2011 Honda Crossrunner

[wolfe1down]

Found this while bombing around the internet this a.m. Liquid cooled 800cc (782cc actual) V4, VTEC powered naked street/adventure touring motorcycle from Honda. It kinda looks similar to the Super Ténéré from Yamaha.

Seems like more and more bike manufacturers are getting into the 'adventure touring' segment of the market...

2011 Honda Crossrunner

What do you guys think?

 

[krid80]

Love it! Looks amazing!

 

[Hellgate]

I just don't get the whole "do-it-all, but not really" bikes. To my eye it can't make up it's mind on what it wants to be. Sybil perhaps?

 

[Davey]

For me it looks like bikes are entering the 'unnecessary SUV' category that we've seen with cars. These bikes will never be taken off road or adventure touring as they are just road bike designed to look like they could. SUVs in cities - completely ridiculous! Same as with this.

It may well be a good touring machine, but it's just about image at the end of the day. BWM and KTM have the real adventure touring market cornered, with good additions in the form of Yamaha's Tenere/Super Tenere and a couple of others perhaps.

 

[Erci]

The combination of dual sport look and all that flimsy looking plastic ... looks like some serious identity crisis to me. Honda Crossdresser!

 

[mxgolf]

I agree with all the comments above. Why go off road with a tank. When off road the lighter the better. The work FUGLY comes to mind when looking at the crossdress motorcycles. :spank:

 

[lonesoldier84]

You people need to be set straight. I will be the man to do so. Let me ask you a series of questions:

1) You want to go off-roading in Oregon, but live in Alberta. Do you ride your 250cc dirt machine across the country? Do you haul it in a pickup truck and miss out on the great miles between the two places?

2) You want to get from Alberta to Mexico.....as the crow flies. Do you haul a month's worth of gear on the back of your iddy bitty dirt machine?

3) You are 6'3" and want to do weekend trips through B.C. and have the ability to get off the main roads and into the rougher parts of the countryside where there may or may not be a road. You want to be slightly comfortable while doing this.

If you are not a star offroad expert and don't plan on ripping through the dirt and just want to make it through by plowing through at your own casual pace, and can live with a bit of extra weight for the 5% of the time it really bothers you, 15% of the time it is a bit of a hindrance, and 80% of the time it adds the ability to perfectly accommodate your touring needs……should you still get a 250cc dirt machine because “that’s what real off-roaders ride”?


That being said, this Honda Crossrunner is a road bike. It is not an adventure tourer. Not even close. It's like the new Ducati Multistrada. That isn't an adventure tourer either.

Not

even

close.

But, with that now being said, if someone out there has an enjoyable ride and the ergos of the Crossrunner are perfect for him, it is a great bike for that person. The SUV comparison is off because for some people they make sense. But if someone does buy a proper adventure touring mount and doesn't do any adventure touring on it, that's the fault of the rider, not the machine. They could have bought a better machine for their needs.

But this Crossrunner is just trying to capitalize on the "looks" of adventure bikes and tap into that market a tiny bit. There is no adventure "substance" in that machine, but again, for someone it could be the perfect machine because of the ergos. Unless someone buys it because they want to look like a badass adventurer without being one, there is no reason to flame the thing.

 

[Haelous]

It looks like a competitor to the Kawasaki Versys to me. I like it.

I don't think it looks like an adventure bike. I thought an adventure bike was like the Super Tenere or the BMW GS bikes.

 

[cap'n]

Eh... it's kinda ugly in a way, with the little sparrow beak fender paying homage to offroad bikes, and I can't really imagine what segment of buyers would go nuts for it, but at least they're tossing some stuff over the fence.

 

[Davey]

You people need to be set straight. I will be the man to do so. Let me ask you a series of questions:

1) You want to go off-roading in Oregon, but live in Alberta. Do you ride your 250cc dirt machine across the country? Do you haul it in a pickup truck and miss out on the great miles between the two places?

2) You want to get from Alberta to Mexico.....as the crow flies. Do you haul a month's worth of gear on the back of your iddy bitty dirt machine?

