HOT NEWS: NEW HONDA DH BIKE SPOTTED???!!!

Author: | 29 July 2010 | 64

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We just spotted this on the Dirt forum. What the hell!

From ‘radodhr’

“Long time reader, first time poster. Check this out. Yesterday I was downhilling at the Keystone bike park in Colorado USA and a big Honda bus pulled in and started setting up. A few hours later a Tomac truck pulled in. The Honda guys unloaded what looked like a new version of the Honda bike that Greg Minnaar rode in the World Cups. Three of them spent the rest of the day riding the bike at the park. Is it possible that we could FINALLY see the Honda bike finally come to market with Tomac badging? The bike looks almost production ready, with a really finished looking gear box and a more developed frame. It still looks cooler than any DH bike I have ever seen. Seriously.”

Discuss…

IMG 1578 HOT NEWS: NEW HONDA DH BIKE SPOTTED???!!!
IMG 1581 HOT NEWS: NEW HONDA DH BIKE SPOTTED???!!!
IMG 1577 HOT NEWS: NEW HONDA DH BIKE SPOTTED???!!!

64 Responses to “HOT NEWS: NEW HONDA DH BIKE SPOTTED???!!!”

  1. mental….if someone isn’t playing the biggest prank in the universe on us….well maybe not the biggest, but pretty big

  2. It’s a prank.

    The bike is exactly the same as the original one. No part on the bike is from 2009 or 2010.

    The Tomac in the Background is also 3 years old.

  3. Yeah but if its a prank, then my question would be; why????

  4. We asked the guy and he swears that it is true. We thought it was an April fools, but who knows. Interesting for sure, prank or not.
    Mike.

  5. When I was in Whistler last summer, there were a bunch of Trek guys and an RN01 at the bottom of the lifts. Asked ‘em what they were doing with it and ‘testing’ is all that I got out of them…

  6. “more developed frame”? How is that bike any different to

    This – http://i4.pinkbike.com/photo/573/med/mpbpic573208.jpg

    Or this – http://farm1.static.flickr.com/219/487590059_9dd2227234.jpg

    Even if the pics are new, the bike looks like it hasnt been touched since Honda ended its program.

  7. Funny i saw the Honda bike out in Whistler last year and no one believed me because they thought they had all been scrapped. Fingers crossed they go into production i will defo have one!

  8. I don’t care what anyone says, Honda still need to release the rn01, I have been waiting since 2004 to get that bike and seeing pics again makes me want one even more, :0)

  9. I would love to get my hands on one of those.

    Its the ultimate DH mtb ever.

    the whole honda thing was mysterious too. Hope its true.

  10. I find it strange. Tomac team bikes wouldn’t have old Boxxer WC’s, or would they?

  11. Is it possible Honda are farming the surviving frames out to other companies for comparison testing (and lots of money)?

    Otherwise, that is kind of exciting to see the Honda Bike again, although I’m still not sure how a Honda team ever benefitted downhillers at large.

  12. Doesn’t seem like a prank. If you download the originals, the data shows the pics were taken on a G10 camera on 7/28/2010.

  13. Weird its got the old factory spec on it? Old forumla brakes etc..

  14. I took the photos. They are indeed real. No prank here… my fingers are crossed that something good comes of this with Tomac!

  15. dont look like a prank, ust maxxis with silkworm ?? and the 721s look like new modles.

  16. Is it only me that thinks this bike is horrificly ugly?

  17. i saw them at fortbill, back in the day, nice bikes apart from the gay front mudguard! makes it ugly.

  18. Fenders are for benders. Does have some old spec on it. Surely is just an old frame with a few replaced parts on it.

    They aren’t trying hard to keep it a secret though, not with that big race tent etc and leaving the bike out in plain view.

  19. there still the bollox! Stuff Tomac, I want a Honda DH bike with a big HONDA logo on the down tube!!!

  20. I heard from my friend that works at the resort that they are still out at the bike park today! I am going to check it out in a little bit and see if I can talk to them. And it was indeed Tomac and Honda. I recognized the owner of Tomac out there from a Bike Mag story. When I snapped the pictures they were all in the bus, so I didn’t get a chance to actually talk to anyone. More to come later!

  21. I’ve heard from one or two people on the scene that they wouldn’t be supprised if Honda made a return. Could this be them dropping their name back in the mix before a release?

  22. jimbo (bighit04)
    July 29th, 2010 at 9:45 pm

    I Think the gearbox is slightly different from when minnar rode it. also wheels are new as well as the seat tower. Seems that its got the old showa forks and rear shock on it. I had a funny feeling that honda wouldnt crush them all. I would put money on minnar havin one hangin up in a basement somewhere as a present from honda!

