Honda CBR1000RR

Overview

The litre-class segment of supersports has evolved a lot in these past years, and so has the Honda CBR 1000RR Fireblade. One of the very first motorcycles in this flagship category of supersports, the Honda CBR 1000RR Fireblade has seen this segment literally growing and becoming a benchmark to showcase what all best technologies a manufacturer can offer. The current generation Honda CBR 1000RR Fireblade is being offered in Malaysia in three color options – Mat Ballistic Black Metallic, Grand Prix Red and Trice (dual tone red with white).

Design

Needless to say, the current generation CBR 1000RR Fireblade is the sportiest looking iteration of this motorcycle in its history of 21 years of existence. With a more aggressive and leaner stance, the CBR 1000RR Fireblade is one striking motorcycle to look at.

The bulbous looking front fairing with teardrop shaped dual headlamps have made way for a much sleeker and sharp looking front fairing with angular full LED headlamps integrated within it, with a sharper and pointier chin at the bottom. With air scoops at their upper corners and long and sloping profile for the front windscreen, the CBR 1000RR Fireblade facilitates aerodynamics at high speeds as well. Like all the iterations of the motorcycle before, the CBR 1000 RR Fireblade comes with fairing mounted rear view mirrors with turn indicators inbuilt within them.

The side profile of the CBR 1000 RR Fireblade too has seen some massive changes in positioning as well as the styling of all the body panels. The fuel tank is an all-new unit, which is visually bigger and curvier than before. Also new to the motorcycle is the side fairing as well as the rear tail piece, which do come with their own set of scoops to allow easy passage of wind blasts through them. The redesigned tail section is pointier and comes with a newly styled LED tail lamp.

The most significant and tech packed visual change on the CBR 1000RR Fireblade happens to be the fully digital instrument console, which looks as inline and comprehensive as those of its rivals. The unit shows digital readouts for speedometer, tachometer, gear indicator, engine temperature, odometer, trip meters, average fuel economy, clock and a total of 11 different telltale lamps.

Ride & Handling

The Honda CBR 1000RR Fireblade has always been one of the most practical supersports in terms of equal usage in urban riding as well as track riding. However, the new CBR 1000RR Fireblade has taken the level of aggression a bit higher. The motorcycle is equipped with a suspension setup of 43mm inverted telescopic inverted fork with compression and rebound adjustment at the front and a unit pro-link with gas-charged HMAS damper featuring 10-step preload and stepless compression and rebound damping adjustment at the rear. The suspension is much stiffer than before, which allows the rider to stay more focused with an easier approach while tackling corners. The braking setup has been retained from its previous generation version, with 320mm discs at the front and a single 220mm disc at the rear.

Engine & Fuel Consumption

It’s not only the design which has seen a massive revamp on the CBR 1000RR Fireblade – the powertrain of the motorcycle too has witnessed some major changes as well. The new Honda CBR 1000RR Fireblade comes fitted with a new four-stroke, inline four, fuel injected, 1000cc engine. With a maximum power output of 192 PS and a peak torque output of 114 Nm, this engine is by far the most powerful engine in the history of the Fireblade. The engine has been paired to a 6-speed gearbox, as before.

Braking & Safety

When compared to the competitors, the Honda CBR 1000RR Fireblade misses out on many up-to-date sophisticated riding aids. Still, the motorcycle comes equipped with some state-of-the-art features like cornering ABS, traction control, ride modes, and wheelie control

Verdict

The CBR 1000 RR Fireblade might not be as hardcore and straight forward as many of its rivals. However, the motorcycle is one of the most practical supersports on sale, with an equal balance of comfort and precision in handling and performance. With the updated design, the new CBR 1000RR Fireblade looks beautiful, while the ever sweet powertrain and ride and handling balance makes it a very usable and versatile supersport of current times.