If it weren’t for more angular, reshaped front end, then you’d not know that this Honda CBR1000RR that you see here is the 2012 new model. Some competitors have played around with the design a bit for the flag ship liter bikes, including the systems of traction control and other kinds of assorted electronics, the Japanese manufacturer has gave some design touch-ups to the CBR1000RR which has been relatively unchanged since the year 2008.
There are a few things that are different on this 2012 version and the biggest visual difference is that on the front end. The front section is comparatively pointed as compared to stub nosed front facing on the older model which was criticized as it looked like someone who punched in face. You need to see it personally for appreciating it fully. Honda is also saying that the new body work is slightly tweaked with regards to ‘layered fairing’ for improving the cooling.
Another visual change is the 12 spoke wheels which replace standard design of three spokes of the past models. This gives CBR a more striking look. The manufacturer is saying that the wheels here are a bit stiffer than what we had before and the hence the rider feed back is improved. However, the company representative that was sent to us said that this additional weight totally comes from hub sections and hence the effect on the rotational inertia is minimized. After testing it back to back, I didn’t notice any difference in the agility.
It now becomes hard to spot the visual differences apart from the aforementioned two. Noteworthy here is that the suspension at both ends is upgraded. Showa Big Piston Ford which is seen on the supersports models from both Kawasaki and Suzuki are now on Honda. Here it is called ‘balance free’ rear shock which is from Showa too.
The importance of the new shock can be explained best from the graphs and pictures. However, on the shock of 2011, during transition from the full extension to the full compression, there was a tiny dead zone as shocked reached the point of mid-way. This pause is momentary and lasts less than a second. However, the rear traction is compromised irrespective of the minute difference.
This dead zone is eliminated by the shock that is balance free and the shocks damps in linear, smooth curve across the entire stroke which improves the rear grip and keeps rear end a bit more composed through aggressive riding.
The Big Question: Where Are All The Electronics?
If you were thinking that this new CBR would have some fancy electronic rider aids derived from the MotoGP like seam less shift transmission or traction control, then let me tell you that there is nothing of this sort on board. You will need to be satisfied with a gauge pack that is freshened up of LCD variety. It is similar to what the RC51 had one decade ago. This one is a bit more advanced and features programmable shift lights and tachometer. The display on board too is easier and clearer to read as compared to that of the RC51.
We asked Honda why CBR wasn’t there on TC and they said that they don’t add a feature just because it is in fashion. On the other side, I think it would be foolish to say that Honda is not testing the electronic rider aids right now and I strongly think that we will be getting sophisticated package of electronics along with some major upgrades when CBR1000RR receives significant overhaul in maybe 2014.
The electronic improvements on this new CBR consist of revised mapping of fuel for addressing one of the rare complaints of Honda about the older model. Apart from this small improvement, engine here is the same torque happy model that we have been enjoying since the year 2008 without any reports of horse power increase or other such advancements. Option oof C-ABS is now back on 2012 CBR and it is tuned this time for providing less of front end braking when you apply the rear. You should note that just rear brake is connected to front and hence you won’t be able the activate rear blinder by just clamping down with the right hand instead of right foot. You will need to pay a penalty of 26 pounds for this technology and the lighter models, which are as little as five pounds are tested right now by the factory race teams all over the world.
For judging the significance of all the improvements on board, Honda had invited moto press at California, Sonoma for putting new CBR1000RR for testing on Infineon Raceway along with surrounding streets. As added bonus and for confirming hype of press-kit, we could ride some models of 2011 back to back for feeling the difference in fueling and responsiveness of suspension.
I rode this model for a few laps and thought to myself that it isn’t different from the older model. Engine power and stopping power from dual 320 mm discs and the radial mount Tokico 4 pot calipers is largely unchanged. This new CBR can change directions fast and it is done with minimal effort but then the older model could do it as well.
I then decided to ride them a bit harder. I blamed timid riding of morning on a cool day of December at northern California. The temperature was pretty chilly and there was also some fog in morning. Hence the visibility was limited and the track temperature too was pretty low. First problem was inconsequential due to the excellent Dunlop NTEC D211 rubber. Same tires were used for AMA racing which Honda had put in for track portion during my test. The standard tires options are Bridgestone’s newer Hypersport S20 or Dunlop Qualifier Q2. The levels of adhesion were pretty high and few slides that I got from front were totally predictable. I couldn’t do much about the issue of vision and had to wait for the fog to go away.
