RIDE REVIEW I 2023 HONDA CBR1000RR-R SP FIREBLADE 30TH ANNIVERSARY
P100
This had me worried.
Was I officially over-the-hill when it came to
superbikes? The answer is no because I raced
an R1 at the same track three weeks later
and came away with no aching knees and a
couple of wins. It's partially me, yes, but it's
also partially the bike.
This is now the most tech-
laden CBR there has ever been, so
finding a setting in the Ohlins Smart
EC 2.0 electronic suspension
for the 43mm Ohlins NPX fork
and TTX36 was a cinch. On the racetrack, give
me manual suspension any day, but take me
to the street, and I'll almost always prefer (so
long as the suspension is top-notch like the
Ohlins) the electronically adjustable versions.
What's on the CBR is what's on many other
top-end superbikes like the Ducati and Aprilia,
so there's not much to write home about
there, as we've tested them so many times
before. You expect the Ohlins system to work
better than most, and it does, and once you
get your head around the rather confusing
five-inch TFT dash on the CBR, you'll find a
setting that suits quite quickly.
For me, that was the Sport setting of A2
(you've got A1 for full Track, A2/Sport, A3/
Rain and manual settings of M1, M2 and
M3). A2 offered the right amount of support
and stiffness under brakes without being too
rough when running over potholes and hard-
The dash is simple to
read, but just like the
Africa Twin DCT, a pain
in the A to adjust.
(Above) Electric Ohlins forks and Brembo brakes. Par for
the course when it comes to high-end superbikes these
days. (Left) Top shelf Ohlins shock is neatly packaged.
The Honda
quickshifter is
almost as smooth
as butter.
