Blade sharpening
Lighter and smaller Power up to 189bhp Electronic suspension on SP model
FOR SEVERAL YEARS now the Honda Fireblade, so long a leader, has become a follower. Even with an SP version released in 2014, a fundamental lack of horsepower and the absence of a sophisticated electronics package has been holding the legendary superbike back. While rival manufacturers found more power and controllability through complex electronics, Honda’s policy of creating a finely tuned, nicely balanced bike simply hasn’t been enough – as demonstrated by the Fireblade’s lack of racing success in recent years.
So 2017 brings a totally new Fireblade and in three guises too. You can now buy a CBR1000RR, a CBR1000RR SP and even a CBR1000RR SP2, should you be one of 500 lucky racers. This way, those who want a Fireblade for the road can buy the base bike and still enjoy the attributes we’ve all embraced in the past 25 years (or, at least, 470,000 of us have). If you’re more into your trackdays, the SP will suit more, bristling as it does with all the latest technology. The SP2 is even more focused, with its hand-finished cylinder head and different-profile cams, among other mods, to make it a platform for racing.
More than 90 per cent of the components in the Fireblade are new. CBR1000RR project leader Masatoshi Sato is a man who owns a Honda NSR250R, so it may come as no surprise that a lot of his work focused on making this a smaller, lighter Blade – as well as one with more power and electronic control. The power-to-weight ratio is 14 per cent better than the older model could boast
“More than 90 per cent of the components in the Fireblade are new”
and there’s a whopping 15kg less weight to lug around, thanks to an intensive weight-saving programme.
Every part of the new Blade has been put on a diet, including the fairing, which is narrower than before, with less frontal area, and is only 1.8mm thick. The exhaust – lighter than the old unit – must be the lightest standard exhaust I’ve ever held. There are lighter wheels and brake calipers and even the nuts, bolts and screws were evaluated in pursuit of weight loss. In all, the RR now comes in at 196kg fully fuelled, with the SP model weighing 1kg less, thanks to a titanium fuel tank and a lithium battery that weighs just 1kg. This diet has helped the Fireblade cut its waistline, narrowing the seating area of the frame and tank, not only to save weight but also to make it easier for the rider to move around and to help shorter riders get their feet down more easily. You can feel the difference in weight over last year’s bike just by pushing the standard model around.
The engine components are also lighter
and this means the bike can rev higher and produce more power. It has new pistons, conrods, camshafts, valves, throttle bodies and cylinder head, with a higher 13: 1 compression ratio and a higher rev limit, up from 12,250rpm to 13,000rpm. The result is a peak of 189bhp – 11bhp up on last year’s bike (and 65 per cent more than the original 1992 bike). Torque is also higher in the midrange.
Thanks to the new ride-by-wire system that helps control this extra power, the new Fireblade now has five power modes, three engine braking levels, wheelie control and nine levels of Honda’s torque control (traction control to you and I). You can simplify this by using one of the five rider modes, three of which are defined as ‘Track’, ‘Winding’ or ‘Street’, with a further two modes that you tailor to your own personal preferences. It’s all controlled by two switches, with info displayed on a comprehensive dash nicked from the RCV213V-S Motogp replica.
What’s it like to ride?
The standard RR model is aimed more at road riders. It comes with the full set of electronics: power modes; torque control; and engine-braking adjustment. The standard tyres are Bridgestone S21’s, more suited to road riding though still good on track. But instead of the electronic Öhlins suspension found on the SP version, the base RR comes with big-piston forks and a shock by Showa that are entirely conventional in their workings and adjustment. These are lighter than the suspension on the old Fireblade, but the RR Fireblade is still heavier than the SP model thanks to its steel tank and conventional battery.
Even after tyre warmers had been fitted on the Bridgestone’s S21’s (an insurance against Portuguese winter temperatures) for the first few corners it kept feeling like I was dropping the bike, because the front seemed to just fall on its side. Once I realised it’s designed to do this, I began to trust it. The Blade feels as tiny and quick steering as any 600cc bike, but with more power – so much more power.
It really is tiny. Ergonomics are almost identical to last year’s bike but with a smaller fairing and narrower, hourglass shape, the new Blade feels miniscule. Intimidating, it’s not though. This is an axe-murderer carrying flowers. Brakes are road-bike smooth on their initial bite but the real power is just a squeeze away. All the obsessive weight-saving has paid off in producing a bike that changes direction so effortlessly.
For all the massive power, the Fireblade is polite and well-behaved. Sure, it’ll lift the front over crests but it doesn’t feel angry about it - it’s just so controllable. Honda’s British Superbike riders Dan Linfoot and Jason O’halloran were at the test and both said wheelies were a big problem on their race bikes last year, so the new electronics package should help them hugely in 2017. But even though these two racers are tiny, they both said the fairing was too small, which will add to fatigue during a race and that will be true riding your road-going version on motorways too.
The quickshifter (optional on the base RR model, standard on the SP) is superb. It works on the downshift as well as the upshift. If you go for the RR make sure you tick the options box: the quickshifter transforms the smoothness of the ride, helps prevent arm pump and simply gives you one less thing to worry about.
Mind you, the engine’s extra torque means choice of gear for a corner isn’t so critical. A higher ratio will still pull cleanly and, whereas in the past that could lead to more highside possibilities, with the new electronics this isn’t so much of a problem.
The new exhaust system sounds totally different. It features a butterfly valve to improve torque characteristics and limit
“It howls like a proper BSB bike - it sounds absolutely beautiful”
the noise lower down the rev range, but when the valve opens it howls like a proper BSB race bike. It sounds absolutely beautiful, but I fear even standard bikes will be close to trackday noise limits.
As the Portimão track becomes more familiar and the bike less intimidating, I find the Fireblade gets even better. This leads to speeds rising, which then leads to a couple of slides. I realise the torque sensation is misleading – there’s a lot more than I first felt, so it pays to be wary.
After building confidence on the RR model, I move onto the SP – with proper Bridgestone slick tyres (instead of the track-focused Bridgestone RS10’S that will come as standard). The extra grip of the tyres enourages me to play with the new suspension, though at first it just feels like the RR’S Showa kit on a manual setting.
After a few laps I turn the ‘Auto’ mode on and the difference is astonishing. There’s less pitching under braking, which allows me to brake later and yet it feels less physical. Under acceleration the rear tyre feels as though it’s sitting in a berm yet changing direction feels easier and more planted. I’m certain that more time to tailor the settings to my riding style would quickly result in even more confidence and much faster lap times.
The ABS cannot be turned off unless the fuse is removed and it does cut in quite intrusively under hard braking, which may not be to everyone’s taste. Backing off the engine braking helped control the rear relying just on the excellent slipper clutch - but you have to use progressive pressure to reduce the pulsing feel. While I’m on niggles, I found the ergonomics good but the seat-to-peg measurement is still small and at 6ft 1in I found I had aching knees - something I don’t suffer from even on smaller bikes like Triumph’s Daytona 675.
The standard RR costs £15,225 on the road, while the SP is £19,125. That makes the base bike more expensive than a Kawasaki ZX-10R or BMW S1000RR, the same as a Yamaha R1, and not far away from Ducati Panigale prices. If you opt for the SP you will have one of the most technologically advanced bikes available – but it is more expensive. But then, it looks beautiful, will flatter you on track and keep you amused throughout your ownership thanks to the ease with which you can refine your ride. And for the first year at least, it should hold its value well.
Will the new Blade be any good as a road bike? Its diminutive size and tiny fairing make me wonder, but as far as engine manners, suspension and braking are concerned, there should be no problems. We’ll get one on UK roads as soon as we can to find out.