Honda CBR1000RR / SP 2017 test: neither gross nor submitted !
Forget the old CBR1000RR lacking in performance and technology: Honda celebrates 25 years of its Fireblade with a redesign – finally – at the top level. And thanks to its advanced electronics, this 2017 CBR1000RR and its luxurious SP versions is full of sensations without betraying its original concept of "Total Control". Test.
Page 2 – Dynamics: efficiency and temperament
Heated blankets, dedicated technicians around each motorcycle: Honda is pulling out all the stops for this presentation of the 2017 CBR1000RR! The notoriety of the accompaniment also reflects the importance given to this vintage: our British colleagues rode in the company of John McGuiness (Mister Tourist Trophy himself) while the German and American journalists are "coached" by Stefan Bradl and Nicky Hayden, the two Honda officials in WSBK respectively Moto2 and MotoGP world champion.
For our part, our wheel turns are supervised by Steve Plater (winner of the Senior TT in 2009), Freddie Spencer (author of the remarkable 250/500 cc double in 1985) and Sebastien Gimbert: just that! The French endurance world champion is at least as impatient as we are to discover the 2017 Fireblade: it is on his handlebars that he will seek a new title with the official Honda team alongside Freddy Foray and Julien da Costa. His experience on the CBR1000RR and his impressions of a racing driver will therefore be interesting to cross-reference with our feelings of leek lambda tester…
- MNC special file :
In the saddle, the narrowness and the compactness of the CBR1000RR 2017 jump to the helmet, without exerting great additional constraints. The motorcycle has melted considerably at the level of its tank, which is not a technical feat insofar as its capacity goes from 17.5 to 16 liters. Still, its size of 600 cc promotes leg placement and mobility. In this, it does not nourish any complex vis-a-vis the sylphs Aprilia RSV4 and Yamaha R1 !
The trim is tilted more forward, quite predictably given the greater radicalism claimed in 2017. This tilting of the bust towards the new dashboard is obtained mainly via a saddle significantly raised, 820 mm in 2016 at 832 mm this year. Pilots shorter than 1.75m will have difficulty touching both feet flat.
Dazzling CBR
This redesigned seat is also quite slippery, to the detriment of driving comfort: maintaining the position under braking and long, fast curves is sometimes difficult, for lack of sufficient restraint. The protection offered by the very mediocre screen, below the previous model, also complicates an otherwise confusing natural grip, typical of a Honda motorcycle..
In the long straight line at Portimao, staying on full throttle until reaching 288 km / h (299 km / h for Seb ‘Gimbert!) Is therefore difficult, even exhausting at the end of the session when fatigue sets in. And the "planing" of the fairing sides (-28mm on their upper part) does not help. The BMW S1000RR is clearly superior in this area thanks to its larger volumes. Undoubtedly, endurance and Tourist Trophy Honda cracks will opt for a more enveloping dressing, especially on the upper body !
It starts badly, do you think? Not wrong … But in reality, these little flaws are the only elements likely to cast a little shadow on the dazzling CBR1000RR 2017! Because let’s be clear: if you are looking for reasons not to buy the new Honda, you might as well stop reading this essay. !
An engine with – finally – character !
The list of exciting upgrades starts off nicely, with the vocals of the engine: the 4-legged sound is lower, perfectly highlighted by the titanium silencer. The depth of the rattle at idle has gained consistency, giving the CBR1000RR a much more attractive sound presence. An important point because it provides additional sensations.
The connection between the throttle and the rear wheel is also one of the strengths of this novelty: the Honda electronic accelerator reaches new heights of transparency and precision, in clear progress compared to the previous model which is sometimes a little "rough" at the go-around. The work of the electronic throttle covers perfection, no less !
And that had to be done to do justice to the astounding performance of the Honda 4-legged: the operating range of the CBR1000RR is much wider, especially in the second part of the tachometer (switch moved to 13,500 rpm). The thrust is still just as vigorous at low and mid-range (thanks to the 114 Nm of torque), but then it is much more demonstrative.
Where the old Fireblade offered an almost timid acceleration because too linear, the new one has temper to spare! Feeling the forward shedding on the third and fourth gear is becoming commonplace on the drops in Portimao … a "problem" with which MNC had never had to deal with the 2012 generation .
Without going so far as to reach the bestiality of the S1000RR, the Honda 4-legged won by responding, as if the bike was cubing a hundred cubic centimeters more, while offering as a bonus much less mechanical inertia on approach. of the breaker. Result: the mill tows harder and takes turns with exceptional liveliness.
In driving mode 1 (the sportiest), the surge of power tears off the arms with truly incredible vigor. "The first few laps, you tell yourself that it will not be possible to accelerate fully in the return of the straight line", testifies Sebastien Gimbert, delighted to see how far the Honda unit has progressed. "But once assimilated, we take the measure of this additional power and we end up going full throttle".
MNC agrees: the advertised additional 12 hp clearly responds to the call, also well helped by the weight reduction! This very pleasant motor character – long desired on a CBR – delivers an exhilarating feeling of rage, but skilfully controlled: the "Total Control" dear to Honda takes back its rights, thanks to the action of the electronics. !
