|
The Honda Magna was a cruiser motorcycle made from 1982 to 1988 and 1994 to 2003 and powered by Honda's V4 engine taken from the VF/VFR. The engine technology and layout was a descendant of Honda's racing V4 machines, such as the NS750 and NR750. The introduction of this engine on the Magna and the Sabre in 1982, was a milestone in the evolution of motorcycles that would culminate in 1983 with the introduction of the Interceptor V4.〔Holmstrom (2000)〕 The V45's performance is comparable to that of Valkyries and Honda's 1800 cc V-twin cruisers. However, its mix of performance, reliability, and refinement was overshadowed by the more powerful 1,098 cc "V65" Magna in 1983. While Honda's release of their V4 technology in the Magna (and other bikes like the Sabre and Interceptor) was certainly a bold move, it was somewhat overshadowed by at least two problems. One was the decline of motorcycle sales after the boom in the 1970s. While Honda quality was a given and the amount of features provided in these bikes was great, they were still relatively expensive bikes at the time. An expensive, complex bike was difficult to sell in a down market. The second was the manufacturing and engineering problems encountered after the release in 1982. Though criticized for its long-distance comfort and lauded mainly for its raw acceleration,〔Bartels (1997)〕〔 the Magna was the bike of choice for a Canadian grandmother who toured the world solo by motorcycle, without benefit of the support crew that usually accompanies riders in adventures depicted in such films as Long Way Round.〔Lawrence (2006)〕〔Canwest (2009)〕 The Honda Magna of years 1982–1988 incorporated a number of unique features into a cruiser market dominated by V-twin engines. The V4 engine configuration provided a balance between torque for good acceleration and high horsepower. The 90-degree layout produced less primary vibration, and the four cylinders provided a much smoother delivery of power than a V-twin. Good engine balance, plus short stroke and large piston diameter allowed for a high redline and potential top speed. Besides the engine configuration, the bike had water cooling, a six-speed transmission for good economy at highway speed, and common on other middleweight bikes for Honda in the early 1980s, shaft drive. While the shaft drive is very convenient with virtually no maintenance required (and no oil getting slung around), it also robbed some power from where it was more evidently lacking on in town or lower speed riding. Features like twin horns, hydraulic clutch, and an engine temperature gauge add nice touches to the bike. A coil sprung, oil bath, air preload front fork with anti-dive valving was an improvement, although the Magna did not benefit from the linkage based single shock that was on the Sabre and Interceptor. The V-65 Magna and other large-displacement Hondas were assembled in the Marysville Motorcycle Plant in Ohio.〔Mayershon (1985)〕 In 2008, Honda announced plans to close the plant, their oldest in North America, in 2009, which had been still making Gold Wings and VTX cruisers.〔Hannah (2008)〕 ==1982–1984 VF750C V45 Magna, 1984-1987 VF700C Magna== The first generation 1982 V45 Magna has a round chrome headlight and fenders. The headight is a sealed beam type. The front disc brakes have straight grooves, dual piston calipers, and TRAC anti-dive. The speedometer reads 80 mph. The redline is 10,000 rpm. The engine is a 748 cc DOHC 16-valve liquid-cooled 90-degree V-4 linked to a six-speed transmission with a hydraulically actuated wet-plate clutch and shaft drive. The compression is 10.5:1 The 1983 V45 Magna is the same as the 1982 model with some differences. Early in the model year, the headlight was changed to a non-sealed beam unit with replaceable halogen bulb. The fuel tank and side covers are black. The front disc brake grooves are curved. The speedometer reads to 150 mph (240 km/h). (1983 starting SN JH2RC071 *DM100011) The US government imposed tariff rate hikes for foreign-built motorcycles over 700 cc in order to combat their rise in sales in North America, and to aid the domestic motorcycle manufacturers, namely Harley-Davidson. So for 1984 Honda responded by reducing the engine size for the VF750s to 698 cc, and the Magna became the VF700C in the USA. The headlight changed from round chrome to a rectangular chrome housing. The seats were changed to a wider 2 piece design in an attempt to improve rider comfort. The rear shocks also changed to eliminate the extra fluid reservoir. The wheels were different as well. Honda only made the VF700 for the late part of 1984, 1985, 1986, and 1987, then back to the VF750 after that. The first part of 1984, the Magnas were VF750. Models from 1982 to 1984 were unique in their use of a larger primary fuel tank and smaller sub-tank. The sub-tank is located almost in the position of a side cover, well below the level of the carburetor banks and has a low-fuel sensor incorporated into the body. Owing to the low seat height (much lower than in a standard street bike) and cruiser styling of the bike, the main tank is relatively small. Because the bottom end of the sub-tank is so low, all bikes in this family have a fuel pump to get the fuel up into the carburetors. In practice, the fuel pump adds more complexity to a carbureted bike which otherwise doesn't need pressure fed fuel. Beginning in 1985 models, the sub-tank was dropped in favor of a slightly larger and wider main tank. Again because the reserve level of the tank was below the carburetor, the requisite fuel pump and series of fuel lines was kept. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Honda Magna」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
|