  23. Anyway..the bike is really ugly!

  24. i love all the hype around this honda bike to say there is veryyy little proof to say that it is “the best DH bike of all time” it is just because of the mystery and unknown surrounding it.

    Brilliant marketing by Honda though, they will now be able to sell it for twice as much as any other top end proven bike

  25. John Tomacs son Eli is riding for Gieco Powersports Honda motocross team in the USA, so the Honda and Tomac partnership makes sence to me.

  26. Please tell me its happening! Look at the buzz already.
    Now what are yamaha upto?????

  27. yawn

  28. Pasty sums it up quite well.

  29. UFO’s, The Yeti, The Lock Ness Monster, Honda bikes.

  30. Note to self: How to make the best performing, most desireable bike ever: never release it to public and never let anyone but top WC pros ride it. Let imagination do the rest.

  31. the fact that eli tomac rides for honda has got to be the link here…

  32. http://www.southerndownhill.com/forum/index.php/topic,230683.0.html

    plus as someone said earlier the exif data on the picture says it was taken this year, it is possible to change that though

  33. Well, let´s roll on Eurobike and then I guess we´ll see what´s the deal with Honda. Although I´m actually more looking forward to what established bike brands will come out with for 2011 or 2012.

  34. Makes sense that honda may be offering their tech out on license to other manufacturers, its win win for them

    its great, could really help push the development of gearbox bikes

    if trek or tomac or whoever were to buy the design outright theyd sell like hotcakes for silly money, i also reckon you would be able to buy honda rn01 decal sets on ebay before you the frames would be in the shops

  35. Honda have dropped out of F1 and have realised which sport is the best, that is all I can imagine it must mean!

  36. Wake me up when Kawasaki enters the DH market…

    …hey,wait a minute! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lLaAC-_Nq3I
    LOL

  37. Hah, is that the same MX bike I used to see shredding Pleney and the likes about 8 years ago? :D

  38. Samuel J Morris
    July 30th, 2010 at 2:54 am

    This bike is so amazing. Unweighted rear end, most the weight dead centre. This is what most bike companies have been waiting for!! Just no one could make a decent gear box! Ive met some one that has ridden one on the sly (when i say on the sly, one of the old team left it in a garage of a hotel whilst they went out for the day) and took it for one run and was gob smacked by its performance!

  39. What do you mean by unweighted rear end? Why is that good?

  40. I second this. I rode keystone today (7-29-10) and ended up talking with the dude riding the bike. Nice guy, big Honda trailor in the parking lot. Bring the buzzzz

  41. Dude watch you back man, Mr Tomac might send some guys out to erase ALL evidence, they wouldnt want any slip ups! Maybe you should get some security or something, things can get ugly behind the scenes.

  42. It looks like an Empire but obviously its not Cast.

  43. Honda finally selling bicycles would sure be a great thing for the industry and its gearbox definitely is attractive, but I’m not sure its geometry meets the new standards the last few years brought us. Slacker head angle, lower BB make better-handling/faster bikes. I would not exchange a 2010 frame against a 2007 one, even if (or “only because”) it looks better and has “Honda” written on it.

  44. up againest the bikes of today, the new santa cruz carbon v10 and others, it looks like Honda or whatever other company thats taken it on migth have to do a little fine tuning… nice bike,just needs a new look for 2011!? but i like the idea of a company like honda gettin more into the mtb scene, it can only help the sport! big companys like that could bring alot of money… and its long over due, you start making bigger prize money for race, and you’ll see all sorts of people come out the wood work!

  45. It’s not a prank.

  46. The front mud guard looks 2011 spec,maybe they are testing that sic mud guard.I want one,with a Honda sticker.Maybe I could get a sticker for my Front and rear mud flaps.

  47. I agree .That mud flap looks like it is from the future.
    who really cares what bike it is on,honda ponda.

    Does any one know if the mudguard is metal or plasic.
    I have been using a metal one for years.Maybe Honeda has developed some sort of plasticy one.

  48. THAT WOULD BE COOL,HAVING PLASTIC MUD FLAPS FRONT AN BACK,CAN”T WAIT TIL THEY COME OUT.

  49. I don’t believe that they are plastic,It would not work.
    MUD FLAPS HAVE TO BE METAL OR THEY JUST WOULD NOT WORK.PERIOD.

  50. Interesting,I may get some mud flaps.
    Where did you get yours from,send me a link.

  51. Mud flaps??? What is it a fucking rally car?

  52. I don't like marketing drivel
    July 30th, 2010 at 6:10 pm

    A few years on and it’s still far better than all the over-priced gimmicky (dw, vpp, split pivot, insert any other over-hyped suspension design)junk spewing out of America.

