Radical new carbon fibre wheels transform our Honda Fireblade
Carbon-fibre wheels reduce the Blade’s mass but increase its kerb appeal
What’s black, round, weighs 5.7kg and has the power to increase the kudos of Honda’s Fireblade SP? Give up? Let me tell you, it’s a pair of Thyssenkrupp Carbon Components (tkCC) wheels. But these aren’t just any old carbon wheels… Costing €3411 (£3096), pricewise they’re on par with rival brands, but even the untrained eye can see that the rims are a different breed; fat wefts of fibre create a millimetre-perfect chequerboard that seems to illuminate from within.
Whereas traditional carbon wheels are made using prepreg lay-up, where pieces of resininfused fibre are applied to a mould and then cured in an autoclave, these are spun from a single thread of carbon fibre by a 9m-wide loom. German company Thyssenkrupp are one of the pioneers of the technology, having supplied the OE wheels for BMW’s HP4 Race as well as the Porsche 911 Turbo S. The process allows the wheels to be both stronger and lighter than prepreg. As a result they’ve got German National Type Approval for road use, meaning they’ve been developed and tested to withstand high ‘abuse loads’ – stresses placed on a wheel outside of normal riding, such as hitting kerbs, potholes or hard debris. Very reassuring, but I was keen to feel what difference they made to the, already sweet-steering, SP.
The 100mph+ direction changes at Donington Park’s Craner Curves provide the perfect proving ground. Overcoming the bike’s desire to carry on going straight in order to initiate a turn becomes more difficult the faster you go. A gyroscopic effect is generated by the rotating mass of the wheels, so anything to reduce this mass will also reduce the effect and make the bike easier to turn. And when you’re hurtling downhill at triple-figure speeds, that is much appreciated. After doing a few laps on the Blade with its standard wheels, I enter the pits to put on the new braided carbons. While I wait,
I take the chance to weigh both front wheels and discover that, minus discs and tyre but including bearings and valves, there’s 1.7kg difference between standard and carbon – the SP’s cast (not forged, like on the old RR SP) aluminium front wheel weighs 4.1kg compared to 2.4kg of the carbon.
Back on track I notice a difference in the steering, but it’s not dramatic. The bike feels eager and alive – without instability – and it’s definitely a little easier to fling it from right to left down Craner, but after a few laps I’ve forgotten all about them and am just revelling in the Blade’s on-track superpowers. It wasn’t until I left the circuit that the carbon wheels made their presence felt again. Riding round the small roundabout outside Donington’s paddock, such is the dramatic rate at which the Blade turns at low speed that I think I’ve lost the front! The same thing happens when turning out of the next junction, and not only that but the Blade feels much keener and nimbler when darting through traffic. A bizarre case of something being created for the track that’s also actually better on the road!
LIKES
● Carbon-wheels add kudos
DISLIKES
● Shame they aren’t OE fitment!