But as I set up for turn one at Eastern
Creek with the ‘Blades digital speedo flickering up
around280km/h it’s very clear to me that this is the
fastest CBR ever. Believe me. The ‘Blade is back with
the big guns in the top end stakes. Or at least it’s
closer than ever before.
I’ve just jumped off WG’s ‘Blade, which is very firm
for a stocker, so my press bike feels plush as I apex
turn one with a wiggle here and a wallow there. What
was near perfect over the 1000-odd-km I’ve done this
week on the road is now too soft and sloppy.
Back in the pits we set the bike up to Wayne’s specs
– one notch from hardest on preload, a bit more comp
and standard rebound. The front isn’t too bad so we
leave it.
I head back out and feel like I’m on rails from the
word go. Turn two flips from a boring, uneventful,
yawn of a corner to a ‘slam and turn’ kink that I
hardly notice. And there is no vague feeling normally
associated with a steering damper in such a slow corner.
This H.E.S.D thing really works!
Flicking the CBR from full lean to full lean through
turns four and five is easy, quick and accurate thanks
to the extra ride height. The ‘Blade feels agile and
willing and I’m 100% more confident as a result. Despite
its pleasant manners the CBR is proving to be an animal
and a half in the excitement stakes. But it is still
so easy to ride. I just don’t know how Honda have
pulled this one off.
I put my head down for a few laps. WG comes past
me on an R1 in turn 12 and I spend so much time thinking
about the massive, smoking black line he just laid
that I turn in late for turn one! Trail braking deeper
than ever I haul the ‘Blade back on line but it’s
too late to try and get a tow. Wayne’s long gone.
No pointers for me today.
Hard on the brakes into turn two the ‘Blade is very
stable and the feel on offer from the new Tokicos
is intimate though not quite class leading. Stopping
power is very good. There is reasonable edge-grip
feel from the front Pilot Sport but nothing to write
home about when compared to the newer Pilot Powers.
But the feel at the lever still allows for hard braking
on the side of the tyre and I’m getting more confident
in the front into corners now.
Off the brakes, running into fast corners with the
throttle shut (like turn four) I’m a little unsure
about grip but as soon as the throttle is cracked
the bike just drives forward and feels planted. It
goes wherever I want it to. I think the Unit Pro-Link
set up has something to do with it because, in this
situation, the CBR feels different to any other bike
I’ve ridden (I’ve only done a few laps on the 2004
CBR600RR, which has the same linkage). Turn four is
really bumpy but I feel detached from the back end
through there. It is hard to explain but it feels
similar to when you ride over a series of bumps on
the gas but weight the pegs so your butt is off the
seat. The bike is just moving around beneath you.
On the ‘Blade you are positioned normally and it still
feels like that. Make sense?
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Flicking
the bike from right to left on the brakes into
turn six and seven is easy, highlighting the
agility of the bike – agility that wasn’t really
on offer on stock settings. And the lack of
headshake as I button off briefly before tipping
into turn eight (the bike unloads over the crest
of the hill) proves that the steering damper
works at high speed as well as low speed. |
Again I’m blown away by the ‘Blades stability on
the brakes as I hammer the anchors into turn nine.
But it is here that I lose some confidence through
a snatchy transition from brakes to throttle. It is
really bugging me. Even more so in the fact that Wayne
and Wazza feel the opposite – that the transition
is great. It really is doing my head in right on the
apex of this turn. They must be carrying more rpm
with their faster corner speed through here, smoothing
things out.
Anyway, now the fun bit, flat-out up through second
and third, just snatching fourth before tipping into
turn 10. This thing is so strong and linear – it just
keeps pulling and pulling. It trails off around 10,500rpm
but from 5000rpm to 10,000rpm it is like a freight
train.
Another easy change of direction before lining up
11 and 12, thanks in part to the wide ‘bars and ‘pegs,
then it’s a clean run onto the straight again. The
bike seems to float down the straight in silence rather
than scream down the chute but a quick glance confirms
280km/h again. Fast. Refined. Effortless.
For the Fireblade life is no different on the road.
Smooth, comfortable enough for a sportsbike and, surprise
surprise, a half decent pillion mount!
For someone so sick of hearing about motorcycles
my wife spends way too much time on the back of them
and the ‘Blade, despite the absence of anything that
resembles a grabrail, is the first sportsbike she’s
given the nod to. Ever.
