The 2020 Honda CBR1000RR-R SP Fireblade is the manifestation of a long gestation period for the replacement of the current Fireblade released in 2017. ‘But that ‘all-new’ Blade was only released two short years ago’, I hear you say. Well, the 2017 model was itself derived from the snub-nosed SC59 initially released in 2008. It was therefore far from an ‘all-new’ design as spruiked by Honda at the time, making the anticipation for a bonafide all-new model design justified.

In the 2020 model, we finally get a clean sheet design. It seems only the wheel design is carried over to the new model. According to Honda, “both versions of the new Fireblade have been designed from the ground up”. They are targeting outright track performance, “in terms of engine, handling and aerodynamics”. So, for anyone with engine oil running through their circulatory system, a new Fireblade is a big deal and warrants a deep dive under the skin of Honda’s sporting flagship. What it reveals is a machine with little care or interest for you, the average road rider. If you are a racer on the other hand, it’s your lucky day.

[Click here to read more about the new Fireblade]

1. “MIRROR MIRROR ON THE GARAGE WALL, WHAT IS THE MOST POWERFUL ENGINE OF THEM ALL?”

We live in Very Vivid Times. With headlining numbers of 217 metric horsepowers, a super squishy bore x stroke figure, a semi-cam gear choo choo train, and con-rods made of unobtanium, the new Honda CBR1000RR-R Fireblade engine is packed with many of the features one would expect of a modern high-performance engine. However, there is an interesting omission from the engine specification list. I must admit to a raised eyebrow upon learning of its absence.

Evermore stringent emissions standards are mercilessly working to strangle our beloved noise generators. Manufacturers are increasingly employing Variable Valve Timing (VVT) to help limit the consequences of these power-sapping regulations. The Suzuki GSXR-1000 and BMW S100RR are two recent examples that have employed VVT technology to satisfy both road riders and tuning shops of race teams worldwide. The benefit of VVT is purported to give the rider the best of both worlds; high RPM power for the track and mid-range power for the road. The classic’ have your cake and eat it’ marketing utopia.

HIGH RPM POWER IS KING

But Honda in their infinite wisdom (or folly, take your pick) seem to have no interest in giving us a mid-range laden road sportbike for the masses. Their only target is high RPM power for racing purposes. Just follow the bread crumbs, and you will see that Honda (or HRC, there are HRC stickers all over the motorcycle after all) now considers road riders motorcycling lepers that require amputation from collective memory. What was once thought to be one of the more road focussed sportbikes, will from this point forward be a different beast.

You see, by rejecting VVT technology and focussing on an extremely oversquare design (the same 81mm bore and 48.5mm stroke as the RC213V), the new Fireblade cares not for low and mid-range power. Honda anticipates the rev needle living in the top third (or even top quarter) of the rev range in tuned racing engines on race tracks around the world.

LEARN TO RIDE – FAST

There is, therefore, no need to have cake and eat it. Honda just wants to eat it, and they want the rider to rev the pants off this engine. Furthermore, they expect the rider to have the bravery and skills to operate this machine in its upper reaches to access its performance. If you need low-end power, go elsewhere for this is no road engine. Honda does not spend countless hours and millions of Yen designing and testing a new motor only to omit one of the latest fads in performance design for no good reason.

Another giveaway is the titanium connecting rods (con-rods). These are not parts generally added to mass-produced machines due to their high cost (Yamaha’s R1 excepted). They are designed to allow an engine to rev higher than it otherwise would with aluminium equivalents. Take the Kawasaki ZX-10RR, for example. Kawasaki added titanium con-rods to the 2019 iteration of the RR to raise the RPM limit of the road engine. This, in turn, allowed Kawasaki to increase the RPM of their race engine inline with WSBK rules so that they could more easily face the challenge posed by the Panigale V4R racer (which itself sports titanium con-rods as standard in the road version).

GOOD VIBRATIONS?

As an aside, it will be interesting to experience the level of vibration generated by the new engine. Traditionally, Japanese inline-four engines have been as smooth as proverbial butter. Then the BMW S1000RR arrived and with it came finger-follower rocker arms and next level horsepower. One of the way’s BMW managed to achieve this was by deleting a power-sapping balancer shaft. This reduced internal friction allows for higher power; however, the side effect is increased vibrations. If you have ever ridden a first generation S1000RR you will know what I mean. Since then Suzuki has followed suit with their latest GSXR-1000 engine which is a ‘vibier’ engine compared to its predecessors. Such detail is missing from the press releases. Have Honda followed suit, further degrading the Fireblade’s road friendliness?

So, what can we conclude about the new engine package? Firstly, let’s not get too carried away. This new Honda CBR1000RR-R Fireblade will not be an unrideable beast. On the contrary. I anticipate a machine with sublime handling and more than enough power for the street. It’s just that the operating parameters of this engine have been pushed much higher and will, therefore, require a far more focused riding approach to maximise its potential. Honda has traditionally eschewed high peak horsepower for useability. The new Blade brings a fundamental shift in this philosophy, and while they will no doubt still claim their total control mantra applies here, only the experienced need apply. This is not made for you (the road rider). Very Vivid Times, indeed.

Note: please click here for a demonstration on how Honda want you to ride the new CBR1000RR-R Fireblade.

2.    HANG ON TIGHT FOR YOUR 8 SECOND RIDE

It should only take you a few seconds to realise what the purpose of a given motorcycle is just by observing its ergonomic setup. One glance at a cruiser tells you a laid back ride beckons. An Adventure bike calls for, well, adventure, while any Ducati superbike prior to the Panigale V4 warns of an aggressive and focussed ride, closely followed by a session in traction. Look at any prior generation of Fireblade; however, and you can tell that while a sporty ride beckons, it will be on the ‘milder’ end of sport. By milder I mean the ergonomics provide for comparative comfort in the form of raised bars, lower footpegs and a reach to the bars designed for an average human. This is no more.

