Harakiri

[Verismo]

"Seppuku, sometimes metathesized as harakiri is a form of Japanese ritual suicide by disembowelment.....

Why do you use harakiri as a title for your post?

Because the ritual has made it into Japanese corporate culture before, and I've often wondered if this kind of pressure or something akin to it was ever present, and if so to what degree, at Honda.

Jason

[willtill]

Because the ritual has made it into Japanese corporate culture before, and I've often wondered in this kind of pressure or something akin to it was ever present, and if so to what degree, at Honda.

Jason

I think your reading way too much into Honda motorcycle product development.

I'm going to bow out of this thread. It's just too deep.

[Verismo]

I think your reading way too much into Honda motorcycle product development.

I'm going to bow out of this thread. It's just too deep.

Lol, you think wondering if a part of Japanese culture made it into a Japanese company is "reading too much into" it?

Lol, Alrighty..

Jason

[druggr]

This is one of the better history books I've read. It a nice read of the challenges involved with creating something that had never been created at the time ... an opposed, water cooled, shaft driven m/c. If I recall, the engineers had to fight with Mr. Honda because he wanted it to be a 2-stroke. It was originally a 6-cylinder engine, but they didn't think a 6 cylinder would sell, thus the early 4-cylinders. Also, Honda didn't have a drive shaft. At first they used a BMW one until they designed their own. The drive shaft alone took them like 2 years to get to a final design. I'm sure you will find it an interesting read too. Honda used to give these books away for free at their yearly factory event. This books history is from generation 0 thru 4. If you google GoldWing history books, you'ill find a couple of other history books.

https://www.amazon.com/Gold-Wing-Fir...4C7ANYJPY6HBH9

You can also read here, but this more of a linear history from model to model less all the engineering struggles of getting there.

http://world.honda.com/GoldWing/history/

[Verismo]

This is one of the better history books I've read. It a nice read of the challenges involved with creating something that had never been created at the time ... an opposed, water cooled, shaft driven m/c. If I recall, the engineers had to fight with Mr. Honda because he wanted it to be a 2-stroke. It was originally a 6-cylinder engine, but they didn't think a 6 cylinder would sell, thus the early 4-cylinders. Also, Honda didn't have a drive shaft. At first they used a BMW one until they designed their own. The drive shaft alone took them like 2 years to get to a final design. I'm sure you will find it an interesting read too. Honda used to give these books away for free at their yearly factory event. This books history is from generation 0 thru 4. If you google GoldWing history books, you'ill find a couple of other history books.

https://www.amazon.com/Gold-Wing-Fir...4C7ANYJPY6HBH9

You can also read here, but this more of a linear history from model to model less all the engineering struggles of getting there.

http://world.honda.com/GoldWing/history/

Thanks, druggr! That's great and I appreciate it!!!

Jason

[Retired Army]

Now for the burning question. Does the plane of the piston rotation of the flat engine contribute to the smoothness of the Gold Wing?

[BIGLRY]

Now for the burning question. Does the plane of the piston rotation of the flat engine contribute to the smoothness of the Gold Wing?

Yeap, along with several other engineered designed aspects of the engine platform!