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 2012 Honda CBR 1000RR

Over the years the latest generation CBR1000RR has proven to be one of the best liter bikes we have tested at MotorcycleUSA.com, but knowing this is the 20th Anniversary of the original CBR900RR we were a little disappointed not to see more significant upgrades on Honda’s flagship sportbike. In our 2011 Superbike Smackdown the 1000RR finished runner-up to only the mighty BMW S1000R. It held off the challenge from Kawasaki, Suzuki, KTM and Yamaha with one of the oldest designs in the class and a 150-horsepower engine with no traction control or variable engine mapping. Sure, it handles great, is very rider friendly and looks decent enough, if not a little subdued.

So, it would seem that addressing the dearth of power or technological gadgets might be on the table for the anniversary edition; instead, Honda opted to simply sharpen the tip of its spear. In these tough economic times, who can blame Big Red for taking the conservative approach? Instead of bitching about what we didn’t get, let’s take a look at what we did get.

Starting with the chassis, the 2012 Honda CBR1000RR now utilizes Big Piston Fork technology, complemented by Honda’s “Balance-Free Rear Shock.” Exactly what the new configuration brings to the table is being kept under wraps
until the upcoming press introduction of the new model. Stay tuned for a technical explanation of Balance-Free in the coming months. The CBR1000RR was never in contention for the class horsepower title, but the motorcycle has always been strong in the real world and is rider-friendly on the track thanks to its strong bottom-end and midrange-biased power delivery.

It doesn’t appear anything was done to the engine so we expect the new CBR to still churn out somewhere in the neighborhood of 153-horsepower and 78 lb-ft. of torque which keeps it right in the middle of the pack. What Honda has done historically is used an excellent chassis, confidence-inspiring handling and light weight to its advantage on both the street the track.

In our 2011 track test, the CBR1000RR won the coveted Superpole during our timed and controlled on-track session at Chuckwalla Valley Raceway. AMA Superbike racer Steve Rapp edged out the BMW and Kawasaki to give the Honda top billing and the right to retain the coveted Superpole Cup for the third-consecutive year. Now, with revised suspension components we have to expect the CBR will handle even better, which will make it a more formidable opponent come testing time.

Where the most conspicuous changes to the 2012 CBR1000RR come into play is in the styling department. New, aggressive bodywork - particularly the front cowling, combined with new 12-spoke wheels, gives the Honda a sporty facelift. The front fairing, especially around the headlamps, has been received with mixed reviews from the public when the bike first broke cover in Japan. You cannot argue that the new look gives the CBR an anime-quality that some riders seem to love or hate. The side panels leave much more of the engine cases exposed and have a distinct teardrop look that helps distinguish this model form the previous version. The dash appears to be revised as well, with a new multi-function racing-style LCD dash that replaces the more traditional unit found on the ’11 model.

The CBR1000RR continues to be offered as a C-ABS version, but significant upgrades like traction control, which now BMW, Kawasaki and Yamaha all offer, eluded the Honda this time around. With a base MSRP of $13,800 or $14,800 for the C-ABS model, the 2012 Honda CBR1000RR is only $400 more than last year’s bike. Plus, the Pearl White/Blue/Red version really stands out compared to the basic red or black schemes.

Bodywork: The new Fireblade bodywork as its seen here is much more aggressive in appearance with the dual reflector beam head lamps similar in shape but more sinister than the last generation. The cowling is also more wild with its lightning-bolt shaped air intakes the most conspicuous change. It seems Honda has made an effort to make the CBR frontal area less-stubby and more angular (Something that has worked well for Suzuki and now BMW) in recent years. After that the body kit appears to have received only slight modifications, including poweder coated black frame and swing-arm.

Dash: A new information system features a large, LCD-style dashboard with digital tach running horizontally across the top, large speedo in the center, lap-timer, gear position indicator, engine temp, clock, trip meters and a series of shift-indicator lights across the upper edge of the dash frame.

Suspension/Brakes: The huge fork caps visible at the top of the triple-clamp appear to be Showa Big Piston Fork technology. This makes sense as Kawasaki and Suzuki have gone this route on their sportbikes the last two years. Honda has used the Unit Pro-Link layout for the rear suspension and this appears to be a variation on that same design. Radial-mount 4-piston Tokico calipers and maybe larger rotors round out this area.

Wheels: Twelve-spoke GP-style wheels replace the old three-spoke hoops found on the 2011 CBR1000RR. Honda has made it a point to offer ultra-light wheels on the CBR line-up the past few years so we expect the new wheels to possibly be even lighter.

Not so obvious changes: We expect Honda to maintain its mid-pack position in terms of outright power. It’s unlikely that we will see the 2012 CBR1000RR challenge the class horsepower leading S1000RR and ZX-10R. The Honda way seems to be to build bikes with gobs of usable low-end and mid-range power surrounded by an excellent chassis. Odds are that’s what we will get here too.

Electronics: Rumor has it that there will be a fully-loaded 2012 CBR1000RR with ABS and an engine management system that would surely include traction control and variable mapping.