The Honda Crossrunner (also called VFR800X) is a versatile touring

motorcycle A motorcycle (motorbike, bike; uni (if one-wheeled); trike (if three-wheeled); quad (if four-wheeled)) is a lightweight private 1-to-2 passenger personal motor vehicle Steering, steered by a Motorcycle handlebar, handlebar from a saddle-style ...

launched by

Honda commonly known as just Honda, is a Japanese multinational corporation, multinational Conglomerate (company), conglomerate automotive manufacturer headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, Japan. Founded in October 1946 by Soichiro Honda, Honda has bee ...

at the 2010

EICMA EICMA (''Esposizione Internazionale Ciclo Motociclo e Accessori''), or the Milan Motorcycle Shows is an annual trade show in Milan, Italy featuring motorcycles. The 2018 show drew over half a million visitors and more than 1,200 exhibiting brands ...

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 engine, V configuration. The V4 engine is less common compared to straight-four engines. However, V4 engines have been used in au ...

was derived from the successful

VFR800 The Honda VFR800 (Interceptor) is a sport touring motorcycle made by Honda since 1998. The model was the successor to the VFR750F and shares the V4 engine configuration with the Honda VF and VFR series. The VFR800 name was given to three succes ...

. While the VFR800 was a

sport touring motorcycle A sport touring motorcycle (sometimes a "sports tourer") is a type of motorcycle that combines the performance of a sport bike with the long-distance capabilities and comfort of a touring motorcycle. The first sport tourer is said to be the ful ...

, 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 A wind tunnel is "an apparatus for producing a controlled stream of air for conducting aerodynamic experiments". The experiment is conducted in the test section of the wind tunnel and a complete tunnel configuration includes air ducting to and f ...

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 Motorcycle, motorcycling newspaper published by Bauer Verlagsgruppe, Bauer Consumer Media, based in Peterborough, United Kingdom. It claims to be "the world’s biggest weekly motorcycle newspape ...

'' (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 o ...

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 mar ...

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
* Crossrunner Motorcycles introduced in 2011 Dual-sport motorcycles Standard motorcycles {{Motorcycle-stub