3) You are 6'3" and want to do weekend trips through B.C. and have the ability to get off the main roads and into the rougher parts of the countryside where there may or may not be a road. You want to be slightly comfortable while doing this.

If you are not a star offroad expert and don't plan on ripping through the dirt and just want to make it through by plowing through at your own casual pace, and can live with a bit of extra weight for the 5% of the time it really bothers you, 15% of the time it is a bit of a hindrance, and 80% of the time it adds the ability to perfectly accommodate your touring needs……should you still get a 250cc dirt machine because “that’s what real off-roaders ride”?


That being said, this Honda Crossrunner is a road bike. It is not an adventure tourer. Not even close. It's like the new Ducati Multistrada. That isn't an adventure tourer either.

Not

even

close.

But, with that now being said, if someone out there has an enjoyable ride and the ergos of the Crossrunner are perfect for him, it is a great bike for that person. The SUV comparison is off because for some people they make sense. But if someone does buy a proper adventure touring mount and doesn't do any adventure touring on it, that's the fault of the rider, not the machine. They could have bought a better machine for their needs.

But this Crossrunner is just trying to capitalize on the "looks" of adventure bikes and tap into that market a tiny bit. There is no adventure "substance" in that machine, but again, for someone it could be the perfect machine because of the ergos. Unless someone buys it because they want to look like a badass adventurer without being one, there is no reason to flame the thing.

Lone, Lone, Lone! You are kind of contradicting yourself a bit no? :thumbup: You say don't bash the Crossdresser due to points 1 to 3, which are all on about going off road touring, and then say that it's clearly not an adventure tourer.

I agree with your point about that it could still make a good bike (then V4 engine sure sounds nice!), just not for off roading at all. A person with no or very little offroad experience, who wants to do a little bit here and there would have a pretty terrible time on this heavy thing.

Adventure tourers try to meet the needs of going off road, with having the size and comfort for long haul tarmac bits too. The only bikes I can think of that do this well are the Tenere and Super Tenere, the KTM 990 Adventure, and the BMW GSs (1250 and 800, more the 800 though). These bikes are your answers to your points 1 to 3. Agreed a 250 mx or enduro would kick ass off road, but there's no way I'd like to ride all them miles on the tarmac! A 600 would do better engine wise but you'd still lack the comfort. The Crossdresser will do the tarmac bits fine I expect.

How does driving a big SUV in the middle of a city make sense? It's just a very big car, with a big engine, which gets used to take the kids to school/do the shopping/clog up the roads etc One can do all that in a smaller, cheaper to run, more economical car in a city. Chelsea Tractors we call them in London - they've never seen mud/gravel or grass in their life! :spank:

The thing I'm bashing is that this bike is being marketed as an adventure bike, which it will clearly be useless at. Honda should market it as a tourer, which it may well be excellent at. No person seriously considering adventure touring will buy this bike for that purpose.

 

[Norbert]

If this bike is 800cc, isn't it going up against the BMW F800GS (I just bought one!:cheer and not the Super Tenere and BMW R1200GS?

Just curious.

 

[Davey]

If this bike is 800cc, isn't it going up against the BMW F800GS (I just bought one!:cheer and not the Super Tenere and BMW R1200GS?

Just curious.

I'd say yes, and the smaller Tenere 660, and possibly the new Triumph Tiger, so you have a point on engine size. Your F800GS beats the pants off this though.

The Crossdresser reminds me a little of the Yamaha TDM, which was a really good tourer, and very popular over here in Europe. Some argued that that also had some off road capabilities....

 

[youngy]

Saw this thing at the NEC bike show a couple of weeks back. What an ugly mofo it is. Even worse in the flesh.

 

[Norbert]

Saw this thing at the NEC bike show a couple of weeks back. What an ugly mofo it is. Even worse in the flesh.

I agree, it is incredibly ugly. I do respect Honda as a manufacturer, however.
My car is a Honda and it totally rocks: :rockon:

Another thing: if that bike gets tipped over in the dirt, the low exhaust is going to get chewed up.

 

[lonesoldier84]

Lone, Lone, Lone! You are kind of contradicting yourself a bit no? :thumbup: You say don't bash the Crossdresser due to points 1 to 3, which are all on about going off road touring, and then say that it's clearly not an adventure tourer.

