades, success on the racetrack and lots of innovation in design studios and laboratories. Here are some of the highlights of 2020 to illustrate why Honda is ending the year in such a positive frame of mind.
🕐 15 December 2020
JANUARY
This year got off to a sensational start as the Monster Energy Honda Team was victorious in the 2020 Dakar Rally, eight years after the official Team HRC squad returned to the world’s toughest and perhaps most famous rally. Honda rider Ricky Brabec was the eventual winner after leading the race uninterrupted from stage three onwards, and in the process, he also became the first American winner in the history of the Dakar Rally.
Although Brabec's consistency was a key factor in his two stage wins and eventual overall victory, his impressive navigational skills and sheer pace aboard the Honda CRF450 RALLY were also major contributors to his success. Although this was Honda's sixth Dakar Rally victory the last one was 31 years ago, and that really does put the magnitude of this triumph into perspective.
Brabec's victory was undeniably the highlight of the event for Honda, but there were plenty of other performances of note during the rally that deserve a mention too. Along with the two Brabec stage victories in stages 3 and 6, Honda claimed further stage victories through José Ignacio Cornejo who took stage 4 and stage 12, Kevin Benavides's win in stage 7, and Joan Barreda's win in stage 10. As well as plenty of top partial times, the Honda squad also claimed podium lock-outs for stages 3 and stage 10.
FEBRUARY
After an extremely successful Motorcycle Live event in Birmingham a few months earlier, Honda continued the momentum with an appearance at the 2020 Carole Nash MCN London Motorcycle Show that was held between the 14 and 16th of February. Honda’s flagship models that included the all-new CBR1000RR-R Fireblade and CRF1100L Africa Twin(s) were once again the focus of the stand M19 display, and Leon Haslam made a personal appearance ahead of returning to Honda colours once again for the 2020 season aboard Team HRC’s, 2020 WSBK entry.
The all-new CBR1000RR-R Fireblade was coming fresh off a fantastic launch and was a stunning example of what Honda has to offer in a track-focused, road-going performance bike A new Fireblade is always a big deal, but enthusiasts will also have been delighted to see the range-topping SP version on display at the show with its semi-active Öhlins suspension, Brembo brake set-up and quick-shifter that mark it out from the standard Fireblade model.
Other highlights of the display in London included the all-new CRF1100L Africa Twin in all its various derivatives, and an Adventure Sports DCT was even there to be put through its paces on the rolling road. And of course, no Honda show display would be complete without the GL1800 in its sleekest Gold Wing form in the Gold Wing lounge.
MARCH
March saw the all-new CBR1000RR-R Fireblade SP recognised in the Smart Product category for 'outstanding design at the Red Dot awards.
Not only was the CBR1000RR-R Fireblade SP recognised in the smart product category, the highly acclaimed, all-electric Honda e receive the 'Red Dot: Best of the Best 2020' award for its ground-breaking design. The accolade is the highest honour given out by the internationally renowned 'Red Dot' awards, but the 2020 Honda e success didn't end there as the EV also received special recognition in the 'Smart Product' category.
Products deemed excellent enough end up being showcased in the Red Dot Design Museum at the historical Design Zentrum Nordrhein Westfalen in Essen, Germany. The winning products are decided by a judging panel that consists of 40 international experts who test, evaluate and discuss each and every entry.
APRIL
A big feature of the national effort to beat coronavirus in 2021 was the way people came together to help others, and a great example of philanthropy came in April with Maidstone Honda supplying 20 Honda PCX scooters to support NHS Volunteer Responders with pharmaceutical deliveries in the local community. A huge amount of goodwill and support was offered to the NHS throughout the year, but this was a big demonstration of practical help that really made a difference to the local community.
These scooters, which were the best-selling PTWs (Powered Two-Wheelers) of 2019, were used to deliver prescriptions and medical supplies to those members of the local community who were most at risk from the virus to help them stay well.
The Honda PCX is often the default choice for couriers in built-up urban environments, and the slim form, agile dynamics and large under-seat storage space that have made it such a success also made it the perfect solution for Community Response volunteers and NHS Transport volunteers.
