Today, modern motorcycles have developed to a high degree of maturity. In terms of engine type, it can be divided into vertical and horizontal single cylinder, V-type twin cylinder, parallel twin cylinder, horizontal opposed twin cylinder, parallel three cylinder, horizontal three cylinder, side-by-side four cylinder, V-type four-cylinder, V-type five-cylinder, side-by-side six cylinder, horizontal opposed six cylinder, etc., all kinds of structures are available; in terms of displacement, from 50mL to more than 2000mL triumph "rocket three-cylinder", subdivided into dozens of different displacement models; in terms of power performance, the fiercest Kawasaki H2R peak power has exceeded 223kW. Can run out of more than 400km / h of the extreme speed; in terms of models, sports cars, street cars, cruise cars, station wagons, adventure cars, off-road vehicles, scooters, various types of competition, try to please riders with different needs; body materials, in addition to traditional iron and rubber, there are more aluminum alloys, magnesium alloys, titanium alloys, carbon fibers and other high-tech materials, applied to the frame, engine, rim and other parts; safety, not only equipped with high-performance disc brakes, And matched with anti-lock braking system, traction control system and other electronic intelligent devices, to escort the safety of the journey...
However, Rome was not built in a day. Do you know how primitive it was at the beginning of motorcycle abuse? It's a humble bike with a meager engine! From toddlers to mature atmosphere, motorcycles have experienced too many "firsts" in their centuries - the first motorcycle, the first scooter, the first expedition vehicle, the first installation of deflectors, the first use of anti-lock braking systems, the first installation of electronic throttles...
Looking back at many "firsts", we know that the history of motorcycles for a hundred years is not easy, and only then do we understand the preciousness of today, so that we are not easy to lose our way when exploring the future!
[4] The first modern superbike
Although there have been fast motorcycles for a long time, such as the Blaux SS100 in the 20s of the last century with a speed of 161km/h, and the "black shadow" of Vincent in the 40s with a speed of more than 200km/h, we do not consider this to be a modern superbike. Because, the basic concept of modern superbikes, not only to be powerful enough and light enough, not only to speed but also to control, not only to performance but also to be comfortable and safe.
It is generally believed that the starting point of the modern superbike is the Honda CB750. From this point on, Kawasaki, Suzuki, Yamaha and others quickly joined, not only holding together, but also competing with each other, setting off a huge modern superbike storm revolution.
Before the end of the 1960s, the image of Japanese motorcycles was completely different from what it is now, and the mainstream of Japan was a small displacement motorcycle, and there was not much threat to Europe and the United States in the field of large and medium displacement. However, a fundamental change occurred in the late 60s, and the hallmark of this transformation was the Honda CB750. In 1969, Honda introduced the CB750, equipped with a side-by-side four-cylinder engine with overhead camshafts, a displacement of 736mL, a maximum power of more than 50kW, disc brakes, and a speed of more than 200 km/h, making it the fastest motorcycle available from the market at that time! The CB750 achieved a major revolution in the history of motorcycles, eliminating the large, overweight and slow handling of heavy motorcycles, and ushering in the era of modern motorcycles with powerful power, light Mercedes-Benz and flexible handling.
Honda's 1969 introduction of the CB750 was both bad news and good news for Kawasaki. The bad news is that the fast-eyed Honda stole the limelight and the CB750 became the top model; the good news is that Kawasaki simply dismantled their relatively conservative four-cylinder machine and started a new stove, taking a more proactive attitude and sparing no effort to compete. In September 1972, the Kawasaki Z1 was finally unveiled to American riders and went on sale in December of the same year. Compared with the CB750, the Z1 not only has a larger displacement, but more importantly, it adopts a DOHC valve mechanism to extract more fierce high-speed performance, and the power output is significantly higher than that of the CB750, achieving a speed of more than 200km/h. It was the largest and fastest motorcycle in Japan at the time, with its second-to-none acceleration performance and top speed, making it a veritable "king of the road" and emitting an irresistible and deadly temptation to motorcycle riders. Even more impressive is the sale price of the Z1 is much lower than that of models from Italy, the United Kingdom, the United States and other countries, when Kawasaki reported a manufacturer's suggested retail price of only $1900.
[5] The first motorcycle with a deflector cover as standard
How did the deflector begin? In fact, as early as the early 20th century of the last century, riders already knew the importance of streamlined modeling, when there were streamlined racing cars, the direct reason is that the aerodynamic performance of the deflector cover is remarkable, which can effectively reduce air resistance. However, the early deflectors were not popular because of unstable performance, and some would also destroy the balance of the motorcycle, causing the body to sway and shake. With the gradual development of motorcycles, the industry's exploration of the deflector cover has been deepening, and the experience has been further accumulated, which has finally made the performance of the deflector cover more and more stable and reliable, creating a better driving experience for riders.
In the 1970s, BMW motorcycle production grew rapidly. Moreover, BMW motorcycles have become bigger, stronger and faster. Among them, two motorcycles are closely related to the popularity of deflectors, namely the R 90 S and the R 100 RS.
In 1973, BMW motorcycles broke through barriers. Bmw motorcycles have not exceeded 750mL in half a century, but for the first time, they surpassed themselves with the new R 90 S – with a displacement of 898mL and a maximum power of about 50kW, plus the first standard hood and attractive spray paint, this motorcycle is considered a classic.
