2006 Honda CBR1000RR Review
From its introduction in 2004, Honda’s CBR1000RR (labeled in Europe as the “Fireblade”) has always been a light, agile machine with astounding acceleration. In normal street riding and occasional track excursions, the bike produced far more performance than most of us could fully tap, but somehow it was tamed into a real-world package.Make no mistake, this weapon astonished and delighted all but the most battle-hardened veteran of the superbike wars. One would think that having produced such a beautifully balanced, incredibly fast machine, Honda would have been happy to sit on its laurels and merely tweak the RR for 2006. But, no, that would have been too easy for a company that is so committed to racing and technical innovation.
Buttonwillow Raceway Park in California’s fertile San Joaquin Valley offers a relatively tight and twisty track for testing the new iteration of the responsive RR. The turns are laid out in a technical format that challenge both rider and machine. Outfitted with Bridgestone’s all-new BT-015 street-compound tires, the Honda was immediately familiar and reassuring. The feeling of compactness, the silky smooth 4-cylinder engine and the easy-to-read clocks were all there. But, there were differences too.The fast-revving engine starts as quietly as before, but the new exhaust produces a slightly stronger growl that rapidly turns to a snarl when encouraged to do so. The bike certainly appeared to be a bit lighter, but the feeling has more to do with the mass of the machine being carried closer to the center, and that translates to more intuitive handling and easier transitions from side to side.


Entering Turn 3 requires some fairly hard braking, especially following the antics just described. The radial-mounted Tokico calipers, coupled as they are with a radially actuated master cylinder, work extraordinarily well. There’s a lot of travel at the lever and every millimeter of bar-ward movement does something positive to slow down the machine. My preference of “covering” the brake lever comes from years of road riding experience, and is a habit I’ve not yet needed to disturb. On the 1000RR, however, I found that even with the slight pressure from my hand at rest I was actually making the front brakes bind a little, such is their powerful progression. On a track you could not ask for more, but on the road you might find yourself asking for a little less. Experimenting with different grades of pads will help you find something that suits your personal riding style.


Motor: Inline-4
Displacement: 998cc
Bore x stroke: 75 x 56.5mm
Fueling: PGM-DSFI EFI
Ignition: Fully transistorized
Lubrication: Force-feed and splash
Transmission: 6-speed
Clutch: Wet multiplate
CHASSIS
Frame: Diamond
Front suspension: Telescopic fork
Rear suspension: Linkage-assisted shock
Front tire: 120/70ZR17; Bridgestone
Rear tire: 190/50ZR17; Bridgestone
Front brakes: Hydraulic disc
Rear brake: Hydraulic disc
DIMENSIONS and CAPACITIES
Wheelbase: 55.5 inches
Rake: 23.3 degrees
Trail: 3.9 inches
Seat height: 32.3 inches
Curb weight: 454 pounds
2006 Honda CBR1000RR Price: $11,299 MSRP