MORE from the 2025 Honda FF design school project...

More of Matteo Borghi's design work, sponsored by Honda.

MORE from the 2025 Honda FF design school project...

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LOL

Good to see Honad spaffing money there. I'm 100% certain that anyone racing an FF in the near future won't be worried by any of this. Mind you, I'd like to see it racing, in the wet... Not sure what Matteo Borghi does for a living - I think he's a teacher* - but it sure don't involve researching what anyone else has done in this field. People are laughing about this on more than one continent. Vapourware is great innit? I love the way it sketches over the front suspension (It'll be a version of the Tessi thing, from another student), or where you'd actually fit a whole human being. Other pictures are available. I think Honad should build lots immediately, then there might be some useful bits is scrapyards in a year or two.

*"Those that can, do. Those that can't, teach" (And "those who can't teach, teach teachers", just quoting)

It has to start somewhere...

As the only FF racer in the world right now, I agree - I'm not worried at all.

What I am very glad to see:

Ever hear the dimwits whinge "If FFs were such a good idea, why doesn't Honda make them?" "If FFs are so fast, why aren't they raced?" Well, that's how it starts.

Tired of all the hipster hegemonic retro cafe' racer, scrambler, etc... reheated fashion for too many years in the motorcycle style world? Ever wonder if anyone thinks there's something futuristic about the future after all? Well, that is how it starts.

Bored with republished FF pictures from well into the previous century? I know I sure am - quite sick of it, really. Seeing new design work from someone else is a welcome sight. Marketing tends to start with design rather than engineering, even though we'd prefer otherwise.

As far as people laughing, well, there's no shortage of moto bavardage from les incompétents talking out of le derrière on the internet - I could fill a small book about the utterly stupid comments they've posted about my work. Those who can't might teach, but those that never will sure talk a lot.

In the mean time, I'm getting work done on my 2nd racer - it won't look like anything from the design schools...

Well said!

Absolutely agree with everything the only FF racer in the world has to say here.

Including any criticism of me laughing at the efforts of Italien students. It's true they have to start somewhere and we shouldn't take the piss out of creativity when it comes in strange forms.

But. It's a bit late to start FFs from scratch. FFs were being raced pre-WW2 and every LSR since 1956 has been held by FFs. Honad may not have the balls or imagination to design it's own example but it can't pretend it doesn't know what FFs are, how they can be built, what they'll tend to look like and who they can be sold to. It was, after all, Honad who told me that FFs were "almost simple" - Some time in the nineties. That's laughable.

And, given that good engineering is doing for "five bob what any damm fool can do for a quid"*, looking at what all the other damm fools have done is always the best way to start. In the case of FFs it's easy and cost-free to research the subject, in detail. It's what any credible student would do. So it's sad that it's not being done here and we shouldn't laugh. We should weep.

Also I'm laughing at myself, for the incredible niavity in believing that spending decades promoting, designing, building and developing FFs would have any effect on people like Honad, or BMW, or a host of others, and especially not students, proud of their 'innovative purity' After all I missed university and public school, hold journalists in contempt and don't have any money. Fatal combination, obviously laughable.

So I'm still laughing at Honad and BMW and Kawasaki and everyone on earth who ever called themselves a racer (a person who wants to win races) and came up with an excuse for not racing a vehicle with less than half the aero drag of the opposition (for s atart). Then there are all the journalists that didn't go to, or report, Peraves E-FF launch or Lightnings E-FF demo. Even though it's not that funny in a global context. Our children may be really pissed off.

And here we are in 2020 with one person in the world racing an FF. how could I not laugh at everyone else?

*"Bob"? "Quid"? Oh look it up. "Do some research"

Newell GPz1100 Slug-related?

I wonder if Signor Borghi is aware of Malcolm Newell's GPz1100-powered Slug of 1986? I have my doubts...http://www.bikeweb.com/node/1828

Journalistic opportunity?

Paul,

Would an interview with Matteo be remotely feasible?

It could make for some good reading, and I'm guessing those involved wouldn't object to further exposure, especially outside of Italy.

Bob Horn said "Marketing

Bob Horn said "Marketing tends to start with design rather than engineering, even though we'd prefer otherwise." I have to agree and I think this is where FFs have most noticeably failed. If people don't want to be associated with something it doesn't matter if it's technically superior to the alternatives; they won't buy it.

Rob, I'll make some

Rob,
I'll make some enquiries.

From IED Turin:

Their own website:

https://www.ied.it/blog/ied-progetta-per-honda-le-moto-a-zero-emissioni-del-2025/74558

Their FB post:

https://www.facebook.com/iedtorino/posts/3151508398229531