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2009 Honda CBX250 Twister |
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Written by Christoff Bester
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Monday, 08 February 2010 18:32 |
Honda's CBX-range has been around for quite some time now and you can definitely spot some similarities between the latest CBX250 Twister and the earlier models manufactured since the 70's. There are however, a few things that make this bike look and feel way more modern than its predecessors. The bike's design is much more streamlined with some plastic bits here and there to shed some weight without making it look cheap in any way. Once you're on the bike the modern styling becomes more striking when looking down towards the instrument panel. Speedometer on the left, rev-counter on the right and a LCD screen smack in the middle of the two displaying all the necessary information like the odometer, trip meter and digital clock. Turn the key and the impressive start-up sequence makes you feel like you are sitting on a modern sports bike. 
The 249cc air-cooled, dual overhead cam, single cylinder motor provides more than enough grunt (17.5 kw @ 8000rpm and 24Nm @ 6000rpm) to travel in sixth gear all day long. Climbing a steady hill at a 100km/h, in sixth, with the engine running at 7000rpm, there are even some more spare horses ready to be unleashed. There is no doubt in my mind that this little 250 is capable of travelling comfortably at the national speed limit, which is 120km/h. Overall performance is good, acceleration is smooth through all the gears and the motor never seems unwilling. The well set-up suspension in combination with the standard 17 inch aluminium wheels wrapped in 100/80-R17 front- and 130/70-R17 rear tyres makes for excellent handling through the bends, never making you feel as if you're pushing it too hard. Braking power is also more than adequate thanks to the disc brakes all-round. 
Weighing in at only 135kg's dry, the Twister is perfect for manoeuvring through traffic and parking it in those spots that the other road users can't. With its 16.5 litre fuel tank and excellent fuel consumption this bike should be a great everyday commuter.
Whether you're a new rider, or even an old hand, and you need something for daily commuting or for doing some trouble-free, effortless Sunday cruises with, the CBX250 Twister will meet your every need. And the best thing of all - you know the bike will just keep on going for ever.
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Last Updated on Monday, 08 February 2010 18:39 |
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2010 Harley-Davidson V-Rod Muscle |
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Written by Buks Saayman
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Sunday, 22 November 2009 08:18 |
 After about three weeks worth of horrible weather, I finally had a perfect day to drive down to the local Harley-Davidson shop and get my hands on the new 2010 Harley-Davidson V-Rod Muscle. I absolutely love the styling, HD opted to integrate the front indicators into the mirrors, at the rear your tail light is integrated into the fender, this creates an uncluttered look from the front and rear of the bike. HD’s website describes the exhausts as “Satin chrome, dual side exhaust system with turnouts”, to me they just look plain awesome. Instrumentation consists of a fuel gauge, speedo with an odo and a rev-counter. The top digits are a bit difficult to read in direct sunlight otherwise I cannot fault this interstellar cruiser’s cockpit. I really love the keyless ignition, you have a disc that you just keep in your pocket and when you’re on the bike simply fire it up. Walk more than 10 feet away from it, and the security system engages. If anyone tries to tamper with it, the alarm will sound.  Seat height is around 650mm and the first thing you notice after mounting the beast, is how much you have to lean forward to reach the handlebars. I always thought that I have long arms, but today I had to ride with my arms fully extended just to keep a firm grip. Obviously you can shift your bum a bit to the front, but with the raw accelerating power of the V-Rod Muscle you soon find yourself pinned to the back of the seat with only the small backrest keeping you in place. This is thanks to a 122bhp, liquid-cooled, Revolution, 60° V-Twin engine with a 1250cc displacement. The V-Rod is aptly named ‘Muscle’. The motor just keeps on going. Redline is at 9000rpm, but I doubt if anyone will have the guts or the need to exploit that. Two-up, uphill, in top gear, 120km/h, she ticks just shy of 4500rpm with loads more power instantly available. One would expect a bike of this size to handle clumsily. The Muscle weighs in at 303kg and total length is 2397mm. At the first bend I was a bit apprehensive and took it easy, ground clearance is 127mm and more  than enough to ensure a decent lean-angle. Even with my arms fully extended to reach the grips, the bike handled superbly. There is no need to throw it into a turn, no need to manhandle the bike. She effortlessly glides wherever you point the front wheel. The breaks are decent and so is the suspension, eating up any imperfection in the road with relative ease. The exhaust note is quite muted, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing. There is almost zero vibration through the entire bike, which makes not only makes your mirrors more stable, but reduces fatigue on long distances. The 2010 Harley-Davidson V-Rod Muscle is my new favourite hooligan bike. The exclusivity of owning a piece of HD engineering, combined with the awesome power of the engine, and the extreme, almost futuristic looks, make for a total package that is hard to beat. This bike would appeal to pretty much anyone. I’m so confident you’ll like it, that if you take it for a test-ride and afterwards you’re not ready to sign the cheque, I’ll eat my socks.
