Motorcycle specifications HondaCBR 1000 RR Fireblade SP 2015 Total Control optimum

there are signs that can't be mistaken. Arousing curiosity from afar, accentuating the flow of adrenalin up close. Racing finery, golden highlights, the smell of soft rubber, flinty eyes and half-handlebars that beckon. Oh yes, this CBR smells more of the track than the road, and what's more, it flatters the eye as much as it excites the pistard. Since 2014, Honda has presented a premium version of its hypersport: the CBR 1000 RR SP. In 2015, a Repsol Marquez color scheme celebrates the young Spanish prodigy.

Sport Production? Special Performance? What do I know and what does it matter? The essence of the name lies in the efficiency of this limited edition. Its front end provokes immediate excitement, the gold color snapping instantly like a summons for the stopwatch. In place of the Showa BPF is a 43 mm diameter Öhlins NIX 30 inverted fork. Developed especially for the CBR 1000, it's mounted on modified tees, themselves anchored to a steel steering axle (aluminum on the standard Fireblade). Rear damping, whose rigidity has been revised at the anchor points, is entrusted to a Swedish TTX 36 element. With these modifications, the frame is supposed to return more information to the rider and perpetuate Total Control, a philosophy dear to the manufacturer for its highly reputed sports bike. It should be pointed out that the damping is set to track level from the factory, as if the bike wanted to go straight from the dealer to the track.
Öhlins on their own, that's a nice touch. Add a touch of Brembo, and riders will have a field day bending discs under trapper braking. The Italian monobloc calipers are fitted with SP-specific pistons.

More radical in its chassis, the CBR 1000 SP is also more radical for its rider, with a slightly sportier riding position. And just as well, we're not here to sightsee, we're here to set down the clocks. The footpegs have been moved back 10 mm, the handlebars are more open, and the seat height and ground clearance have been raised by just over 4 mm each. This may not seem like much, but it allows the SP to take on more angle, up to 47°12. The 1000 RR goes down to 46°20.
If you angle more, you need suitable tires; the CBR has thought of this, and is fitted with Pirelli SuperCorsa SP, usable on the road but the circuit will quickly itch them.

In 2014, engine manufacturers offered extra watts to the 4-cylinder. The engine is taken back to the lab, scrutinized, improved, the valve seats, intake and exhaust ducts redesigned, the diameter of the exhaust ducts reduced from 38 to 35 mm, and we end up getting around 3 more horsepower out of this boiler. Torque also increases between 4 and 6,000 rpm. The engine now boasts more than 180 horsepower and 11.6 mkg (178 and 11.4 previously). Copious power, but still not enough to challenge the stars of the segment, who sit at 200 hp. This exclusive version of the CBR 1000 benefits from the refinement of a rigorous selection of pistons and connecting rods, and a lighter oil pump.

Honda offers combined ABS as an option on this pure pistarde. The manufacturer insists on using its in-house C-ABS, which is far more efficient but almost as heavy as the first motorcycle anti-lock systems, which appeared in 1988. This Honda technology makes the CBR 11 kg heavier, whereas Nissin or Bosch solutions only add around 2 kg to the weight of a host of machines. Well, we can console ourselves with its efficiency and pedigree, with TT legends having used it in Endurance and Karl Muggeridge in German Superbike.

"How beautiful she is! Can I ride behind you?!?" Here's the reaction of a few groupies eager for a thrill. And your answer is a resounding No... only you don't want to (you don't pack on weight when you want to tickle the clock) and you can't. On the CBR 1000 SP, there are no passenger footrests. The rear end is monocoque. And since the machine carries only the rider, the rear buckle has been lightened.

A beautiful machine, this CBR 1000 RR SP. Beautiful paintwork, gold rims, Öhlins suspension, Brembo brakes and increased efficiency. Still, it's more of a passion purchase for Honda enthusiasts. It's hard to beat the over-armed competition, with its traction control, sporty, lightweight ABS, abundance of horsepower and multiple fuel injection maps.

M.B - Manufacturer's photos