I have to be honest, before we go any further, by stating that I am a great fan of the Honda CBR1000. I bought a nearly new one in late 1987, with just running in miles on the clock, having done about 80,000 miles in six years. In fact, it's the first bike I've kept for more than eighteen months.
Part of my dedication to the brute is that it's extraordinarily fast even by the standards of 90's bikes. I am not sure of the ultimate top speed, putting 150mph on the clock was quite enough to burn my brain. More importantly, it'll cruise at 125mph for hours on end as if it was its sole function in life. The excess in speed is not compromised by finicky slow speed work, the bike able to hum along at 35mph in top.
This is just as well, as the CBR has to serve as my sole means of transport all year round. It certainly feels heavy at sub 30mph speeds but over the first few months I adapted to this. The main restraint on fast town work is the width of the plastic bodywork, itself a function of its across the frame four cylinder engine. For town work I much prefer third gear to first or second, as the these gears highlight a surprising amount of driveline lash that was present when I bought the machine.
The gearbox is the worst bit of design in the bike. It was never what could be called smooth or precise, age doing nothing for its action. It has now degenerated to a level that an owner of an old CB125 could appreciate. As with most things in life, a bit of practice makes perfect. It took me about two months to adapt to the CBR's gearbox and I have managed to keep up with the ravages of time and high mileage. I miss a change, usually to second or third, about once a week. I once spun the engine to 12000 revs when finding a false neutral, to no ill effects.
The clutch is original but has become heavy and grabby. There's no discernible slip even when revved into the red in the lower gears, but the first engagement of a gear every day is accompanied by chronic drag. The clutch troubles have made finding neutral very difficult, which leads to the old Honda malaise at junctions when the bike creeps forwards in first gear with the clutch pulled in. Sometimes bad enough to stall the engine.
The DOHC unit has been generally reliable with the exception of another old Honda malady, the dreaded camchain and tensioner. It's nowhere near as bad as a CBX550 or CX500, the chain beginning to rattle slightly after about 25000 miles, which I take as a strong hint as replacement time. To ignore it would be a false economy, as a broken camchain could quite easily lead to a totalled top end. I've had three new camchains fitted at about a hundred notes a time.
There have been no on the road failures of the motor. The only time I was inconvenienced was when one spark plug went west. I feared something serious, the clock had 54000 miles on it and I was in the middle of the German countryside. The Honda was still quite rapid as a 750cc triple, but the way the fourth cylinder could cut in suddenly proved less than amusing.
The one downside of the full plastic enclosure is that changing a set of spark plugs takes hours. Not so long ago, anyone who designed a bike with such a feature would've been a laughing stock. Nowadays, spark plug technology is so advanced that you can usually get away with tens of thousands of miles. I was more relieved than annoyed that the solution was so simple.
Servicing was similarly tedious, but needed so infrequently that it could be forgiven such horrors. The plastic didn't even fit back on easily, quite effortless to break off the prongs (Superglue repairs them effectively). The valves settled down quite nicely, not needing attention for around 15000 miles. The carbs would last for 5000 miles before going off so far as to increase the vibes. This was the mileage at which I changed the oil filter, but being an old Jap bike hand I did the oil changes every 1000 miles. The rest was either electronic or automatic.
Basically, owning the CBR turned out to be relatively free of worry or trauma. It was, and still is, the kind of bike you could leap on to and do 5000 miles around the Continent without becoming a paranoid wreck. My previous mount, a CBX550, always had me on edge whenever I tried for large mileages, its mechanical problems always threatening to turn a tour into a disaster.
I've lost count of the number of times I've leapt on to the Honda, without even checking the oil level let alone changing it, and gone off on a whim to see some part of Europe I would not have otherwise dreamt of visiting. All it would take was a couple of paragraphs in one of the Sundays on some obscure city to make me blast off on a long weekend of speeding and self-indulgence. Not once, did the Honda fail to deliver the goods in a spectacular manner.
I usually went on these excursions on my own, but often joined up with some other rider en route. After a high speed race to introduce ourselves, we would swap tales. Our combined knowledge would often lead to a change in destination or a joining up of forces. On many occasions I ended up staying with complete strangers and being given an insider's guide to the town. All through a common interest in motorcycles.
