The Brutale looks so wicked that it almost cries out for even more performance. Going that bit faster is what every rider craves. Power is addictive. It had to be even more �brutal�. MV Agusta�s response was this: the 1078RR.
Now with a new engine and other technical components dedicated to performance, the top of the range Brutale leads the way in the sport naked sector while proudly flying the �Made in Italy� flag. The 100% MV Agusta engine is only for the select few who can manage the 150 HP and more that the new four-cylinder unit puts out. The decidedly muscular appearance of the new Brutale says it all and gives the rider an adrenalin rush before he even turns the key that kicks the mighty engine into life. Just looking at the Brutale starts you dreaming, listening to one sets your pulse racing, and riding one makes you fall in love.
The 1078RR is not just a motorbike; it is an incarnation of a true rider�s personality. Others want to be such a person. They want the same type of courage that will let them take a machine to its limits, that will let them choose a real machine and not just something �normal�. There is nothing is normal about the 1078RR: Life is faster, more colourful, more vivid. This is what a Brutale is about. The new engine size now asks even more from the suspension and brakes. They need to be stronger and more efficient to redress the balance and give the bike that sure-footedness and superb rideability that typifies MV Agustas. There can be no doubt that the 1078RR will be the utmost naked.
DESIGN1078RR means simply the best; the Brutale at its peak. This includes looks that stand out. Apart from the new instrument panel, the new colour schemes express grit and determination; they include pearl white/black, anthracite black and silver/red. The latter is obviously based on MV�s long tradition of racing. The �skin� of the Brutale 1078RR lets us see the components that have been changed in all their beauty: The new brakes, the new fork components and especially all the little details that finish off this work of art. They make all the difference not just to the rider but also to an observer. It is the same as looking at a masterpiece in an art gallery.EQUIPMENT: 10% MORE POWER
Transition from the 910R to the 1078RR involved the introduction of some new components that have given the Brutale RR 15 more HP and 2 kilos more of torque. A breakdown of the changes includes:
- decals and colour schemes;
- instrument panel graphics;
- revised suspension calibration;
- 1078 cc engine;
- slipper clutch;
- resized catalysers;
- Brembo monoblock (one-piece) brakes.
The main focus has been on finding the right balance between the new components.
POWER AND TRACTABILITY HAND IN HAND
The new Brutale has inherited the very best of MV Agusta technology. With its new 1078 cc engine based on the racing F4 RR 312, the new Brutale is a sure winner. The aim wasn�t so much about seeking maximum performance as of taming four cylinders to work together to offer a perfectly balanced ride. This is no easy feat when you�re dealing with 154 HP shoe-horned into a compact frame like the one on the Brutale. The bore and stroke have been increased to 79 and 55 mm from the original 76 and 50.1mm. The compression ratio has been kept high despite the significant increase in capacity from 909 to 1078.37cc. Maximum power output has increased by 15 HP thus setting a new record for the sports naked with 154 HP at 10,700 rpm. Torque has also been improved going up from 96 Nm (70.7 Ft/lb) at 8,000 rpm to 117 Nm (86.2 Ft/lb) at 8,100 rpm. The removable gearbox remains exclusive to this segment of the market and the speed and precision with which it changes allows the bike to reach its maximum speed of 166.04 mph in next to no time. Such performance is due to a large extent to the adoption of new 46 mm throttle bodies taken from the F4 1000 R (as opposed to the 48 mm units on the F4 R 312). These units also dictated the choice of a longer final drive ratio (two less teeth on the crown wheel) thus moving from 15/43 to 15/41. The EBS (Engine Brake System) was replaced with the slipper clutch used on the F4 sports version. It is a mechanical slipper clutch system with ramps and roller bearings. In seeking to offer a �softer� response to the throttle, MV engineers fitted a new larger exhaust catalyser that meant more room to manoeuvre with emissions in seeking to meet Euro 3 requirements and this allowed a richer mix. The end result is more flexible, smoother engine even under hard acceleration.
A TUBULAR FRAME AS PER MV TRADITON
Retaining the chrome-molybdenum trellis frame was a simple choice for MV. The trellis frame is more than merely aesthetically pleasing, it capably handles the reconfigured engine power output and last of all, is easy to work on when so required. In the first 750 version of the Brutale, the frame was designed to bear theoretical torsion and flexing parameters greater than those it would in fact have to handle. This was because we knew that eventually we would arrive where we are today. Therefore � no changes needed. The geometry is the same as are the other settings as proof of the fact that we knew right from the start where we would end. The rake is 101.5 mm (3.99 in), the wheelbase measures 1,410 mm (55.51 in) and the maximum overall length is 2,020 mm (79.52 in) for an overall weight of 185 kilos (407.8 lb).. The classic single rear swingarm sets the scene and is a symbol of technology and originality. It is simply a work of motorcycling art, but its compactness and manoeuvrability are both down to MV Agusta�s racing experience.
