Honda UK: We have no plans to build a V5 road bike
Honda UK's General Manager for motorcycles quashes MCN's front cover fantasy of V5 VFR1000 road bike
Sorry folks, it's all make believe
|
VISORDOWN HAS just spoken to Honda UK regarding the front cover story of this week's Motorcycle News, which claims the company have TWO 1000cc V5 road bikes in the pipeline.
When asked about the rumours, Honda UK's General Manager for motorcycles, Steve Martindale, said: "Neither Honda UK or Honda Europe have any plans in the pipeline for a V5-based VFR road bike."
Mmmm, interesting. Which means MCN's 'world exclusive pictures' (a.k.a. computer-generated images) of a 150bhp, Ferrari-style gearchange, rail-free chassis supersports tourer, are nothing but utter schoolboy fantasy.
Couple this with last week's 'MotoGP 600 exclusive' front cover and it makes you wonder what they're going to dream up for next week's issue?
Keep 'em peeled!
Discuss this story
HA. so mcn have been caught out telling porkies! good I am glad that vd has exposed them for the sham that their pointless rag has become I havnt bought the paper for ages every story that is in there is on the web weeks before they can be bothered to print it.I do like to look through the mcn in Morisons to see how far behind everyone else they are then put it back withouyt given them my money. it only takes two minutes. what makes it even worse is that rather than givingb Crag jones the front cover they think 2 made up bikes with crap fake pictures is more important than the death of one of our contries best young riders They should be ashamed but I bet there not at all
Posted: 06/08/2008 at 18:09
the best kept worst kept secret NOT to date. i will keep buying MCN for the sport, and thats it really, think i should try and figure out that interweb thingy folks are talking aboot for the news
Posted: 06/08/2008 at 18:18
Yep I thought (expected) Craig Jones to be on the front cover but no suprises some crap about Honda and a make believe bike blah blah blah................ FatboyTim if you want sport coverage then get Bikesportnews. Much better IMO.
Posted: 07/08/2008 at 10:40
Erm, what did you expect? Honda to say 'Oh - OK, you win, yes we have got this bike and now the cat's out of the bag, we may as well come clean'? Just because Honda deny it doesn't mean it don't exist...
Posted: 07/08/2008 at 10:44
Just how can MCN legitimately call the front page ''world exclusive'' when they haven't a bloody clue what the bike will look like - it's terribly misleading and very likely did it purposely to increase circulation. Very very disappointing....
Posted: 07/08/2008 at 10:47
Erm, what did you expect? Honda to say 'Oh - OK, you win, yes we have got this bike and now the cat's out of the bag, we may as well come clean'? Just because Honda deny it doesn't mean it don't exist...
So in that case, if I were a magazine editor, I could put on my front cover:
HONDA TO BUILD 250bhp MotoGP road-going replica - EXCLUSIVE PICS!!!! or YAMAHA TO MAKE Valentino Rossi M1 replica - EXCLUSIVE SHOTS! or anything I like because the manufacturers will say it doesn't exist? Horse sh*t It's a blatant abuse of the word 'journalism' in order to sell copies
Posted: 07/08/2008 at 11:19
Yes it may be a blatant abuse, but you'll that's the case with every single newspaper under the sun (both tabloid and broadsheet) Sensationalism is what sells newspapers - we're only interested in gore, violent, exposure and news leaks simply because it captures our minds in a way that good news wouldn't, therefore we buy it. That's exactly what MCN have done.
Posted: 07/08/2008 at 11:30
It's not abuse if someone's given them the inside scoop is it? And you don't know that it isn't the truth (yet). Actually it's (so far) good journalism, as far as I can see.
Posted: 07/08/2008 at 11:32
is TWO going down the route of bashing other publications now? I stopped buying a mag (I think it was Superbike) because every month they were having a pop at another mags circulation figures and errors etc. IMO if just get on with doing your own job, the public will make up their minds about MCN and you keep yourself out of gutter level.
Posted: 07/08/2008 at 11:37
Those talking about Craig Jones and front pages...tell me what you know about subbing and printing deadlines please. 
Posted: 07/08/2008 at 11:50
Subbing .... the art of naval warfare by using sneaky undersea boats Printing ... common slang term for leaving an impression of your thumb and forefinger on a ladies buttocks.
Posted: 07/08/2008 at 12:51
Rumbled. But what I say is more-or-less true, nonetheless. Actually these days I have no need of work. I get paid to merely conjecture on internet forums...
