The dazzling new CBR600RR is an uncompromising machine - and Honda expects to take World Supersport championship victories with it and regain the sports middleweight crown.
The styling draws heavily on Honda's RC211V, the five-cylinder racer that Valentino Rossi used to dominated the inaugural MotoGP world championship.
Indeed, the two machines have almost identical lightweight aluminium swingarms housing Honda's radical Pro-Link rear suspension unit.
The new 598cc, four-cylinder, fuel-injected powerplant on the 2003 CBR600RR is also more compact than that of its predecessor, allowing the bike's mass to be more centralised and positioned lower in the die-cast aluminium frame. The shorter engine frees up space for a longer swingarm, and to move the rider and engine mass forward - nearer to the steering head and closer to the bike's centre of mass - which should give sharper handling and more assured corner control.
With a slim, lightweight electronic instrument panel featuring a tachometer redlining at 15,000rpm, a digital LCD speedometer and fuel gauge, the new CBR also boasts Honda's ultra-narrow dual line beam headlamps to illuminate night-time riding.
Another eye-catcher is the new 4-into-2-into-1 exhaust system that snakes under the engine, then up and over the rear tyre to nestle its large capacity stainless steel "inverted isosceles trapezoid" (try saying that after you've had a few?) silencer under the seat. This eliminates turbulence caused by a usual side mounted exhaust.
The front fork is a cartridge type, as used on the new CBR RR Blade and SP2. Rear suspension is Unit Pro-Link based on the RC211V. It is completely contained in the swingarm, and not connected to the main frame except for the lower arms that anchor the links. The system isolates the steering head from stresses caused by the rear wheel hitting a patch of rough road, making handling even sweeter.
The ultra-lightweight triple-spoke wheels carry fully floating 310mm (up from the CBR600F's 296mm discs) rotors with four-piston calipers on the front, and a single piston, 220mm disc at the rear - the same as used on the new Blade and SP2. Sintered brake pads are standard.
Honda has the kit to take back the middleweight crown - unless Suzuki comes up with something better. And quick.
