Honda CB 92

Honda (motorcycle)
HONDA CB92 1961
CB 92
Manufacturer	Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
Sales description	CB 92 Benly Super Sport
Production period	1959 to 1964
class	Light motorcycle
design type	All-rounder , sports tourer
Motor data
Four-stroke engine , air-cooled two-cylinder with one carburetor
Displacement  (cm³)	124.67
Power  (kW / PS )	11/15 at 10,500 min -1
Torque  ( N m )	10.4 at 9,000 min -1
Top speed (  km / h)	120
transmission	4-speed
drive	Chain
Brakes	front duplex drum brake Ø 203 mm, rear drum brake Ø 178 mm
Wheelbase  (mm)	1,260
Dimensions (L × W × H, mm):	1,875 × 595 × 930
Seat height (cm)	75
Previous model	(Benly JC125)
successor	CB 93 ( CB 125 )

The Honda CB 92 Benly Super Sport is a motorcycle from the Japanese vehicle manufacturer Honda , which was produced from 1959 to 1964.

It was the first machine to be produced from the CB series with type number 92 and product code 205. The abbreviation CB comes from the Japanese "C" LU "B" MAN RACE, which took place from 1958 in Suzuka, Honda's own racing circuit. (C now stands for the type, B for the sporty variant). The larger CB 72 with 250 cm³ appeared shortly afterwards.

Development history

The basis was the CB 90 , which was built as a prototype in 1958 (not to be confused with the CB 90 with 90 cm³ from 1970) and emerged from the basic version C 90 from 1958 and the C 92 from 1959. The CA 92 was a touring version, with the sport version CS 92 the exhaust system was placed higher on the side.

The CB 92 was launched in Japan in 1959, and in Germany it was imported from February 1960 by the motorcycle dealer Karl-Heinz Meller, Hamburg. The European Honda Motor Trading GmbH (Honda Germany) in Hamburg was founded in May 1961 and sold this model with a few visible changes until 1964. It was built in the Honda factory in Hamamatsu from spring 1959 . This sporty machine was Honda's first contribution to the German motorcycle scene in the 1960s and, with its high-quality workmanship and unconventional design solutions, impressively demonstrated the technical high of the Japanese vehicle industry, which had hardly been noticed a few years earlier. The success was no coincidence - at the time, the Honda research and development center already had more than 700 employees.

A total of 18,814 vehicles and an additional 158 engines of the CB 92 Benly Super Sport series were produced from 1959 to 1964. The machine has been exported to Argentina, Australia, Bermuda, Chile, Germany, Denmark, England, Finland, France, India, Ireland, Canada, Malaysia, New Zealand, the Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, South Africa and the USA. This motorcycle has now become a classic and showed early on the technical ingenuity of Honda engineers that Sōichirō Honda had helped to shape.

technology

Honda CB 92 engine

From 124 cc of the motor 15 provided  hp (11  kW ) at 10,500 min ^-1 , which is a specific power of 120 hp / liter and a mean piston velocity results of 14.35 m / s. With the compression ratio of 10: 1 and the maximum torque of 10.4 Nm at 9000 min ^-1 were the data of a racing machine that time. As a 360-degree parallel twin ( four-stroke engine ), the engine had two cylinders inclined 30 degrees forward with an overhead camshaft ( OHC ). The timing chain ran in a shaft on the left and had a semi-automatic chain tensioner. The early models (1959) had 10 series spark plugs NGK C10H, the later 12 series NGK D8HS (DR8HS) for touring and D10HS (DR10HS) for racing. A four-speed transmission with the shift pattern 1/0/2/3/4 was connected via a pedal and deflection to the left. The multi-plate clutch ran in an oil bath. The 1959 models had a Keihin VM 18 -PW 18 H P18 or PW 18 HA3 round slide carburetor with an 18 mm round slide and 20 mm passage, as well as a choke lever. From 1960 the machine got a carburetor type PW 20 HOV with 18 mm round slide and 18 mm passage.

The maximum speed was given as 130  km / h . The electric starter was powered by a 6 volt 12 Ah battery, but the engine could also be started with a kick starter  . The front drum brake had a diameter of 203 mm with a lining width of 30 mm and was designed as a double-cam brake ( duplex brake ), the rear drum brake with a diameter of 178 mm as a single-cam brake. These hubs were made of magnesium and painted silver for protection. Only a small amount of oil of 1.2 liters for the engine and transmission was in circulation. The frame consisted of welded sheet steel pressed parts , similar to that of the older Honda Super Cub C100 and SS 50 , with a steering head bearing angle of 30 degrees. The front fork was also made of sheet steel parts and with a pushed short swing arm with two internal spring-damper units . The rear swing arm was also made of sheet metal with two external spring struts with hydraulic shock absorbers.

