Motorcycle Statistics

Don’t ask me! These guys know how to make the perfect gin and tonic though..

A great new motorbike accessory is available soon – the Okoqu Nut! Simply it’s a waterproof iphone case that allows all normal phone functionality to be used while protecting your iphone. We love this case and are looking forward to its launch.

Okoqu (pronounced Oh-kok-ku) Limited have cracked the holy grail of mobile phone protection and invented a fully waterproof iphone case which still allows all normal phone functions to be used.

With applications that transform phones into mobile computers capable of almost any function there is a need to produce a protective case that allows the phone to perform in any environment.

After a year in development The NUT was born.

Key features are: Waterproof to 5 meters, shock proof, normal screen function, normal phone function, normal headphone function, polycarbonate shell and six colours available.

Available for £34.99 the NUT is available to buy direct from www.okoqu.com with free UK delivery. Competitive worldwide delivery also offered.

Product designer and Okoqu’s Technical Director Russell Beard says “we have stepped away from the ubiquitous low quality Chinese produced mobile phone accessory and designed, tooled and manufactured the NUT in the UK. It is a premium product of unprecedented high quality and one which we are extremely proud”

Okoqu’s Marketing Director Steve Jones says “most mobile phone cases are an unwanted necessity, whereas the NUT is an iphone enhancement. It opens up a world of possibility for phone usage from GPS use while trekking to listening to music on the beach – the uses are virtually limitless”

The Yamaha FZR600 was a sportbike motorcycle produced by Yamaha between 1989 and 1999. It was the successor to the FZ600, and was replaced by the YZF-600R. On introduction in 1989, it contained many interesting features, such as the steel Deltabox II frame and swingarm, similar in appearance to the then revolutionary alloy Deltabox frame introduced 3 years earlier on the FZR400. The FZR600 won several professional level sportbike titles[citation needed] before being outclassed by the Honda CBR600F2.

The FZR600 was discontinued in 1999 due to age of the design and the competing 600cc sportbike offers from Yamaha: The YZF-600R and YZF-R6.

The 4-valve Yamaha FZR600 came with the engine heavily slanted forward in the frame. This was the basis of the Genesis frame concept, and helped to lower the centre of gravity and help centralise mass. This layout allowed the real fuel tank to sit behind the cylinders, low between the frame rails, and further aided with lowering the centre of gravity. Forward of this sat the airbox, which fed 4 x 32mm Mikuni downdraft carburettors, and all these assemblies were covered by a plastic cover dummy petrol tank.

Unlike the larger FZR models which had featured 3 intake and 2 exhaust valves per cylinder, the FZR600 had a 4 valve per cylinder layout, necessitated by the different gas flow characteristics of the 600cc engine over the 750 and 1000cc units in the FZR range.[1] Many models came with the EXUP valve system, mandatory for units sold in California. This system located in the lower exhaust manifold helps maintain high back pressure at low RPM’s, and opens up more at higher RPM’s giving the motor better mid range power. The EXUP system was mainly found in US and some European models to compensate for the loss of power caused by emissions related modifications for those markets. Standard world market models produced 91 BHP, compared to about 76 BHP for EXUP equipped versions.

The FZR600 continued in production until 1999. However, in some markets it was superseded in 1994 by the closely related FZR600R (sometimes called the YZF in some countries), which was mechanically similar but featured an all new steel frame, slightly modified engine producing 98 BHP, and different styling with the now famous ‘Foxeye’ headlamps.

The original steel framed ’3HEx’ FZR600 remainined virtually unchanged throughout its production, a testament to how effective the original design was for its time. In 1991 the FZR received a single wedge shaped headlamp to ape its FZR1000 EXUP sibling, but Yamaha bowed to consumer pressure and reverted back to the more popular twin headlamp design for 1993. In 1991 the FZR received a different swingarm, notable for being slightly fatter in profile. At this time the model also received slighly thicker fork stanchions, thicker rear wheel and tire, and 4 piston front brake calipers shared with, although styled differently to, the later Yamaha YZF R6. Aside from the minor mechanical changes, the paintwork and color schemes were the main change for each new model year, including Vance and Hines and John Kosinski ‘signature’ special editions.

