What’s it like on the road?
Not quite as full-on committed track-inspired lunacy as its sharp looks suggest. It’s a Honda after all, so that means an instinctively welcoming - if a little cramped - riding position, with switchgear and ergonomics that will be familiar to anyone who’s ridden any sporty Honda of the past 30 years.
There’s enough power to excite on road or track and excellent fuelling even in standard form. You do need to rev it though. Peak power’s at a fairly lofty 13,500rpm and it revs a bit higher than that too. When Honda spoke of giving it more midrange, they meant in the 10,000rpm area, not in single figures...
There’s not a huge difference in basic feel and performance between the three phases of production - RR development was a process of quiet refinement rather than major steps - though if you ride them back-to-back you will notice subtle improvements, in suspension behaviour in particular. The real benefits of the later Showa forks only show themselves at trackday level but they work well on the road too, especially on the brakes. Speaking of which, the C-ABS system, which was optional from 2009 and standard from 2013, is really good.
Handling is beautifully balanced, eager to dive into corners but with none of the twitchiness you might expect. It’s also better in traffic and on the daily commute than its looks suggest. Park up and walk away and you can still smell exhaust fumes. That’s because underseat pipes and aerodynamics mean you end every ride marinaded in partially burnt hydrocarbons.
“It’s better in traffic and commuting than its looks suggest”