Driving characteristics

Due to the low center of gravity, the machine was actually very sporty to drive. The suspension was designed to be very hard, whereby the resulting tendency of the wheels to move away could be controlled thanks to the good directional stability of the chassis. The power reserves of the machine were released from 6000 rpm. The top speed of 130 km / h specified in the brochure was only achieved by small and light drivers; in the test by MOTORRAD magazine , Ernst "Klacks" Leverkus drove around 118 km / h on the Nürburgring . The KFT stopped only 99 km / h with a 1.80 m tall, 80 kg driver. The lack of fifth gear was seen as the cause, which, given the lack of elasticity, was necessary to be able to fully utilize the engine's performance. In addition, it was doubted that the machine actually made 15 hp, especially since the performance information in later advertising publications was corrected by Honda to 13  SAE hp .

variants

This sporty motorcycle was only designed and approved as a single-seater until 1962 , after which it could be used as a two-seater for the pillion passenger thanks to a longer bench seat with retaining straps and two footrests attached to the rear swing arm . The gear ratio was (2.5–1.76–1.24–1): gear output 15 teeth, rear wheel with 44 teeth on the chain ring. Standing noise and driving noise 80  dB (A) . The tank volume was 10.5 liters including 0.9 reserve and the consumption (super with 95 RON ) was given as 2.5 liters / 100 km. The curb weight was 110 kg and the payload was 85 kg.

There was the machine with a red frame (Scarlet Red) and a black bench or with a blue frame (Royal Blue) and red bench, and in Germany with a black frame (Black) and black bench. At the beginning (1959) the tank was made of aluminum, like the front fender until 1961, the later ones made of sheet steel and like the side cover and tank painted in metallic silver. As a special feature, a small windshield made of transparent plastic was attached to the lamp housing. A small mud flap was installed horizontally on the rear fender, which was color-coordinated with the frame color. The later models from 1962 onwards had a longer seat with straps and square indicators. In motorsport, the machine was also used by private drivers. One of the successes was "silver" on the six-day race in Bad Aussee, driven by the Dutchman van Ommeren from Amby.

Honda CB92 - speedometer and tachometer

A "Meller Spezial", which was offered in 1961, developed 18 HP (13 kW) and weighed only 90 kg when ready to drive. 20 copies of this version were made. Unlike the production version, it had two Dell'Orto carburetors, each 20 mm in diameter. It had 14 candles, a compression of 10.5: 1 and 144 hp / liter. This enabled it to reach a top speed of almost 150 km / h.

equipment

"The Art of the Motorcycle Las Vegas" with Honda CB 92

As accessories there were also racing parts (racing kit), such as As a tachometer to 14,000 min ^-1 , racing exhaust, racing handlebar and racing seat, as well as various sprockets for ratio change . A 16 hp (12 kW) CB 92R was available in some countries. This machine had a red frame (Scarlet Red) and a black seat. It had a one-man racing seat, two conical racing bags (megaphones) and instead of the speedometer , a tachometer was built into the lamp housing. To reduce the weight, the starter, the alternator and the rotor could be removed. After removing the alternator, the standard ignition coil was replaced by a coil with a higher output. The gear ratio of the chain drive could be adjusted on the racetrack. A drive sprocket with 14 teeth instead of the original with 15 teeth made for a shorter gear ratio. The sprocket on the rear wheel could be changed with 38/42/43 or 48 teeth, depending on the conditions. The struts were replaced by specimens with more effective dampers. A curved racing handlebar was attached and a sheet metal panel with air inlets was screwed onto the front brake. The front fender and the tank were made of aluminum, the side covers and the tank were painted in silver.

CB 95

The sister model CB 95 with 154 cm³, product code 207, differs through the enlarged bore from 44 mm to 49 mm, suitably adapted cylinder and cylinder head and 20 mm carburetors type PW 20 HOV. It had 16.5 hp at 10,000 min ⁻¹ and a higher torque of 12.16 Nm at 9,000 min ⁻¹ . According to the brochure, it had a top speed of 135 km / h. The otherwise identical machine was only offered in Japan. It also served as a training machine for the Honda team, which first competed in the popular Tourist Trophy race on the Isle of Man in 1959 .

exhibition

In the Guggenheim Las Vegas Museum , for "The Art of the Motorcycle" from September 2001 to February 2003, 82 important motorcycles were presented, including the CB92.

