Honda CBR125R - The Biggest Seller In The 125 Class

So far this year more than 700 riders in the UK – both new and experienced – have chosen a CBR125R. The CBR125R weighs just 110kilos and has a 124.7cc liquid-cooled, single-cylinder engine which produces 13bhp at 10,000rpm and uses a six-speed gearbox to make the most of the available power. It has disc brakes front and rear and an electric starter.

Dave Hancock, Head of Customer Service Operations and Technical Development says that it’s not just new riders who take advantage of the CBR’s attributes. He says: “More and more older, experienced riders are choosing one of our broad 125 range for their transport and leisure needs. The CBR offers all the features you would see on a larger machine but with the benefit of much smaller insurance and running costs. And with Honda on the tank, owners know that they’ve got a machine, which is reliable, dependable and backed up by our extensive UK-wide dealer network and water-tight warranty.”

Ron Haslam uses the CBR125R at his race school. The Honda Ron Haslam Race School allows people of all ages from 12-years up to experience track riding in a safe, controlled environment. Ron says the little CBR is the perfect introductory machine for the novice rider. “With people as young as 12, you need a machine which is easy to use, which doesn’t intimidate the rider, but it’s still a ‘proper’ big bike. The CBR exceeds all our requirements and best of all for the youngsters, it’s still a supersport ‘CBR’ machine.”

For a number of years the CBR125R has been a top performer in the sales charts. Back in 2005 the machine was the overall best-seller, while last year 1754 CBR125s were sold, making it the biggest seller in the 125 class overall.

Honda FCX Clarity, a New Zero-Emission Car

MSNBC reporting that Honda’s new zero-emission, hydrogen fuel cell car rolled off a Japanese production line Monday and is headed to Southern California, where Hollywood is already abuzz over the latest splash in green motoring.

The picture above is 'HOnda FCX Clarity’ which presented to the media in Tokyo last May.

The FCX Clarity, which runs on hydrogen and electricity, emits only water and none of the noxious fumes believed to induce global warming. It is also two times more energy efficient than a gas-electric hybrid and three times that of a standard gasoline-powered car, the company says.

Japan’s third biggest automaker expects to lease out a “few dozen” units this year and about 200 units within three years. In California, a three-year lease will run $600 a month, which includes maintenance and collision coverage.

The FCX Clarity is an improvement of its previous-generation fuel cell vehicle, the FCX, introduced in 2002.

A breakthrough in the design of the fuel cell stack, which is the unit that powers the car’s motor, allowed engineers to lighten the body, expand the interior and increase efficiency, Honda said.

The fuel cell draws on energy synthesized through a chemical reaction between hydrogen gas and oxygen in the air, and a lithium-ion battery pack provides supplemental power. The FCX Clarity has a range of about 270-miles per tank with hydrogen consumption equivalent to 74 miles per gallon, according to the carmaker.

The 3,600-pound vehicle can reach speeds up to 100 miles per hour.

John Mendel, executive vice president of America Honda Motor Co., said at a morning ceremony it was “an especially significant day for American Honda as we plant firm footsteps toward the mainstreaming of fuel cell cars.”

The biggest obstacles standing in the way of wider adoption of fuel cell vehicles are cost and the dearth of hydrogen fuel stations. For the Clarity’s release in California, Honda said it received 50,000 applications through its Web site but could only consider those living near stations in Torrance, Santa Monica and Irvine.

Initially, however, the Clarity will go only to a chosen few starting July and then launch in Japan this fall.

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2006 Honda CBR1000RR