Posted: 07/08/2008 at 14:14
It seems we're not the only ones disgusted with MCN's latest 'exclusive'. Just read what FazerMonkey's posted on their website: Is anyone else getting increasingly hacked off with MCN's never ending series of "world exclusive photo's" of new bikes which without exception end up being their "computer generated" interpretation of rumours from a "factory insider"?? (and who TF are they then??)........yaawwwnnnn......we're not fools, we know you're work experience lad has just cobbled it together from an office best guess. The VFR being the latest case in point - Blade back end, CB1000R pipe, wheel and swinger and stretched nose and even what looks suspiciously like a set of GSX-R 1000 mirrors/indicators, now that is lazy......this assumption that we're stupid enough to believe that what your printing is actually what the final bike will be like is insulting. 'The Editor' needs to grow up and treat us like adults. Just give us real pics when they're released, not cobbled together guess', because the actual bikes NEVER looks like your comedy Photoshop efforts. It's symptomatic of the steady decline and dumbing down of MCN that started with Duckworth and has been ably continued by his apprentice Potter. The over-sensationalising of almost every single story in the paper is becoming utterly tiresome (anyone know what the exclamation mark count is this week?). I used to buy the paper for a dose of normality in the over spun and politicized country in which we now live but I'm getting to the point (and I can't believe I'm even thinking this after so many years) where I'm going to stop buying it. If it wasn't for the racing coverage I would have stopped years back. I mean honestly, who cares (other than non-shagging internet geeks) about the MCN babes? Yes their tidy but how in any way does it add to the depth and richness of the stories and features in the paper - it's dinosaur territory. If we want soft/hard/shady porn we'll go online and get it for free, we don't need it in a BIKE paper......Get a bloody grip.........I could go on but I’ve run out of enthusiasm to even complain. BTW, what World Exclusive? This Italian website had almost identical pics of the bike weeks back. They just used a different version of Photoshop.... http://www.vfritaliaclub.it/node/2046#comment-801
Posted: 07/08/2008 at 15:36
I have 2 big questions for the authors of this amazing article! 1. Since when does Honda UK build motorcycles?
2. Did you ask Honda Japan?
Posted: 07/08/2008 at 15:42
Rumbled. But what I say is more-or-less true, nonetheless. Actually these days I have no need of work. I get paid to merely conjecture on internet forums...
Er, sorry DBRG but you're wrong. This is not good journalism. It's yet another copy-selling tactic based on pure fiction, conjured up by the dim-wit up top. There are no quotes from Honda, no real pictures, no specs - nothing. It's just another massive insult to an already brassed off readership.
I agree with the first comment about the rag. Pick it up - have a look/laugh and stick it back on the newsagent's shelf.
Posted: 09/08/2008 at 22:55
All that says is neither Honda UK nor Honda Europe have plans. What about Honda Japan, where they are made? He's just covered his arse when asked a stupid question. 'sif he'd give the game away. We'll find out on Sept. 24th. AB
Posted: 11/08/2008 at 07:22
Generally in agreement with MCN over-hyping most news items. Why don't we all stop buying it, until there is a change of editorial direction. Its been building for a while, so come on, lets take the only action that will make MCN take note. ie. Reduce their circulation figures.
Posted: 18/08/2008 at 20:14
All that says is neither Honda UK nor Honda Europe have plans. What about Honda Japan, where they are made?
He's just covered his arse when asked a stupid question. 'sif he'd give the game away. We'll find out on Sept. 24th.
AB
So then Adam, it's September 24th, I'm looking at motorcyclenews.com and there's still no sign of the Honda VFR V5 
Or were you referring to something else?!!!!
Posted: 24/09/2008 at 11:49
Re: the CGI pics of the VFR1000 - I don't know about anyone else, but if Honda aren't making it, they should - this bike looks amazing!! V4 or V5...I'd prefer V5 as it's something different I've not ridden before, but V4 I'd still buy one. I heard Honda were going to reveal the 2009 VFR at Cologne last week...not seen anything yet. Re: Truth behind the pics... okay so these are an artists impression, but based on legal patents, so there is journalistic integrity at the bottom of it, not just dreamworld. Also exhaust the same as new CB1000, which is pretty likely to be on other new Hondas. Re: MCN generally - is it really that bad to slag off about? I like it, I appreciate the reviews and the work they do on legal stuff and working with BMF and other groups, acting as a voice for us against the loopy UK government, speed camera nation etc. Only gripe I have with most of the mags is the power/torque/mpg figures they give for numerous bikes seem to vary constantly whether it's MCN, Ride, Superbike, BIKE etc... Ride safe  )
Posted: 12/10/2008 at 14:39
I was at Cologne last week. Honda didn't have the VFR 1000 there. It's possible that it'll get launched at EICMA in about a month, but I'm not holding my breath.
Posted: 12/10/2008 at 15:20
|
|