CHANGES TO THE FORKS
Due to the introduction of new brakes and the increased power output of the 1078 cc engine, the forks have been modified. The ends now have lugs to carry the calipers while internal calibration has been modified to handle the increased loads the suspension will have to deal with. Great care has been taken to ensure that none of the comfort that a bike like the Brutale 1078RR provides its rider is lost. One small change regards the travel that has been increased to 130 mm (5.11 in). The type of forks remains unchanged and the Brutale boasts a pair of upside down 50 mm Marzocchis to keep the front end glued to the road when the rider is using the machine with a certain degree of zest. The rear shock absorber remains unchanged and the suspension has been calibrated to handle the power output. The suspension system keeps the back end in line under the hard acceleration on exiting bends that the 154 CV engine encourages. Rebound, compression and spring pre-load can all be adjusted on the Sachs monoshock unit.
NEW BREMBO BRAKES
The Brutale 1078RR now features the most powerful and exclusive brakes available. The system features race-bred monoblock or one-piece radial calipers like those fitted to the F4. The aim of the new system is to increase stopping power and reduce braking distances but at the same time decrease the amount of pressure needed on the brake lever and thus tire the rider less. The Brutale 1078RR can brake later than the competition and is already set up for the track with its new monoblock radial calipers. With the Brembo system this Brutale is now Italian from head to toe. The highly original forged aluminium five-spoke star-shaped wheels are also Brembo and measure 3.50� x 17� at the front and 6.00� x 17� at the rear with 120/70 ZR 17 and 190/55 ZR 17 tyres.
Emergency braking with an ABS-equipped motorcycle
1. Which brake is the most effective?
The front brake is the most effective, giving between 60 & 80% of the bike's stopping power in hard stops, depending upon surface conditions. This is because most of the weight of the bike and rider transfers forward onto the front wheel when the brakes are applied. A common example of weight transfer is when you trip on a gutter - your feet stop but momentum keeps the top of you going and you fall flat on your face. The weight transfer that takes place under braking on a motorcycle pushes the front wheel onto the ground and makes it grip very well.
2. Is the front wheel likely to skid if you apply the front brake hard?
No. The front wheel is likely to skid uncontrollably and bring you down only if you jam the front brake on hard. If you apply the front brake in a staged (progressive) process, the front wheel may skid but that skid is normally quite controllable.
3. Is the rear wheel likely to skid if you apply the brakes hard?
With most of the weight being on the front wheel, the rear wheel tends to be light under braking and will therefore lock up and skid very easily.
4. How do you control a rear wheel skid?
Control of a rear wheel skid is easy. Just keep your eyes up to the horizon and look where you WANT to go (not necessarily where you are actually going) and the bike will skid in a controllable manner with a minimum of fishtailing. Basic and advanced braking techniques are best learnt under controlled conditions rather than when a truck pulls out on you! Your local motorcycle school will run a fun braking exercise session for you and some mates if you care to call the school and arrange it.
5. Is braking a natural skill?
Braking, as with any riding skill, is a learned skill, not a natural one. This means you must practice the correct braking skills enough to make them an instinctive reaction before you can be sure that you will do the right things in an emergency. Overseas research has shown that, because of panic overpowering the rider's conscious reactions, nearly a third of all riders do absolutely nothing in an accident situation: they don't even apply the brakes!
If, however, your high level braking skills are so well learnt that they are instinctive, you will do it right, no matter what the situation. However, this requires you to do a lot of high level braking skill practice, the skills will not come with normal everyday riding.
6. Is there a special braking technique that ensures that a rider will get the best out of a motorcycle's brakes?
Yes. The process is called STAGED BRAKING and it involves the rider applying the motorcycle's brakes in a staged process. This gives the rider predictable, progressive braking.
7. In an emergency do we concentrate on using staged braking on both front and back brakes?
This is a controversial subject. Some experienced riders reckon that, even in an emergency when research has shown that panic tends to decrease your riding skills, they can apply the back brake perfectly with no loss of braking on the front. Well, research has shown that the average rider can only properly concentrate on the use of one brake in an emergency so, unless you think you're road motorcycling's equivalent of a top motorcycle racer, we would suggest that you concentrate on getting the best out
of one brake. Of the front and rear brake on a motorcycle, the one to concentrate on in an emergency is the front brake because if you get that one wrong, lock it up and don't correct that problem then you're going to crash..
According to the American Motorcycle Safety Foundation, if you try to get the best out of both brakes in an emergency, you will get the best out of neither. The MSF says you can't concentrate FULLY on both brakes at one time. You know your mother's old nag, "You can't concentrate on two things at one time"!