MAY
In May we marked the 75th anniversary of Montesa, the motorcycle brand started by a young Barcelona industrialist called Pere Permanyer Puigjaner who was 33 years old when he first began branching out from his industry of producer gas to the automotive industry with a new venture into the world of motorcycle development and production.
Transportation in Spain had been paralyzed between 1936 and 1945 due to fuel shortages brought about by the Spanish Civil War and then the Second World War. The producer gas system, which was a skillful procedure for obtaining fuel by burning almond shells, therefore turned out to be an almost magical solution for the propulsion of cars, trucks or electrical generators.
In the early 1980s, a severe financial crisis gripped Spain and many of the company's domestic rivals went out of business in the face of severe competition from Japanese rivals and other factors. Montesa reached an agreement with Honda Motor in 1982 that resulted in the setting up of Montesa Honda S.A. to market special versions manufactured under the acronym MH of the popular Cota 125, 200 and 349 models, which were distributed through its sales network in Europe.
Montesa currently manufactures the Cota 4Ride, Cota 301RR, Cota 4RT260, the Cota Race Replica & Honda RTL models exclusively for the entire world, as well as manufacturing components for the car, motorcycle and power product divisions of the Honda group.
JUNE
There's no better advert for a race-bred bike like the all-new CBR1000RR-R Fireblade SP than real top-flight racing, and June was the month when Andrew and Glenn Irwin unveiled the bikes they were set to race in the 2020 Bennetts British Superbike Championship. As well as a starring role in the rescheduled BSB Championship, the bike was also to be ridden by Tom Neave and Davey Todd in the Pirelli National Superstock 1000 Championship.
To maintain the close relationship between the track bike and the road-going CBR1000RR-R Fireblade SP available across the Honda UK dealer network, the race livery was based on the same Pearl Black colour available from dealers.
It was also announced at this point that the Honda team would continue its long-standing relationship with Castrol and Akrapovič into next year, along with other important relationships with Close Brothers and Nova gearboxes. In such a testing financial climate sponsorships can be hard to maintain for anyone, so it was a major boost and an example of the Honda brand cache for these important relationships to continue throughout such a difficult and ongoing period.
The team even secured a new sponsor for 2020 in the shape of Datatool, which came about through their existing association with Honda UK.
JULY
The Honda CRF450R has been the benchmark motocrosser since its introduction in 2002, and in July we announced full details of the all-new 2021 model. To call it "all-new" certainly wasn't an understatement as apart from the wheels and engine, every component of the 2021 CRF450R was new. The new model directly benefits from the know-how and experience gained by the development work of Tim Gajser and HRC's 2019 championship-winning CRF450RW works machine.
The new frame and swingarm, plus changes to the bike's geometry and suspension, save weight and greatly improve cornering performance, and a larger hydraulic clutch offers greater control with lighter lever pressure. Although essentially the same unit as 2020, the engine also receives intake/exhaust upgrades, a new decompression system, as well as a single exhaust muffler to boost and smoothen low-mid-range driveability.
AUGUST
It was now time to celebrate a full decade of Honda's Dual Clutch Transmission (DCT) technology, which first appeared in dealerships across Europe in 2010 on the VFR1200F sports tourer. The Honda DCT system is still unique in the world of two wheels, and more than 140,000 DCT-equipped machines have now been sold by Honda across Europe. In the previous year, 45% of Africa Twins, 52% of NC750X’s and 67% of Gold Wings sold in Europe were the DCT version, and with new DCT bikes in the pipeline, the technology is set to go from strength to strength in the next decade and beyond.
A large part of the success of Honda's DCT technology is the way it's developed and been refined over the years. The smoothness and timing of the gear shifts of today's system is something to behold, and the system is adaptable enough to suit a wide range of different bikes and riding styles. For example, there's an off-road focussed 'G switch' feature for the Africa Twin and X-ADV, while the flagship GL1800 Gold Wing luxury tourer's DCT features synchronisation with Hill Start Assist, Walking Mode and Idling Stop on.
SEPTEMBER
The A2-compatible mini-streetfighter Honda CB500F got a major overhaul in 2019, but the huge appeal of this popular bike was now to be widened even further with the introduction of new graphics and two new colour schemes for 2021, and it was also now to be homologated for EURO 5.
