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2001 Open Class Shoot Out |
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Friday, 08 September 2000 |
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Page 4 of 4
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| Honda CBR929RR - by Peter Jones |
| Top Speed |
168 mph |
| SAE Horsepower |
131.4 @ 10,900 RPM |
| Torque |
68 FT.-Pounds @ 9,200 RPM |
Honda’s 929 now has power comparable to the R1 together with a much friendlier chassis. The 929 also has a few funky traits, which is very nice considering that the poor Honda company is often belittled for making all of its products so damn good that all personality is bleached out of them. The 929 makes strange whirring noises like gears grinding or something like the sound of snow tires on pavement. We never could figure out what it was. Also, the ticking of the blinkers can be heard. Not while moving, but at a stop it is quite easy to notice.
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| The 929 stood out over the R1 to most of us on the Streets course because it was just plain friendlier to ride. It is geared taller the other two bikes, which made the lower gears more useful, and its seating position allowed for easier movement around on the bike in the sections of track with fast transitions. Even though the R1 was exemplary everywhere on the track, the CBR929RR was still easier to ride fast. And it does feel smaller than the R1, which is no small feat, yet it is just as stable. It is absolutely remarkable that all of these bikes come without steering dampers and none of them make you want to run out and buy one in a fit of fear. |
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The CBR929RR’s brakes had a different feel than the other two bikes and came on grippy and then flattened out in their feel. And like the R1, if not even better, the 929 would hold a cornering attitude nearly perfectly even with added mid-corner braking. One problem we did have with the bike was that it dragged metal everywhere. I didn’t notice this at the intro at Las Vegas but that’s probably because most of the turns there are faster than
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| the ones at the Streets. We considered changing the suspension to try to alleviate this, but it was working perfectly so why bugger up the handling of the bike just to gain a little ground clearance? It will not be a problem on the street and, if it is, you should go racing or get an aftermarket pipe with added clearance and remove the curb feelers. |
| Honda had made bold claims that the 929 was going to be an R1 beater and although it might not have it by the numbers it is a bit better of an overall performer when all things are considered. The R1 has five extra foot-pounds of torque than the CBR929RR but you can’t feel it in your seat. And the R1 only had one more horsepower that peaked out a full 900 rpms lower than did the 929. This is probably why, during the top speed test, the R1 had such a difficult time fighting its way up to redline, while the 929 was just a tick off max rpms before its speed flattened out. |
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| In ’98, the R1 and ZX-9R left the CBR900RR behind even though that bike had been heavily refined. The all-new-for-then Kawasaki and Yamaha had moved the goalpost just too far out for it to be in the game with them. But now the ZX-9R is the odd bike out and the CBR929RR and R1 are the ones at the head of the game. Most of us picked the 929 over the R1 and, if you like the looks of the new Honda, then it is the whole package. In top speed, the 929 had it above the others, and in the turns, it had everything the R1 could offer with added user-friendliness to boot. |
| 2000 CBR929RR |
| Engine Type |
929cc liquid-cooled inline 4-cylinder |
| Bore and Stroke |
74mm x 54mm |
| Compression Ratio |
11.3:1 |
| Valve Train |
DOHC; 4 valves per cylinder |
| Carburetion |
PGM-FI with automatic choke |
| Ignition |
Computer-controlled digital with 3-dimensional mapping |
| Transmission |
Close-ratio 6-speed |
| Final Drive |
#530 chain O-ring-sealed chain |
| Front Suspension |
43mm inverted HMAS™ cartridge fork with spring preload, rebound and compression damping adjustability; 4.3 inches travel |
| Rear Suspension |
HMAS Pro-Link® single shock with spring preload, rebound and compression damping adjustability; 5.3 inches travel |
| Front Brakes |
Dual full-floating 330mm discs with 4-piston calipers |
| Rear Brake |
Single 220mm disc with single-piston caliper |
| Front Tire |
120/70ZR-17 radial |
| Rear Tire |
190/50ZR-17 radial |
| Wheelbase |
54.9 inches |
| Rake (Caster Angle) |
23.8º |
| Trail |
97mm (3.8 inches) |
| Seat Height |
32.3 inches |
| Dry Weight |
379.0 pounds |
| Fuel Capacity |
4.8 gallons, including 0.9-gallon reserve |
| MSRP |
$9,999 |
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