While a majority of its competitors have jumped aboard the traction-control bandwagon, Honda remains a “natural” throttle holdout for 2012. We have to admit it was a bit surprising to not be greeted with a major redesign and TC this model year, considering the CBR-RR is celebrating two decades of cutting-edge technology and large-engine, light-is-rightness. Nonetheless, throughout the pre-TC era, the CBR1000RR earned a reputation for providing an uncanny sense of connection between the throttle and rear tire’s contact patch. Perhaps the pride and belief in such an achievement helps explain why Big Red has yet to bring its own flavor of race-developed TC to market. Or just maybe the next-generation CBR1000RR is being readied to electrify the rider-aid revolution. Whatever the case, for at least another year we can revel in having total throttle control of the most capable performance Honda right in the palm of our hand.
During CW comparison tests in recent years, the immediate confidence instilled by the CBR has made it my ride of choice for getting up to speed at the track or when facing difficult conditions. Thankfully, the press introduction for the 2012 Honda CBR1000RR was held at Sonoma, California’s Infineon Raceway and had me at a familiar circuit, although conditions were far from ideal, both during our lapping sessions and on the street ride the following day.
On our track day, a damp morning fog descended and had me shivering in my perforated Teknic leathers while I struggled to see the tarmac ahead. The new CBR’s instant familiarity and predictability were heartwarming, though, and I was further stoked knowing that our track-test Dunlop Sportmax GP-A supersport race radials had been cooking on tire warmers. But no amount of tire heat or warm cuddlies from the bike could help me see through my visor and prescription glasses; trust me, hustling a powerful liter-class missile around what’s arguably the busiest and most physically demanding circuit on the AMA roadracing calendar had me huffing like a fog machine.
We had clarity in the afternoon, and I got to knock off some good sessions riding both the new bike and a 2011 model. The most notable revision to the RR is the suspension update. The change to a Showa Big Piston Fork and Balance Free shock have improved handling composure and chassis feedback.
The BPF handled hard braking into the track’s hairpins and chicanes with a reduced rate and amount of fork dive. Further, the front end also exhibited better bump absorption when compressed by braking or hard cornering load.
At the rear, Honda says the new shock eliminates damping lag time when transitioning from compression to rebound to compression for greater chassis control and grip. While last year’s bike is certainly no slouch in rear-suspension performance, the new RR did feel more composed over midcorner bumps and the Balance Free shock handled the transition to extension when charging hard over a few hilltop crests extremely well. As for the improved rear grip Honda claims for the new Pro-link setup, I can’t honestly report that I experienced a true difference. Fact is, neither the 2011 nor ’12 model I rode broke loose and spun up despite some particularly feverish drives off the Carrousel pinned in second gear. Rather odd considering the track not only appeared slick, but actually was: The occasional midcorner tire squirm while crossing glossy sealer patches was a good reminder. That said, the suspension upgrades have led to a better handling CBR1000RR.
I sampled the optional C-ABS version of both model years, but didn’t find its recalibration—a slight reduction in the amount of front brake application when using the rear pedal—to be very noticeable on the street or track, due mostly to the less-than-ideal riding conditions at the two-day test. Honda said the change was tailored to hard sport/track use of the rear brake, but conditions at Infineon weren’t quite confidence-inspiring enough for me to trail-brake as aggressively as I normally might, so I will leave the jury out on this one. I can certainly say that I was glad to be on a C-ABS model during our brief, wet-road street ride because it is a superb ABS setup for public roads. The CBR1000RR remains a great choice for the street rider, offering good ergonomics, compliant suspension, light neutral steering, great throttle response and awesome midrange punch.
Styling changes include a new layered fairing design said to create a large pocket of calm air around the rider; I’m still thinking about that one! The new integrated under-nose chin fairing (said to reduce aerodynamic lift for improved handling) probably wasn’t fully put to the test because our top track speeds were limited to wringing out third gear. I can say I do dig the look of the new 12-spoke wheels, which Honda also claims are a part of the chassis improved feedback.
The CBR’s all-new multi-function LCD instrument cluster looks sweet and offers a full suite of the normal info, plus a lap timer, a five-level shift indicator, a gear-position indicator and four different tachometer display modes. Honda definitely got it right with the anti-reflective lens that makes the display readable in varied lighting conditions. Also a nice touch is the sequential shift-light display located directly above the tach’s red zone. But there is still room for improvement, because the shift-indicator’s white LEDs are too faint to be of use in direct sunlight.
Based on Honda’s current MotoGP dominance, there is no doubt that the company had the means and technical prowess in TC development to have holeshot last year’s traction-controlled Kawasaki ZX-10R or easily fallen in step with the new TC’d Yamaha YZF-R1 for 2012. But we often hear of “Honda engineering standards,” which tend to preclude simply adding TC features to an existing bike, but rather demand a new machine top to bottom, designed from the outset with full electronica in mind. As good as the revised $13,800 CBR1000RR (add $1000 for C-ABS) looks to be, here’s hoping that the near future brings more than just a brighter shift indicator.