So, to get the best braking, you have to concentrate using either the front or the back brake and, since the front brake gives up to 80% of your braking power and incorrect application is likely to make you fall off, it makes sense to concentrate on the front brake.
The American Motorcycle Safety Foundation teaches their instructors that "in an emergency braking situation you should apply the back brake hard and let the back wheel slide if it wants to. This way you can concentrate on what is happening up front; there's enough to think about in the use of the front brake."
8. So how should I apply the rear brake?
Apply it and forget about it. Let the back wheel skid if necessary. Concentrate on using staged braking to harness the superior power of the front brake to save your life.
9. Is Staged Braking difficult to learn?
Given practice, the skill is not difficult to learn. The best way to learn it is to start off with a four stage application of the front brake. Later you can increase the number of stages to make your braking more and more progressive, if you want to.
10.Can you explain four stage braking in practical terms?
To understand four stage braking, think of a rider coming up to a set of lights. Stage One is the force with which he applies the front brake when he sees the lights turn orange some way ahead, in other words, lightly.
At Stage One, the rider is applying the front brake to the point where the brake is just on and slowing the bike down very, very gently to roll to a stop.
Stage Two is the force the rider would use if he was a bit closer to the lights when they turned orange, and he had to make a normal, smooth stop at the lights. So, Stage Two is the firm pull used to bring the bike to a firm, but quiet stop. The rider applies his front brake to Stage One (friction point) before going on to apply to a steady force at Stage Two.
Stage Three. Our rider has dithered about whether to stop for the orange light before deciding he'd better. By this time, he has to stop quite hard to stop. So he applies the front brake to friction point (Stage One), then onto a firm pull (Stage Two) before applying pressure with a strong pull at Stage Three.
Stage Four. The rider very unwisely decides to run the orange only to find, just before he reaches the lights, that they turn red. In this serious situation the rider needs all the braking he's got. So he applies the front brake to friction point, moves onto the firm pull of Stage Two, then to the strong pull of Stage Three, before giving it all he's got at Stage Four.
11. If you "give it all you've got" on the front brake at Stage Four, won't you get front wheel lockup?
Possibly but by using the staged braking process, by the time the tyre gets to the point of locking up at Stage Four, the weight has transferred forward onto the front wheel and any tendency of the front tyre to lose grip is both easily sensed and controlled, unlike a front wheel skid caused by a tyre locking up when the brake is jammed on hard while weight is moving around on the bike under weight transfer.
With correct use of the Four Stage process, controlling a front wheel skid is simply a matter of keeping the wheel steering straight ahead as you relax pressure on the front brake to allow the wheel to revolve again and regain grip.
12. What will happen if the front wheel locks and I don't relax some pressure?
You'll fall off as the wheel will eventually tuck under and the bike (and you) will fall down.
13. How good can you get at emergency braking?
In emergency stops, expert riders are capable of controlling a front wheel skid by releasing pressure on the front brake just enough to get that wheel turning again without actually letting the brake right off. This requires considerable sensitivity on the brakes and the only way you will gain this sort of sensitivity is to practice.
At the NZMSC higher level Megarider sessions, the way the instructors tell if the pupil has reached a suitable standard is whether they can hear the front tyre chattering as the tyre grips at the point of adhesion during emergency stops.
14. Is a bald tyre a liability when braking?
A treadless tyre will quite adequately handle braking stresses on a perfect road surface. The trouble is that perfect road surfaces are more than rare - they're virtually extinct. Tyre tread acts like a broom, sweeping debris, dirt, gravel and water etc off the road surface in order that the tyre can grip the road.
The tread on a sensibly ridden motorcycle can comfortably handle most foreign matter on a road surface - with the possible exception of oil (especially diesel oil), thick mud, and smooth wet paint. But link a bald tyre with foreign matter on the road surface and throw in braking stresses for good measure, and the crash will resound throughout the neighbourhood.
15. How should I brake on slippery and loose surfaces.
Carefully but not timidly. The secret to good braking on poor surfaces is observation. If you know what's under your wheels you can tailor your braking to the surface.
So, keep an eye on the road surface. If you cross a slippery surface under strong braking the front wheel may lock. This is why riders who brake late and hard for orange or red lights often spill off - into the middle of the intersection. The fall occurs because the rider fails to ease the front brake as the front wheel crosses the white line that crosses the lanes at the edge of the intersection. Then the front wheel breaks loose under braking on the slippery surface, the rider panics and freezes,
and he and his bike head groundwards...
The basic requirements for braking on a loose surface such as gravel are the same as those applying to braking on a sealed surface. The difference is that you must observe the requirements more strictly on gravel.