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Last Updated on Saturday, 28 November 2009 05:37 |
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2009 Honda NT700 Deauville |
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Written by Christoff Bester
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Wednesday, 09 September 2009 18:11 |
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 To be honest I was slightly nervous before testing Honda's new NT700 Deauville. I was a bit intimidated by how big this bike looked on pictures I saw of it beforehand but was surprised when I walked up to the showroom and saw the NT standing outside - not that intimidating at all. In reality the bike is actually quite narrow, thanks to the compact 680cc 52° V-twin. Getting its roots from the ST1300 Pan-European, the NT looks very solid and streamlined, with integrated indicators as well as integrated side panniers. Nothing looks like it has been added as an afterthought.
The first thing you notice when you climb onto the bike is the seat height - being only 805mm meant that I was able to put both my feet flat on the ground. This eliminates quite a bit of the weight factor you have on some bikes and thus makes manoeuvrability a lot easier. With both hands on the handlebar your arms are almost fully extended, like on a cruiser, with absolutely no strain on your wrists whatsoever. The rear-view mirrors are mounted way in front on either side of the windscreen which means that you can easily see past your shoulders.
The large dash in front of the handlebar accommodates all the necessary, easy to read, analogue gauges. In the middle are all the warning lights and on top of that is a small LCD screen for the onboard computer on which you can choose to see the odometer, trip 1 meter, trip 2 meter, average fuel consumption or the current fuel consumption. On each side of the fairing you will also find a little cubbyhole, one of which is lockable - perfect for storing your wallet and cellphone.
Driving through traffic is a breeze. Weighing in at about 236 kg dry, the bike is easily flicked from one side to another. The neatly integrated side panniers results in the bike being almost just as wide at the back as it is in the front, so you don't have to hesitate when going for a gap between two cars. The V-twin isn't really a high revving engine and there is quite a bit of vibration when you reach 6000rpm, not tha t you really need to rev it that high. With 62.2 Nm of torque there's more than enough grunt in the lower part of the rev-range although the 48.3 kW of power is only achieved at 8000RPM. Gear changes are somewhat stiff and I occasionally found myself stuck in the same gear after releasing the clutch lever. This could however easily be avoided by a more precise shift with the left foot. Overall the power delivery is very smooth thanks to the NT being shaft driven.
Hitting the open road is where this bike really starts earning some points. With its nice large adjustable windscreen at the highest setting you can effortlessly cruise at 140kph+ without a hint of wind on your upper body. The NT is the perfect option if you want to travel long distances in absolute comfort. The seat is comfortable for both rider and pillion and you should be able to eat up the kilometres without having to waste precious riding time by stopping every now and then to relieve the backside of some numbness. Because of its 19.7l fuel tank you shouldn't have to stop for fuel very often either. You can even buy a topbox, as well as extended side pannier lids which should make the available luggage space more than enough for you and your pillion.
If you often dream about touring in style and comfort without having to sell your house to cover the payments, the new NT700 Deauville is the bike for you.
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Last Updated on Wednesday, 09 September 2009 18:26 |
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