Originally launched in 2013 alongside the adventure-styled CB500X and fully-faired CBR500R, the CB500F is testimony to Honda's prowess in building popular, relevant motorcycles people want. The winning formula, in this case, is the combination of an entertaining twin-cylinder engine coupled with a simple, lightweight, sporty chassis that produces as much fun for experienced riders as it does for those still getting used to life on two wheels. Although the 35kW peak power of the CB500F makes it suitable for A2 licence holders, there's so much more than ‘entry-level’ performance to the CB500F.
The CB500F is the perfect next step for anyone moving on from a 125 due to its compact dimensions and welcoming manners. It's also perfect for anyone coming down from a bigger motorcycle who wants a bike they push closer to its limits on a weekend.
OCTOBER
Another month and another notable award, this time for the Honda CB500X. Accolades for motorcycles here in the UK don’t get much more prestigious then the annual Motorcycle News awards, and the CB500X was named as the winner in the 'Best Sub-500cc' category of the 2020 MCN Awards. Already regarded as the class-leader in its section of the market, this award reaffirms that fact as this is the second consecutive year that the CB500 has won this particular gong.
MCN said of the Honda, "Restricted licence holders are spoiled for choice nowadays and manufactures are falling over themselves to be the ones to funnel new riders into their brands – but none could beat the all-round appeal of Honda’s CB500X, which won last year and now again for 2020." The CB500X built on the success of last year's model by adding three new colour schemes of Grand Prix Red, Matt Gunpowder Black Metallic and Pearl Metalloid White for buyers to choose from in 2020, all of which also feature a striking red rear sub frame. Although the power and torque produced by the CB500X 471cc parallel twin engine remained unchanged, it did receive the necessary tweaks required to now make it compliant with Euro 5 emissions standards.
NOVEMBER
It may not have come as a complete surprise as it had been heavily speculated on for some time, but November finally saw Honda Motor Europe officially announce an exciting new addition to its 2021 model lineup in the shape of the new CMX1100 Rebel. The A2 licence-friendly 500cc twin-cylinder CMX500 Rebel, which was released in 2017, had put down excellent foundations with its unique take on custom cool, fusing 'bobber' tradition with ground-breaking new ideas.
The Rebel 500 has always been easy on the eye, great fun and easy to ride for riders of all sizes and experience, and in 2019 it was the third biggest-selling custom-style bike in the whole of Europe.
However, now the endearing Rebel 500 is getting a bigger, bolder and more powerful sibling in the shape of the CMX1100 Rebel, which even takes the ultra-bold but the eminently sensible step of introducing DCT technology to the cruiser market for the first time. The CMX1100 Rebel blends a modern take on classic cruiser styling with the very latest technology and a powerful engine to deliver a bike that is just as suited to a leisurely laidback cruise as an exciting and exhilarating blast whenever the mood and road invite it.
DECEMBER
In December, Honda UK was delighted to announce its return to British Motocross Championship action with a brand new title sponsor, and the team will now be known as Crendon Fastrack Honda. The squad is to be comprised of Tommy Searle and Jake Nicholls returning in the MX1 class, with Jay Hague joining the team for an assault on the MX2 championship. The team sets out to contest the UK’s two highest-level series, the British championship and MX Nationals, backed by one of the UK’s leading Timber Engineering companies in the shape of Crendon.
It will be the second year in the squad for Derbyshire-based Searle, following on from his successful 2020 season that saw him win the only professional championship to run in the UK, the MX Nationals. Nicholls was unlucky to narrowly miss out on clinching the British title by a handful of points in 2018 after an injury, and this will now be his fourth year as a member of the team. Both armed with the all-new 2021 Honda CRF450R, Searle and Nicholls are two of the most experienced riders in the class and must have a good chance of making a big impression in the coming season.
THE FUTURE
It fair to say that 2020 has been a difficult and challenging year for all of us, so we have to take the positives whenever and wherever we can. As we’ve seen here, despite the doom and gloom that's obviously been such a feature of 2020, there were still some high points along the way that are good to look back on. We've also seen here there are more exciting and positive things we can look forward to in 2021 and in the coming years, so there's definitely light at the end of the tunnel.
Honda remains committed to the joy of riding, and whatever technology comes along that will never change.
Which is one more bit of good news.
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