 It was introduced in the 2004 racing season by the "Team G Cross Honda" who competed in the NORBA and Mountain Bike World Cup points series races.What sets it apart from most other bicycles is the fact that it was developed specifically for race use by the Honda team using many purpose made components not commercially available.It is also different in that it uses an internal gearbox instead of external (derailleur) gearing system, which although not unique to this bicycle, is quite rare.