On “race day,” luck of the draw put me once again on the Honda CBR1000RR as my first bike. Rolling down pit lane, I was calmed with faith the size of a mustard seed, a pair of fresh Pirelli Supercorsa SC2s and, truth be told, how much fun MasterBike really is. The Honda team had implemented our setup suggestions, and the CBR was working great. There was lots of controllable power whenever I needed it thanks to that strong engine and just-right gearing; because there was no lag when snapping open the throttle and no running into the rev limiter, I could finish corners on the gas and steer with the rear. Corner entry was equally good: Aiming for the right of the chicane, I could trust in weight transfer to give me good front-end feel before turning into the apex.
Alas, after only a few laps, spongy-lever brake fade cut into the fantastic feel and that fine line of control it had provided. Still, the CBR1000RR was stable at speed and pivoted around corners with resounding, tail-happy ease. But while the CBR’s chassis setup was positively intuitive and sliding is fun, sideways isn’t forward. Best lap: 2:04.013. Still, the Honda is the lightest of the Fours and that helps rideability a lot. Kei “Nasty” Nashimoto’s observations were spot-on: “The Honda CBR1000RR feels small, not too much effort to move around. Its engine makes very usable, broad power, and the suspension was the best for me.”
Hai!
