Nel 21esimo secolo, però, questo trend è stato sicuramente meno riconoscibile: il traffico delle grandi città, il prezzo crescente dei carburanti e una maggiore consapevolezza ambientale, hanno reso molto popolari e apprezzate le moto semplici e di piccola cilindrata.
Per Honda la nuova CBR 250, probabilmente già appannaggio dei mercati orientali, può rappresentare la risposta a questa inversione di tendenza. La nuova CBR250R fonde le virtù intrinseche di una 250cc con le qualità che contraddistinguono tutte le CBR: alte prestazioni, grande agilità, guida intuitiva e notevole facilità d’uso. Il risultato è una moto di una versatilità unica, in qualsiasi situazione, che regala però emozioni tali da rendere divertente qualsiasi tipo di utilizzo. Con il suo leggero ed efficiente motore monocilindrico, la ciclistica avanzata e un design sorprendente, la CBR250R eserciterà un appeal unico su un’ampia fascia di utenti. La maneggevolezza, il motore fluido e potente e una ciclistica gratificante sono le armi di una moto che piacerà sia a chi ama guidare la moto per puro piacere, sia a chi è attento a risparmiare tempo e denaro negli spostamenti quotidiani. Dalle immagini si nota la presenza dell'ABS se non altro come optional, ovviamente un solo disco all'anteriore dall'aspetto esile ma morso da una pinza di dimensioni generose. Look sportivo ma senza eccessi, come accade invece su alcune 125 modaliole. Ecco in sintesi alcune delle caratteristiche di questo nuovo modello:- Motore monocilindrico da 249,4cm3 con distribuzione DOHC a quattro valvole.
- Avanzato sistema di iniezione PGM-FI: prontissima risposta al comando del gas ed efficiente economia di carburante.
- Telaio a doppio trave in acciaio con forcella telescopica da 37mm e sospensione posteriore con Pro-Link e monoammortizzatore, per una maneggevolezza e una guidabilità superiori.
- Look sportivo ma elegante grazie alla carenatura integrale.
- Sistema frenante sportivo con dischi di grande diametro e pinze generosamente dimensionate per decelerazioni sempre sicure su qualsiasi fondo.
- Strumentazione con pannello digitale multifunzione: chiara e perfettamente leggibile fornisce complete informazioni su velocità istantanea, giri motore, temperatura di esercizio, livello carburante e contachilometri totale/parziale.
A thick fog on the morning of the 13th january caused the start to be delayed for almost 3 hours. Only when the helicopters were able to take off, the start was given free. All that time the bikers were waiting at the start. The stage was very fast. Fast mountain tracks which could be ridden full throttle. After the last fuel stop the route changed to sand dunes. 70 tough kilometers long. Just before the finish there was a waypoint which wasn’t mentioned in the roadbook.
Although in this phase of the rally the stages are the toughest ones, they are also the most beautiful ones. The landscape around Copiapio is breathtaking. The first bike left La Serena at 05.25 hours. The special started at 07.00 hours. As always just at the first light, starting in the dark is not allowed according to the regulations. The glare of the rising sun was dazzling the first riders on the track. Next to that there was a lot of fog, which caused another problem as condense came onto the goggles of the riders, and with a lot of dust in the air this is no fun. Dutchmen Henk Knuiman (11th overall) crashed after just 5 minutes after he started because it was so difficult to see properly.
At the end of the restday, in the bivac you still hear the sounds of wrenching, welding and hard work. Also at Dakarsport / Team Honda Europe. Vadim Pritulyak has arrived late in de afternoon, and his bike needs a lot of work. He is lucky when ASO puts him on the startinglist for the 8th special, as he did not return from the stage on time. When Henk Hellegers tells him the good news, he gets a big high-five from Vadim. Pritulyak had leaking fueltanks, causing him to loose a lot of petrol. After a long wait and a lot of help from other competitiors and the crowds he managed to reach the finish after 13 hours. In the mean time he wasn’t so lucky as Jurgen and had a collission with a horse.. The second part of the connection went along very high mountainpaths, with difficult trailsections, so he and a French competitior decided to go back to Mendoza and use the road to ride to Valparaiso.
The last competitors are still battling to make it to the bivouac in time. Arriving too late means you’re out, the rest day cannot be used make a late arrival. All Team Honda Europe riders are in, except Vadim Pritulyak, who’s still underway in the 400 km long liaison to Valparaiso. (Which is partially off-road)
There are exciting plans in the works on the environmental technology front with the announcement by Honda’s President and CEO, Takeo Fukui, that the company is currently developing a battery-powered electric motorcycle which emits no CO2 during operation.
According to Fukui, in order for Honda to sustain its business during the next 100 years of the automotive industry, the company will further strengthen its ability to continue advancing environmental technologies and to apply them to creative and attractive products.
After a tough fourth day only 150 of the original 270 bikes and quads could continue their race. And even less will have survived the fifth day. What was feared from the fifth stage turned out to be true, as again for many is was a struggle to finish today.
After a very fast first part of the stage the terrain and the navigation changes. Only after the second tankstop this changed, as the last kilometers were very tough. Frans Verhoeven, who has fought back from 18th to place 4 in the general rankings expected this kind of ending for the amateur teams when he arrived in the bivac at night. “It was a nice stager, but it will be a struggle to finish for everyone!” As we write all members of Dakasport / Team Honda Europe have reached the bivac, exept for Vadim Pritulyak! The last 20 kilometers were the hardest part, throught difficult sand dunes. We hope our Kazach manages to get through and find the bivac. Today also the first Bowler Nemesis has broken down, with Tim and Tom Coronel out of the race. Due to the neutralization, they did get a starting time for the sixth stage though..
Mick Extance is by far the most experienced rider in the Dakarsport/Team Honda Europe. Since 2002 he’s been in the Dakar every year. Always in the top 50, his best result was the 26th place overall in 2006. Mick (46) has been riding motocross and enduro his whole life. He was European Enduro champion in 2002, and won a gold medal and two silver medals in the International Sixdays.
Da quest’anno la CBR1000RR sarà disponibile al pubblico in ben 6 colorazioni. La standard, immutata tecnicamente ed a livello prezzo (13.800 Euro franco concessionario), é infatti già disponibile nelle 4 prestigiose colorazioni che già quest’anno Le hanno portato fortuna, incoronandola come “Supersport più venduta del 2008” con oltre 1600 esemplari consegnati alla clientela di tutt’Italia: si tratta di Pearl Sunbeam White (bianco), del Graphite Black con Candy Glory Red (bicolore nero/rosso), del Winning Red (rosso) e del Graphite Black (nero).