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Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/128141
The first thing you notice about the CBR954RR Is the redesigned bodywork, with the fairing and seat now coming to points at each end of the big-bore sportblke. changes directions a bit easier and seems to steer lighter than the previous model. Again, the difference is subtle. What isn't subtle, though, is the extra power the 954 has over its older sibling. Right off the bottom, it feels crisper - but you really notice the change when the rpms build through the midrange. There's a punch of power there that the 929 lacked - and it's power right where you need it most. Although the top speed of the two bikes is probably fairly close, you get to that top speed quicker on the new bike, and this was most noticeable on the exits of the two fast lefthanders that link the Las Vegas Motor Speedway course to the two longest straightaways. The second of the fast lefts that you encounter leads onto the front straight on the Superspeedway, and it features a bit of a harsh transition from corner to banking. Beca use of the extra punch of the new bike, oftentimes there was a bit of headshake at the transition that you didn't get on the old bike. This wasn't caused by a difference in the chassis, but simply because you were traveling at a greater rate of speed at that point on the 954 than you were on the 929 - because of the extra hit in the midrange, midcorner and exiting the fast left. The torque figures are up for this year's model, with the 954 producing 74.6 foot-pounds of torque at 9500 rpm, according to Honda's press materials. After riding the bike, we can't argue with those figures. The bump in power off the bottom obviously comes from the increase in engine size, with the bike also getting a 1mm increase in bore to 75mm and an increase in its compression ratio to 11.5: 1. Another power enhancement, according to Honda, comes from a spray of oil that's directed toward the bottom of the pistons (which have also been lightened with shorter skirts, reduced dome thickness, etc. - see sidebar) to keep them cool. Good for both power and engine life. The extra oomph can also be attributed to the increase in throttlebody size from 40 to 42mm (and those injectors get fuel at 50 psi, Honda says). The bike also gets the in-vogue 12 laser-drilled jet holes for "finer fuel atomization." All in all, the result is smoother and more responsive throttle performance and a stronger output of power. Hey, if it works, keep the holes coming. The fuel-injection system has also been reprogrammed with a more advanced throttle sensor and mapping to make the engine respond more precisely to fine throttle adjustments. The air-box volume has also jumped up half a liter over the 929. Shifting on the 954 was smooth and precise, though I never noticed much of a problem with the old model either. Honda says they've redesigned the engagement dogs for a smoother, more positive feel. I didn't miss a shift or encounter a shifting problem of any sort in our daylong test at the Speedway. The geometry on the new bike is identical to the old one, though the rigidity of the chassis has changed, with lateral down 3.6 percent and torsional up 8.6 percent. The 954 comes with a 10mm-higher windscreen, though Honda claims the change didn't alter the aerodynamics of the bike. The rear brake is unchanged over last year's model, but the front has redesigned calipers and stainlesssteel pistons rather than aluminum. The trailing piston on the front brake is also smaller, and the pistons themselves have a Nimflon coating, end for "100 feet" while braking for some of the circuit's corners. Perhaps they got a bad one, though more likely it's just ego-speak or just a bad perception of front-end hop and/or relative distance. Either way, the fix is probably with some fork adjustment or some adjustment in the way the brakes are applied to begin with. I'll go on record as saying that I found the 954 to have good feel through the front-brake lever, and more than adequate stopping power. Again, that's at my speed, but my speed is the only speed I can report on, right? Our 954s were fitted with Michelin Pilots (the front profile of which has completely changed over last year's Pilots) - street compound in the morning, race compound in the afternoon. While getting some heat into the Pilots, you're forced into taking it easy. Sometimes, at the racetrack, that's a good thing, because it gives you time to evaluate the bike in more of a street-riding mode than pure adrenaline-rush race pace. At a slower clip, you can't help but notice that the 954 has retained its Honda feel, designed to improve feel and durability by doing away with corrosion. I don't claim to be Mike Hailwood reincarnated, but I don't have anything bad to report from the front end of the CBR954. I've heard reports of others at the test hopping the front cue. e n e _ S • FEBRUARY 13, 2002 17