Model overview

Type	Art	Product Code	cylinder	Carburetor	Displacement	PS	at min −1	construction time
C 90	Standard, single seat	200	2	1	124.8 cm³	11.5	8,200	1958-1959
C 92	Standard, bench	202 + 210 + 212	2	1	124.8 cm³	11.5	9,500	1959-1965
CA 92	America, bench	203	2	1	124.8 cm³	11.5	9,500	1959-1963
CS 92	raised exhaust, bench	204	2	1	124.8 cm³	11.5	9,500	1959-1963
CB 92	Sport, single / double bench	205 + 218	2	1	124.8 cm³	15th	10,500	1959-1964
CB 92 R	Private racer, single bench	205	2	1	124.8 cm³	16	10,500	1961–1962
CR 93 street	Racer, racing seat	222	2	2	124.8 cm³	16.5	11,500	1962
CB 93	Sports, bench	216	2	2	124.8 cm³	15th	10,500	1964-1966
CB 95	Sports, bench	207	2	1	154 cc	16.5	10,000	1959-1964

Technical data of the Benly types

Honda	Benly J	Benly YES	Benly JB	Benly JC 56	Benly JC 57 + JC 58	C 92 Benly	CS 92 Benly	CA 92 Benly	CB 92 Benly Super Sport	C 95 Benly	CS 95 Benly	CA 95 Benly	CB 95 Benly
period	1953	1955	1956	1956	1957 + 1958	1959-1964
category	Tourer								Sports	Tourer			Sports
Engine type	Four stroke
design type	Air-cooled standing single cylinder OHV					Air-cooled two-cylinder OHC
Bore ( mm )	60	47			44				49
Stroke (mm)	49	49				41
Displacement ( cm 3 )	89	138	124			124.7				154
Carburetor	1 × Keihin					1 × Keihin 18 mm				1 × Keihin 20 mm
Lubrication system	Wet sump with centrifugal filter
Compression ratio	6.5: 1	6: 1	6.5: 1	6.8: 1	7: 1	8.3: 1			10: 1	8.3: 1			10: 1
Power ( hp )	3.8 at 6000 min -1	4.5 5,500 min -1	5.5 5,800 min -1	7th at 6,500 min -1	8th at 7000 min -1	11.5 at 9,500 min -1			15th at 10,500 min -1	13.5 at 9,500 min -1			16.5 10,000 min -1
Primary drive	Chain
coupling	Multiple wet disc clutch
Corridors	3					4th
Secondary drive	Chain
Vehicle frame	Sheet metal profile frame
Front fork	Telescopic shock absorbers			Pushed long swing arm with telescopic shock absorber		Pushed short swing arm with telescopic shock absorber
Rear swing arm	Seesaw	Swing arm with telescopic shock absorber
brake	Drum brake front and rear
Tank ( liter )	7th	7.2	9.5		10	9			10.5	9			10.5
Dry weight ( kg )	80	unknown				120			110	122			111

Honda motorcycle racing history of the 125 cc class

In 1959 , Honda first took part in the popular Tourist Trophy raceon the Isle of Man Clypse circuit (17.63 km) in the 125 cc class. The racing machine RC141 was equipped with a 2-cylinder DOHC parallel twin and had a vertical shaft to the cylinder head with two valves per cylinder. The engine had a compression ratio of 10.5: 1, developed 18 horsepower at 13,000 min ^-1 and had a 6-speed transmission. Since it was recognized during the training that they were not competitive, new cylinder heads with 4 valves per cylinder were flown in from Japan.

Honda RC142

The engine had now 18.5 hp at 14,000 rpm ^-1 . This racing machine was now called the RC142 and weighed 87 kg. It was the first machine that Honda raced in Europe. The head of the Honda racing group was the 30 year old American Bill (William Hunt), the general manager of American Honda and winner of the Asama race in Japan in 1958. The other drivers were Naomi Taniguchi, Giichi Suzuki, Junzo Suzuki, Teisuke Tanaka, the latter with a RC141 2-valve. Tanaka replaced Kunihiko Akiyama, who was killed in an accident shortly before the team left Japan. The new CB 92 was used to explore the racetrack . In the race, Naomi Taniguchi achieved the first point in the world championship for Honda by finishing sixth. His average speed was 109.9 km / h. With a further seventh place by Giichi Suzuki with 107.4 km / h, eighth by Teisuke Tanaka with 105.7 km / h and eleventh place by Junzo Suzuki with 102.7 km / h, the Honda team won the team award and the first cup. The Honda team was led by Kiyoshi Kawashima , who later became president of the company.

