a little worksafe Porn...

[SuperDave]

When I saw the very first picture I thought it was one of those minibikes!
But that bike looks awesome, when did they stop making them?

[gav]

1992 the NR came out, typical Honda, released it as the ultimate sports tourer ie it was overweight and underpowered. Shame, should have been the ultimate sports bike, with 150hp at the rear wheel. Instead it had around 125hp (claimed) and weighed about 225kg (dry).
I was working in a Honda shop at the time and remember seeing the brochure, was like a full on glossy magazine and no the rep wasnt giving any away either. Had one enquiry from a guy claiming to have won lotto and wanted one, think the price was around $100,000NZD!!! Told him we'd need 25% deposit to order it, but sadly never heard from him again, don't know if he was full of shit or not?

[nudemetalz]

It also had a trick screen with a blue hue through it that also reflected the digital speedo like a HUD didn't it ?

[dangerous]

think the price was around $100,000NZD!!!

Try $200,000............ there is a couple for sale in Europe, heres some info and 2 pics that SuzyQ & 30UTD took last month while on holliday.

The last pic is the GP bike the NR500, which was built with ovel pistons 8v per cyl etc as it was the closest thing to a V8..... restrictions ment 4cyl max

[Marmoot]

The last pic is the GP bike the NR500, which was built with ovel pistons 8v per cyl etc as it was the closest thing to a V8..... restrictions ment 4cyl max

Same concept that they put onto NR750. Oval pistons were basically 2 small cylinders joined together (that's why they were oval).
I remembered now, yes the redline was put down from 22,500 planned to 15,000 production. That's why the power was down and they reckon it was a disapointment thus it was not put to race (and thus it was only produced at one go, and nothing more....hence became a collectible item).

Same story as with Jaguar XJ220, which were supposed to be made using V12 but came out with a V8 instead. Still the fastest production car ever, though....

But who cares about the power! that thing is sexy! with an all aluminium frame, monocoque carbon-fibre tank+body (which cost almost US$10,000 to make), specially coated windscreen, and rarity that could literally send someone to kill for.

It still retails at (at least) around US$55,000 if you happen to see one for sale.

[TonyB]

As the bike mags said at the time- yeh its cool, but why not just buy a cheaper, lighter, better handling,more powerful and FASTER GSXR/FZR/ZXR 750? Those things must have cost Honda millions in un-recouped development costs...

[WRT]

And its even got a fuel gauge . . .

[Marmoot]

As the bike mags said at the time- yeh its cool, but why not just buy a cheaper, lighter, better handling,more powerful and FASTER GSXR/FZR/ZXR 750? Those things must have cost Honda millions in un-recouped development costs...

Seriously?? With a bike that looks like it can give you orgasm just by sitting on it?

if you have the money and can buy a Ferrarri.....why not?

besides, if I DO have the money, I would most certainly have enough to buy a second bike, which would be a FireBlade

[nudemetalz]

Same concept that they put onto NR750. Oval pistons were basically 2 small cylinders joined together (that's why they were oval).
I remembered now, yes the redline was put down from 22,500 planned to 15,000 production. That's why the power was down and they reckon it was a disapointment thus it was not put to race (and thus it was only produced at one go, and nothing more....hence became a collectible item).

Same story as with Jaguar XJ220, which were supposed to be made using V12 but came out with a V8 instead. Still the fastest production car ever, though....

But who cares about the power! that thing is sexy! with an all aluminium frame, monocoque carbon-fibre tank+body (which cost almost US$10,000 to make), specially coated windscreen, and rarity that could literally send someone to kill for.

It still retails at (at least) around US$55,000 if you happen to see one for sale.

Sorry to pick points, but are you sure that the NR750 roadbike was going to redline at 22,500rpm??
I have always read that it was only ever to redline at 15K, apart from the specially lightened one.

from: http://www.v-four.freeserve.co.uk/nr750.htm
"Since it couldn't be homologated for World Championship racing Honda decided the NR750 could be used to attempt some records. A lightened, tuned NR, making 150bhp @ 15,500rpm and weighinhg just 180kg was produced (compared to the standard bikes' 222kg). Diminutive GP rider Loris Capirossi set new flying mile, flying kilometre and standing start mile & 10km records, assuring its place in the record books."

oh, and the XJ220 was a V6....

Okay, I'll shut up now !!

[Marmoot]

oh, and the XJ220 was a V6....

yeh.....picky.....OK, it's a V6. But I was right that it was conceptualized (and marketed) as a V12 before it came out

The funny thing about XJ220 was that when it came out, like a year overdue from what was promised, the pricetag has gone up quite a bit since the first offering, and Jaguar actually encouraged signed buyers to withdraw from the deal so it could re-sell the cars for the new pricetag.

Anyway, back to the bike, the paint looks beautifully freshly liquid....I wonder how much it would cost

[onearmedbandit]

Yep, the XJ220 was only a V6. There is still a few sitting in England unsold because of this little slight. Put down you deposit on one vehicle, only to be told you'll be getting another... Fastest production car ever?? I'm thinking Mclaren F1 for one, along with some others.

There is a Honda dealer in Japan who has an NR750, albeit a streetfighter version!!

[Marmoot]

Fastest production car ever?? I'm thinking Mclaren F1 for one, along with some others.

that'll be the fastest 0-100kph. Which is broken by Koenigsegg.......or Koenigsegg broke XJ220 record? Not sure....not really a car expert in that field.

But my dream gargre (garge? grage?) is XJ220, NR750 and a Fireblade.

[bugjuice]

the original prototype XJ220 shown to the world in the early 90s had semi-gullwing doors, 4x4 and a V12. The production car (of which was a mighty flop, and still have 10s of cars left to be sold long after production ceased) came out with regular doors, V6 turbo and RWD. Also featured an appaling array of parts from UK/European Ford cards, which you could pick up from most wreckers around the country. The car in iteslf was fairly reliable (especially compared to the electrical-bug-ridden McLaren F1, which is still the fastest mass production car), but over priced, had the phsyical dimensions of a 7 1/2 tonne box truck, and the brakes and turning circle to match too.

Either way, I still love the car, and I'd buy one if I had the money..

[WRT]

. . . long after production seized . . .

Yet more proof that there is always time for lube . . . maybe they should have ceased production before it seized?

[nudemetalz]

I remember Jeremy Clarkson testing the XJ220.
There was a camera inside and he said "watch this.."
He floored it and the glovebox lid came flying open……oops, still a hint of BMC in there…

and sorry for being picky, Marmoot