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Never really known for a killer instinct, for 20 years Honda's CBR600 series has been more of a do-it-all sportbike, like a Swiss Army Knife. It still is, but the truth of the matter is that the 2007 CBR600RR just plain smokes the bike it replaces. This slimmed-down and super-fit bike has been honed into a razor-sharp racetrack weapon, more than ever before.
Cycle World had the opportunity to ride the bike at the beautiful Barber Motorsports Park in Birmingham, Alabama, at the press introduction. How it will compare to competition like Kawasaki's new ZX-6R, Yamaha's R6 and the CW shootout-winning Triumph 675 remains to be seen, but first impressions were very positive. This is one kick-ass 600.
Barber is the perfect place to explore the capabilities of this middleweight missile. The track twists and turns, climbs over blind crests, plunges down off-camber drops like an Alabama rollercoaster, taxing just about every aspect of a motorcycle's handling and engine performance.
The new engine is excellent, but the handling is the first thing to grab your attention. This year's CBR is 18 pounds lighter and it's immediately noticeable. Turn-in is much crisper than the previous-generation bike, while flicking from side-to-side is considerably easier. It feels very compact, better balanced and more aggressive than ever. The previous CBR always felt super-stable on the track, but its weight was hard to hide, slowing its reflexes. Not this bike; it feels nimble and precise like the current-gen Yam R6. A new electro HESD steering damper provides the perfect compromise between rider-input response and damping, providing feedback without getting twitchy.
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| Tipping it into turn 11. |
You won't confuse the new powerplant with that of its blue rival, though. This bike actually has midrange grunt—great for getting out of Barber's multiple second-gear corners and blasting up the next straight, but it should also make the CBR awesome on the street, where sometimes the YZF is lacking.
Honda provided an '06 bike for back-to-back comparison with the new model. Most impressive is how much harder the new bike accelerates off tight corners. The '07's one-tooth-shorter gearing helped, but as revs climbed toward 15,000 rpm it gobbled up the old bike with ease. Fuel-injection response is excellent and aided by the new IACV (Intake-Air Control Valve). It serves two purposes, smoothing the transition between on-and-off throttle, which it did quite well, but also reducing engine braking in place of a slipper clutch. Downshifting from fourth to second for hairpins still required the rider to pay attention as the backend will still step out if the clutch isn't managed smoothly. But the torque reaction is definitely reduced.
After spending almost two-and-a-half hours aboard the bike at Barber we're impressed. It's light, fast and nimble, yet still feels totally comfortable seated in the saddle. Only a head-to-head throw-down will determine if the '07 CBR600RR is the middleweight to beat, but we can say without hesitation that it's the best 600 that Big Red has ever made.
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