Tag: Honda

Motul powers Honda motorbikes to a weekend full of victories

Motul and Honda enjoyed a long standing relationship, working together to develop superior racing grade engine oils for Honda motorbike engines. Over the July 17 and 18 weekend, Honda racing teams showcased how this collaboration with the French oil manufacturer has resulted in amazing results. F.C.C. TSR Honda France took their first win of the FIM Endurance World Championship 2021 season at the 12 Hours of Estoril in Portugal. Similarly, Motul-powered Team HRC secured the overall victory at MXGP of The Netherlands. It was an incredible weekend to celebrate for Motul, helping Honda achieve success across multiple championships.

The FIM EWC witnessed spectacular racing as the series shifted to the famous Cicuito do Esotril on the Portuguese Riviera. Notwithstanding some of the hottest temperatures of the year, F.C.C. TSR Honda France rose to the occasion and secured an emphatic win. Honda’s collaboration with Motul over the last few decades has led to the development of the Motul 300V Factory Line Racing Kit Oil 2376H 0W-30 ESTER Core®, engineered specifically for the CBR1000RR engine. The Honda EWC bike has proved to be highly compatible with this lubricant, delivering superior power output without compromising reliability. The 300V lubricant helped keep the CBR1000RR-R Fireblade SP reliable for more than 400 laps. The other Motul-powered Honda team, National Motos, was able to take a well-deserved podium finish in the Superstock class. They were also awarded the Dunlop Independent Trophy for a second race running. The strong results of both Honda teams was a testament to the performance the Motul 300V can deliver.

The fourth round of the FIM MXGP in The Netherlands took place in Oss on Sunday. Tim Gasjer from Team HRC went into the weekend as the championship leader. Motul has enjoyed a fruitful partnership with Team HRC, providing them with lubricants for the highly demanding Motocross competition and achieving championship success over the previous years. Team HRC’s CRF450RW uses the Motul 300V Factory Line Off Road 5W-40 4T to ensure high performance and reliability throughout the race. The lubricant is able to perform at high RPM levels and protects the bike engine from shocks and stress experienced in the dirt racing competition. Tim Gasjer achieved P3 in the first race and P2 in the second race, awarding him the overall victory for the weekend and extending his championship lead.

Motul’s association with Honda is the perfect example of the French company’s philosophy of developing and testing products in a racing application before making it available to a wider customer base. The high performance characteristic of the 300V has been detrimental to the championship success the lubricant has been able to attain for so many years, powering numerous teams to victory. Motul continues to work with OEMs to improve and innovate their products, providing the best results for their customers. The Honda teams’ achievements over the third weekend of July proved once again how well Motul 300V works to provide performance.

FIM EWC QUALIFYING RESULTS

#5 F.C.C TSR Honda France CBR1000RR – P3 in EWC class, P3 Overall (1:39.309)
Josh Hook | Yuki Takahashi | Mike Di Meglio

#55 National Motos CBR1000RR – P4 in Superstock class, P13 Overall (1:41.233)
Stéphane Egea | Guillaume Antiga | Enzo Boulom

FIM EWC RACE RESULTS

#5 F.C.C TSR Honda France CBR1000RR – P1 in EWC class, P1 Overall (417 laps completed, Fastest Lap – 1:39.801)
Josh Hook | Yuki Takahashi | Mike Di Meglio

#55 National Motos CBR1000RR – P2 in Superstock class, P9 Overall (407 laps completed, Fastest Lap – 1:41.171)
Stéphane Egea | Guillaume Antiga | Enzo Boulom

FIM MXGP RACE RESULTS

#243 Team HRC CRF450RW – P3 in Grand Prix Race 1 (20 Points), P2 in Grand Prix Race 2 (22 Points), P1 Overall (42 Points)
Tim Gajser

ABOUT MOTUL

Motul is a world-class French company specialised in the formulation, production and distribution of high-tech engine lubricants (two-wheelers, cars and other vehicles) as well as lubricants for industry via its Motul Tech activity.

