The carefully-developed drive-belt material and construction

Double cogged belt To make the Honda S Matic light in weight and compact, Honda engineers carried out extensive researches on the material and the shape of the drive belt. Compared to the conventional belt-type CVT, the 2004 FORZA underwent the following modifications: (1) The cog (tooth) shape of the cogged belt has been modified from single type to double type. (2) The core fabric material has been modified from polyester to aromatic polyamide. (3) The upper & lower rubbers are modified to a mixed rubber having higher side force resistance Through fine tuning and these improvements, the slip rate has been reduced to approximately 50% of the conventional rubber belt, thus realizing the belt that is best-suited for electronic control system.  Drive belt slip rate comparison

A total of three shift modes consisting of two automatic modes and a manual mode

Compared to earlier scooters, the former belt-type CVT of FORZA (Hyper V Matic system) features an improved transition from the medium speed zone to the high speed zone to ensure smooth acceleration by changing the shift timing in two stages. Furthermore in the 2004 FORZA, the D and S automatic modes and the manual M mode have been added. The added modes allow use of wider engine revolution zones and realizes even smoother running.

D mode

Shift characteristics comparison The shift characteristics feature a rise in the high speed zone to keep the engine revolutions low in the shifting zone for fuel economy, low exhaust emissions and quietness while ensuring smooth acceleration.

S mode

Shift characteristics comparison Acceleration is improved by setting the low ratio higher than in the D mode. When in deceleration, the ratio is set more to the low speed side for effective engine brake.

M mode

Reduction ratio in M mode The manual mode allows fixing of the reduction ratio at one of the 6 speeds by rider’s choice for strong acceleration when climbing or traveling at a high speed. Also, by down shifting, engine braking can be used efficiently. Also applied is the “automatic shift-down” that shifts down to an optimum ratio to ensure comfort when traveling at a low speed, and the “shift limiter” that inhibits shifting in the zone where a shift operation is deemed to cause a loss of rider comfort.