Honda: 2010 and beyond...

Honda have, we're sure, great things in store for motorcyclists. But our no.1 favourite Honda - the RC45 - isn't coming back. What a pity...
Pic: Killboy

Honda President and CEO, Takeo Fukui has spoken. And according to the big man at Honda, you can expect great things from the company over the next three years. According to Fukui san, ‘Honda will create motorcycles which reflect the unique characteristics of Honda and exceed the expectations of customers.’

Among other things, Honda will have their PGM-FI tech on all their bikes by the end of 2010. The company will also look at fitting motorcycle airbag systems and anti-lock brakes (ABS) on more bikes. In fact, all 250cc and above Honda bikes (except off-road models) will have ABS by the end of 2010.

For commuter bike markets like India and Thailand, Honda will launch an all-new 100cc bike that’ll be inexpensive and very fuel efficient. The bike will be soon be launched in Thailand, and then in other Asian countries.

In American and European markets, Honda will introduce new technologies like the Variable Cylinder Management (VCM) system, which improves fuel efficiency, and electronically-controlled combined ABS (C-ABS), which enhances safety in tricky road/weather conditions.

At their new manufacturing facility in Ogawa, in Japan, Honda will make their next-generation, high-performance, environmentally-responsible engines which require highly advanced manufacturing technologies. In the face of soaring fuel prices, the company will also push its hybrid strategy further and look at achieving full-scale market penetration for it hybrids as early as possible. There is, however, no word on whether this would only be for cars and SUVs, or also include some of Honda’s bigger motorcycles.

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