Second Opinion - Jeff Ware (Rapid Bikes Magazine)

Honda has been listening to their factory riders. And despite their best efforts to ensure the two wheeled public that the 2005 CBR600RR is still the bike built for the practical street supersport rider, it’s all too obvious that the new RR is a pure shot at the WSS title again – not to mention countless domestic track successes the world over.

The Aussie launch of the six was held recently at sunny Eastern Creek Raceway, and from the outset it was clear that this little screamer is a more serious supersport contender than ever. In fact, I can’t think of any out of the crate supersport machine that could match the CBR around the ‘Creek. It was a brilliant bike in 2004 but with a few niggling chassis problems and a lack of mid-range the CBR fell behind in terms of raw performance.

Mid-range mumbo is up – and I found it particularly noticeable off the up-hill, hi-load exit of turns three and seven – plus coming on to the straight. Having spent the previous week on a ZRX1200 I honestly didn’t pick the torque increase at first but a 20-minute run on the 2004 RR followed by a similar run straight on the ’05 cemented Hondas claims.

The biggest improvement, however, comes in the form of chassis response and steering. The 2005 CBR turns-in accurately and quickly and follows this up with pin-sharp tracking and brilliant control off the turns – an area that was always a struggle on the ’04. The front end is firmer thanks to the all new inverted forks (although I did go slightly harder on comp and preload) and the rear end, with an all new shock body, spring and linkage rate, is also firmer and much more compliant (ride-height is up substantially though seat-height is similar due to thinner seat padding).

On or off the brakes the RR is responsive and accurate during turn-in and this had tongues wagging all day… The radial-mount calipers are super powerful but very responsive to subtle lever inputs and I would consider them the current pick of the supersport bunch. And stability on the brakes is a strong point, too.

Quality of finish is typically Honda in that it is a cut above the opposition and as for every day usability I really can’t tell until I spend some time on the road but I can say it is more of a racer than ever before – so if I was a privateer racer I know what I’d be buying…

Already the new machine is proving quick out of the box for serious racers with the most recent World Supersport pre season test session seeing four of the top five positions on the timesheets filled by new CBR600RR machines.

SPECS - 2005 Honda CBR600RR

• Engine: 599cc, liquid-cooled, DOHC, in-line, four-cylinder

• Bore x Stroke: 67 x 42.5mm

• Compression: 12.0:1

• Induction: PGM-DSFI

• Starter: Electric

• Transmission: Six speed

• Final Drive: Chain

• Wheelbase: 1395mm

• Dimensions (L x W x H): 2010 x 690 x 1115mm

• Seat Height: 820mm

• Dry Weight: 163kg

• Fuel Capacity: 18 litres

• Tyres: Front _ 120/70ZR17; Rear _ 180/55ZR17

• Suspension: Front _ Fully adjustable 41mm inverted telescopic forks; Rear _ Fully adjustable single shock

• Brakes: Front _ 310mm discs, radial mounted four-piston calipers; Rear _ 220mm single disc

• Price: TBC

• Warranty: Two years, unlimited kilometres

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