2017 Honda CBR1000RR SP Review | First Ride

Описание: Excited about the new CBR1000RR SP? So were we. Zack Courts flew to Portugal to ride Honda's new superbike around the Portimao circuit and give you this quick rundown of the new bike. He'd wanted to give turn-by-turn analysis and insights from the bike, but as it turns out it's a lot of work to hustle 150+ horsepower around a track like Portimao!

--

The new CBR1000RR will come in three versions: base model, SP, and SP2. We didn’t ride an SP2 and we probably won’t—it’s made for racing homologation and Honda only plans to make 500 of them, selling for about $25,000 each. The SP will be widely available, and comes with a titanium fuel tank, lithium-ion battery, Brembo brakes, a standard quickshifter, as well as electronically adjustable Öhlins suspension and different paint—all for a base price of $19,999. The base bike will be available in two versions in the US, non-ABS for $16,499 and with ABS for $16,799. Both will use steel gas tanks, lead-acid batteries, and Tokico brake calipers.

The upshot of Honda’s hard work on the new CBR1000RR is 10 more horsepower and 33 pounds of weight loss. Based on the previous-generation’s measured weight (without ABS) compared with the Euro-spec bike I watched get pushed onto a scale in Portugal, the actual weight savings appears to be more like 20 pounds—the new bike weighed in at 425, while our 2012 test bike tipped the scales at 445 pounds. Claimed weight for the US-market ABS bike is 434 pounds, 33 pounds lighter than the last CBR1000RR with C-ABS (467 pounds claimed). That’s a solid diet for a superbike. Claimed power is now at 189 horsepower—that’s the Euro-spec bike, and we expect a little less from US-bound units.

Swinging a leg over the 2017 bike, it’s instantly clear that it has been made more compact. It’s amazingly narrow in the middle and feels very light coming off the kickstand. From the cockpit, it looks small, too. The upper fairing is an inch narrower, and the middle fairing is 0.75 inches narrower. The windscreen is nearly as tall as the 2016 bike but comes to a sharp peak at the top, making for a narrower and more angular look (as well as a little less wind protection). A bright, full-color dash displays all of the bike’s pertinent data and is controlled via the left switch cluster. That includes making adjustments over the nine-level Honda Selectable Torque Control system (traction and wheelie control), ABS, and engine brake settings, all of which are informed by a five-axis IMU at a rate of up to 100 times a second.

THE RIDING IMPRESSION
The test bikes I rode around the Autodromo Algarve in Portimao, Portugal were all equipped with a quickshifter, and one trip down pit lane demonstrated that it will be a sweet item to have on the street. It works up and down the gearbox, with smooth shifts at all rpms and satisfying rev matching on downshifts. The new CBR was more ready for Portimao’s crazy, undulating circuit than I was, which was a good confidence boost. Changing direction and diving toward apexes (some of which you can’t see until the last second) is a breeze on the CBR—there’s good feel from the front end and the chassis works well with the standard-issue, Bridgestone S21 rubber. It’s smooth, predictable, and precise.

Mid-corner, the new CBR feels stable, and it's easy to change trajectory or adjust a line in the middle of a turn. The only struggle I had was that the bike is so narrow in the middle it was a little tricky to grip with my legs. I think part of it was a Honda employee who was overzealous with the spray polish—the seat and tank felt slipperier than usual, and I suspect it was all so the bike would look good in photos. Nevertheless, agility and precision has never been a problem for the CBR and the 2017 bike carries on that tradition, 20-something pounds lighter than before.

Full story here: https://www.motorcyclistonline.com/20...

For a thorough rundown of the bike, read Zack's First Ride report here: https://www.motorcyclistonline.com/20...

Subscribe: http://www.youtube.com/c/Motorcyclist...
Motorcyclist Shirts: https://teespring.com/stores/motorcyc...
Shop Products We Use: https://www.amazon.com/shop/motorcycl...

See more from us: http://www.motorcyclistonline.com/