Return of the Big Guns
Return of the Big Guns
ROUNDUP
IN THE LATE 1970s AND EARLY 1980s, they bellowed, wheelied and wiggled around U.S. racetracks, and helped make stars out of the likes of Freddie Spencer. Eddie Lawson and Wes Cooley.
Well, those early Superbikes are back, at least in Street form. Spurred on by the leaping popularity in Japan of retrobikes, both Honda and Kawasaki are rumored to have literclass, Superbike-style standards very close to production form.
Japan's Auto-Bi magazine reports that both models will likely debut at the upcoming To kyo Motor Show. According to the magazine, the Honda is called the CBA 1 000F and is aimed at the European market. Looking very much like an up dated version of the old CB750/ 900/1 100F series, the CBA is powered by the same liquid cooled, dohc, 16valve, 130-plushorsepower inline Four as used in Honda's current CBR1000F sportbike.
The magazine says that the Honda will go on sale in April of 1992, but fails to mention if the bike will be available in the U.S. Calls to American Honda resulted in one spokesman telling Cycle World that the report was "pure speculation" and that the company had "no comment; we don't know anything about it." Another spokesman, asked if he knew of the bike and if he could give out any information, responded. "Yes, I do, and no, I can't."
Kawasaki officials were equally as close-mouthed, even though a mock-up of the bike was scheduled to be on view at the company's November dealer meeting "strictly to elicit response and reaction." Asked if that meant the Zephyr 1100 would soon be on sale here, a spokesman said, "We have no information to confirm that at this time. It's pure speculation."
Auto-Bi reports that the big Zephyr. like the CBA Honda, was designed with the Japanese and European markets in mind, though the magazine says the bike will be coming to the United States. Styled after the smaller Zephyrs. the 1100, says the report, "reminds one very strongly of the old Lawson Replicasomething that is surely more than coincidental."
The engine that propels the 1100 is very much like those used in pre vious Kawasakis. In fact, the air cooled, dohc, eight-valve inline Four can trace its design roots back to the legendary ZI of 1973.
So, in the age of the super-sophis ticated sportbike. at least two manu facturers are looking ahead by looking back to a simpler time. Can a Wes Cooley Replica GS1000 Suzuki be far behind?
David Edwards