Unanimously recognised for more than 150 years for the quality of its products, innovation capacity and involvement in the field of competition, Motul is also recognised as a specialist in synthetic lubricants. As early as 1971, Motul was the first lubricant manufacturer to pioneer the formulation of a 100% synthetic lubricant, issued from the aeronautical industry, making use of esters technology: 300V lubricant. 2021 marks the 50th anniversary of the Motul 300V.

Motul is a partner to many manufacturers and racing teams in order to further their technological development in motorsports. It has invested in many international competitions as an official supplier for teams in: Road racing, Trials, Enduro, Endurance, Superbike, Supercross, Rallycross, World GT1, 24 Hours of Le Mans (cars and motorcycles), 24 Hours of Spa, Le Mans Series, Andros Trophy, Paris-Dakar, 8 Hours of Suzuka, Bol d’Or, Daytona 200-mile motorcycle race.

MOTUL Asia Pacific Pte. Ltd
1A International Business Park, #06-03
Singapore 609933
www.motul.com

New Honda Prologue SUV Begins Next Chapter in Brand’s EV Direction in North America

– New Honda Prologue EV to go on sale in North America in MY2024 as highly competitive SUV with functionality expected by Honda customers
– “Prologue” model name symbolizes 1st in a new series of volume Honda BEV models
– Honda targets 100% of auto sales in North America to be full electric by 2040
– Honda initiates communication strategy to engage prospective EV customers

Honda today announced that its first new volume battery-electric vehicle will be named “Prologue,” signaling a new electrified era that will lead to the company’s vision for 100% zero emission vehicle sales in North America by 2040.

An all-new SUV coming to market in early 2024, the battery-electric Honda Prologue will be highly competitive with the functionality expected by Honda customers. More specific details about the new vehicle will be released over the coming months, and Honda will engage with prospective EV customers throughout the launch starting with a new webpage at https://automobiles.honda.com/future-cars/prologue.

In addition to the Honda Prologue, the company will introduce an all-electric Acura SUV in the 2024 calendar year. Both will utilize the highly flexible global EV platform powered by Ultium batteries based on the company’s strategic partnership with General Motors. Honda also plans to launch a new series of EV models in the second half of the decade based on a new e:Architecture, with development led by Honda.

“Our first volume Honda BEV will begin our transition to electrification and the name Honda Prologue signals the role it will play in leading to our zero-emission future,” said Dave Gardner, executive vice president of American Honda. “The Prologue will provide our customers with a battery-electric SUV with the excellent functionality and packaging they’ve come to expect from Honda.”

In April 2021, Honda global CEO, Toshihiro Mibe, announced a vision to achieve carbon-neutrality for its products and corporate activities by 2050, including key targets for sales of electrified vehicles. This vision calls for the sales ratio of battery-electric and fuel cell electric vehicles in North America to progress from 40% by 2030 and 80% by 2035 to 100% by 2040.

Honda Electrified Vehicle History

Honda has a long history of leadership in bringing electrified vehicles to market in the U.S., beginning almost a quarter century ago with the EV Plus electric vehicle (1997); to America’s first hybrid, the Honda Insight (1999); the Honda FCX (2002), the industry’s first fuel cell vehicle in the hands of individual customers, and the Clarity series (2017). As Honda prepares for the launch of Prologue, the company will introduce hybrid-electric systems to more core models to continue to reduce CO2 emissions and bridge customers to the volume battery-elecric vehicles now in development.

“We know customers who have a good experience with a hybrid vehicle are more likely to buy a battery electric vehicle in the future,” said Gardner. “Our strategy is focused on introducing a higher percentage of hybrids in core models in the near term, making a committed effort to achieve higher volume leading to the introduction of our Honda Prologue.”

Honda achieved record sales of electrified vehicles in each of the past three years, with that sales momentum continuing in 2021. Led by CR-V Hybrid and Accord Hybrid, Honda has just recorded its best-ever first-half year of electrified vehicle sales.