The one area where the CBR was at a loss as a serious tourer was its consumption of consumables. Tyres rarely lasted for more than 5000 miles a set, fuel hovered around the 35mpg mark (threatening to hit 30mpg under serious abuse) and the rear chain, if of a cheap variety, could be reduced to a pathetic rubber band in less than 4000 miles. High quality O-ring chains would last over 10,000 miles but I often couldn't afford that kind of monetary indulgence.
Overall, though, the lack of serious engine problems more than offset the high cost of running the beast. Surprisingly, the CBR is still on the original exhaust (if rusty), calipers (if renovated occasionally) and paint (if polished up once a month). Even most of the frame paint and engine alloy is still intact.
I will admit to sneaking in a few mods to the suspension. A back street mechanic, who's also a friend, rebuilt the rear shock with a stiffer spring and modified damper and also added HD springs to the front forks. When I first had the bike handling was more than acceptable, but by 26000 miles there was a lot of jumping about in corners. The mods tightened up the bike to a better than new standard. There have been no failures in the chassis bearings, which compared to some UMG accounts is very good going.
The Honda tracks well around smooth corners even at high speeds. Bumps will upset its poise when banked over, although straight line stability over rough going can be quite remarkable for such a hefty machine, the Honda sitting on the road as if on rails.
Wet weather riding can be a bit traumatic if too much power is let loose. A tall gear and very restrained right wrist are called for to avoid wild, lurid slides. Falling off under such circumstances could not be easier, but I have surprised myself by not dropping the Honda. A feat which further endears the bike to me. I was initially rather worried about the cost of replacing the plastic after a crash but now I've become almost blase.
Even with 80,000 miles done, none of the engine's performance appears to have dropped off and there is no smoke out of the exhaust. The starter has become very rattly but still turns the mill into life after a few seconds, although from cold it has always been very lean running, needing a good ten minutes to get up to the correct operating temperature. With the crude clutch it's dead easy to stall a motor first thing in the morning.
There are now more sophisticated bikes than my CBR1000, but they don't offer enough extra by way of performance (I have more than enough, anyway) or handling to entice me into parting with a large wedge. Even if the Honda's engine gives out soon, which it shows no sign of doing, I can still pick up a newish motor for a lot less than I'd have to pay for a newer motorcycle of similar or better performance.
Al Grange
****************************************************
May '94, my heart firmly set on a Kawasaki ZX10. Certainly nothing less than 1000cc as I had fond memories of a hulking Z1100. 80 to 90mph in comfort was demanded. After two or three bum numbing trips down to the West Country, the Kawasaki 650 Tengai had to go. Despite the fact that it was magnificent around town - tall, intimidating, frugal (five gallon tank at 60mpg equals 300 plus mile range), easy to clean and fun, especially watching her indoors trying it for size. If only we could afford to run both. Dream on.
Staying near Donnington one week, we were awoken early in the morning by two fly encrusted Ducati 888's, setting off car alarms left, right and centre, over from Belgium for the World Superbike. I think hundreds of bikes roared past that morning. The other guests were somewhat less enthusiastic, heads were hurting. We watched all the bikes pouring out at the end of the day, too, and the ZX10 and GPZ1000RX's were noticeably outnumbered by a bike which was new to me - the CBR1000.
As a long term prospect it had to be a bike which was both durable and plentiful - after a quick flick through the UMG and grabbing MCN early, it was off to junction 20 of the M1 the same day to view what was described as a better than showroom, mint, original, fsh, low (8000) mileage, F reg CBR. I told myself not to buy the first one I saw. Right!
The garage doors were reverently opened and a blindingly red and white vision revealed, exactly as described...notes rapidly changed hands. We collected it three days later, sort of on the way to Mildenhall air show (which is ground shakingly superb), my wife and I on her GPZ500 - a harrowing trip! First impressions were of huge mass and grunt. Crisp, seamless, ballistic throttle response. Being vertically challenged (5'8') the best moment was being able to reach the ground with both heels. Very useful with a full load (the next model's an inch taller).
Good stability at all speeds and a low centre of gravity made the bike feel small once under way. For a 1000cc watercooled, DOHC four encased in a great swathe of plastic, that weighs close to 600lbs when fully fuelled up, that's a pretty amazing feat of detailed design work over the sheer outrageous reality of a 130hp projectile. Quite clever, these Japs!
