REVIEW: ’12 Honda CBR1000RR Fireblade You’d hope that in this, the 20th anniversary year of the machine that changed superbikes for ever, we’d see something very special for Honda’s new Fireblade. Instead, the talk is more about what the 2012 model hasn’t got and what isn’t new, and all at a me when the Europeans are showing Japan how it’s done for the first me since the Sixes. Yet away from the headlines, consider this: despite being up to 20bhp short of rivals such as BMW’s S1000RR and the Aprilia RSV-Four, and a generaon behind in electronics, it was easy to argue that the 2011 Fireblade was the best superbike for the road. Even as a track bike, for a typical track-day rider rather than an experienced racer the inspiring Honda was the weapon of choice, owing to its balance and usability. Anyway, how oen is 175bhp not enough? There aren’t many race tracks, let alone roads, where you could use the difference. It’s that usability which Honda has enhanced with the 2012 model, along with some visual back-pedalling aer cricism of the old bike’s blunt-nosed looks. What you get, then, is limited to new suspension, wheels and frontal bodywork, a jazzed up dash and revised engine management. The suspension changes always looked promising, because the latest Showa Big Piston Forks are now fied. At the rear, the 2012 Fireblade sports a new Showa shock designed along the lines of the spectacularly good Öhlins TTX shock with its beer damping control. The 12-spoke wheels are sffer in some planes, less so in others, a rebalance of strength that Honda says improves rider feedback, while the bodywork is more convenonally aggressive – if generic – than the outgoing model. Just as important, it also improves cooling; this was an issue with race versions in the past couple of years. The engine remap doesn’t change outright power or torque; rather it is designed to provide a more linear 24 and smooth response to the twist-grip at lower revs and smaller throle openings, aiding the bike’s already outstanding road manners. The 2012 model pushes out 175bhp @ 12,000rpm with 112Nm @ 8,500rpm which sll leaves you with a great element of enjoyment; far above the riding capabilies of some. Just a few minutes into my riding the 2012 Fireblade confirmed the effecveness of the enhancements and underlined the Fireblade’s core values – this, surely, is the easiest bike on which to go very, very fast. Superb controllability le me with the overall sensaon of control and exploraon rather than fear. The new forks and Honda’s race ABS system (called C-ABS), which apporons front and rear brake effort automacally, mean you can brake incredibly late then peel the bike into a turn with outstanding stability and so much feedback you never feel you’re going to lose the front end. It’s hard to think of anything that will stop and turn more quickly and safely. So what about the other changes? The dash? The lighter wheels? The suspension? The new LCD dash does lap mes (starter buon acvated), will give you progressive rev limit LED light warnings (all programmable to personal choice) and other stuff like FM Radio, flight details and weather forecasts. The laer three points may not be true. The suspension? Under extreme riding condions, any suspension system is only as good as the rider is at seng it up to suit his/her riding style. A toss-up I guess. It looks gorgeous in the flesh. Pointy-nosed, aggressive and ultra-compact just like Porsche’s iconic 911 there’s a lot to be said for evoluon rather than revoluon when form mirrors funcon so closely. The 2012 Fireblade improvements might be hard to quanfy (and jusfy) with just a day in the saddle and no real race track to properly test it on. So 20 years on, the new Fireblade is not the great leap forward that the original was. Instead it’s matured into a friendly and fast motorcycle you can trust on many different levels, in terms of lap mes, build quality, dependability and benchmark speed, in a whole range of real-world situaons. I’ll leave it to you to decide; it is sll the easiest Super Sports <strong>Bike</strong> on the market. Priced at R141 999.00 - Incl. 14% VAT HONDA WING UMHLANGA Tel: (031) 580 7900 15 Meridian Drive, Umhlanga Ridge
Prices valid while stock last and Include 14% VAT. Terms & Condions Apply | © <strong>Bike</strong> <strong>Talk</strong> Authorised Honda Dealer from R141 999 When last have you been on a real bike? Honda Wing Umhlanga 15 Meridian Drive, Umhlanga Ridge Tel: 031 5807900 | Fax: 031 5807999 Web: www.hondagateway.co.za Roy Bernadine Owey CBR1000RR 083 4427274 076 3705256 072 8767183
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