Honda Throws Away the Key

HONDA THROWS AWAY THE KEY

IT'S AN ENGINE-MANAGEMENT system, an anti-theft system and the first system of its kind on any motorcycle in the world.

In use on Honda’s Japanese-market NSR250 two-strokes, the PGM-IV system links the bike’s electronic engine-management circuits, an integral steering-head lock and an LCD speedometer/data display by way of a removable computer card. There is no ignition key.

You plug the computer card into a slot below the speedo display to deactivate the steering-head lock and boot-up the engine’s computer. The card apparently is fairly indestruc-

tible. Unlike credit cards, which can incur magnetic-strip damage, the PGM-IV card makes positive electromagnetic contact and is claimed to be impervious to water, dust, vibration or wear. Lose a card, though, and its replacement costs a stout $90.

NSR250 riders wanting more performance can opt for a Honda Racing Corporation card that alters ignition timing, exhaust powervalve operation and oil-pump settings to give an additional 15 horsepower with the appropriate jetting changes.

For now, the NSRs are the only bikes equipped with PGMIV, but that could change, especially as electronic fuel injection becomes more and more a standard feature on bikes.

"The possibilities are limit less," said an American Honda spokesman. "On a sport-touring bike, you could have, for exam ple, a `touring' card, which would increase fuel mileage?'

The system, in one form or another, could appear on bikes sold in the U.S. within two to three years, the spokesman said.

Robert Hough