So what's this complete garbage about them being 'too ponderous for UK back roads?' My very existence feels threatened. Well... suppose I'd have to agree, s'pose. But...pump the front forks up 6psi and wind up the rear suspension and it doesn't ground out too often - I can live with it.
And the camchain tensioner needed replacing sooner rather than later (around £150). Do you suppose the same absolute cretin has been Honda's camchain engineer for the last fifteen years, or so - it would explain a lot! Otherwise, it's all I ever wanted from a motorcycle. Right rippin' brilliant - 160mph plus for £3000, because its value is depressed compared to VFR's and CBR600's - blooming great.
It's commuted every day and has been up the west coast of Scotland and around northern France without a hint of trouble. The easy, smooth power delivery allowed me to concentrate on the road ahead rather than the bike, making it easier to slip through traffic than might be suggested by its bulk and mass.
The front tyre lasted 8000 miles, the rear 10,000 - which was a relief. Michelins are fine. Okay, I didn't ride in race replica mode all the time, a bit of smoothness on the controls can do wonders for consumable longevity; the excess of torque allowing a minimum of gearchanges and thus the smoothest delivery of power to the fat rear rubber.
Pillions loved the ample seat, generous legroom and silky ride. Their mass has little effect on the performance or handling, the CBR a very serious long distance tourer, ideally suited to German autobahns and the like, not so out of it that when hitting town after a long day in the saddle it's still quite easy to hustle around.
Givi's Wingrack and luggage fitted on a treat and have proved both rugged and versatile. Built in luggage would've been even better but at this kind of price that was expecting too much.
A motorcycle like the CBR's the ideal way to go touring - fast, immune to traffic jams and still part of the environment, rather than remote as in a cage. Scotland's fantastic - awesome scenery and stunning roads. Just go. The only limitation I found was when turning off the main road for a B & B, the path rapidly turned into a deeply rutted shingle track, too steep to cop out and try to turn around. Wrestling over 600lbs of bike and kit down the next quarter of mile of track was a knee knackering nightmare. Eventually I came to rest against the farmhouse wall, all sweat and wobble, jelly legged.
'Sorry, my dear, we're full right up,' said the lady of the house. I say lady, she obviously tossed kabers and skinned sassenachs before breakfast. Probably just as well because she had to help me haul the bike around ready for the ascent. All rather embarrassing. Come back Tengai, all is forgiven. My wife had very sensibly aborted the descent after about 100 yards and was marooned for ages before I could help her do a 33 point turn to escape (GPZ 500's have the crappiest side-stands ever fitted in the history of the known universe). We badly needed a pub - never far away in Scotland!
France's fantastic. Well, not the north - staggeringly expensive. Fast empty roads, mostly hideously straight except for the really minor back roads which were often badly surfaced or covered in mud, straw and shit. Great fun with 600lbs of CBR waiting for a chance to let loose. Generally well sign-posted except for the actual road number, meant plenty of muscle building as I perfected the art of U-turning the CBR.
The beaches at Le Touquet, Quend and Fort Mahon were glorious with plenty of campsites. Park the bike right besides miles of clean, deep, golden sand. I particularly enjoyed the bird watching, the common greater red breast French wobbler being a particular favourite.
All this travelling did take its toll on the bike. New steering head bearings (about £150 fitted). The white belly pan and wheels were a total pain to clean. Silly. The bike's also too quiet, a bit of a wolf - well, German Sheppard - in sheep's clothing. Partly down to the exhaust still being in perfect nick. At high speeds there was an intrusive vibration that numbed my extremities, although on first acquaintance it seemed really smooth. Chain snatch could be a pain in town until I developed a light touch on the controls, and kept the chain in correct tension.
The engine coughed and spluttered on damp frosty morning, cured by the occasional tipple of Silkolene's Pro Boost. The battery often needed topping up. The gearbox always thunks into first but after 18000 miles it's still improving (slowly) - the more precise you are the better it is.
The bike eats miles effortlessly. Stunning build quality and curious attention to detail - take the fairing off and it's absolutely stuffed full of intriguing bits and pieces. Virtually no rust yet - the plastic seems to protect the bike as well as it does the rider, and it's holding its value well. The fairing works! I've only ever had to resort to my old heavyweight gloves and overtrousers a couple of times. 80mph at 5000rpm with another 5500 to go, 6th gear overtaking is astounding; 4th is dislocating.