In driving mode set to "2" (mode 3 being set for standard road use), traction control is set by default to its fifth notch, to nine available (the 9th being the most intrusive). In this configuration, the system shows a successful alliance between tolerance and efficiency, coming into action in a more sensitive way depending on the inclination of the motorcycle. Inducing slight drifts and short wheeling is thus authorized by this reactive and not frustrating device..
When the anti-slip level drops below level 3, however, the system becomes very – too much ? – permissive and let the bike spin or pitch up before kicking into action. In other words, its action is no longer preventive but curative … Insofar as the traction is excellent, the phenomenon is not really annoying with suitable tires, like the slicks installed during this test. As long as you have the level and sensitivity necessary to deal with these very strong reactions! But with the original equipment, with a more rigid carcass and less grip, it is better to keep all the reactivity of the electronic "guardian angel" to avoid sudden dropouts from the rear..
Increased agility and high tech suspensions
Thanks to its very closed front axle and its small wheelbase, the CBR1000RR shines by its ability to dive quickly in curves, superior for example to that of a BMW S1000RR. The agility and precision of the front axle are a treat, with the added bonus of the typical Honda ease of positioning: changing course at the last moment to overtake is child’s play, as is changing the angle. Total Control, we tell you !
The 2016 CBR1000RR was already a thin blade, but the 2017 model is quite a surgical instrument! Stability is to match, on condition, however, to initiate clear orders at high pace because the Japanese Superbike now has much more engine response: the electronic steering damper is more often used..
The braking power is largely up to par on the two versions tested, with an additional responsiveness on the Brembo monoblocs of the SP. The feeling of the Italian calipers is therefore more sporty, but also a little less progressive. We especially appreciate the better management of mass transfers on the SP, which eliminates the small problem of lifting the rear wheel encountered on the standard during very heavy braking..
Despite the combined function of the Nissin ABS (which kicks in with fairly sensitive lever returns), the rear lifts relatively easily when the brakes are set on the standard CBR1000RR. In certain cases, untimely sweeps of the rear axle must be channeled. Not like that with the Fireblade SP: its rear tire remains stuck to the asphalt thanks to its electronic suspensions, which automatically take care of maintaining a stable trim.
This Ohlins damping system is the other revelation of this test: associated with the excellent cycle part of the CBR, these electronically controlled suspensions work wonders! A little difficult to understand at first glance, the system is actually quite simple to master: either you opt for a "manual" setting of the rebound and compression, by tweaking the desired values from the dashboard.
Either you let the Ohlins Smart EC handle it all automatically. And if the result does not exactly meet your expectations, Ohlins has developed a great management tool, structured around the driving phases: braking, cornering and acceleration. No more headaches with slow, fast compression or relaxation! No need to be a seasoned technician coupled with a seasoned pilot, but just to identify the phase during which your piloting requires a different calibration, then to apply it (all explanations in).
Exploiting the higher potential of the CBR1000RR SP thus becomes much easier, starting with its excellent "Up and Down" shifter (up and down gears without disengaging). This new device on a Honda shines by its smoothness and precision, with the throttle "which goes well" when downshifting. However, be sure to adjust its sensitivity (3 levels available) to adapt its operation to the intensity of your "kick", under penalty of exposing yourself to false dead spots..
Not all the superior qualities described by Honda about its "SP" ortive are not so easily noticeable: to be honest, MNC for example did not feel any glaring difference in engine behavior, despite specific mapping at the origin of its 2 Nm of additional torque (116 Nm against 114).
As for the expected benefits on liveliness supposed to come from the luxurious titanium tank, we could not measure them objectively because we were not able to ride in turn with each motorcycle and the fuel tank completely filled..
Verdict: Honda takes Total Control !
So, was this 2017 CBR1000RR successful? Certainly ! Its better engine efficiency and its sharp cycle part perfectly fulfill the contract. But it’s at the electronics level that the Honda impresses, with an upgrade that exceeds expectations: the Fireblade climbs directly into the very closed circle of state-of-the-art Superbikes, as efficient as they are reasonably easy to use. to exploit.
The competitiveness of this package is illustrated with the superb time in 1’50 signed by Sebastien Gimbert on the SP version on slick tires: the French rider approached 3.7 seconds from the pole signed by the SRC Kawasaki during des (1’46.257) and just 2 seconds from Honda’s qualifying time (1’48.080)! Not bad for a stock motorcycle, without preparation on the engine or the suspensions !
In terms of damping, the very interesting concept developed by Ohlins on its second generation of semi-active "Smart EC" suspensions also marks a leap forward, both in terms of efficiency and ease of use. The absorption of the many bumps of the Portimao circuit and the better management of mass transfers clearly go to the advantage of the Swedish manufacturer, even if the Showa elements do not deserve.
Moreover, the excellent quality of damping of the standard suspensions leads to weigh the interest of adding an additional 4600 euros to acquire the SP version (17 999 € against 22 599 €) … The fact remains that in addition to Its NIX30 fork and its all "golden" TTX36 shock absorber, this high-end version also has Brembo calipers, a shifter and a titanium tank: beautiful parts, certainly.
The 2017 CBR10000RR will arrive in February in the standard version, then in March for the SP version. Honda France aims to sell 700 units, and not 400: to believe that the very good feedback from testers and professional pilots convinced the importer to revise its estimates upwards !
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