So here it is folks, the conclusion to the Bren and Sven: New for 2010 series. Please hold your applause and cheers. We’ve brought you some of the heaviest of the heavy hitters in the motorcycling industry, and now it is time to bring you probably the heaviest of them all. No no not Harley Davidson, Honda. But wait Sven, HD is America’s motorcycle. Sure, if you’re a Hell’s Angel. Honda took the motorcycle and made it for the masses; rebel without a cause or not. So quit complaining, check your beer guts at the door, and enjoy.

Honda has more than just it’s hot hatch Civic to its name. Sure the company is one of the largest motor companies in the world, but what stands out about Honda isn’t the Si badge, but rather C B R (Pretty damn sure that it is a ton faster than any lil Civic Si). The 2010 CBR lineup is exactly the same as lasts. Both the CBR1000RR and CBR600RR are identical to the 09 configurations, with their Dual Stage Fuel Injection inline 4s,  intuitive Honda Electronic Steering Damper (HESD) and Combined-ABS.

If you had to name your bike, this one is Leyla

What is new for the CBRs in 2010 line up is the livery configurations. True to Honda street bike fashion, the CBRs get new and edgy paint schemes, more so for the CBR600RR. As of yet, we are unable to confirm if a Repsol CBR1000RR look alike will be offered, but I wouldn’t put it past Honda if they did. The CBR600RR will be getting it’s trendy new dress ups with. Along with the classic red and black combination, the 600cc Honda will come in a white and black urban theme, with the portrait of a girl named Leyla on the fairing. For Bren and Sven specs of the CBR1000RR click here, and for the CBR600RR click here.

Now lets get to the reason why we saved Honda for last. Honda has built a bike, that will revolutionize the way we ride motorcycles. The tides of change are here and it rolls in on the Honda VFR1200F, the first ever to have an automatic dual-clutch transmission. What more do you want me to say, it has a dual-clutch transmission.

Honda has just raised the bar with the VFR1200R

So lets take a look a the bigger picture of the bike. With its sleek and minimalist design, added with a bit of contemporary modern flair, the VFR1200F looks years ahead of its time. The engine boasts a liquid cooled 1237cc V-4 at 76° that is capable of turning out 90% of its available torque at the 4000 rpm mark. In lamen terms, the VFR1200F likes to pick up and go. The VFR is shaft driven, so the bike caters beautifully to sport tourers looking for those long winded trips. Just like all the other top end Hondas, the VFR comes equipped with ABS brakes, plus it comes standard with quality Nissin calipers. For Bren and Sven specs of the VFR1200F click here.

Ok ok ok, I know you want to learn about the dual-clutch transmission. That’s what we’re all here for right? So the VFR comes in two models, a standard manual or the automatic dual-clutch option. We all know how a manual works: throttle, clutch, shift and so on, but this is where the VFR1200F sets new rules in motorcycling. The automatic version of the VFR comes with two operating modes”full auto” and “semi-auto”. In the standard automatic style, the VFR operates just like an automatic car, the on-board computers calculate shift points and does so accordingly, allowing the rider to concentrate solely on riding/ steering. When selected in the “semi-auto” mode, the VFR allows the rider to shift gears via F1 inspired paddle shifters on the left hand-grip. The clutch is eliminated from the left hand-grip and replaced with two triggers: on on top and the other on the underside of the hand-grip. Up to upshift and down to downshift. It’s as simple as a press of the button and the bike VFR does the rest.

The VFR1200F blends performance and comfort into one.

Now we have a feeling the VFR is going to recieve flak from ignorant purists here in the states. These so called motorcycle fans feel that automatic transmissions take away from the motorcycling experience. Sure an automatic eliminates the intimacy of clutch and throttle control, but the last time I checked that wasn’t the definition of motorcycling. Hell, Moto GP racers don’t even use a clutch now with the perfection of quickshifters, and that is supposed to be the ultimate form of motorcycling.

Honda has done something magical, they have taken the best parts of motor engineering, added a dab of precision and perfection, shoehorned into a motorcylce frame, and lo the VRF1200F. As Jeremy Clarkson of TopGear said about the Nissan GT-R, we hear at the Bren and Sven lab say this, “Honda hasn’t built a new bike here, they built a new yard stick.”

So as the New for 2010 series draws to a close we can only look anxiously towards 2011. And we wonder whats to come, will the BMW S1000RR be all that it says it will be, and will the Honda VFR1200F take the motorcycling community by storm? Only time will tell.

Keep the paint up and the rubber down. Ride safe.   -Sven

Check out the other articles in the New for 2010 series:

Aprilia BMW Ducati Honda   Kawasaki Suzuki Triumph Yamaha