Over a decade after its demise the FZR600 retains a cult worldwide following, and is a popular choice for tuners, modifiers and restorers due to its simplicity and durability. Many new riders, or those who use their bikes for daily commuting, favour the FZR600 for being more flexible lower down in the rev range than contemporary 600s, while still retaining creditable performance. Road tests and official performance claims have varied immemsely across the years, but a mean of various figures published by different sources across the models lifetime would give the FZR600 a top speed in excess of 140MPH, and a standing 1/4 mile time comfortably under 12 seconds (91 BHP model), assuming a rider sufficiently able to tuck in behind the fairing.

The FZR600 shared the same basic architecture with the more exotic FZR400 range, and is similar to the extent that many components such as bodywork, brakes and even the alloy frame can be fitted to the FZR600 with little or no modification.

The Honda VFR750R, frame designation ‘RC30′, was a fully faired racing motorcycle created for homologation purposes for the World Superbike championship by Honda Racing Corporation (HRC). It was first released to the Japanese market in 1987. American enthusiasts had to wait until 1990 to get their hands on an RC30. The final one hundred RC30 machines were made for England in 1990. Even then, a lofty price approximately twice that of a production 750 of the time and limited availability made them a rare sight on public roads. The original intent of being a race bike didn’t help the RC30 survival rate, where many were lost to the rigors of the gravel trap.

Engine

Though the 748cc 16-valve gear driven double overhead camshaft liquid-cooled RC24 derived 90° V4 produced just 86 horsepower (in its US release form, Most European bikes made 112 hp) — not a class-leading figure by 1990 standards — they contained race-inspired components. These included such items as titanium connecting rods that reduced reciprocating weight (50g lighter and 8 times the cost) and, gear driven camshafts. The engine firing configuration was very different from the road-going VFR750F from which it was derived with a 360 ‘big bang’ degree crank arrangement instead of the smoother 180 degree. This feature produced a very broad spread of power and, when coupled to the close ratio gearbox which had an extremely high first gear ratio (0 – 82mph), made the RC30 untouchable in terms of driveability when on the move. Slowing down was made easier with a slipper style clutch, and for the era, impressive braking capability.

While being inspired by the Honda RVF endurance racer (not to be confused with the RVF750 RC45) the VFR750R instead had its engine based on the 1986-7 VFR750F (RC24), the engine changes being tried first in the VFR750 ’6X’. The engines are almost identical externally, the only visible differences being in the cylinder heads and the engine side covers. Inside the engine no major parts were identical to the RC24. The clutch, gearbox, crankshaft, oil pump, connecting rods, water pump, pistons, starter clutch, and the entire valvetrain and cylinder heads are specific to the RC30.

It redlined at 12,500 rpm (in comparison to the VFR750F which redlines at 11,000 rpm) and weighed approximately 192 kg (420 pounds) ready to ride. Power outputs varied by country of sale with the most powerful advertised at 112 horsepower. Japanese domestic market, Australian, Swiss, and the US, specification machines were restricted in power output to varying degrees.

Some of the race kitted bikes featured the gear drive to the cams with two instead of three gears, this resulted in the cams running in the opposite direction.

Suspension & Brakes

The RC30 front suspension was Showa and had wheel and brake pads that had quick-release mountings. The rear wheel carried a brake disc to the inside and a chain sprocket to the outside of a single-sided swingarm (developed in partnership with ELF), and attached with a single castellated nut and ‘R’ clip. It was also equipped with fully adjustable Showa suspension which, as it only had a single seat thus focusing suspension performance, gave superior ride and handling characteristics. The engine and low storage position of the fuel in the fuel tank combined to give a low centre of gravity which aided its handling prowess. Further statements of its hand-built quality were shown in a full stainless steel 4-2-1 exhaust system, alloy fuel tank and hand laid fibreglass bodywork.

The bike was fitted with an ‘anti-squat’ rear brake linkage that linked the rear caliper to the frame via a rose-jointed linkage through the swingarm (reducing rear wheel hop under braking)

Relatives of the VFR750

The VFR400R (NC30) closely resembles the VFR750R (RC30).

