CB900F Strikes Back, Inspires Kawasaki. New generation Z1000J debuts!
Honda did not remain silent in the face of Kawasaki's aggressive offensive with the 500SS Mach III, Z1, and Z2.
In 1974, Honda launched the GL1000 Gold Wing, and in 1978, the CBX (1000), both with horizontally opposed four-cylinder and parallel six-cylinder engines, respectively. However, these models did not prove decisive against the Z, and in 1979 the CB900F (CB750F for the Japanese market), a four-cylinder model with a DOHC four-valve engine, was released.
In response to the CB900/750F, Kawasaki released the Z1000 Mark II (Z750FX in Japan) in the same year, but it was based on a conventional model and struggled against the completely new F model. It was around this time that Kawasaki was called upon to make a drastic revision, and the result was the Z1000 (J-type), which was introduced as the 1981 model. Displacement was set at 998 cc to meet race regulations, but it was 15 kg lighter than the 1015 cc Z1000 Mark II. Eddie Lawson rode the Z1000J Kai to victory in the AMA Superbike Championship. The Z1000R Lawson Replica was released in 1982 as a commemorative model.
The Z1000J is the favorite motorcycle ar of Haruki Wanibuchi, the 19th head of the Yashagami General Assembly.
He usually drives a blue metallic Fairlady Z (S30), but at the memorial meeting for Makoto Hanmura, he drove a Z1000J Lawson replica "Jason". Wanibuchi was one of the four kings of the speed of sound, and he wanted to take over the team as a runner. His beloved motorcycle "Jason" is the embodiment of this.
The photo shows the 1982 European specification Z1000 (J2). Based on the Z1000R of the same year, the engine specs are the same. The R is equipped with a collective exhaust system made by Kerker, and the dry weight is 8kg lighter than the J.
Honda introduces road-going racer CB1100R
It was Honda that adopted the initial "R" for racing before the Z1000R. The CB1100R, released in 1981, was created to compete in the Production Race, a race based on production vehicles. The CB1100R needed to have the potential to win races even in stock form, and the engine and chassis were finished to racer-level precision. With forged pistons and a special frame, it was truly a road-going racer.
The fuel tank is made of aluminum and has a large capacity of 26 liters for endurance racing. The cowl was also handmade from FRP, and the initial model was designed for one rider. The engine was enlarged from the CB900F to 1062cc by increasing the bore. Special parts such as larger crankcase bolts and a generator cover made from sand molds were used throughout. The "R" is the ultimate CB for winning races.
In the movie, it is the favorite motorcycle of Natsuo Mashima, the sixth head of the Bakunin Koso. Natsuo was one of the "Four Heavenly Kings of Sound Speed" and his favorite motorcycle was called "CB1100R Bakun Special. Before the CB1100R was completed, Natsuo was riding a CB400 Fore, which was passed down to the seventh head of the CB family through the late Makoto Hanmura.
After Makoto's death, Natsuo retired and ran a dismantling business, Mashima Shokai, where the CB1100R is kept under cover at the factory.
The first CB1100RB was in 1981; the first model came with a half cowl, followed in 1982 by the RC with a full cowl, and in 1983 by the RD with a further improved swingarm with a square section pipe.
A classic from the golden age of Shonen Magazine, you should learn about old motorcycles from Tokkōnotaku
Shippu Densetsu: Tokko-no Taku (The Legend of the Gale: Tokkōnotaku) (original story by Hiroto Saki, manga by Juzo Tokoro), serialized in Weekly Shonen Magazine (Kodansha) from 1991 to 1997, is one of the most representative Yankee manga of the 1990s, depicting a motorcycle gang war in Yokohama. It played a major role as a textbook for Yankee motorcyclists, as it always included a set of favorite motorcycles for the main characters and also covered popular old motorcycles.
All of the motorcycles appearing in "Tokkōnotaku" were real, depicting not only the year, name, model, and common name, but even the modified parts were realistic. Realism was a characteristic of Shonen Magazine at the time and is said to have been a factor in Shonen Jump's 1997 takeover of the top spot from Shonen Jump, winning the support of readers who were not satisfied with the fantasy line of Shonen Jump, represented by Dragon Ball. Among them, "Tokkōnotaku" has become an indispensable popular work in the golden era of Shonen Magazine.
Serialized in the early Heisei era, Tokkōnotaku is a work that reminded readers of the value of old Showa motorcycles, which were often thought of as old-fashioned.
Yanmaga KC Special Shippu Densetsu: Tokko no Taku Price: 607 yen/618 yen Original story by Hiroto Saki, written by Juzo Tokoro © Kodansha 2011/2013