Not only is the ‘Blade our only transport this week.
It’s also there to be tested and, despite the pissing
rain, we’re off for a 400km loop from Sydney to Mt
White, Wollombi, Newcastle, Lake Macquarie and back
to Sydney.
The bike feels smooth, safe and tractable as we work
our way through some mild Sunday morning traffic in,
just in case you missed it, the pissing rain. The
snatchiness is still there if the revs drop below
4500rpm but a bit of rear brake helps dampen it.
The upper controls feel well placed and I really
like the wide ‘Bars and tall seat. The footpegs are
too close to the seat for my legs, though, and sitting
upright like this, as opposed to hanging off when
riding solo, means I’m doing all the steering through
the ‘bars and wasting any ‘peg input.
The Michelins are good in the wet and overall the
CBR is performing like a pussycat in these conditions.
And I reckon that if the pins and needles in my wrists
would go away we’d easily be able to ride this thing
all the way to Brisbane. All we’d need is a sheepskin
each and a hot meal.
Still in the rain and heading home on the
F3 Freeway the CBR spins effortlessly and
smoothly at 4200rpm bang on 110km/h. We’re
on our second tank for the day of course but
we got 240km out of the first one before the
light came on.
Rolling into the driveway in the dark, still
raining, we both feel surprisingly refreshed
so, for a sportsbike, the ‘Blade can’t be
too bad as a daily ride.
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I did plenty of kilometres solo on the CBR, too,
around 1000km of everything from shopping trips to
Old Road hammering.
On stock settings the CBR was really nice on the
road – plush but still sharp enough to cope with anything
your local twisties are likely to throw at you. And
the soft (we’re talking sportsbikes here) settings
mean you can really use that linear torque curve and
stay on the gas while your mates skip off the road
trying to feed the power on smoothly on their stiffer
bikes.
The overall gearing is good and gearbox action positive
and clean. All up a very refined package.
But ‘Blades always have been good on the road.
This time, however, the Fire is only a twist of the
wrist away. Pity about the colour. Sorry Honda but
I just don’t get the Pearl White. Give me Winning
Red any day.
HOW GARDNER RATED THE ’BLADE
In standard factory form I find the Fireblade
to be very refined and user friendly – it is a very
confidence inspiring motorcycle because it feels easy
to ride at high speed.
The ‘Blade has taller gearing or a wider ratio gearbox
than most other 1000s which means less gear changes
each lap which helps prevent the rider from getting
too tired and helped me to ride smoothly.
The power delivery and throttle response is very predictable
which also gave me more confidence during initial
throttle opening and, once the tyre was spinning,
I felt like I had good control over the slide. The
transition from brakes to throttle is also very smooth
and doesn’t unsettle the bike. Overall the CBR has
a very nice, confidence inspiring feel.
The CBR also has a strong bottom end and mid-range
but it does lack the top-end of some of its competitors.
But the user-friendly power delivery meant that, on
the CBR, I felt really comfortable doing consistent
fast lap times and I didn’t get worn out or fatigued.
The rear tyre felt more consistent in its grip levels,
too, because the CBR is fairly kind to the rear tyre.
The brakes felt strong and gave me good feel and the
bike steered well. Turn-in is quite good and mid-corner
behaviour is outstanding – the racer-style seating/handlebar/footpeg
position is a big contributor to that. Overall the
chassis felt well-balanced and confidence inspiring.
The electronic steering damper worked well and the
bike responded nicely to suspension fine-tuning. Like
most road bikes, the CBR was very soft in the rear
and a little hard at the front but after some adjustments
the machine was handling the way it was designed to
on the racetrack.
Finish quality is very good and I also think that
the Fireblade looks great. Overall a user-friendly
yet exciting bike for the average road/track day rider
– Wayne Gardner
ENGINE
The result of new WSBK rules, the CBR1000RR
engine is an extensively redesigned unit. Apart from
the cylinder bores and pitch everything has been changed.
An increase in stroke from 54mm to 56.5mm has bumped
displacement up to 998cc, increasing torque and broadening
the powerband. New forged alloy pistons featuring
a highly advanced skirt coating are used and the cylinder
block itself is of semi-closed deck design (a first
in a motorcycle engine). Nutless conrods are utilised
(the cap bolts screw straight into the rod), reducing
reciprocating mass. Intake port angles have been raised
slightly for a straighter injection path and included
valve angles narrowed for a flatter squish band. Valve
diameters remain at 29mm in. and 24mm ex. Valve stems
were trimmed 0.5mm to 4mm to reduce weight.