I agree with your point about that it could still make a good bike (then V4 engine sure sounds nice!), just not for off roading at all. A person with no or very little offroad experience, who wants to do a little bit here and there would have a pretty terrible time on this heavy thing.

Adventure tourers try to meet the needs of going off road, with having the size and comfort for long haul tarmac bits too. The only bikes I can think of that do this well are the Tenere and Super Tenere, the KTM 990 Adventure, and the BMW GSs (1250 and 800, more the 800 though). These bikes are your answers to your points 1 to 3. Agreed a 250 mx or enduro would kick ass off road, but there's no way I'd like to ride all them miles on the tarmac! A 600 would do better engine wise but you'd still lack the comfort. The Crossdresser will do the tarmac bits fine I expect.

How does driving a big SUV in the middle of a city make sense? It's just a very big car, with a big engine, which gets used to take the kids to school/do the shopping/clog up the roads etc One can do all that in a smaller, cheaper to run, more economical car in a city. Chelsea Tractors we call them in London - they've never seen mud/gravel or grass in their life! :spank:

The thing I'm bashing is that this bike is being marketed as an adventure bike, which it will clearly be useless at. Honda should market it as a tourer, which it may well be excellent at. No person seriously considering adventure touring will buy this bike for that purpose.

No, no no! Re-read what I wrote you are putting words in my mouth, I said something completely different.

I am saying don't bash adventure tourers!

And

The Crossfire is NOT an adventure tourer. It just has a piece of plastic shaped like a beak. That is the only thing it has which gives anyone ANY reason to call it an adventure tourer. It has street wheels, street tires, street suspension. It has raised handlebars but by that reasoning the only thing preventing the FJR from being an adventure tourer is its front fairing not having a beak.

I disagree with absolutely nothing you have written about bikes. Re-read my post and you will see that. I’m just saying big fat-ass adventure tourers are great machines when used for their intended purpose….continent crossing through any terrain. They are Continent Class Assault Machines. The biggest and meanest. An R1200GS in matte black with crash bars and fog lamps gives me a chubby. It really does. So when people say they are like SUV’s not knowing what they want to be and are useless at everything, I say, ‘WTF you are wrong”.

And as for SUV’s, I agree there are rubbish at off-roading. They are also rubbish at cornering and things cars are good at. But for some people they make sense. They are like a minivan but not a minivan. Modern SUVs have no business going off-road. They need a lot of modification before they can claim any of that. Especially the luxury class ones like the BMW’s etc etc. But that’s not what they are for. They are for people who would otherwise be buying minivans if the SUV option wasn’t there and pick-up trucks wouldn’t work.

Small cars just don’t work sometimes. They don’t have the storage capacity and hauling 7 kids around in them is a pain in the ass.

So, finally to reiterate again, what I was saying is that adventure touring bikes (which the Crossrunner is not) are not like SUVs. They retain off-road utility and offer touring amenities. They serve a purpose and are great machines. They have off-road suspension, tires, wheels, ergos, and everything you need, but with the ability to haul ass across a continent or the world without crippling the rider or toasting the engine.

I'd say yes, and the smaller Tenere 660, and possibly the new Triumph Tiger, so you have a point on engine size. Your F800GS beats the pants off this though.

The Crossdresser reminds me a little of the Yamaha TDM, which was a really good tourer, and very popular over here in Europe. Some argued that that also had some off road capabilities....

While we are comparing non-adventure touring bikes to bikes with off-road capabilities (however major or minor), let me say that:

1) The Kawasaki Versys is less useful than a Tenere 600 off road
2) The Kawasaki Vulcan cruiser is less useful than a Tenere 600 off road
3) The Triumph Rocket III is less useful off road than a Triumph Tiger with off-road modifications
4) The Honda Goldwing is less useful off road than an 800GS
5) The Bergman is less useful off road than a KTM 990ADV
6) Oprah Winfrey on rollerblades is less useful off road than a Dakar series KTM 690



At least the Ducati Multistrada has a skid plate.

And ROFL @ “Crossdresser” haha. That’s a great name for it.

