The world’s first modern superbike is still going strong, 26 years into its life. Competition is steadily catching up to the venerable Fireblade, prompting Honda to get aggressive with the litre-class superbike. What’s in store for the CBR1000RR?
Rumours are rife that the next generation Honda CBR1000RR Fireblade will get a V4 motor to extract even more power while reducing the bike’s footprint. But now news on the interweb suggests that the new-gen Fireblade will arrive as early as 2019. How much does the speculation ring true?
The Honda CBR1000RR entered a new generation in 2017, boasting increased power output, lighter body, and advanced electronics on par with the modern superbike standard. It does seem too early for Honda to make a move especially when sales of the litre-class four-cylinder motorcycle are still going strong.
Although it might have missed the top spot on the podium in a few of the domestic races, conceding the crown to the Yamaha YZF-R1, there is no getting around the fact that the big Honda is immensely popular due mainly to its easy-to-ride nature. Despite being an all-new bike for 2017, the Fireblade managed to secure the season title in the All Japan Road Race Championship (JSB).
Honda is not resting on its laurels this time around and intends to further push the Fireblade’s performance envelope, setting the bar even higher for forthcoming superbikes. With the launch of insane machines such as the Ducati Panigale V4, Kawasaki H2 and H2R, and the upcoming 2019 BMW S1000RR, the superbike game has heated up considerably.
So what’s in store for the next Fireblade? For starters, the word ‘Ultimate’ is being used quite frequently. Honda is putting to use its massive data and learnings from MotoGP and the RC213V-S to make the next CBR1000RR even more fearsome. The base principles of the Fireblade will be adhered to strictly: More power, lesser weight.
Finally, since Honda is serious about the Fireblade’s ease-of-use proposition, it won’t be too much to expect a ‘Sports DCT’ transmission variant on the next-gen ‘Blade. The Japanese bike manufacturer is also pushing the ‘Total Control’ philosophy on its range of motorcycles, which means that the next-gen Fireblade is vying hungrily for the top of the food chain when it comes to litre-class superbikes.
Source: Young Machine