The new chain didn't need adjusting for 2000 miles (the original lasted almost 16000 miles and the sprockets are fine). It averages around 40mpg on holidays. Honda suggest an oil change every 8000 miles - bollocks! It's treated to new semi-synthetic every 2500 to 3000 miles. These engines are rumoured to go over 100,000 miles. Easy!
I've lowered it to the ground once - don't we all love disc locks! And damaged a wall when I lost it trying to get it on to a wet centrestand. The wife's GPZ500 has done everything the CBR's done at a fraction of the cost. Huh? But that's not the point, is it?
H.Redhill
****************************************************
Madness is something that you grow out of unless you keep a well stocked array of drugs and, of course, an insanely fast motorcycle. This cocktail of stimulants my answer to the depreciations of the ageing process. It was a lot less trouble that trying to keep up with some sixteen year old nubile, anyway! The bike in question was (initially) a low miler Honda CBR1000 that some sensible and mature type had been talked into buying on the understanding that he was getting a sane long distance tourer. Immaculate was a reasonable description, a bloody brilliant bargain a more accurate one - half the new price for a two year old that had merely been run in properly, ready for my ever eager right wrist.
It's a big old thing, any way you want to look at it, with bulbous plastic and a riding position that left me so widely splayed out that it was just as well I had no gay inclinations - otherwise I would've been distracted by a raging hard-on. I have no doubt that any babes who think they can handle the brute will end up all turned on, not least because the watercooled four cylinder motor always gave out a slight tingling sensation.
Initial impressions of the motive power weren't all that brilliant. It seemed quietly sensible with plenty of forward motion but far from eyeball popping acceleration. Then at five grand I had a hint of things to come, a hard surge in third gear. By the time 6000 revs were up I was beginning to sport a wide grin, which distorted into a grimace as the rev counter suddenly raced for the red zone. Hmmm! That's more like it. I clicked up to fourth only to find a false neutral. The motor gave off a weird wail until the electronic ignition cut off the spark, though there was enough momentum left in the engine to throw it deep into the red.
By the time I fought the gearbox into fourth the revs were down to five grand; the sheer quality of the engine shining threw as the escapade had resulted in no apparent damage. Honda's gearboxes are notoriously fickle in quality; some passable, almost good, others like something out of the sixties. Mine was only really bad on the third to fourth change, something I'd missed on the test ride - it would sometimes go for days without throwing itself into the dreaded false neutral. The actual gear lever felt a touch notchy, the clutch a bit on the abrupt side but nothing a well trained hand couldn't overcome. The only thing that really helped was doing oil changes at 500 mile intervals; nonsensical on a modern bike but pretty much what you'd expect with the engine and gearbox sharing the same oil in the usual primitive and retrogressive Japanese fashion.
The engine's power was such that it thrust the CBR forward at an incredible rate whichever of the six gears I employed. It powered through 100mph in a way that most machines manage to attain half that speed and showed no signs of slowing down until more than a ton-fifty was on the clock. The fairing was obviously designed by a diminutive Japanese fellow who bore a grudge against twenty stone, six feet two inch Westerners, such as myself. The howling gale at serious speed tried to flip my visor off my helmet and if I dared turn my head slightly to the side, let alone rearwards to compensate for the fuzzy mirrors, the force of the wind would try to tear my head off my neck. All this despite a painful racing crouch that sent spasms of pain along my spine.
The answer was simple enough - more speed! A strange calm enveloped the machine with 160mph on the speedo, even the tingling motor subsided, the muted howl of the four cylinder engine totally lost to the raging slipstream behind me (as evidenced by pillions I took for a joy ride going berserk with the sheer fear of being blown off the back). This was a reasonable motorway cruising speed, a feeling of being a master of the universe surging through my mind with the cars reversing backwards like something out of a particularly psychedelic video.
Pushing the Honda harder yet revealed a stone wall of aerodynamic resistance that not even the 130 horses of the magnificently equipped CBR could counter. That isn't to say that I didn't get more speed out of the old beast. But it needed a tail wind and downward stretch of tarmac; a long smooth ribbon of road that let the tacho flirt with the red in top gear. 177mph (on the clock, so it could be a lot less in real life) was my all time record. Not something to do every day, not least because some resonance in the transmission set up a fierce vibration in the chassis that seemed to indicate the hefty O-ring chain was about to snap, wrap itself around the engine sprocket, cause the bike to career off the road in a slew of shattering plastic, metal and bone. You get weird thoughts at such surreal speeds.