The RC30 was superseded some 4 years after the last one was built by the RVF750 RC45 in 1994 but is often considered the predominantly collectable model as it gave the privateer a tool with which to race competitively, specifically in the Isle of Man TT races. Helmut Dähne in 1993 set the “eternal” record on the Nordschleife with a RC30.

• VFRworld – Everything about the Honda VF / VFR , Honda V-4′s, and the VFR800 Interceptor
• Honda RC30

Honda RVF400R Performance Figures

Top speed: 130 mph (208 km/h)
Acceleration: 0–62 mph (100 km/h): 3.6 s
Braking: 62–0 mph (100 km/h): 2.9 s

The Honda RVF400R (NC35) is a motorcycle introduced by Honda Motor Company in 1994, powered by a V4 16 valve double overhead geardriven cam 400 cc engine and known for its supreme handling capabilities. There were two models, the R and the T, which were mainly identical apart from paint scheme. The RVF (as it was marketed by Honda in Japan) finished production in 1996, though unsold RVFs remained available to purchase from Japanese Honda dealers through 2001. The RVF400R is the smaller sibling of RVF750R (RC45), as the VFR400R (NC30) was to the VFR750R (RC30).

The Honda RVF400R was the successor to the Honda VFR400R NC30, which ceased production in 1992. While at first glance there appear to be mainly styling changes between the VFR400R and the RVF400R, the actual number of changes are vast as the entire bike was redesigned with numerous identical looking components being totally different.

The obvious differences between the VFR400R and the RVF400R are that the front forks are of the upside-down type and the rear wheel takes a 17″ tyre (the Honda VFR400R took a 18″), there are two air tubes that feed fresh air to the area just in front of the air box (this is not a ram air system, the airbox is unpressurised) and the headlights have changed from twin round headlights to twin ‘fox-eye’ lights (this is one feature not mirrored from the RVF750R (RC45) as the RC45 features twin large round headlights).

Unlike the VFR400R the RVF400R was only officially sold new in Japan. The RVF400R outputs slightly less peak power than the VFR400R, but with a stronger midrange. There is a Haynes Manual for the RVF400R.

Like other Hondas with gear-driven camshafts, the RVF’s engine makes a loud ‘whine’ sound when operating. The exhaust note of the V4 engine is also different from that of a more conventional inline four. The 400 cc VFR and RVF models share a unique exhaust note with their larger siblings—the VFR750R RC30 and the RVF750R RC45—because of their 360-firing configuration. Most of the early V4s from Honda were 360-firing. Some examples include the VF500C/F, VF750/VF1100 C/S, VF750F/VF1000F. The VF1000R was Honda’s first road-going 360-firing, gear-driven cam engine.

The RVF400R has a reputation for excellent reliability and good build quality, though not quite as high as its predecessor, the VFR400R.

Engine

The carburettors were changed, the RVF’s carbs featuring a flat slide and smaller diameter (30 mm against the NC30′s 32 mm) but claimed to be better flow, the velocity stacks were also changed to allow a straighter flow.

The valve timing was changed with the exhaust valves opening earlier and closing later.

The engine position was changed with large cast sections of the frame now holding the engine lower down (these lower engine mounting points were unused on the VFR).

Frame and Suspension

While the front cartridge forks were changed from RWU to USD forks, they remained the same diameter (41 mm) and make (Showa).

The frame was totally redesigned, with engine mounting and steering geometry changes.

The swingarm while looking identical at first glance is narrower (192 mm against 202 mm) and runs on a smaller diameter spindle (17 mm against 22 mm) with the rear hub and brake mounting points changed.

Wheels Brakes and Tyres

The rear wheel was changed from 18″ to 17″.

The front brakes remained as 4 opposed piston calipers but the trailing pistons were increased in diameter from 25.4 mm to 27 mm (the leading pistons remained at 30 mm).