In the direction of the R 90 S bigger, stronger and faster, in 1976 BMW introduced the first public upgrade motorcycle, that is, the R 100 RS with a displacement of 980 mL and a maximum power of 52 kW. Of particular note is the R 100 RS being the first production motorcycle armed with a full deflector, providing a better aerodynamic performance while providing riders with good wind protection, creating a better experience for riders and passengers alike, both in sport and travel! According to tests, the R100RS with deflector installed accelerates from 4.6s to 100km/h from standstill, and the speed easily exceeds 200km/h!
Just after BMW launched the first production motorcycle R 100 RS with a deflector cover, many manufacturers immediately followed suit, designed and installed the deflector cover, and soon became the standard configuration of sports cars and touring motorcycles. In the 1980s, the full popularity of deflectors on mass-produced motorcycles led to the emergence of a number of high-speed motorcycles, such as the Suzuki GSX-R1100, Yamaha FZR1000 EXUP, Kawasaki ZX-10 and so on. For example, the CBR1000F Hurricane launched by Honda in 1987 is equipped with an all-inclusive deflector cover, and the streamlined body looks dynamic, with strong long-distance travel capabilities in sports, not only full of power, smooth control, but also comfortable riding, with excellent wind protection.
[6] The first motorcycle to be installed with electronic throttle
In the continuous evolution of the century-old history of motorcycles, motorcycles have developed more and more mature, more and more modern, more and more sophisticated, and have evolved to the era of intelligence.
The main purpose of electronic intelligent assist devices is not to improve power or speed, but to allow the rider to control more effectively, more accurately and more safely, in other words, to help the rider run faster, safely and comfortably. With electronic intelligent assist devices such as electronic throttle, power output mode, traction control system, quick shift system, start control, single wheel drive control, anti-warp tail control, electronic cruise, etc., Xiang help riders exert their power more effectively, control the motorcycle more deeply, and achieve safer driving.
Electronic throttle is an important electronic intelligent auxiliary device, and many functions must be achieved by relying on electronic throttle. The electronic throttle is a step further on the basis of the traditional carburetor and electronic fuel injection system, and the path between the throttle and the choke valve body is no longer the path of "throttle - wire rope - choke valve body", but is changed to "throttle - engine electronic management system - choke valve body". In this way, when the rider twists the throttle handle, the engine electronic management system integrates the angle of the throttle unscrewing and the engine speed, gear, air flow, temperature and other information, calculate the result instantaneously, and then provide the best fuel supply. Since there are more parameters in the electronic throttle that determine the fuel supply to the engine, the amount of fuel supplied is more accurate and the rider can get a more ideal throttle response.
Yamaha was a pioneer in this regard, with the YZF-R6 coming standard with the YML-T as early as 2006. In order to enhance the response of the electronic throttle, Yamaha has greatly upgraded the engine electronic control unit, which has 5 times the computing power of the 2005 version, achieving a refreshing power response. At the same time, the lightweight and sturdy titanium alloy valves, supporting the displacement of 599mL side-by-side four cylinders in the high speed area light operation, the speed of the red line up to 17500r/min, the maximum power of up to 98kW (14500r/min), converted to 162kW per liter, up to the level of MotoGP racing at that time! Coupled with a weight of only 180kg, this standard electronic throttle midweight sports car starts to accelerate to 400 meters and only takes 10.6 seconds, and the finish speed reaches 215km/h, which is indeed an offensive and lethal combat machine!
[7] The first one uses an ABS motorcycle
Corresponding to the increasing power, the speed is getting faster, the importance of the braking system is becoming more prominent, and the riders are looking for stronger braking power, able to pull the speeding motorcycle in less time and at a shorter distance in the event of an initial emergency. However, excessive braking force will cause the wheels to be locked, which is easy to cause the wheels to slide and the body to be unstable and fall. Therefore, the anti-lock braking system (ABS) came into being, which can effectively prevent the wheels from being locked, which can not only ensure the maximum braking force, but also avoid the locking of the wheels and the risk of falling.
In 1988, BMW introduced the K100, which high-profile claimed to have achieved "technological revolution" and "the most meaningful breakthrough in active safety", becoming the first motorcycle manufacturer to install an anti-lock braking system as standard on a production motorcycle. At that time, the motorcycle anti-lock braking system was very different from the automotive anti-lock braking system: on the car, the anti-lock braking system was equipped with a hydraulic valve with a circulation management function, which was designed to adjust the braking pressure to alleviate the unwanted feedback of the driver when the ABS was working. However, with the valve technology of the time, ABS still produced strong pressure pulses when operating, causing significant interference to the driver. If this happens on a motorcycle with worse stability than a car, it is even more unacceptable. Wisely, BMW and FAG Kugelfischer have developed a new plunger structure that can be applied to the motorcycle's anti-lock braking system. When the rider operates the braking system, this structure effectively blocks the effect of pulses on the rider.
This set of anti-lock braking system installed in the K100, from the current point of view, is still relatively crude, weighing up to 11.1kg, but it is still highly recognized by the market, and in 1989, 70% of riders who bought K100 asked to order the ABS version. By the end of 1995, about 60,000 BMW motorcycles equipped with the first generation of ABS had been delivered to riders. What is more significant is that this K100, as an indiscriminate work, has promoted the application of anti-lock braking system on motorcycles, and continues to evolve, developing more and more precision and reliability, greatly improving the brake safety factor and making a significant contribution to driving safety.