Honda's CBR1000RR-R Announced
Well, well, well. What have we here? Honda announces the 2021 CBR1000RR-R SP Fireblade. The name might look like you grabbed an unhelpful batch of letters in a game of Scrabble, but as Juliet once asked - what's in a name?
In this case the Cee-BRRR as I am going to refer to it is as cool as the name might suggest.
Let's start with the brand spankin' new motor. While still 999cc of four-cylinder displacement, it is smaller and Honda promises more powerful than last years model. Some of the internal bits include titanium connecting rods, finger follow rocker arms, and forged aluminum pistons.
The new motor is mounted in a equally fresh all aluminum diamond frame. The frame shape is designed to be both rigid and flexy as needed for maximum traction. Speaking of traction, the (you guessed it) brand new aluminum swingarm is based on MotoGP tech and features 18 individual thicknesses for world class levels of grip. On the electronic front, Honda outfitted a six-axis IMU, three-level electronic steering damper, quick shifter, and second-generation Öhlins Smart Electronic Control (S-EC). Stopping the beast are new Brembo Stylema brake calipers that rub against 330mm rotors and two-levels of ABS. Judging a bike by its cover, the bodywork is also all new and features some of those fancy downforce enhancing winglets - just in case all those electronics were not enough.
Honda has not released any official information as far as power or pricing, but they are saying it will be available in the color pictured here sometime around June of 2020.
So with a new superbike available, it begs the question as to how many of these beasts will end up on American race tracks. Honda does not have a factory truck in the MotoAmerica paddock, and the only Honda in the Superbike class this year was privateer Jayson Uribe. With any luck the new model makes a return to the MotoAmerica paddock in the back of a Honda branded big rig, and with Uribe as its pilot.
Max Klein is an amateur road racer
with the AFM, as well as on the board
of directors for the club. He might be
a bit biased about AFM #1 Uribe
getting a Factory spot because of this.