VOL. 53 ISSUE 34 AUGUST 30, 2016 P89
2008
Lighter, faster, sharper were the new
1000RR's ethos. Everything was
redesigned – engine capacity hiked
to 999cc with the bore increased
and stroke decreased for more revs,
titanium intake and exhaust valves,
new head, block and crankcase,
new pistons, a slipper clutch, and
power upped to a claimed 176hp
at the crank. Chassis is completely
redesigned with a new swingarm and
main frame aimed at centralizing
mass as much as possible. Bodywork
is totally redesigned and frontal area
becomes more rounded. No more
underseat exhaust, which now exits
near the swingarm on the right side.
The 2008 CBR1000RR sets new
standards for the superbike class.
The following year, Honda debuts
the Combined ABS system, the first
of its kind to be used on a superbike
anywhere in the world.
2012
To mark 20 years of the big bore
CBR, the 2012 1000RR got new
Showa front and rear suspension,
revised fuel injection settings and
different front bodywork that includes
a sharper headlight design.
jerkiness you can get with the
Yamaha or the computer feel of
a BMW. From a closed throttle
the 1000RR delivers wads of
torque to the tire in a splen-
did, unintimidating fashion.
It's simply a joy to experience,
like shaking the hand of an old
friend.
Scream through the mid-
range and into the top-end on
the track and this is where the
CBR will lose out to a BMW
or Kawasaki. But on the road,
this fact is near negligible. In
everyday street riding, you'll
spend the majority of your
time below 10,000 rpm, and
in that guise the 1000RR's
eight-year-old engine is still one
of the finest lumps out there.
Even now, it's one of the most
torquey superbike engines on
the market, despite being such
an age, so you can understand
why Honda has left it alone for
so long. Easy access to traffic-
busting torque makes for a
