Motorcycle specifications HondaCBR 1000 RR Endurance TT Legends 2011 A cocktail of legends.

in anticipation of Honda's official return to Endurance racing, a formidable team is lining up for 2011, with a shock CBR 1000 and some crazy riders. The team's name is unmistakable: Honda TT Legends. Connoisseurs will immediately recognize the two magic letters TT, for Tourist Trophy. And with good reason: the riders are all big names, champions of the legendary Isle of Man race.

- John McGuinness is one of Tourist Trophy's most emblematic drivers. He has 14 victories to his name, equalling Mike Hailwood's tally. Honda England has created a CBR 1000 RR Fireblade dedicated to this talented rider, with a design inspired by a pint of beer.
- Steve Plater is also a formidable phenomenon. Winner of the Tourist Trophy and the Macau GP (among others), the Englishman was also a driver with GMT 94. Suffice to say, the man knows his stuff.
- Keith Amor, less well known in our country but no less speedy, won this year's North West 200, a race similar to the TT, which takes place in Ireland.
-Cameron Donald is a young Australian who is just as fast and curvy as his compatriots. He won the Macau GP in the 600 class, won the TT in the Superbike class and has also competed in the North West 200.
The new Honda endurance team will thus feature three hotheads who live for speed and danger. It's going to be hot.

in the absence of the long-awaited and hypothetical RC 60, the team has signed up with a heavily prepared CBR 1000 RR. The out-of-this-world exterior speaks volumes about the team's ambitions, and will provoke an adrenalin rush in all fans of legendary sports bikes. You're looking at a genuine Replica of the legendary Honda RC 30, which won everything in its day (the late '80s).

but a pretty dress isn't enough to be the queen of the ball. You need spirited riders (no problem there) and a well-prepared wheel. Competing in the EWC, the CBR is tuned from every angle to be ultra-efficient throughout the two-lap race. It starts with slicks mounted on 16.5" forged magnesium wheels. A magnificent Öhlins pressurized fork and Brembo monobloc radial calipers take care of fine, precise, efficient steering, sprinkled with Dantesque braking. Small plates are added to the bottom of the fork to change the front wheel in 5 seconds. The swingarm is modified, optimized for rigidity, held by an Öhlins shock absorber and also equipped with a quick-change wheel system. Under the snout, two huge radiators can be seen, a sign of greatly increased cooling capacity. After all, a four-cylinder with big watts heats up. An engine tune-up boosts the herd from 177 hp at the vilo (around 160 at the rear wheel) to over 215 hp distributed through the gommard. The original gearbox would have had trouble digesting all this. So the team installed an HRC kit with an anti-dribble clutch. The drivetrain uses a narrower 520 pitch to minimize power loss and provide a better feel for traction and rear-end reactions. A 22-liter fuel tank significantly increases shift times. And to help you breathe, a good Akrapovic exhaust system is also included.

so, will this new team be the lethal weapon in the World Endurance Championship? In any case, the team has done remarkably well at the start of the season. Its first race saw 24 hours in the gums and a fine 5th place in the Bol d'Or. For the Albacete and Suzuka rounds, performance had to bow to the bitterness of competition. Endurance is also about bad luck, and the Honda TT Legends was forced to retire after a crash in Spain and a rear-wheel problem in Japan. We're back to business... and the approaching 24 Hours of Le Mans promises us a superb showdown with the biggest teams: SERT, GMT 94, Kawasaki SRC, YART,... Let's not forget that these drivers are not afraid of a little madness, and that madness is nothing less than their leitmotiv for the race.

M.B - Team photos