  53. Maybe Honda pulled out of F1 to concentrate on mountain bikes.

    I don’t think so.
    Why would they waste money on mountain bikes? 5 years ago yes, today NO.

    They don’t even make GOOD cars anymore, just boxes for people so Honda can make money.

    Civic Type R – Old one Good – New one shit. Even the new Mugen. There is better for your money

    Accord Type R – Stopped production
    Integra Type R – Not officially available in the UK
    S2000 – Stopped production last year
    NSX – Stopped production even longer

    That.s just my thought

  54. I have just thought.

    I think Honda are keeping a few RN01 so they can get ASIMO their robot friend to ride it. Now that wound be cool. Not in a studio, down a DH track on Mt. Fuji.

    Don’t pay for named DH riders, just use a couple of ASIMO’s. Think about it, no injuries and they wouldn’t get drunk the night before the big race, just get another robot. I’d watch that on Freecaster.

  55. I don't like marketing drivel
    July 30th, 2010 at 11:26 pm

    James ^^I hear Dave Weagle has already filed for the patent of that idea. I read about it on Ridemonkey, so it MUST be true.

  56. the most likely answer is that tomac was using it for testing whether this photo is old or not cause that is at least 2008 tomac, honda killed its program after 2006 i believe . trek has done it too, they even had old trek frames and old proto’s and the RN01 out last summer with a bunch of customs shocks waiting at the bottom with the guys from FOX in whistler. Seen it a few times since they scrapped the program which was set up for 2 reasons. first was actually R&D into suspension believe it or not. Honda thought they could learn a lot from a lighter platform. obvious comeback to that statement is why single pivot? that is actually easy to answer because all dirt bikes, moto or enduro are single pivot cause the weight gains for any other system that could also hold the need chain tension and weight of the bike are just too bulky. second part to that answer is because there is a split in the motto world between progressive shocks or a progressive knee joint like modifier link that drives the shock. many of honda’s designs rely on the modifier link and its my belief they along with there showa suspension team were looking to come up with a effective shock to either capitalize more on the modifier link cause they already had it down to a low weight or us the R&D to research a possible shock and single pivot only system seeing that’s what there RN01 was. The second purpose was to possible make it into a production line. that’s why they brought there gear box into the mix to set it apart and also make it worth the possibly high price over other bikes. Unfortunately the cheapest Honda ever sold one of there RN01′s for was 23,000 (can’t remember what the last 3 digits where from what was a dirt article i believe). yes that’s right they actually did sell a few to ppl with close ties.

    Anyways if they have gotten the price down closer to the rest of the market even the 9,000 mark with the possible help from another manufacture awesome. love to seen them on the trails. If not and this is R&D still awesome cause maybe there will be a gearbox bike after all or something new in the frame side of suspension.

  57. Hey, If it came out I’d buy one no question. Here’s to finding out whats really happening with this. Keep us all updated.

  58. well , gear box is the rigt word , but isnt this just a short rear derailler whit a chain rinng sitting in oil in a carbon shell ? ,
    i mean , it’s very cleaver when you think about it but it’s still the same principle.

  59. Buy a Pendbox from Lapierre when they come out in November.NOW, THEY ARE GREAT LOOKING BIKES!!The R&D that has gone into producing these World class bikes,shows that they have the imagination to take their design to another level.

  60. Johnathon Ross typing on behalf of Dave Weagle
    August 2nd, 2010 at 1:08 am

    Wib wib wob wibble, kinematics wibble wobble kinematics wob wibbly, wib wib wobble, wib wob wob kinematics. Pedal induced bob wibbly, wob wob wibble Split Pivot, wibbly wobble wib wob wib, DW link, wibbly.

  61. Yeah super production model!! gaaayyy! DW is awesome!!! screw your high single pivot deadly shock bikes that work really well with a gearbox just cus the chain doesnt effect how suspension works during hucks while changing gear on flat landers when your super high speed shim stack starts workin and you dont bottom out so your cranks dont smash off the ground and ruin runs even IF you run an MX skid plate to stop this happening……
    Wib wib wob wibble, kinematics wibble wobble kinematics wob wibbly, wib yeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeaaaaaaaaaaaaah honda are savage!!

  62. ha more like ugliest dh of all time look at da superco silencer now dats the ultimate dh bike

  63. hey my mate said that honda dont nt instended in downhill mounting biking or some they get rid of the bikes or something

  64. that bike looks so futuristic. I would have never expected honda to get into downhill mountain biking but it makes sense since they do a lot of motor cross.

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