2016 HONDA CBR1000RR C-ABS
ROAD TEST
P84
How far are you going to twist
it, boy?
Too much gas with too much
lean and there's no electronic
bungee cord to pull you back
from the 10-foot highside that
awaits. The 1000RR does have
Honda's old-school C-ABS
(Combined ABS) system fitted,
but that means nothing when
you're on the side of the tire and
wanting to give it some more at
high speed. Seat-of-the-pants
feel is crucial, which, thankfully,
is here in spades. The 1000RR
may as well be talking to your
ass.
The 1000RR's reputation as a
razor-sharp superbike has been
progressively dulled over the
past few years as it came under
siege from the electronically-
equipped track terrors from
Europe and, more recently, it's
deadly home enemy of Yamaha.
However, what this 1000RR
does have on its side is that it
was born well. When it was origi-
nally released in 2008 as the
replacement to the underseat-
exhaust 1000RR that ran from
2004-2007, it was nothing short
of a revelation. It instantly made
most other superbikes feel old. It
was short, nimble and changed
direction almost via osmosis.
Chassis feel was infused into
this model 1000RR's DNA from
the beginning, meaning you'll
Despite a horrible
matte black color,
the CBR still looks
good nearly nine
years after this
shape was first
delivered to the
public.
