The Honda Crossrunner (also called VFR800X) is a versatile touring
motorcycle
A motorcycle (motorbike, bike, or trike (if three-wheeled)) is a two or three-wheeled motor vehicle steered by a handlebar. Motorcycle design varies greatly to suit a range of different purposes: long-distance travel, commuting, cruising ...
launched by
Honda
is a Japanese public multinational conglomerate manufacturer of automobiles, motorcycles, and power equipment, headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, Japan.
Honda has been the world's largest motorcycle manufacturer since 1959, reaching a producti ...
at the 2010
EICMA Milan Motorcycle Show.
It went on sale in 2011,
with first deliveries later that summer. Its
V4 engine
A V4 engine is a four-cylinder piston engine where the cylinders share a common crankshaft and are arranged in a V configuration.
The V4 engine is less common compared to straight-four engines. However, V4 engines have been used in automobiles ...
was derived from the successful
VFR800.
[ While the VFR800 was a sport touring motorcycle, the Crossrunner has a low saddle, wide-handlebars, long-travel suspension, and special Pirelli Scorpion tires better suited to "soft roads".
]
Development
Honda commissioned a European design team to assist in development. Preliminary tests included trying various Crossrunner prototypes in over 120 wind tunnel
Wind tunnels are large tubes with air blowing through them which are used to replicate the interaction between air and an object flying through the air or moving along the ground. Researchers use wind tunnels to learn more about how an aircraft ...
sessions to establish an optimum design for aerodynamic stability.[
In September 2014, Honda Motor Europe announced that the 2015 Crossrunner, to be called the VFR800X, would have a revised 800 cc V4 engine and new bodywork. Also, there would be changes to the suspension, brakes and wheels.
]
Reception
A ''Motor Cycle News
''MCN'' or ''Motor Cycle News'' is a UK weekly motorcycling newspaper published by Bauer Consumer Media, based in Peterborough, United Kingdom. It claims to be "the world’s biggest weekly motorcycle newspaper".
The title was founded in lat ...
'' (MCN) review said: "The Crossrunner stands out from the crowd and performs as a real world, day-in, day-out bike impressively well." Journalist Kevin Ash
Kevin Ash (10 December 1959 – 22 January 2013) was a British motorcycle journalist and author, who contributed to ''The Daily Telegraph'' and to ''Motor Cycle News''.
Covering technical as well as topical issues, Ash was described as "one of ...
added: "It's a fine looking bike with a reassuring and satisfying chassis matched to a characterful and muscular engine that compels you to use it. But there's a downside, and these days it's a big one: fuel consumption."
In an MCN 5-bike review in 2015, the testers felt that the Yamaha MT-09
The Yamaha MT-09 is a street motorcycle of the MT series with an liquid-cooled four-stroke 12-valve DOHC inline-three engine with crossplane crankshaft and a lightweight cast alloy frame. For 2018, the bike is now designated MT-09 in all ma ...
Tracer was a better bike and better value than all its competitors, namely: a Triumph Tiger 800XRx, a Triumph Tiger Sport, a Honda Crossrunner, and a Ducati Hyperstrada.[Motorcycle News 26 August 2015] With a kerb weight of 242kg, the Crossrunner was significantly the heaviest of the group.
References
External links
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Pictures of Honda Crossrunner
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Crossrunner
Motorcycles introduced in 2011
Dual-sport motorcycles
Standard motorcycles
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