The cutting edge CBR1000RR-R Fireblade SP
New is making all the right noises as it targets superbike crown
Michael Neeves
Honda have gone to town with their new, £23,499, CBR1000RR-R Fireblade SP. Engine, chassis, aero and electronics upgrades have sharpened the superbike, but it has one party trick to make your head shake in disbelief. It’s not that it’s so rapid it’s hard to get your head around, but because the inline four has two fuel injection throttle bodies instead of one. Usually, engine mods like this work away unnoticed in the background, but this system makes the Honda gurgle like a World Superbike racer.
Feel the noise
Here at its world launch in Portimao it rumbles through every corner, which is frankly brilliant. The thought of it making the same noise around your local roundabout, or through town, is just delicious. Of course there’s a serious reason behind this. When you’ve got a bike with so much power you need to control it somehow, and the Blade has a lot: 215bhp to be exact and even more when you fit a race pipe or tune it, which many owners and race will teams do.
The tricky bit is delivering all that bhp to the rear tyre when the bike is leaning over through a corner. Soft engine mapping helps, as does traction, slide and wheelie control, but splitting the throttle bodies and having them work separately takes things a step further. The system was developed in MotoGP and WSBK but is outlawed in British Superbikes, unless the road version has them fitted. That’s why they’re now on the Fireblade. BMW also use split throttle bodies on their latest S1000RR, but unlike the Honda they’re only activated with a race loom and ECU. And, of course, being a V4 the Ducati Panigale V4 has two throttle bodies by default.
Butterfly effect
When you turn the twistgrip, the throttle butterflies for cylinders one and two open first. At that point it’s effectively running on two cylinders, and that’s where the gurgling sound and gentle vibration come from (nicely complemented by the pop and bang of the slick up/ down quickshifter). While the bike is grumbling away the power delivery is smooth and controllable, so there’s less chance of the tyre spinning and either setting-off the traction control, or slewing you sideways. Open the gas further and the other two butterflies come into play, blending in more power and off you go… at warp speed.
Refined engine braking
Come off the throttle and the system waves its magic wand once again, cleverly balancing engine braking by opening the throttle butterflies on cylinders three and four in conjunction with closing the exhaust valve. That leaves the rider free to bang down through the gears and lets the electronics control any rear wheel hop. If you want to dial in more engine braking, the system will facilitate that, too. On top of that, there are new traction control strategies and anti-wheelie that work beautifully here on the undulating MotoGP circuit.
A powerful superbike wants to take off over the rises and the fourth gear, 150mph ramp going on to the start/finish straight. The electronics rein in the power, even with the throttle wide open and the Blade’s new wings help keep the front wheel down.
Racers rejoice
The net result of all the electronics buddying up is the new bike is easier to ride fast. That won’t so much be music to the ears of road riders where you could only ever use a fraction of its power anyway, but it will be to hardcore trackday riders and racers in Superstock 1000. The Honda already dominates