Driving report Honda SP-1 Superbike

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Driving report Honda SP-1 Superbike

We can do it differently

Honda is pushing for the Superbike crown with power and is attacking with a two-cylinder for the first time this season.

So far, two worldviews have caused tension in the Superbike World Cup: Japanese 750cc four-cylinders competed against Italian two-cylinders with one liter displacement. The success so far proved the Twins right: Ducati won the title eight times? much to the chagrin of the Japanese manufacturers, especially the motorcycle giant Honda.
In the early days of the Superbike World Championship with the RC 30 under Doug Poland, its successor, the RC 45, was almost always the most potent four-cylinder in the field, but was only able to break through the phalanx of red two-cylinder from Bologna under John Kocinsky in 1997 . A disgrace that has led to a rethink at Honda.
The proven V4 was retired and the VTR 1000 was developed into the super sporty SP-1. While the road version has around 130 hp, the motorcycle in its racing outfit should bring an additional 40 horsepower. Contrary to usual practice, Honda provided one of the brand new racers with a standard kit for a short test drive on the company’s own Motegi Grand Prix circuit before it was used for the first time.
Compared to the Ducati 996 SPS, the driver sits lower on the SP-1, the upper body is not quite as bent forward. Ducati feeling arises after pressing the starter button, you can almost physically feel the ignition sequence of the 90-degree V-Twin. However, compared to the Italian competition from Ducati and Aprilia, the Japanese engine produces hardly any mechanical noise.
Get out of the box and hit the slopes. With all due respect, because racing motorcycles drive very differently than their tamer street variants. But the first impression is astonishing. The SP-1 hardly requires any time to get used to. The 1000 twin is easy to handle and responds well to every control command from the pilot. In contrast to the Ducati, which wants to be forced into a leaning position and then stubbornly follows the cornering radius, the Honda reacts more willingly to steering impulses and also allows course corrections. The driver can change the line on the SP-1 even at a steep incline without risking being thrown.
Overall, the new V2, project name SC 45, behaves neutrally. The superbike is as steady as a board, even when accelerating at full speed when exiting a curve, the front wheel maintains contact with the ground, there is no trace of the handlebars. And even when downshifting, the chassis reacts with a slightly restless, but easily controllable rear. This is ensured by the special anti-hopping clutch, which weakens the braking effect of the engine and largely prevents hard rear wheel bumping.
The system works well, the rear wheel mostly sticks to the asphalt, involuntary lifting hardly occurs. A reassuring feeling, because the driver can only downshift very late without hesitation and concentrate on accelerating again in the corner without having to worry about unpleasant reactions from the chassis. The suspension and damping work in an exemplary manner and do not require any adjustments to the fork and shock absorber for the first driving impression. The Japanese supervisors would have been in the way of changing the set-up anyway. Honda allowed only five laps, screws or even dismantling of the fairing were strictly prohibited.
With their precise pressure point, the brakes meet high racing standards. The effect on the brake lever can be precisely dosed with one finger, from slight deceleration to hard braking close to the blocking limit.
The engine impresses from the start with its conceptual advantages of the large-volume V2. Already in the lower speed range it provides a lot of steam and starts at 5000 rpm and gets down to business, the thrust increases evenly up to 10000 rpm and is easy to dose without loss of power. However, at least subjectively, not as powerful as 170 hp would suggest. At 11,000 rpm, the limiter then limited impetuous speed orgies in the kit version being driven. From a purely emotional point of view, a Ducati releases more power in the racing trim and feels stronger overall. The SP-1 offers good traction. In any case, the chassis could handle a lot more power than the kit version had to offer.
ZThe motorcycle rides extremely easily and harmoniously, and private riders will definitely be happy with it: just get on, accelerate and do fast laps, even without knowing the motorcycle and the route well. But for the factory racers of drivers Aaron Slight and Colin Edwards, Honda is sure to pull a few decisive arrows out of its quiver. After all, it’s about finally beating Ducati. The first race of the Superbike World Championship on April 2nd in Kyalami / South Africa will show whether Honda‘s new concept will succeed.

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