Cbr1000rr
CBR1000RR
CW FIRST RIDE
On the (almost) 20th anniversary of the CBR-RR, Honda stays the course with HTC (Human Traction Control)
DON CANET
MOST LITER-CLASS RACER-REPLICAS now come equipped from the factory with traction control, so it is a bit of a surprise that Honda remains a “natural” throttle holdout for 2012. This is even more surprising, given that the CBR-RR is celebrating two decades (it was an early-release '93 model) of cutting-edge tech and large-engine, light-is-rightness. Were you hoping for a massive redesign and the full brunt of Honda’s clear technical prowess, as evidenced by its dominance in MotoGP this past season? Well, what you get is not that but rather new suspension, fresh styling and some fueling refinements.
The good thing is that throughout the pre-TC era, the CBR1000RR earned a reputation for providing an uncanny sense of connection between the throttle and the rear tire’s contact patch. Perhaps the pride and belief in such an achievement helps explain why Big Red has yet to bring its own flavor of race-developed TC to market. Or just maybe the nextgeneration CBR1000RR is being readied to electrify the rider-aid revolution. Whatever the case, for at least another year, you can revel in having total throttle control of the most capable performance
Honda in the palm of your right hand.
During CIV comparison tests in recent years, the immediate confidence instilled by the CBR has made it my ride of choice for getting up to speed at the track or when facing difficult conditions. The press introduction for the 2012 Honda CBR 1000RR was held at Sonoma, California’s Infineon Raceway, and although I am familiar with this circuit, conditions were far from ideal, both during the on-track lapping sessions and the street ride the following day.
Facing damp morning fog at the racetrack, 1 was shivering in my perforated leathers while 1 struggled to see the tarmac ahead. The new CBR’s instant familiarity and predictability were heartwarming, though, and I was further stoked knowing that our track-test Dunlop Sportmax GP-A supersport race radiais had been cooking on tire warmers. But no amount of tire heat or warm cuddlies from the bike could help me see through my visor and prescription glasses; trust me, hustling a powerful liter-class missile around what’s arguably the busiest and inost physically demanding circuit on the AMA Pro Road Racing calendar had me huffing like a fog machine.
We had clarity in the afternoon, and I got to knock off some good sessions riding the new bike back-to-back with a 2011 model. The most notable revision to the RR is the suspension update. The change to a Showa Big Piston Fork and Balance Free shock has improved handling composure and chassis feedback.
The BPF handled hard braking into the track’s hairpins and chicanes with a reduced rate and amount of fork dive. Further, the front end also exhibited better bump absorption when compressed by braking or hard cornering loads.
At the rear, says Honda, the new shock eliminates damping lag time when the shock piston changes its direction of travel from compression to rebound to compression, thus producing greater chassis control and grip. While last year’s bike is certainly no slouch in rearsuspension performance, the new RR did feel more composed over midcorner bumps, and the shock handled the transition to extension when charging hard over hilltop crests extremely well.
As for the improved rear grip Honda
claims for the new Unit Pro-Link setup,
I can’t honestly report that I experienced a true difference. Fact is, neither the 2011 nor ’12 model I rode broke loose or spun up despite some particularly feverish drives off the Carousel pinned in second gear. That’s rather odd considering the track not only appeared slick but actually was: The occasional midcorner tire squirm while crossing glossy sealer patches was a good reminder. That said, the suspension upgrades have led to a better-handling CBR1000RR.
I sampled the optional C-ABS version of both model years, as well, but I didn’t find its recalibration—a slight reduction in the amount of front brake application when using the rear pedal—to be very noticeable on the street or track, due mostly to the less-than-ideal riding conditions during the two-day test. Honda said the change was tailored to hard sport/track use of the rear brake, but conditions at Infineon weren’t quite confidence-inspiring enough for me to trail-brake as aggressively as I normally might, so the jury is still out on this one. I can certainly say that I was glad to be on a C-ABS model during our brief, wet-road street ride because it is a superb ABS setup for public roads. The CBR1000RR remains a great choice
nomics, compliant suspension, neutral steering, great throttle response and awesome midrange punch.
Styling changes include a new layered fairing design said to create a large pocket of calm air around the rider;
I’m still thinking about that one! The new integrated under-nose chin fairing (claimed to reduce aerodynamic lift for improved handling) probably wasn’t fully put to the test because our peak track speeds were limited to the top of third gear. I can say that I do dig the look of the new 12-spoke wheels, which Honda also claims are a part of the chassis’ improved feedback due to more evenly distributed rigidity throughout the wheels’ circumference.
The CBR’s all-new multi-function LCD instrument cluster looks sweet and offers a full complement of the normal info, plus a lap timer, a five-level shift indicator, a gear-position indicator and four different tachometer display modes. Honda definitely got it right with the anti-reflective lens that makes the display readable in varied lighting conditions. Another nice touch is the sequential shift-light display located directly above the tach’s red zone. But there is still room for improvement, because the shift indicator’s white LEDs are too faint to be of use in direct sunlight.
Based on Honda’s current MotoGP supremacy, there is no doubt that the company had the means and technical prowess in TC development to have holeshot last year’s traction-controlled Kawasaki ZX-10R or easily fallen in step with the newTC’d Yamaha YZF-R1 for 2012. But we often hear of “Honda engineering standards,” which tend to preclude simply adding TC features to an existing bike. The Honda way demands a new machine top to bottom, designed from the outset with full electronica in mind. As good as the revised $13,800 CBR1000RR (add $1000 for ^ C-ABS) appears to be, here’s hoping
that the near future brings more than
