2007 HONDA CBR600RR
By, Trevor Hedge

Honda broke new ground with the original CBR600RR in 2003 and then improved the machine out of sight in 2005. The 2007 model year will see what Honda claim is an all new from the ground up CBR600RR.

The new model follows the” light is right” school of thought. Compared to the current model, the 2007 bike's engine is 2kg lighter, the fine die-cast frame is an incredible 4.5kg trimmer, and other savings in chassis components and electronics combine to trim off another 1.6kg. The sum of all those changes see the new machine weigh in 8kg lighter than its predecessor.

While the lighter weight will obviously improve agility, Honda have gone further and reduced the wheelbase by a significant 22mm. Making that figure a little more remarkable is the fact that it has been achieved despite using a swingarm that is 5mm longer and a steering head that is 13mm further away from the crankshaft than on the previous model. The claimed result is a lot more leverage for the rider, which in turn provides an aggressive rider with quicker response. The engine's centre of gravity is 15mm further back than on the previous model and Honda has pushed the seat back an equal amount.

The aggression also follows through to the bodywork, which is now much more sharp and angular. However, rather than going for form over function, Honda's design team strived to achieve both aims in equal proportions. The upper front cowl is smaller and positioned 30mm closer to the steering head which according to Honda helps to reduce aerodynamic resistance to changes of direction. The lower cowl also underwent the knife and now sits much closer to the headers and directs the cool airflow to a new radiator that is 40mm narrower and 33mm longer than the previous machine. The tail cowling is also much slimmer and more compact than before.

Looking at the machine from the front it is the gaping snout for the intake air that draws your gaze. The shape and size of the intake is reminiscent of Honda's v-twin VTR Superbike of a few years ago. Like the VTR, the intake feeds directly through an opening in the steering head. An extension of the steering head port is made out of fibreglass reinforced plastic that is strong enough to support the entire front cowl and tiny lightweight headlights.

That huge new intake snout feeds through to a larger airbox to supply an all new engine that is diminutive in its proportions. So diminutive in fact that Honda claim their new powerplant is by far the smallest in the 600cc class and from front to rear shorter and more compact than any four-cylinder engine of less than half the capacity. The crankshaft to countershaft distance is 30mm less than the previous engine.

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