Honda CBR 1000 RR-R Fireblade SP, a worldwide sport bike icon

Thanks to its broad and successful experience in the world of racing, Honda has historically been able to add aspects of the technology developed for the Repsol Honda Team bikes to their street motorcycles. This includes both advances related to construction and equipment in the Honda CBR 1000 RR-R Fireblade SP.

Thus, HRC has made available to the lucky owners of the new CBR resources from the machines that we can enjoy on GP circuits – from the chassis to the engine, and even the electronics.

From this evolution and experience, the most exclusive version of this model was born: the CBR 1000 RR-R Fireblade SP.

The Honda CBR 1000 RR-R engine:

We find ourselves before a newly-designed engine, since the HRC has placed an engine worthy of racing in Honda’s hands. This 1000cc and high-compression engine has an inline-four structure and has the same bore and stroke as the RC213V-S. It also includes a distribution though the semi-cascade gear train. To reduce friction and weight, and with the aim of increasing the engine’s revolutions, it has a finger-follower rocker system, oil jets with ejection at the lower part of the piston, titanium connecting rods, forged aluminium pistons, and low-friction treatments.

The air intake to the engine occurs through the front intake, redesigned to force the passage through the steering pipe. Meanwhile, on the exhaust side, you can find a 4-2-1 header with a titanium silencer developed along with the prestigious Akrapovic. Thanks to its small size and lightweight design, this element contributes to a notable improvement in weight distribution.

HRC has worked in depth on friction reduction and on the optimization of each part of the engine in the CBR 1000 RR-R. A new cooling system in the cylinders ensures a more stable temperature. This combination of lightweight materials and thermal treatments on multiple elements guarantees an outstanding final result.

The bike as a whole has also been made even more compact, using a new, smaller crankshaft and reducing the distance between it and the primary and secondary axes.

Thanks to all of that, the engine’s numbers are impressive: 215 HP at 14 500 Rpm and 113 Nm torque at 12 500 Rpm.

Cycle part of the CBR RR-R:

Like the engine, the aluminium, diamond-shaped chassis has been completely renovated. The new frame provides an ideal balance between lightweight structure, rigidity, and steering. Along with the frame, the swingarm has also undergone important changes, based on the RC213V-S and paying special attention to its behaviour during strong acceleration and steep inclinations. Both elements are made with aluminium and are very lightweight.

The model has an electronically-controlled steering damper, led by the bike’s ECU, that contains three different levels of performance.
The suspension is made by Öhlins and has a 43 mm NPX frontal inverted fork with pressurized turrets and a pro-link configuration in the rear with an Öhlins TTX36 Smart-EC shock absorber. Both elements have a semi-active S-EC electronic control system. Both trains can be configured independently and have three settings that can be changed while on the go.

The Brembo braking system, has 330 mm double front discs clamped down by lightweight, radially-mounted 4-piston calipers controlled from a pump in the lever, which is also radial. The rear axis has the same disc and caliper as the RC213V-S, a 220 mm disc, and two pistons.

The CBR 1000 RR-R Fireblade SP rests on sport tyres mounted on 17 in rims, 120/70 ZR17 in front and 200/55 ZR17 in the rear.

Electronics from MotoGP for the Fireblade:

Electronics are present in all of the bike’s components, from the engine to the lights.

The throttle is completely electronic – throttle by wire – and is regulated according to the selected program.

Additionally, in the 2020 model a new IMU, or inertial measurement unit, has been added, similar to the ones used in MotoGP. It’s a six-axis Bosch unit, one more than in the previous model, and it controls all the bike’s movements. Additionally, the ECU receives data from the suspension and the engine’s sensors, controlling the overall functioning at all times.

In the Honda CBR 1000 RR-R Fireblade SP, you can find three different programmes, one for the power delivery to the engine, another for engine breaking, and another for wheelie control, each one of them with different levels of performance. Continuing with the advantages that this bike offers us, and thanks to all of the measurements performed by the switchboard, we have a traction control of up to nine levels that allow us to adapt the bike to each turn in a circuit in a similar way that Marc and Àlex Márquez do in the MotoGP World Championship.

Additionally, the inclusion of electronics allows you to have launch control that will maintain the engine’s revolutions steady according to the selected program, regardless of the amount of revving you do, which will allow you to focus only on releasing the clutch and steering. Additionally, it includes a quickshifter system.

The ABS system is also electronically-regulated and boasts two function modes: Sport and track. The system controls the inclination and sink of the suspension to modulate its action, offering the best control possible whether on the streets or on the circuit.

Equipment and fairing in the Honda CBR 1000 RR-R SP:

The latest MotoGP racing seasons have allowed for an exhaustive development in the aerodynamics of bikes, and HRC has transferred its advancements to this bike, giving it a new, more aggressive fairing and an optimized aerodynamic coefficient.

The set of three winglets included in the lateral conducts of the fairing provide it with the same downhill strength as the ones equipped on the 2018 RC213V, helping to avoid wheelies during intense accelerations and providing the front train with more stability when braking and entering turns.

Additionally, the height of the fuel tank has been lowered by 45mm to help maintain a level area when the rider leans down. A new windscreen has been designed with an optimized angle to channel the air over the rider’s back. The rear tail and the mudguards have experienced changes in their design as well. The aerodynamic resistance was considerably lowered both in straight lines and turns.

Behind the windscreen, you’ll see a 5in colour TFT screen, from which all of the bike’s parameters can be controlled and which is totally customisable, showing you only the data you want to see.

Moving on to the handle, you will find all the settings to control the electronics, in addition to the usual ones for any street bike.

Full LED lighting tops off the machine, and the bike even has the Honda Smart Key, which makes it possible to start and unlock the bike without removing the key from your pocket.

The CBR 1000 RR-R Fireblade SP is without a doubt an exclusive bike that will allow you to enjoy all of its features and feel the same sensations experienced by MotoGP riders.