Once the fog went off, riding new and old CBRs with a little more intent became easier. First thing that I noticed was the composure of the new model under braking. With front end BPF, the charging corners that are hard on brakes will give you less drama as compared to standard cartridge forks on older model. I am not a really smooth braker anyways and hence I was glad that my sloppy braking won’t upset chassis.
I didn’t have any complaint about old shock on CBR1K and I will admit that it was pretty difficult for me to tell difference with balance free unit. One area where I did see some difference was under acceleration while exiting the corners of slow speed. My understanding of rear griping exiting the tight chicane of Infineon was quite good. According to me, the best feature was ease of adjustment as compared to some of the traditional shocks. Both the rebound clickers and compression are accessible easily from external reservoir.
The fueling at throttle openings is indeed made better over the model of last year. Again, you will notice this best while exiting the slow speed corners particularly after riding the two models back to back. Slight hesitation while cracking throttle on older bike is supplanted through power application in linear and smooth fashion.
Gear indicator is now added to instrument cluster due to a lot of requests from customers. This feature is definitely welcomed but the presence of it is tucked away in the display’s left corner and it is a bit difficult to notice it at one glance. Inspired by gauge cluster of MotoGP RC213V MotoGP machine, this newer LCD screen is now easier to read as compared to previous models even in bright sun light. However, I prefer viewing analog tachometer through peripheral vision.
That said, this new display has plenty of features like lap time with fastest lap recall mode, programmable 5 level shift lights, 4 different tachometer screens, and fuel consumption. Bar graph on tach reads can be changed by the rider counting from right to left or left to right. There is also one bar indicator for highest revs that you have reached in a trip. You will be overwhelmed by this initially but later you will realize that it is a pretty nice trick.
Inspired by racing, friendly on the streets
We all have been great CBR1K fans on street because its abundance of the mid range grunt which is pretty useful in everyday grind. The peak horse power is quite impressive on papers but the real king on street is accessible power. Throttle response at the slower speeds has been improved and CBR has now cemented its status of gentle giant for streets.
My ride was wet due to over night rain shower that was left o the streets and this gave a good test to the slow speed fueling of CBR bike. After riding both 2012 and 2011 models one after the other, I could notice the difference. Like at track, the power delivery gets more linear on this new machine but it would be hard to notice if I had not ridden older version immediately before.
One more subtlety between 2011 and 2012 is suspension. None of these settings for either of the models was changed for my track tests one day before yet balance free shock and BPF gave me a stiffer ride as compared to suspenders on older CBR. This phenomenon is pretty interesting and was also noticed by other journalists who were present. You can get smoother ride through few turns of adjusters.
This 2012 CBR is ergonomically unchanged from the previous model. There is one of more up right ergo packages in market of literbike here and hence my ride was pretty comfortable. The saddle has plenty of room for my 5 foot 8 inch frame for moving around but I did notice that the seat was a bit unusually slick and it is something that I have seen on the older CBRs both 1000 and 600.
Riding this bike at slower speeds makes noticing gear indicator a bit easier. The dash layout is quite easy to read. This was just at track but it is pretty difficult to determine engine speed at just one cursory glance.
The manufacturer had just half dozen new models for 12 journalists that were present at this event. The other six had to ride the older versions alternatively. Two of them were the ABS models (which comes just in red). In the limited time that I spent on ABS model, I noticed that I could use rear brake more confidently and there was no locking concern of it. While slowing I had greater amount of squat. In spite of the fact that C-ABS put in some 20 pounds more, it does not slow handling and gives you nice safety net while braking on the slick roads.
A Superbike For Everyone
While designing 2012 CBR1KRR bike, Hirofumi Fukunaga, who is Large Project Leader for CBR900/1000 line for plenty of years, had one simple goal in his mind – to ‘create super sport bike for everyone’. It was made to appeal to both the seasoned riders and for those who are new to liter-class power. Since first CBR900RR was brought in the year 1992, 280, 445 CBR900/1000s has produced with this goal in the mind.
The latest iterations hits the right mark without any question. The new updates on this model aren’t Earth shattering or ground braking but this combined package of upgraded suspension and revised fueling has enhanced what was an great literbike already.
The cost of 2012 CBR1000RR is $13,800 (C-ABS version will put you back by another grand). It is available in black, red, or HRC inspired while/red/blue. It will be hitting the dealerships by January of 2012.