Motul and Honda Racing Corporation Aim for the Top in World Super Bike Partnership

One of Motul‘s longest-standing and most valued OEM partners is Honda, and the two companies have developed and enjoyed over many decades a dedicated technical collaboration and proud support of Honda’s HRC factory racing teams in many different motorsport arenas. At the start of 2020 Honda returned to the Motul FIM World Superbike Championship (WorldSBK) as a full factory squad.

Now, for the 2021 season, Team HRC and its two riders, Alvaro Bautista and Leon Haslam, will benefit further from Motul’s support as Official Lubricant Partner. Having made great steps forward with every race in 2020, there is only one aim for this season: the top!

A partnership with strength in depth

The trust and deeply cooperative working relationship that has developed over the years has seen Motul contribute to the performance, reliability and efficiency of HRC’s competition models over all terrains including circuits, off-road and desert. The strength of this partnership has resulted in multiple victories in many different championships, most notably three wins for HRC at the Dakar Rally – the first being in 1989 and the most recent being this year, 2021. It has also led to several championship titles with Team HRC in MXGP including 2019 and 2020 in the hands of their super-dominant star rider Tim Gajser.

Smoothing the way with Motul

Together with Motul, Team HRC has been continuing development of the CBR1000RR-RR FIREBLADE, with continual feedback to engineers in Japan. Among Motul’s international R & D centers is one in Japan whose engineers collaborate with HRC’s engine development department on a range of different projects including the development of high-tech synthetic lubricants. Principal among these is the tailor-made Motul 300V Factory Line Racing Kit Oil 2376H 0W-30 fully synthetic engine oil which will be used alongside the Motocool Factory Line and MC CARE range of products.

The viscosity grade 0W-30, 100% synthetic lubricant yields a low traction coefficient thanks to the EsterCore technology, generating a friction reduction and therefore providing a significant gain in engine power.

Nicolas Zaugg, Motul Chief Value Officer: “We are delighted to be extending our great working relationship with Honda and HRC to WorldSBK. The collaborative vision and technological partnership we have developed together is the perfect example of Motul’s living laboratory philosophy-developing and testing experimental products in a racing application before offering them for sale to a wider customer base. It’s a win-win deal as far as we are concerned.”

Tetsuhiro Kuwata, HRC Director – General Manager Race Operations Management Division: “We are pleased to announce Motul as Official Sponsor of our factory Team HRC in the highly competitive 2021 FIM Motul Superbike World Championship, thereby extending the relationship between our brands and further strengthening what is a very important project for us, with our CBR1000RR-R FIREBLADE SP. Honda and Motul each boast a long and successful history in high-level motorsport competition around the world, both brands being driven by the constant pursuit of victory and by the strong belief that the racing arena is the ideal setting in which to grow our human capital and develop our know-how and technology. In doing so, we offer our customers the best possible products, while bringing joy and excitement to our fans around the world. We are living in a time of great challenges, but we are ready to fight to achieve our mutual goals, which we will pursue with determination, positivity, and confidence in the future.”

About Motul

Motul is a world-class French company specialised in the formulation, production and distribution of high-tech engine lubricants (two-wheelers, cars and other vehicles) as well as lubricants for industry via its Motul Tech activity.

Unanimously recognised for more than 150 years for the quality of its products, innovation capacity and involvement in the field of competition, Motul is also recognised as a specialist in synthetic lubricants. As early as 1971, Motul was the first lubricant manufacturer to pioneer the formulation of a 100% synthetic lubricant, issued from the aeronautical industry, making use of esters technology: 300V lubricant.

Motul is a partner to many manufacturers and racing teams in order to further their technological development in motorsports. It has invested in many international competitions as an official supplier for teams in: Road racing, Trials, Enduro, Endurance, Superbike, Supercross, Rallycross, World GT1, 24 Hours of Le Mans (cars and motorcycles), 24 Hours of Spa, Le Mans Series, Andros Trophy, Paris-Dakar, 8 Hours of Suzuka, Bol d’Or, Daytona 200-mile motorcycle race.

MOTUL Asia Pacific Pte. Ltd
1A International Business Park, #06-03
Singapore 609933
www.motul.com