Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/128199
The RR's new chassis is actually the biggest deal on the new bike. Sure, the Honda's new motor with its high-tech fuel injection is a big deal, but it's the chassis that makes the RR what it is - revolutionary. As I've mentioned, one of the keys to the new CBR600RR was the concentration of the bike's mass as close to its roll axis (an imaginary line that extends from the front of the bike to the rear through its centerline) as possible. When the rider, who is heavily factored into this equation, leans the bike into a corner he pivots around this axis, making handling much crisper. There are many different elements of the RR that help concentrate the weight where the engineers wanted it, as you will read below. The frame on the RR is all-new and features the company's new Hollow Fine DieCasting technique, which forms exceptionally thin yet strong hollow die-cast frame spars. It has allowed the frame thickness to be reduced from 3.5 to 2.5mm, for less weight. The rear sub-frame is made from this same process, which has also allowed it to be shaped more precisely to accommodate the center-upexhaust canister. Probably the single biggest technological breakthrough on the RR is the bike's new Unit Pro-Link rear suspension system. This technology was used on the RC211 V and has been adapted to the new RR as well. Th.e biggest difference to the rear suspension is how the shock is mounted. Instead of attaching the shock's top eyelet to a cross member on the back of the frame, it attaches to the sWingarm itself. Do you follow me? Below the shock are two arms that are joined to each other and pivot on a shaft that attaches to the bottom of the sWingarm. When the bike hits a bump, the shock is compressed from the bottom. Okay so now you're confused, wondering how it works, because the top of the shock moves with the swingarm. This is compensated for by increasing the rate at which the bellcrank compresses the shock from the bottom. The bottom of the shock moves more rapidly than the top of the shock depending on the geometry of the linkage in that particular point of compression. The entire unit is quite a piece of hardware, with a press-forged right-side arm and a box-section extruded left-side arm welded together at the crossmember pivot. The shock itself is a fully adjustable unit with a hoseless piggyback reservoir, all contained entirely inside the confines of the swingarm. There are a couple of prime benefits to the design. First is that the design helps eliminate wheel spin when the rider opens the throttle. This was accomplished by giving the engineers the freedom to tune the frame for these characteristics, by not having to worry about a mounting point for the shock at the rear of the frame, thus allowing them to put the flex and/or required stiffness where they needed it. Another key was that forces from the rear end hitting a bump are no longer passed directly into the upper frame rails and transferred into the steering head, due to the omission of the top attaching point. All of this was designed in an effort to allow the rider to get on the gas earlier. But back to the mass-centralization theme for a minute. The lack of the top mounting point for the shock allowed the fuel tank to sit considerably lower in the frame than normally possible. Only a third of the tank is visible above the frame rails, while the rest is down low in the frame. The tank looks traditional when the bike's bodywork and tank cover are in place, but the airbox takes up the front half of the traditional area, while the fuel cell occupies the rear half. The front of the bike has a new pair of right-side-up 45mm cartridge units that are fully adjustable. The front brakes feature twin 310mm rotors with dual four-piston calipers, while a 220mm rear disc and a single-piston rear caliper make up the rear system. The wheels are hollow-spoke aluminum alloy. The front is 3.5 x 17 inches, and the rear is 5.5 x 17 inches. Not only does the bike mimic the RC211 V from a mechanical standpoint, it looks a hell of a lot like it as well. The new bodywork looks fresh and clean with a very similar profile to the aforementioned MotoGP bike. Up front are new Line-Beam headlights that feature a three-piece reflector design (the first application In the world, according to Honda) and two H7 bulbs to light up the road. On the back is a new taillight assembly with LED bulbs for better illumination. The instrument panel is new and is the lightest unit Honda has ever created, with an analog tach, digital speedometer and fuel gauge, and the normal array of idiot lights. There is also a shift light of sorts that kicks on at redline. Under the rear seat is room for a U-Type lock, and an optional rear cowl is also available from Honda. a bit, because the bike still had a lot more speed in it than I was capable of giving it on that day. I suppose in a way that's a good thing, because when we do our Middleweight Shootout .next month I'll still have a be sold alongside the old CBR600F4i, which is still available. I personally can't imagine why anyone wouldn't throw down the extra $400 to get the RR with the stunning new styling and performance, but that's just me. The challenge to look forward to. The 2003 Honda CBR600RR will RR is available in three colors: Red/Black (on the cover), Black, and In this view you can clearty see how the fuel cell and the airbox split the space that .. ~ resides under the tank cover. 2003 CBR600RR LIST PRICE .........••••........•••. , • • • . . . . . . . $8599 DISPLACEMENT .. ... ....•••••. . .599cc ENGINE TYPE .... . ..••.•.••.•••........ Liquid-cooled, in-line four-cylinder BORE x STROKE. . .....•••... _. . . . . . ......... . 67 x 42.5mm COMPRESSION RATIO ............•••••••.. . 12.0: 1 CARBURETION ..........•.••••••...................Dual-stage fuel injection IGNITION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . .....Digital 3-0 map TRANSMISSION ....................... . .. Six-speed STARTING SYSTEM Electric FUEL CAPACITY . . . . . . . . . . . . ......... .... •••••••. . . .4.8 gal. WHEELBASE .54.7 in. RAKE/TRAIL. . . .......................... . 24°/95mm SEAT HEIGHT ...•...•.......................................... .32.3 in. FRONT TIRE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ........••••.••••..... 120/70ZR 17 REAR TIRE ....................................•••.•••......180/55ZR 17 FRONT-WHEEL TRAVEL . .4.7 in. REAR-WHEEL TRAVEL. . ......................... . .4.7 in. FRONT BRAKE ..........•••••••...•••.........................Dual disc REAR BRAKE Disc FINAL DRIVE ...................••••......•••.....................Chain CLAIMED DRY WEIGHT .....................•.....................370 lbs. eye. e n e vv s FEBRUARY 5, 2003 17