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We might very well witness the unveiling of a heavily revised Honda CBR1000RR Fireblade at EICMA in November. This move, if made might be the result of the strong criticism for the outgoing Honda Fireblade from the racers and riders alike.
Honda might have gone back to the drawing boards to cater to and eliminate the weaknesses of the existing Fireblade with at least 10 bhp of power increase and redesigned fairing. These two issues plagued the current Fireblade since its launch. It was already down on power against the competitors churning out 187 bhp at the crank which is a considerable gap in the superbiking world. Honda have already admitted that more power was easily available on the same engine. An increase in power could be easily achieved without having to change the engine architecture.
At the current machine’s unveiling in 2016, the Blade’s project leader Masatoshi Sato said: "We could eaily give the bike 200bhp; we could give it 300bhp if we wanted, but we think it’s the lack of weight people want to feel more."
Also, the racing teams have struggled with the aerodynamics of the current Fireblade. Because of this the racers have been dealing with issues like lesser top speed and front-end grip in high speed corners among others. The new fairing design is said to be redesigned around the nose with the ram-air scoop moved closer to the fairing’s centre of pressure. This is a measure to prevent the riders from wind and help prevent front end lift.
These improvements may bring along with them an increase in price. The SP2 model will supposedly have a full carbon-fibre fairing among other changes that will keep the weight of the motorcycle around 185 kgs. This could cause a significant bump in price but if the SP2 models comes out with an increase in power and reduction in weight, it might put the new Fireblade right at the top of the litre-class scene. Though there is no confirmation from Honda’s end regarding any new models.
A spokesperson for Honda said: "We refuse to comment on any possible new models."
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Honda might have gone back to the drawing boards to cater to and eliminate the weaknesses of the existing Fireblade with at least 10 bhp of power increase and redesigned fairing. These two issues plagued the current Fireblade since its launch. It was already down on power against the competitors churning out 187 bhp at the crank which is a considerable gap in the superbiking world. Honda have already admitted that more power was easily available on the same engine. An increase in power could be easily achieved without having to change the engine architecture.
At the current machine’s unveiling in 2016, the Blade’s project leader Masatoshi Sato said: "We could eaily give the bike 200bhp; we could give it 300bhp if we wanted, but we think it’s the lack of weight people want to feel more."
Also, the racing teams have struggled with the aerodynamics of the current Fireblade. Because of this the racers have been dealing with issues like lesser top speed and front-end grip in high speed corners among others. The new fairing design is said to be redesigned around the nose with the ram-air scoop moved closer to the fairing’s centre of pressure. This is a measure to prevent the riders from wind and help prevent front end lift.
These improvements may bring along with them an increase in price. The SP2 model will supposedly have a full carbon-fibre fairing among other changes that will keep the weight of the motorcycle around 185 kgs. This could cause a significant bump in price but if the SP2 models comes out with an increase in power and reduction in weight, it might put the new Fireblade right at the top of the litre-class scene. Though there is no confirmation from Honda’s end regarding any new models.
A spokesperson for Honda said: "We refuse to comment on any possible new models."
Source
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