 

[lonesoldier84]

Question:

Does this make the FZ6 an adventure touring machine?

Nope. Not even if it had a beak.
Nothing the Crossrunner has makes it any different
than an FZ6 for off-road ability.

But this picture does show the benefit of the big
adventure tourers. I would have KILLED someone
for off-road tires when picking my way through that.
And every time I hit a rock I would cringe and wish
I had a skid plate. And when my suspension bottomed
out I wished I had more travel. The list goes on.
I wouldn't have minded the extra weight of a 1200GS.
I'm not jumping off sand dunes at 100kph.
I'm just trying to get through the damned thing.

 

[Yamma~Tiger]

Its different... I like it. probably wouldn't buy one... but still like it.

 

[wolfe1down]

Wow, did I ever stir up a hornets nest or what? opcorn: Guess I shouldn't post up their 2011 Crosstourer Concept bike then, eh?

This will use the same engine as the "Crossdresser"... err, Crossrunner, mated to a new dual clutch transmission.

This will be (as Honda states) the first Adventure Tourer with a V4 engine layout...

2011 Honda V4 Crosstourer Concept, concept, spy shots

 

[youngy]

Crosstourer looks ok. Bit like a V4 Veranda thing.

 

[Davey]

No, no no! Re-read what I wrote you are putting words in my mouth, I said something completely different.

I am saying don't bash adventure tourers!

And

The Crossfire is NOT an adventure tourer. It just has a piece of plastic shaped like a beak. That is the only thing it has which gives anyone ANY reason to call it an adventure tourer. It has street wheels, street tires, street suspension. It has raised handlebars but by that reasoning the only thing preventing the FJR from being an adventure tourer is its front fairing not having a beak.

I disagree with absolutely nothing you have written about bikes. Re-read my post and you will see that. I’m just saying big fat-ass adventure tourers are great machines when used for their intended purpose….continent crossing through any terrain. They are Continent Class Assault Machines. The biggest and meanest. An R1200GS in matte black with crash bars and fog lamps gives me a chubby. It really does. So when people say they are like SUV’s not knowing what they want to be and are useless at everything, I say, ‘WTF you are wrong”.

And as for SUV’s, I agree there are rubbish at off-roading. They are also rubbish at cornering and things cars are good at. But for some people they make sense. They are like a minivan but not a minivan. Modern SUVs have no business going off-road. They need a lot of modification before they can claim any of that. Especially the luxury class ones like the BMW’s etc etc. But that’s not what they are for. They are for people who would otherwise be buying minivans if the SUV option wasn’t there and pick-up trucks wouldn’t work.

Small cars just don’t work sometimes. They don’t have the storage capacity and hauling 7 kids around in them is a pain in the ass.

So, finally to reiterate again, what I was saying is that adventure touring bikes (which the Crossrunner is not) are not like SUVs. They retain off-road utility and offer touring amenities. They serve a purpose and are great machines. They have off-road suspension, tires, wheels, ergos, and everything you need, but with the ability to haul ass across a continent or the world without crippling the rider or toasting the engine.





While we are comparing non-adventure touring bikes to bikes with off-road capabilities (however major or minor), let me say that:

1) The Kawasaki Versys is less useful than a Tenere 600 off road
2) The Kawasaki Vulcan cruiser is less useful than a Tenere 600 off road
3) The Triumph Rocket III is less useful off road than a Triumph Tiger with off-road modifications
4) The Honda Goldwing is less useful off road than an 800GS
5) The Bergman is less useful off road than a KTM 990ADV
6) Oprah Winfrey on rollerblades is less useful off road than a Dakar series KTM 690



At least the Ducati Multistrada has a skid plate.

And ROFL @ “Crossdresser” haha. That’s a great name for it.

Ah! Well in that case I take it all back and see your point entirely when comparing SUVs to REAL adventure bikes :Flash:

lol at the BWM giving you special feelings, does Oprah Winfrey on rollerblades have a similar effect?!

Plus major kudos to you for taking the FZ6 Adventure touring in that terrain! I can't even see a path to walk, let alone take a road bike (lets call it a simple road bike, not a sports tourer etc etc :spank: lol)