The Honda RC30 was fitted with a ‘Pro Squat Rear Brake Linkage’ that linked the rear caliper to the frame via a linkage through the swingarm (reducing rear wheel hop under braking), the NC30 had the swingarm machined to allow a torque arm shaft and featured the cast boss on the frame but the linkage was not fitted (probably for cost reasons) and the caliper was instead held in place with a simple torque reaction arm bolted into the swingarm (it is possible to modify the NC30 to fit the ‘Pro Squat Rear Brake Linkage’). The RVF400 has lost all of this, the rear caliper is now held in place by a boss on the swingarm, it is not possible to easily modify the RVF400 to full ‘Pro Squat Rear Brake Linkage’ as the swingarm would require unmachining).

It is possible on the VFR400 to change the rear brake disk without removing the rear hub, it is impossible to do this on the RVF400 as the mounting plate is larger and the entire hub requires removal.

Exhaust

The exhaust has a number of changes, the main change is that the silencer and collector are now separate and the silencer is held to the frame by one mounting point rather than two.

The silencer is now aluminium and held by 3 bolts to the collector.

Dimensions and weights

The dry weight went up from 164 kg to 165 kg, overall width dropped from 705 mm (27.8 in.) to 685 mm (27.0 in.), overall height changed 1.075 m (42.3in.) to 1.065 m (41.9in.), wheelbase dropped 10 mm from 1.345 m (53.0 in.) to 1.335 m (52.6 in.)

Handling

The VFR400 is widely acknowledged to be a very good handling motorbike, the RVF400 is more of the same, the main difference being that while the VFR400 likes one line, on the RVF400 it is not a problem to change lines mid corner helped by the upside down forks

Overview of VFR to RVF differences The differences between a VFR400(NC30) and a RVF400(NC35) are;

- obviously different body work, the RVF400 copies it’s bigger brother the RVF750 RC45

- The VFR has 32mm carbs vs 30mm carbs on RVF, but RVF has ‘T’ section vacuum piston as opposed to round section piston, this makes piston lighter and offers more throttle response

- The RVF has tuned ram tubes to increase mid range power

- The RVF has increased camshaft timing, same lift but more duration and overlap

- Intake port/valve seat on the RVF is 19mm as opposed to 20mm on VFR

- The frame on the RVF is substantially different to the VFR, RVF clamps the motor in a different position and has more rigind mounting points, it is also a later generation frame design

- The steering head angle of the RVF is 25degrees as opposed to VFR’s 25deg 20 minutes, which will give slightly faster steering

- The wheel base of the RVF is 10mm shorter than VFR

- The trail of the RVF is 92mm as opposed to 96mm of VFR

- The handle bars of RVF are 10mm higher and 24mm close to rider which will give a more comfortable ride(moreupright)

- The fuel tank of RVF is 30mm wider at the rear

- The front fairing was wind tested with naca ducts feeding cool air to air box(not ram air), 6.5% improvement in aerodynamics over VFR

- Front forks of upside down design, with revised spring rate and dampening, stiffer dampening and spring over VFR

- Rear shock on RVFhas integral compression canister, also has revised shock linkage and improved dampening and spring rate

- Front calipers are of more rigid design, with about 10% improvement in feel over VFR

- Rims are slightly lighter

- Rear rim is 17inch an RVF, VFR runs 18inch

- Rear single sided swing arm is different in it’s mounting to frame to reduce weight and increase

Racing

The RVF400 NC35 is still being raced in various classes including in the Manx Grand Prix on the IOM. The RVF has a hardcore following all over the club racing scene, having been a very competitive machine against the FZR400, GSX-R400, and comparable to the rest of the high performance inline 4 400s. This gem of the two wheeled variety is raced hard and fast amongst the last of its kind with AFM for the 2008 season.
HRC

HRC (Honda Racing Corporation) supply a number of parts to adapt the RVF400 for racing

Parts available include:

A genuine ram-air inbox (using a scoop in between the radiator and frame, does not use the air tubes).
Rear ride height adapter (A number of U shaped plates that fit in between the frame and shock).
Oil Cooler (a CBR600 oil cooler can be fitted and the water pump drilled to fit the water takeoff)
Jet kit
ECU

Aftermarket Parts

There are a large number of aftermarket parts for the NC35. If an aftermarket full exhaust system is fitted, changing the oil filter may be problematic as some aftermarket downpipes are straight and do not have the bends in them to clear the filter.

