2017 Honda CBR1000RR And CBR1000RR SP Video Review
Honda's flagship CBR1000RR is much better than before, but there's a catch.
Honda pulled out all the stops for its fresh, ground-up redesign of the CBR1000RR. And it’s about time, too. However, instead of searching for power like most of its competition, Team Red’s mission was to make the new CBR as light as possible. All in an effort to give the rider Total Control – the same design ethos given to the original CBR900RR 25 years earlier. To that end, Honda lightened everything it could; using magnesium engine covers, a titanium exhaust, and titanium fuel tank (for the SP model, anyway). It even made the frame walls – and fairings – thinner!
Of course, the old Fireblade was blasted for not having enough power and for its lack of electronics, so Honda solved both those issues. A reworked head, higher compression ratio, and increased rev limit help give more power, and a whole suite of electronics finally grace the CBR, anchored by a five-axis Bosch IMU. You should know what I think of the bike by now if you’ve read my First Ride Review. But if you want to hear me fighting a cold and a lost voice in an attempt to give you my visual and audible impressions of the new 1000RR, then the video below is what you’re looking for.
Troy's been riding motorcycles and writing about them since 2006, getting his start at Rider Magazine. From there, he moved to Sport Rider Magazine before finally landing at Motorcycle.com in 2011. A lifelong gearhead who didn't fully immerse himself in motorcycles until his teenage years, Troy's interests have always been in technology, performance, and going fast. Naturally, racing was the perfect avenue to combine all three. Troy has been racing nearly as long as he's been riding and has competed at the AMA national level. He's also won multiple club races throughout the country, culminating in a Utah Sport Bike Association championship in 2011. He has been invited as a guest instructor for the Yamaha Champions Riding School, and when he's not out riding, he's either wrenching on bikes or watching MotoGP.
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With these significant (though not perfect) updates, Honda will 'allow' sport-riding fans of the brand to buy Honda again with no excuses. It's not a V4, but it's probably all Honda needs to get back in the game.
it is a great looking bike. Honda has done a great job in improving their design!