The handling was basically stable despite relatively soft suspension. It wavered rather than wallowed at high speeds but the squirmishness never developed into anything approaching a high speed wobble. With nigh on 600lbs of metal and plastic to cart through the bends, a sure and steady hand was needed on the bars. It was pretty easy to get the back end wagging its tail, merely a matter of whacking open the throttle. I could actually feel the Metz tyres distorting fiercely; the bike needed a very gentle hand on the throttle on wet roads as the sheer weight and power of the beast could overcome the traction, send the thing skipping down the road. However, I never had any serious accidents, being both a speed freak and total coward at the same time - if you see what I mean!
With about 30,000 miles on the clock, the suspension became very mushy, needing heavy-duty springs in the forks and a nice tight S & W shock (plus new linkage bearings) out back. This all made for a much tauter ride, though I did find it weaved quite mightily if I wanted to idle along at a moderate 135-140mph, but it was just a case of blasting through such speeds to avoid the weave. The combination of increased road shocks and an ill-suited riding position (at least for my height and weight) meant the old spine started screaming for relief within less than a 100 miles. Mildly annoying given that the bike turned in better than 40mpg despite such excess speeding.
Brakes were good when new but winter salt they didn't like at all. After three strip-downs they were ready for replacements from the breakers. Pad life was desultory, insult added by the way the discs went dangerously thin after 30,000 miles. Set up properly the brakes worked well in the dry and wet; once some wear ate into them they needed a tender hand and foot on the controls.
The engine needed a new camchain and tensioner at 45000 miles. Acceptable enough, except that the replacements lasted for barely half that distance. Carbs stayed in balance for around 5000 miles, the valves tended to close up after about twice that distance; everything a pain to work on due to the all-enclosing plastic. Other than the above, the motor has done 123,400 miles and still puts out the same exceptional power as when I bought it - I think it's designed to work best at high revs, absolutely thrives on maximum speed abuse; premature wear most likely caused by perverts who treat it as a sensible tourer. Oh, I did do regular oil and filter changes - absolutely essential even on modern Japanese engines.
The CBR1000F's laughed at by the glossies as being slow and ponderous, but for cheap speed it's a lovely bit of kit and I'm really pleased that I bought mine.
Josh Watson
****************************************************
Madness is something that you grow out of unless you keep a well stocked array of drugs and, of course, an insanely fast motorcycle. This cocktail of stimulants my answer to the depreciations of the ageing process. It was a lot less trouble that trying to keep up with some sixteen year old nubile, anyway! The bike in question was (initially) a low miler Honda CBR1000 that some sensible and mature type had been talked into buying on the understanding that he was getting a sane long distance tourer. Immaculate was a reasonable description, a bloody brilliant bargain a more accurate one - half the new price for a two year old that had merely been run in properly, ready for my ever eager right wrist.
It's a big old thing, any way you want to look at it, with bulbous plastic and a riding position that left me so widely splayed out that it was just as well I had no gay inclinations - otherwise I would've been distracted by a raging hard-on. I have no doubt that any babes who think they can handle the brute will end up all turned on, not least because the watercooled four cylinder motor always gave out a slight tingling sensation.
Initial impressions of the motive power weren't all that brilliant. It seemed quietly sensible with plenty of forward motion but far from eyeball popping acceleration. Then at five grand I had a hint of things to come, a hard surge in third gear. By the time 6000 revs were up I was beginning to sport a wide grin, which distorted into a grimace as the rev counter suddenly raced for the red zone. Hmmm! That's more like it. I clicked up to fourth only to find a false neutral. The motor gave off a weird wail until the electronic ignition cut off the spark, though there was enough momentum left in the engine to throw it deep into the red.
By the time I fought the gearbox into fourth the revs were down to five grand; the sheer quality of the engine shining threw as the escapade had resulted in no apparent damage. Honda's gearboxes are notoriously fickle in quality; some passable, almost good, others like something out of the sixties. Mine was only really bad on the third to fourth change, something I'd missed on the test ride - it would sometimes go for days without throwing itself into the dreaded false neutral. The actual gear lever felt a touch notchy, the clutch a bit on the abrupt side but nothing a well trained hand couldn't overcome. The only thing that really helped was doing oil changes at 500 mile intervals; nonsensical on a modern bike but pretty much what you'd expect with the engine and gearbox sharing the same oil in the usual primitive and retrogressive Japanese fashion.