Honda VFR400 Performance Statistics

Top speed: 130 mph (208 km/h)
Acceleration: 0–62 mph (100 km/h): 4 s
Braking: 62–0 mph (100 km/h): 3 s
Acceleration + Braking – 0–100–0 mph 22.1 s

The first generation of VFR400R was the 1986–1987 NC21, which had replaced the VF400F when the Honda VF series was phased out (mainly due to reliability issues). This model had a full fairing, single rectangular headlight, a conventional dual-sided swing arm and was offered in three colour schemes. The NC21 was also available as the VFR400Z, a semi-faired version, and as the VFR400P, a police-specification version.

The next generation of VFR400R was the VFR400R NC24, produced for the 1987 and 1988 model years, the first production Honda motorcycle to utilize an ELF-designed Pro-Arm single-sided swingarm (which later became one of the trademarks of the Honda VFR series). The NC24 was available in three colour schemes in 1987 (including an official Rothmans replica), and one in 1988.

1990 Honda VFR400R NC30, Japanese specification

The third generation of VFR400R was the best known, the VFR400R NC30, which was also officially sold in limited numbers in several European countries. The official European models were sometimes companied by a different CDI (ignition device), no 180 km/h (110 mph) restriction, speedometer that reached to 240 km/h (150 mph), larger headlights (Germany) and larger carburettors to produce 5–6 hp more. The NC30 was produced between 1989 and 1992, though unsold bikes were still available to purchase from Honda dealers for several years thereafter. The NC30 reflected the styling of its iconic bigger brother, the VFR750R (RC30), right down to its 18-inch rear wheel. Japanese-spec NC30s were available in a total of eight different colour schemes, produced with three different model year specifications (1989, 1990 and 1992). Export models were made in two different colour schemes, and carried model year designations L and M (1990 and 1991).

The official UK model has the following distinguishable features: slightly larger front and rear direction indicators; additional rear number plate light (separate from rear lamp).

The Honda VFR400R NC30 is widely known to be one of the best handling roadbikes ever made. The engine has a very wide powerband for a 400cc engine, which made it a perfect beginners-superbike. It has a hardcore fanbase, especially in Japan and the UK, where the NC30 is a popular track-day bike.

Successors

As the RC30 was eventually replaced by the RVF750R (RC45), the VFR400R NC30 evolved into the RVF400R NC35, which was produced between 1994 and 1996. This model featured inverted forks and an updated racing-style fairing.

Speed restriction

In the Japanese market, 400 cc motorcycles were once restricted by top speed, but these restrictions can be removed through various means, including the fitting of an ignition “black box”. The VFR400R NC30 is restricted by means of an optical sensor inside the speedometer, and a black sector attached to the indicator needle shaft. When needle swings round to 180 km/h (110 mph) the sector starts to block the sensor, ignition is cut to the front two cylinders thereby reducing power such that the motorcycle can not accelerate further. Later models were restricted by power, with 59 PS (44 kW) being the limit for 400 cc motorcycles, but this kind of restriction generally requires much more difficult power-increasing techniques to circumvent.

Honda CBR400RR NC-29 Performance Figures

CBR400RR 1/4 miles time: 12.17 seconds@ 110.42mph
CBR400RR top speed: 129mph

Honda’s CBR400 RR, or ‘BabyBlade’, is the older brother of the Fireblade or CBR900RR series. The CBR400RR preceded the 900 cc Fireblade by several years, going through one major rework and a year or so of production in its new form before acquiring the Fireblade name. The original CBR400RR was the NC-23. Early bikes were known as the ‘Aero’ but more commonly as the ‘Tri-arm’ after its racing inspired braced swingarm. The CBR400RR-J (1988) and CBR400RR-K (1989) are referred to as NC-23 bikes.  The NC-23 has a standard extruded beam frame, the rear of the seat unit slopes forwards, and the seat unit subframe is totally separate from the main chassis of the bike. The later machine, the NC-29 (only type 7 & 8 models of this bike carry the Fireblade name) had several modifications to the frame. The main rails were of a ‘cranked’ design, the seat support structure had a larger rail that was welded to the frame, the rear of the tail section now had a slight recurve to it and the swingarm was given a gull-wing shape on one side to give ground clearance for the exhaust link pipe. The bodywork was reshaped to comply with changing aesthetic tastes. That reshaped swingarm earned the bike the sub title ‘Gullarm’. The CBR400RR-L (1990 & 1991), -N (1992 & 1993) and -R (1994 onwards) are designated NC-29 bikes.

