Neale Bayly testing out the 2012 Honda CBR1000RR. (Photo: Brian J Nelson)
No traction control, no variable engine mapping, no ride by wire throttle, and no power increase; could we possibly be at the press introduction of a new 2012 open-class sport bike? With the technology war that’s been raging over the past few years, it would be some sort of mechanical suicide to introduce a sport bike with such seeming lack of technological progress one would think. Not, however, if you are Honda Motor Corporation, as the venerable CBR1000RR has finished at the top, or near the top, of most superbike shootouts these last few years without a host of electronic wizardry.
With the introduction being held at Infineon Raceway just north of San Francisco a couple of weeks before Christmas, the start to our test was delayed a couple of hours waiting for the famous fog to burn off, but once we got underway it was fast and furious. Honda had us split into two groups of six, with a rotating schedule between the new 2012s and last year’s model. It’s the first time I’ve ridden a new model like this with the previous year’s offering for such direct comparison, and it was positively eye opening, not to mention an excellent opportunity to really feel the difference between the two machines as riding the new 2012 alone relying on memory wouldn’t have allowed me to recognize so clearly the improvements.
In the press brief we learned the new model uses a new Big Piston Fork, and this Showa 43mm inverted Honda Multi-Action System (HMAS) features spring preload and rebound and compression damping. Once on the track, heading up to turn 7 was the perfect place to see if the hype was true, as there’s a lot of runoff in this area if you overcook things. Glancing at the digital speedometer, I saw 128 mph registered as I went for the brakes. By comparison, I never saw more than 123 mph on the 2011 model, which would have the rear end lifting and squirming as I got ready to turn in. On the ’12, even with the higher entrance speed, there was none of this behavior. With a piston nearly four times the cross-section of a cartridge fork, the damping control is improved at lower suspension speeds, as in when you apply the brake and the fork starts to compress, and this makes all the difference. Feeling rock solid and with the rear wheel staying firmly connected to the asphalt, it made the turn-in easier and, consequently, my exit speed higher. This stability under hard braking was confidence inspiring, and with the fast run down the hill to turn 9a also requiring some heavy application of the radial-mount, four-piston Tokico front calipers, the new Big Piston Fork certainly allowed me to hold the throttle open longer than I could with the 2011. These actions didn’t come at the expense of front-end feel, though. Heading down through the carousel there are a lot of bumps, and at this point your knee is on the floor and the bike is really moving as you get ready to pin the throttle for the drive up to turn 7. This corner just clearly showed how much better the new fork is, with less drama and higher exit speeds.
The new CBR has a softer feel over the bumps and transitions, but a sharper ride turning in and flicking through the tighter sections. The newly patented Balance-Free Rear Shock is compliant and competent over the bumps, with no squat or fuss when hard on the gas, and it made yanking the throttle open more confidence inspiring out of the slow corners. Overall the new bike made me feel like a hero, as I certainly rode more aggressively and went faster everywhere on the track.
The brakes are unchanged this year, and they are extremely strong, although I had to squeeze the lever harder than I felt comfortable with to get to the monster bite zone. Once in that zone, it was as if the track suddenly turned to Super Glue, especially setting up for turn 1 where the AMA race chicane was in place. You can also choose your new CBR with or without electronic anti-lock brakes (C-ABS). Honda uses a linked system between front and rear, and this system has undergone some revision with the rear brake exerting less pressure on the front for more sport-focused riding. It adds $1,000 to the base model’s $13,800 price tag and has no provision to turn it off. During the test I didn’t get a chance to cycle through on one of the new models equipped with the new system, but I have no personal objections to the Honda system, having used it previously on the track and street.
My first laps were interesting, as the level of steering input needed is less than our recent long-term Ducati 848, so I had to rethink my turn-in strategy to not push the CBR too much to the inside. As liter bikes evolve, they become easier to ride and the CBR is certainly one of the easiest. On the spec sheet it doesn’t appear as if it should be a threat to the other open-class machines on offer, but howling round Infineon Raceway feeling comfortably within the CBR’s limits, I certainly didn’t feel it was missing anything. Exiting the carousel, there are some cracks in the asphalt and a yellow line that would get the rear wheel spinning if I wasn’t careful about staying away from them, but even as cold as the track was I didn’t spin the rear Dunlop anywhere else on the track.