The engine's power was such that it thrust the CBR forward at an incredible rate whichever of the six gears I employed. It powered through 100mph in a way that most machines manage to attain half that speed and showed no signs of slowing down until more than a ton-fifty was on the clock. The fairing was obviously designed by a diminutive Japanese fellow who bore a grudge against twenty stone, six feet two inch Westerners, such as myself. The howling gale at serious speed tried to flip my visor off my helmet and if I dared turn my head slightly to the side, let alone rearwards to compensate for the fuzzy mirrors, the force of the wind would try to tear my head off my neck. All this despite a painful racing crouch that sent spasms of pain along my spine.
The answer was simple enough - more speed! A strange calm enveloped the machine with 160mph on the speedo, even the tingling motor subsided, the muted howl of the four cylinder engine totally lost to the raging slipstream behind me (as evidenced by pillions I took for a joy ride going berserk with the sheer fear of being blown off the back). This was a reasonable motorway cruising speed, a feeling of being a master of the universe surging through my mind with the cars reversing backwards like something out of a particularly psychedelic video.
Pushing the Honda harder yet revealed a stone wall of aerodynamic resistance that not even the 130 horses of the magnificently equipped CBR could counter. That isn't to say that I didn't get more speed out of the old beast. But it needed a tail wind and downward stretch of tarmac; a long smooth ribbon of road that let the tacho flirt with the red in top gear. 177mph (on the clock, so it could be a lot less in real life) was my all time record. Not something to do every day, not least because some resonance in the transmission set up a fierce vibration in the chassis that seemed to indicate the hefty O-ring chain was about to snap, wrap itself around the engine sprocket, cause the bike to career off the road in a slew of shattering plastic, metal and bone. You get weird thoughts at such surreal speeds.
The handling was basically stable despite relatively soft suspension. It wavered rather than wallowed at high speeds but the squirmishness never developed into anything approaching a high speed wobble. With nigh on 600lbs of metal and plastic to cart through the bends, a sure and steady hand was needed on the bars. It was pretty easy to get the back end wagging its tail, merely a matter of whacking open the throttle. I could actually feel the Metz tyres distorting fiercely; the bike needed a very gentle hand on the throttle on wet roads as the sheer weight and power of the beast could overcome the traction, send the thing skipping down the road. However, I never had any serious accidents, being both a speed freak and total coward at the same time - if you see what I mean!
With about 30,000 miles on the clock, the suspension became very mushy, needing heavy-duty springs in the forks and a nice tight S & W shock (plus new linkage bearings) out back. This all made for a much tauter ride, though I did find it weaved quite mightily if I wanted to idle along at a moderate 135-140mph, but it was just a case of blasting through such speeds to avoid the weave. The combination of increased road shocks and an ill-suited riding position (at least for my height and weight) meant the old spine started screaming for relief within less than a 100 miles. Mildly annoying given that the bike turned in better than 40mpg despite such excess speeding.
Brakes were good when new but winter salt they didn't like at all. After three strip-downs they were ready for replacements from the breakers. Pad life was desultory, insult added by the way the discs went dangerously thin after 30,000 miles. Set up properly the brakes worked well in the dry and wet; once some wear ate into them they needed a tender hand and foot on the controls.
The engine needed a new camchain and tensioner at 45000 miles. Acceptable enough, except that the replacements lasted for barely half that distance. Carbs stayed in balance for around 5000 miles, the valves tended to close up after about twice that distance; everything a pain to work on due to the all-enclosing plastic. Other than the above, the motor has done 123,400 miles and still puts out the same exceptional power as when I bought it - I think it's designed to work best at high revs, absolutely thrives on maximum speed abuse; premature wear most likely caused by perverts who treat it as a sensible tourer. Oh, I did do regular oil and filter changes - absolutely essential even on modern Japanese engines.
The CBR1000F's laughed at by the glossies as being slow and ponderous, but for cheap speed it's a lovely bit of kit and I'm really pleased that I bought mine.
Josh Watson