Model, Code and Production Year – CBR400RR-J (1988)
Frame Numbers – NC23-1020001 to 1036454
Engine Numbers – NC23E-1020001 to 1036510
Carburettor Number – VG04A
Wheelbase – 1370mm
Overall length – 2020mm
Overall width – 690mm
Overall height – 1110mm
Ground clearance – 120mm
Weight (dry) – 179kg

Model, Code and Production Year – CBR400RR-K (1989)
Frame Numbers – NC23-1090001 to 1098116
Engine Numbers – NC23E-1090001 to 1098123
Carburettor Number – VG04B
Wheelbase – 1380mm
Overall length – 2202mm
Overall width – 675mm
Overall height – 1110mm
Ground clearance – 120mm
Weight (dry) – 182kg

Model, Code and Production Year – CBR400RR-L (1990 and 1991)
Frame Numbers – NC29-1000001 to 1010598
Engine Numbers – NC23E-1300001 to 1310636
Carburettor Number – VP01A
Wheelbase – 1365mm
Overall length – 1990mm
Overall width – 670mm
Overall height – 1080mm
Ground clearance – 125mm
Weight (dry) – 180kg

Model, Code and Production Year – CBR400RR-N (1992 and 1993)
Frame numbers – NC29-1050001 on
Engine Numbers – NC23E-1420001 on
Carburettor Number – VP01A
Wheelbase – 1365mm
Overall length – 1990mm
Overall width – 670mm
Overall height – 1080mm
Ground clearance – 125mm
Weight (dry) – 180kg

Model, Code and Production Year – CBR400RR-R (1994 – on)
Frame Numbers – NC29-1100001 on
Engine Numbers – NC23E-1500001 on
Carburettor Number – VP01B
Wheelbase – 1365mm
Overall length – 1990mm
Overall width – 670mm
Overall height – 1080mm
Ground clearance 125mm
Weight (dry) – 180kg

Specifications CBR400RR-N
Type Four-stroke, dohc, in-line four cylinder
Capacity 399cc
Bore & Stroke 55.0mm x 42mm
Compression Ratio 11.3:1
Valve Train Gear Driven DOHC; 4 valves per cylinder
Cooling System – Liquid cooled, radiator with cooling fan
Clutch – Wet multi plate
Clutch operation – Cable operated
Transmission – 6-speed
Primary reduction – 2.117 : 1 (72/34)
Final reduction (sprockets) 2.600 : 1 (39/15)
Transmission – 6 speed constant mesh
Final drive chain – 102 links, split
Frame Twin spar, box-section aluminium
Front Suspension – Oil-damped telescopic forks
Rear Suspension – Single shock absorber with 3-way linkage
Front brakes – Double floating disc; 2-piston Nissin sliding callipers
Rear brake – Single solid disc; single-piston Nissin sliding calliper
Fuel tank capacity – 15.0 liters (4.0 U.S. gal., 3.5 Imp gal.)
Ignition system – Digitalized full transistor ignition
Starting system – Electric
Battery Type – YTX7L-BS
Charging system – Triple phase output alternator
Regulator/rectifier type – SCR Shorted/triple phase full wave rectification
Recommended engine oil -SAE 10W-40
Engine oil capacity at oil filter change – 3.4 litres
Idle speed – 1,300 +/- 100 rpm
Cold tire pressure (driver only, front) – 33 psi (2.25 bar)
Cold tire pressure (driver only, rear) – 33 psi (2.25 bar)
Cold tire pressure (driver & pass., front) – 33 psi (2.25 bar)
Cold tire pressure (driver & pass., rear) – 36 psi (2.50 bar)
Spark plug (standard) – NGK CR8EH-9 or equivalent
Spark plug (racing) – NGK CR9EH-9 or equivalent
Spark plug gap – 0.8-0.9mm