Amazing Motor

Honda has unveiled a special edition CBR1000RR Fireblade to celebrate Casey Stoners return to the Honda fold, limited to just 170 units


Before Casey Stoner has even participated in qualifying for the first race of the 2012 MotoGP season in Qatar, Hondas global promotions department is already cranking out commemorative products.

Exhibit A) your honour, the limited edition 2012 Honda CBR1000RR Casey Stoner Repsol Fireblade.

Finished in the same Repsol livery as Stoners 2012 RC212V MotoGP race bike, the limited edition Honda Fireblade will be on sale at Honda dealerships from the end of February and according to the Japanese company, all bikes will come with a "hard mounted wall plaque of authenticity" which are numbered 1 of 170, plus a Repsol Rear Cowl with signature and Casey Stoner decals mounted on the motorcycle.

The special edition CBR1000RR Casey Stoner Repsol Fireblade will retail for $18,790 plus on road costs and like the MotoGP race bike will bear Stoners number 27 on the front, which is rumoured to add an around 10km/h to the bikes top speed.

On top of the extra goodies that come with the Stoner Fireblade, the "familiar Repsol colours complement the Fireblade’s race-ready profile and emphasise the aggressive details of its cowling, chassis and high-performance components," claims Honda.

Hondas compact litre-class sports bike tips the scales at just 176kg and is power-driven by a liquid-cooled four-stroke engine that cranks out around 177hp (130kW).

Though the motorcycle doesnt include the sort of advanced electronic riding aids such as traction and anti-wheelie control like the 2011 Kawasaki Ninja ZX-10R, the Honda is known for its chassis dynamics, the CBR1000RR Fireblade having a "particularly sweet chassis" according to one our previous reviews.

Celebrating what could be a massive year for both Casey Stoner and Repsol Honda MotoGP team in 2012 this limited edition Fireblade probably wont be around long with only 170 units on offer. Check out HondaMotorcycles.com.au for your nearest dealer.

The 2012 Yamaha Super Tenere is an all-new entry in the adventure genre that was kick started by the venerable BMW GS-series bikes thirty years ago. Going up against the mighty BMW— as well as newer adversaries like the KTM 990 Adventure, Triumph Tiger 1050, and Ducati Multistrada 1200— is no small feat.

How does this lower-priced newbie from Japan take on the European competition? I spent two days in Arizona riding the Yamaha Super Tenere across trails and highways to see if this $13,900 adventure bike lives up to its superlative name.

In keeping with the oversized proportions of the adventure touring bike genre, the Super Tenere exudes a rather towering stance. Propping it up onto the center stand requires a considerable shove, and standing on the foot lever with my 185 pound mass alone wouldnt do it; I had to roll it backwards while jumping on the lever to get 575 pounds of bike up on the stand.

Fire up the big parallel-twin powerplant, and it comes to life with a mellow bass note. The clutch requires moderate lever pressure while the shifter engages with a solid, but easy-to-engage click.
"2012 Yamaha Super Tenere"

The Super Tenere is made to ride on the road, as well as dirt trails like this one in Arizona.
Photo © Brian J. Nelson
In motion, the first thing youll notice about the Super Teneres power delivery is its flatness, which can come across as either predictable or lazy, depending on your outlook; like the R1, the Super Teneres actual speed is usually faster than the seat of your pants might suggest. It should be noted that the elevation of my ride surpassed 7,000 feet in some areas, which has the effect of diminishing engine power. Regardless, the engine rpms never sound quite as high as they actually are, and glancing down at the digital speedometer invariably reveals that youre going faster than you think; there were numerous moments on the interstate when illegal velocities crept up quicker than expected, and triple-digit speeds were attained with ease. A tall sixth gear ran the engine at a lazy 3,500 rpm at 70 mph.

"Sport" on the right handgrip-controlled throttle mode selector offers a relatively crisp response to throttle twists, while "Touring" is predictably milder and smoother, especially on the low end. Though not as punchy as the mills found in the BMW GS or Ducati Multistrada, the Super Teneres crossplane crankshaft lends it a mild "pulsing" quality that keeps it from suffering terminal blandness.