In 1960 the Honda team took part in the Isle of Man TT again. They had the RC143 with them, which weighed 93 kg. The 2-cylinder DOHC parallel twin had been revised and was 22 hp at 14,000 rpm ^-1 from. The Australian Tom Phillis , Naomi Taniguchi, Giichi Suzuki, Teisuke Tanaka, Moto Kitano and Shimakazi were the racing drivers. Phillis qualified second fastest in practice, but spark plug problems only made him tenth in the race.

In 1961 , Tom Phillis drove with the starting number 60 in Barcelona the first victory in the first race of the season for Honda. He also won the first road world championship for Honda in the 125cc class on the RC143 and RC144 , with 21 hp at 14,000 rpm ^-1 . The later 2RC143 the # 26 had 23 horsepower at 14,000 min ^-1 . That year, Honda won eight of eleven races and the Constructors and Drivers' World Championship. The race in the Isle of Man TT ultra lightweight class was won by Mike Hailwood (Mike the Bike) on an RC143 from last year that he had received from Luigi Taveri . Taveri came in second, followed by Tom Phillis and Jim Redman , all on the RC144.

Honda RC145

In 1962 Luigi Taveri won the world championship in the 125cc classwith the RC145 , which he won with six wins. It was planned that the Japanese driver Takahashi would win this class. He also won the first two GPs but had a terrible accident on the Isle of Man that ended that endeavor. Taveri with the No. 6 drove to first place and the first 5 places went to Honda riders in the 125cc Isle of Man TT ultra light weight class. The RC145 had 24 hp at 14,000 rpm ^-1 , which each won ten races this season.

In 1964 Luigi Taveri again wonthe world championship in the 125cc classwith the RC146 . The RC146 was the first Honda 125cc four-cylinder and had 27 horsepower at 17,000 min ^-1 had appeared that the end of 1963 on the race track. It had 7 gears and weighed only 87 kg. The later 4RC146 had 28 hp at 18,000 rpm ^-1 . With this machine with the starting number 4, he took second placein the 125cc Isle of Man TT ultra lightweight classin 1965 . It was the best result this season against the now strongly emerging two-stroke.

Honda RC149

In 1966 Luigi Taveri again won the world championship in the 125cc classwith the RC149 . The RC149 was the first Honda 125cc five-cylinder engine and had 34 horsepower at 20,500 min ^-1 , which had already in October 1965 the racetrack its premiere. 8 gears and a dry weight of 85 kg brought her the constructors 'and drivers' world championships.

World championship 125 cc motorcycle road racing

1961	Tom Phillis
1962	Luigi Taveri
1964
1966

literature

• Roy Bacon: The early Hondas. HEEL-Verlag, Königswinter / Schindellegi 1991, ISBN 3-89365-230-2 , pp. 65-67, 69.
• Joachim Kuch + Jürgen Gaßebner: HONDA Motorräder since 1948 , Motorbuch Verlag, Stuttgart 2005, ISBN 3-613-02451-9 , pp. 31, 54.
• Ian Fallon: The Honda story. Haynes Publishing, Yeovil, Somerset, UK 2005, ISBN 1-85960-966-X , pp. 20-21. (English)
• Norbert Kappes: Nippon's beautiful daughter CB 92 . In: Oldtimer Practice . No. 12 , 2009, ISSN  0937-6291 , p. 71-75 .

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Automotive technology drove Honda Benly Super Sport. In: Motor vehicle technology 2/1964, pp. 64–65.
2. ↑ ^{a b} Benlypage / History / CB92 Production Figures, English
3. ↑ https://images.cmsnl.com/img/partslists/honda-cb92-benly-super-sport-1959-usa-front-shock-absorber_bighu0090f5002_d4d2.gif
4. ↑ The motorcycle. Issue 24/1960, pp. 702-704.
5. ↑ Automotive technology drove Honda Benly Super Sport. In: Motor vehicle technology 2/1964, pp. 64–65.
6. ↑ ^{a b} The motorcycle. Issue 5/1961, pp. 2-3.
7. ↑ HONDA workshop manual 125.150. June 30, 1960, pp. 142-147.

Web links

Commons : Honda CB92  - Collection of pictures, videos and audio files

• Sound of the CB 92
• Benlypage with history and information in English