You must brake in plenty of time, preferably brake while upright and in a straight line (any braking while leaned over in gravel is extremely hazardous), use both brakes very progressively, carefully interpret the noise from the front and rear tyre while braking to detect and counteract any wheel lock-up, know your road surface, and take particular care when braking on gradients, inclines, and heavy cambers.Honda CB 1000R XESS - eXtreme European Streetfighter Styling
1 Comment Author Tristan time: 10:56 AM
The XESS (eXtreme European Streetfighter Styling) version of the CB1000R draws on the most extreme potential of this new Naked streetfighter’s intensely aggressive power. It focuses the customer’s attention on the eventual possibilities for modifying the production model to make it even more stunning.
The original CB1000R was intended to stimulate Honda Emotion; to be number one in the Sports-Naked category and the ultimate bike for two-wheel enthusiasts. This was achieved through its innovative and challenging design and through such impressive technology as the ex-Fireblade inline-4 engine, the long-and-low underslung exhaust and the hybrid aluminium swingarm. Incorporating impressive handling and a sporty nature, our plan for this model is to become the big Naked queen of the long and winding roads.
Our goal with the XESS is to allow CB1000R customers to shine out in the crowd (even more!) and give them really breathtaking added value. It is similar to our much-appreciated initiative with the Hornet 600 in early 2006. It’s clear that Naked customers like to customise their bikes, so we decided to sow the seeds of imagination with a reality model.
The XESS represents the most radical and extreme styling of the new Italian-designed CB1000R. Just as Honda represents “The Power of Dreams,” the CB1000R should be considered “The Model of Dreams” in the Naked category – a dream bike starting with a unique Honda basis and cutomised with the most impressively designed accessories.*
If the CB1000R is a spectacularly emotional bike, the velvet-red XESS builds even more on that emotion - aggressive as a panther and ready to holeshot with a premium motorcycle image. That’s why the tank is graced with the new Honda Wing emblem that only decorates top-end models like the RC212V, the Fireblade and the DN-01.
This impressive customization of a brand-new motorcycle model with quality custom parts is yet another unique and visionary initiative from Honda.
*The names of the after-market providers can be obtained on request from your local Honda sales company.
The XESS project was carried out by a local workgroup in Italy. Vito Cicchetti (General Manager, Honda Italy) proposed the initial concept and positioning, while Fausto Giancristofaro sought out suppliers of the most passionate parts and coordinated the realisation of the special model’s.
The many parts that have been added or changed include: a special Showa-signed and anodized massive front fork, Hanabira front discs with radial-mounted front callipers, a titanium twin-exhaust, lighter and race-ready footpegs, an aggressive red transmission chain, reversed levers, a velvet seat and several carbon fibre elements (such as the front mudguard, front light cowl, rear hugger, side covers and rear seat cowl).
The concept, drawings and development of the mass production model were established by R&D headquarters in Roma with the support of the Italian Sales Division. With its already sensational design, it provided an ideal basis from which to develop such an impressive and aggressive prototype. The result is a model that celebrates traditional Honda quality with 100% Italian design.
Rake and trail are terms often used when discussing sportbike handling. Manufacturers sometimes highly tout these numbers in their brochures, and we often refer to them in testing. Trail especially affects how a bike feels, and can determine its stability, steering quickness, and in general, a large portion of the bike's handling characteristics.
Rake is the angle of the steering | Trail can be calculated from |
Rake is defined as the angle of the steering head with respect to a line drawn perpendicular to the ground (left). A smaller angle, or less rake, is sometimes referred to as being steeper, and production sportbikes are currently in the neighborhood of 23 degrees of rake. Trail is the horizontal measurement from the front axle to the point at which a line drawn through the steering head intersects the ground (figure 1). Current sportbikes have 90-95mm of trail. While the two dimensions are interrelated, trail is the number that mostly changes the steering feel of a motorcycle. Trail gives a motorcycle stability because of the self-centering effect caused by the front wheel being behind (or trailing) the steering axis. Too little trail, and this self-centering effect is decreased to the point of instability. Too much trail, and the effect is so great that steering becomes heavy. There is a lot more to trail than this (and for more detail, you can refer to the resources listed here), but these are the basics for the purposes of this discussion. At first glance, most sportbikes appear to have a set rake and trail that cannot be changed, but that is not necessarily the case. Given a motorcycle's basic dimensions, we can calculate trail as follows (right): (equation 1) Trail=RSinø-0/cosø R=tire radius 0=triple-clamp offset ø=rake
An expert-level roadracer can notice a change in the order of 1mm in trail, and working equation 1 backward, we can calculate the change in rake required as just less than 0.2 degrees. Using an approximation based on the arc length from the rear axle to the steering head, we can further calculate that a fork-height change of just 4mm is enough to effect this angle change.
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