It has been 25 Years since the first Fireblade was launched. Yes, we are talking about the original Honda CBR 900RR. The world has changed a lot in these two and a half decades, especially when it comes to litre class flagships. The present CBR 1000RR, though a great motorcycle, pales away in terms of outright power output and tech wizardry. That is about to change with the new 2017 CBR 1000RR Fireblade SP!
Yes, a lot has been said about this motorcycle ever since spyshots started pouring in from a test track. However, the Japanese powerhouse has been able to silence them and taken ‘total control’ of the situation. Here’s what you need to know:
- The engine is the same 999 cc DOHC inline 4 pot mill but the output has been boosted to 189 bhp at 13,000 rpm (up from 173 bhp) and 116 Nm of torque (up from 112 Nm) peaking at 11,000 rpm.
- Weight saving has been the key objective of the engineers. The engine now weighs 2 kg less thanks to shorter bolts and magnesium covers. The radiator is 30 mm narrower, loses 30 cc in terms of volume and is said to weigh 100 g less.
- The compression ratio has been increased but the bore and stroke have been kept the same, but the cam timings and valve lifts have been revised.
- A 5 axis Bosch IMU which is an extension of the Honda Selectable Torque System. Mated to this is cornering ABS and Selectable Engine Braking. Oh that’s not all. Honda says that the torque system is more advanced than the RC213V-S. The 9 modes help in measuring differences in wheel speed, the bike’s roll angle, roll and yaw directions and acceleration across three planes to maintain traction and drive.It can also be turned off.
- The front and rear suspension setup has been sourced by Ohlins and controlled by a Suspension Control Unit.
- A bidirectional quick shifter with autoblipping will help in fast and clutchless gear changes.
- The CBR 1000RR Fireblade SP is also the first inline four-cylinder to get Throttle by Wire (TBW). The newly developed Acceleration Position Sensor (APS) converts movement of the handgrip into an electrical signal sent to the ECU, that then transmits it as an actuator signal to the TBW motor, achieving ideal throttle control relative to grip angle.
- A Power Selector is also available through the Riding Mode Select System with 5 levels of output character.
- The exhaust is made of titanium while the fuel tank is made of the same material, a first for a production motorcycle.
Apart from this, Honda also has a Fireblade SP2, which is a road legal track tool. It gets carbon pattern insets and gold striping interwoven into the Tricolour paint mark the Fireblade SP2’s difference over the standard machine. She also gets gold Marchesini wheels. the main change though is in the engine
While the 76mm bore is identical to the SP, the Fireblade SP2 cylinder head runs 1mm larger 31.5mm diameter intake valves and 1.5mm larger 25.5mm diameter exhaust valves, with 10°/12° included valve intake/exhaust included valve angles (from 11°/11°). The valve pitches are identical, maintaining cylinder head width. The valve shapes and combustion chambers have been optimised for efficiency. The pistons use an exclusive crown design with heat treatment that strengthens the area around the piston boss, which itself employs a 2.5mm shorter (and 8g lighter per cylinder) piston pin. Ready to house high-lift camshafts the outer diameter of the valve lifter has grown 2mm to 28mm, while total height and thickness have been reduced saving weight.
The electronics are same as the Blade SP but this one gets different settings. A race kit is also available.