Let me continue by quoting the Honda press release for the new Blade. ‘With the handlebar position pushed forward (for leverage) and footpegs moved rearward, and up’, ‘the riding position is also much more compact’. Translated; bye-bye friendly road ergonomics. This is the only reference to the riding position in the press release, but it speaks volumes in terms of intent.

CAN YOU HANDLE IT?

The most significant piece of the puzzle is the size and positioning of the new clip-on handlebars. The bars are positioned well below the triple top clamp and are rotated forward at a shallower incline. Also, the bars appear longer, protruding further left and right reminiscent of a Ducati Corse race bike. Anyone who has tried to wrestle high powered sportbikes around racetracks and repeatedly wash off speed during hard braking will appreciate the benefits of this type of handlebar setup.

With a seat height of 830mm and what looks like an aggressive knee bend, the new Blade is optimised for tucking in on fast straights and hanging on during hard cornering. This is not a setup optimised for the casual road sport rider, and while it is not new to sportbikes, it is a far cry from the Blades of old. As above, little consideration is given to the average road rider.

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So, what can we conclude about the new ergonomics package? Honda has traditionally offered road-friendly sporting ergonomics for its sports offerings. The latest Blade brings a fundamental shift in this philosophy. The new machine will uncomfortably get you to the local shops for milk. However, you will need the Nordschleife between your house and the shop to fully exploit the new ergonomics. This is not made for you (the road rider). Sound familiar?

3.    FLY LIKE THE WIND (OR THE HONDA BADGE)

Wings. Aerodynamic wings. Downforce producing aerodynamic wings. Not designed for you. Designed for Bautista et al. Let’s be honest with ourselves. For a road rider, wings designed to produce downforce are about as useful as a screen-door on a submarine. For reference, the wings on the Ducati Panigale V4R produce 30 kg of downforce at 270km/h. At lower speeds that downforce would reduce. I don’t know about you, but the last time I needed that kind of winged support on my ride down my favourite twisty road was, ahh, never.

As a track day fiend and average Joe rider in the fast group, I even question the usefulness of wings at a track day. Wings are designed to offer support at lower than terminal speeds and high throttle openings to reduce wheelie on corner exit, as well as providing high-speed stability. The average rider may just shave milliseconds off their average lap time. Methinks improving your riding skills will have a far more significant effect on your lap times. Either that or losing weight. Whatever the scenario, how noticeable any benefit would be for an average rider at less than racing speeds is anyone’s guess. Wings may look good in a brochure feature list; however, their benefit is something only racers can fully exploit. 

WHAT ABOUT YOU AND ME?

So, where does that leave the general riding public? Again Honda, and more importantly HRC, had racing in mind when they decided to add wings to the design. The inclusion of wings on the road machine is nothing more than an exercise in homologating them for the race machine per WSBK rules. The fact that you will likely feel little to no benefit on the road or your local track day is of no consequence. Bautista and Haslam are the only two names that matter.

What then can we conclude about the new aerodynamic package? Unusually for a late generation Honda sportbike (that is a sad statement in itself), the Fireblade is ahead of the curve in terms of integrating motorcycle downforce aerodynamics. There are even rumours that an active system may be in the wings (pardon the pun). Despite this, the aero package is designed for racing, not the road. This bike is not for you. Sound familiar?

HONDA HAS MOVED ON – YOU SHOULD TOO

Honda has finally delivered a brand-new Fireblade. It may not have a V configuration engine like many wanted, but it does pack the technology required to compete (at a high price). Honda has proclaimed an ‘unwavering focus on circuit riding’, and claimed to have, ‘drawn a line under where the CBR1000RR Fireblade has been’. No doubt Honda will claim their total control philosophy has produced a useable superbike. I can just see the journalists at the world track launch wax lyrical about how useable this 214hp superbike is. They may even marvel at how your grandma could easily punt it around a track. But if your grandmother can’t afford it, we will never know. (Honda, please send me to the track launch, I beg you!)

Recall the first ‘leaked’ glimpse of the new bike was a video showing a racing prototype being tested around Suzuka. This is significant for it announced to the world the fundamental purpose of this machine. What does that mean for you? Well, unless you hold a racing licence and race in a Honda supported team, you are out of luck. This machine is not for you. The price alone will decimate the number of Fireblade’s at your local track day. Don’t get me wrong. I applaud Honda for taking the time and effort to manifest this thing of brutal beauty in a day and age of ever restricted liberties. I can’t wait to take in all its details in the flesh.

FINAL THOUGHTS

The new Honda CBR1000RR-R Fireblade is a highly focussed machine designed to be ridden in the upper reaches of the RPM range to extract its full potential. High RPM power sans VVT with aerodynamic wings, titanium con-rods, a very focussed riding position, and a super high price are the clues to the puzzle. Unless you have the bravery and skill to ride it like it has been designed to be ridden, its performance potential will be difficult to reach (though this is becoming ever truer for the latest litre sportbikes). Having said all that, it still won’t stop me trying to get my hands on one and thrashing it to an inch of my ability.

Note: please click here for a demonstration on how Honda want you to ride the new CBR1000RR-R Fireblade.

[Click here to read more about the new Fireblade]

EPILOGUE

Still don’t believe me? Well check out who got to ride it first. Just don’t be fooled by the marketing script.

[Click here to read more about the new Fireblade]