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Honda 600.
Posted: Wed Jun 29, 2016 6:20 pm
by ianw
A two page article in todays Motorcycle News, "Honda will kill the CBR600RR at the end of this year because it can't meet imminent Euro-4 noise & emission regs".
Yamaha also say the current YZF-R6 is not Euro4 compliant.
What will be the implications for F2 sidecars? maybe a good time to give the engine regs a long awaited overhaul?
I suppose this is what happens when the overall majority of a class is restricted to one engine configuration.
Re: Honda 600.
Posted: Wed Jun 29, 2016 6:48 pm
by steve-e
I've heard this before.
What we need here is a Dave Stewart, the man who would know which bikes in solo classes there are enough of to be useful in a sidecar.
Re: Honda 600.
Posted: Wed Jun 29, 2016 6:49 pm
by steve-e
Re: Honda 600.
Posted: Wed Jun 29, 2016 6:50 pm
by steve-e
quote from the article -
Back in the late 1990s the CBR600F sold more than 4500 units in the UK each year. Last year, only 150 CBR600RRs were brought into the UK, and many of those went straight to the Honda Ron Haslam Race School
Re: Honda 600.
Posted: Wed Jun 29, 2016 6:54 pm
by ianw
The article also goes on to say, "Yamaha didn't even sell 100 R6s in Britain last year".
Re: Honda 600.
Posted: Wed Jun 29, 2016 8:50 pm
by steve-e
I think sidecars could get through that many in one good weekend

Re: Honda 600.
Posted: Thu Jun 30, 2016 9:30 am
by ianw
If handled correctly this could breathe a breath of fresh air into a class that has been allowed to stagnate. As steve say's, it's going to take someone who knows the solo scene like Dave Stewart to come up with ideas for suitable engines to rejuvenate the F2 class. There will obviously have to be a transition period while there are still 600cc engines out there.
I worry that the ACU & the IOM Governement will have a say in this development also the FSRA.
This doesn't have to be though. For those who can remember back to the early day's of F2, the ACU had no input into the birth of the class & the FSRA didn't even exist, the FSRA were spawned off the back of the F2 class.
Re: Honda 600.
Posted: Thu Jun 30, 2016 11:19 am
by Malcolm
Well this problem has been looming as the manufactures have taken the decision to stop updating and producing the 600 apart from maybe Kawasaki that is compliant and maybe a couple of others but the end of the road is in sight. The manufactures can continue to sell old stock for a further 2 years to clear the remaining bikes, then that’s it. Not only does it affect the IOM and all F2 races but i would imagine the newly formed rules for the World Championships as from 2017, things seem to have been thought through well.
The manufactures have stated that all development has gone into Superbikes and diverse multipurpose bikes the market that they sell bikes into.
So where to next most Countries and World Championships run various forms of 600cc Championships what’s next for them, it will leave a big void in racing so maybe leave all alone at the moment and wait to see how things pan out.
Sidecars need engines there plenty of 1000cc available but these only fit into certain criteria and would not be suitable for the IOM, World Championships, and F2 Championships.
Thinking Caps on
Re: Honda 600.
Posted: Thu Jun 30, 2016 2:09 pm
by SlowPhil
Re: Honda 600.
Posted: Thu Jun 30, 2016 7:03 pm
by NickO
"MCN understands the next Daytona (still at least a year away) will ditch the 675cc inline three-cylinder motor and go up in capacity to a 765cc motor to make it an even better road bike."
................. so basically we will be back to the good "old fashioned" 750's, (the original superbike)?
Anyway, will Euro4 apply when Brexit is done and dusted?