Honda's new CBR600RR has been one of the most eagerly awaited motorcycles in recent time.  So it was with more than a little excitement that I first lifted a leg over their new weapon.

My first thought was that even though the machine looks small, it doesn't really feel that tiny from the riders perspective. In fact there was noticeably more legroom than some of the supersport opposition. The reach to the bars was comfortable, and all the controls felt immediately comfortable and familiar.  I felt at home right away, all up, the riding position seemed just about perfect for me.

We then set out for a 350 kilometre road ride that afternoon to put that first impression to the test.  We took in some of the best roads that skirt around the North of Melbourne, before continuing east, and then south to eventually approach Phillip Island from the north-east.  My first impressions as to the amount of room the machine offered had been spot on.  But the reach to the bars had caused myself, and the other testers, to complain a little of sore wrists after a highway section.  The seat is reasonably firm, but I found it supportive, with just enough firm cushioning to provide the right amount of support.

We did travel through a few showers, and I was glad to find the weather protection reasonable. I found this quite surprising considering the diminutive size of the machine. But the fact remains that in moderate showers my visor remained reasonably clear, and my lower legs did not get soaked by puddles etc.

So, sore wrists aside, the CBR600RR can be toured on by a hard-core sportbiker. Adding to the nice detail touches that make this possible are the luggage hooks provided under the rear ducktail. These are of course invaluable to the occasional tourer who does not want to strap some ugly looking rack contraption to the back of their new thoroughbred. I did not test the pillion accommodation, but needless to say, the machine does not appear to be passenger friendly. There is enough underseat storage for a u-lock or some very small wets but nothing more.

The 18 litre fuel cell incorporates a 3.5 litre reserve.  Only a very small amount of fuel is directly under the tank cover as the vast majority of the volume of the fuel load resides down towards the middle of the machine. The reason for this, apart from the obvious centre of gravity benefits, is the cavernous 15 litre air-box. This is where the race technology in the new RC211V starts to show through.

The quartet of 40mm throttle bodies each have conventional 12-hole injectors mounted in their bores, in addition to this, another row of four injectors reside in the roof of the airbox and spray fuel directly over each intake trumpet.  These act in a similar way to how an accelerator pump aids a conventional carburettor, this ensures instant response at any revs.  These extra injectors come in to play when the revs are above 5,500rpm and spray their fuel a fraction of a second before the main injector during each intake stroke.

All this sequential control demands more processing power, a new 32-bit processor provides that grunt. Another side effect of the airbox injectors is the fact that they serve to cool the intake charge resulting in a more dense mix. Starting from cold is a no hassle affair with the injection system's auto enriching capabilities meaning that no choke or fast idle lever is needed.

So how does all this translate to the road?

I tried to provoke a hiccup or cough from the induction system but no matter how purposefully ham-fisted I used the throttle, smooth drive was the only response.  However as I got very tired at the track I did get an abrupt surge a couple of times when transitioning from a closed to an open throttle. But in all honesty I think this was due to me being physically drained from many laps of Phillip Island, rather than a niggle with the bike as it only happened towards the end of the day.

The touring range from the tank is over 230km, even with the occasional spirited strop through your favourite set of bends.  The machine also seems to run fine on standard unleaded, for those times when premium is not available.