Honda has finally updated the CBR600RR this year. It is an update which has been long awaited. The bike has already won so many awards and has always been on the top of the list for prospective buyers as it holds Honda’s core values, superb performance and easy to ride characteristics. Honda first launched the CBR600RR in 2003 which featured unit pro link suspension and various other race technologies, which were adopted from their MotoGP bike.
The 2013 Honda CBR600RR gets a comprehensive list of updates, such as the new front cowl which has a sharp and slanted look. The wind screen is smaller and the cowl is slightly higher than before. The aerodynamic supremacy doesn’t end here; the headlights are angled towards the inside for a better air intake for the RAM air duct. It looks like that the CBR600RR has the same drag efficiency as the MotoGP bike, which says a lot. The riding position is more involving which gives you more confidence while cornering. The front fairing panel and the tail piece have been redesigned for aerodynamic purpose as well to emit heat away from the rider.
Dynamically, the CBR600RR gets a host of changes as well. It gets an easy to adjust 41 mm Showa big piston inverted fork at the front, while the unit pro link rear suspension has a new damper for better on road performance. Mass centralization has been improved to lend the CBR600RR more agility. The CBR600RR also gets 12-spoke aluminium wheels which further aids the dynamics and help lower the weight. The improved ram-air intake duct and the improved fuelling from the Denso 12 hole injector and the updated PGM-DSFI system deliver more power in the-mid range and high RPM range and also enhance throttle response by adding 40 mm throttle bodies.
The Honda CBR600RR is powered by a 599cc, liquid-cooled, inline four-cylinder, DOHC, 4-valve engine which is mated to a six-speed close ratio gearbox. This machine produces 118 BHP of power but is quite fast owing to its light weight. Don’t expect the launch of this motorcycle anytime soon in India as these bikes come as CBU units and will turn out to be very expensive because of the recently exercised excise duty on imported bikes which makes it even more expensive and not a great value. If launched in India, the Honda CBR600RR will easily be priced around the Rs. 10 lakh mark.
