BIKES: Smooth Operator - Testing Our Long Term Honda CBR1000RR

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BIKES: Smooth Operator - Testing Our Long Term Honda CBR1000RR

The Honda CBR1000RR is so smooth it's deceptive.

Neale Bayly | Posted February 16, 2011 Charlotte, NC

Neale Bayly tests the Honda CBR1000RR

Checking my buddy Tom Blocker’s lap timer at the end of the second day of testing at Roebling Road, the solid consistent lap times we were running tell the story. Close to my personal best, they were achieved with a high degree of comfort, as the Honda CBR1000RR is such an easy bike to ride. Inviting a lot of comments from other riders during the day, it was the guy on the race prepped Suzuki GSXR1000’s look of astonishment when I told him the bike was basically stock that was the best. Other riders told me they were really impressed with the way the CBR came off the corners, and I was surprised by what they had to say. In the saddle of the big Honda, I was running most of the track after turn two in third gear, using the strong mid range to pull me through the tighter turns, and letting the top end blast me down the straights. It’s so smooth it’s deceptive.

With most of the street gear removed and the suspension tightened up to Sport Rider’s recommendations, the bike felt a lot sharper than it had for the first test. The Pirelli Diablo Rosso Corsas helped here, making the turn-in quicker and providing a higher level of grip. Allowing me to exit the corners harder on the gas, I never felt the rear spin all day, which is always comforting on a liter bike. Chasing Tom on his Ducati 1198R, while I’m not quick enough to pass him, there were certainly many occasions where I could have stuck the bike up the inside of him entering the corners if I had more skill. The Honda seems capable of holding tighter lines.

Another real positive from the weekend were my levels of fatigue. Mentally and physically, the bike just didn’t work me as hard as being here on a 600cc machine. More roomy than a lot of sport bikes and blessed with the silky smooth, power plant that doesn’t need to be revved to the moon, there were a number of times I wondered if I was out for a Sunday ride as we swooped through Roebling Roads’ flowing corners.

The one area I feel could have been improved was the braking as the stock pads leave a little to be desired. Not a fault, I just think they could be better. The suspension does a fantastic job and while the track is fairly smooth, it deals with what bumps there are with aplomb. The fast entry onto the front straight can upset a bike very easily, but not the CBR. It just seemed to float through there, gaining outrageous levels of speed as my knee puck skimmed the tarmac.

Due to injuries and mad scheduling this year, unfortunately the CBR 1000RR was returned to Honda before we could make any more changes. With just our simple modifications, we took a highly competent machine and improved it. The bike is super quiet, ultra smooth and with some good rubber able to run with the fast boys. Of course, leaving Roebling Road I could see some lower gearing, a pipe and Power Commander and full race rubber making it even harder to handle for my buddies. But isn’t that always the case when you leave the track?