Due to the lengthened swingarm the crankshaft, main
shaft and counter shaft have been stacked and the
crankcases redesigned. A balancer shaft is used to
reduce secondary vibration. The more powerful starter
motor has been relocated to the right hand side of
the engine to improve lean angle. Coolant now enters
the cylinder block from the sides and the liquid-cooled
oil cooler has been moved from the front to the right
hand side of the engine to allow for more liberal
exhaust header design. The new cassette-style gearbox
is designed to accommodate fast ratio alterations
and is more durable than before. The shift mechanism
has been moved to the left side of the engine, closer
to the gearlever to help provide more direct shifts.
Clutch actuation is now via a hydraulic system to
compensate for the larger clutch, up from 125mm to
140mm.
CHASSIS
The CBR1000RR has an entirely new frame configuration
born from the RC211V and CBR600RR. It comprises of
large gravity die-cast sections extending from the
steering head down around the engine to its diamond
configuration hangers, and then down to the large
open-section extrusions in a quassi-twin-spar layout.
Due to the separate swingarm resulting in reduced
stress the frame is very light.
The swingarm is a work of art and straight from MotoGP.
Like the CBR600RR, it carries the rear shock and linkage
assembly in the swingarm. This completely isolates
the frame from the stresses of rear suspension. Take
a look at the pics – it really is amazing. The shock
itself is a fully adjustable remote reservoir gas-charged
unit.
Up front are fully adjustable inverted forks that
are lifted straight from the 2003 model. Offset has
been reduced from 30mm to 25mm and trail increased
by 5mm. The offset helps the machine steer quickly
but stability is retained through the use of the new
Honda Electronic Steering Damper, mounted on the top
triple clamp. The H.E.S.D unit is revolutionary in
its design and was developed by Honda in a joint project
with Kayaba.
It comprises of four one-way check valves and a central
main valve. Oil can only flow through the vane in
one direction and the main valve is controlled by
a linear solenoid that receives signals from the ECU.
The front brakes are all new Tokico four-piston radial-mount
calipers operated by a newly developed vertical piston
master cylinder, claimed to improve feel at the lever.
Because of the increase in braking efficiency from
the calipers and master cylinder, the rotors have
been downsized to 310mm, reducing unsprung weight
– as do the new three-spoke wheels.
The ‘Blade also has a new, more compact dash that
is based on the RC211V dash. It features LCD readouts
positioned around a large tacho dial and digital speedo.
It also incorporates an adjustable shift light.
Honda’s brilliant H.I.S.S security system is featured
and there is space for a U-Lock under the seat.
FUELLING AND IGNITION
The PGM-DSFI (Dual Sequential Fuel Injection)
system features two separate sets of injectors – the
first installed in the throttle bodies like on most
bikes and the second set positioned up in the airbox,
directly above the velocity stacks. Normally, if quick
throttle response is the goal, injectors are mounted
close to the engine. If maximum power at high revs
is the goal, injectors are mounted further away from
the ports. With the DSFI system Honda got the best
of both worlds – the primary injectors operate up
to 5000rpm where the secondary set kick in. The new
system also features a 32-bit ECU, replacing the old
16-bit unit, allowing the ECU to control the new ram
air duct and exhaust valve. The ECU is also more compact
and lighter.
Power and torque across the rpm band are optimised
by the use of a ram air duct flap at the mouth of
the air intake and an exhaust valve housed in the
collector box of the titanium four-into-two-into-one.
Both are cable actuated and activated by servomotors.
SPECIFICATIONS
2004 HONDA CBR1000RR FIREBLADE
www.hondamotorcycles.com.au Price: $18,790 + ORC Warranty:
2 year unlimited km Colours: Matte Black, Pearl White,
Winning Red Claimed power: 126.4kW [169hp]@11250rpm
Claimed torque: 115Nm [84.8ft-lbs]@8500rpm Dry weight:
179kg Fuel capacity: 15 litres Measured average fuel
consumption: 5.6l/100km ENGINE - Type: liquid-cooled,
four stroke, DOHC 16 valve inline-four Bore x stroke:
75 x 56.5mm Displacement: 998cc Compression ratio:
11.9:1 Fuel delivery: PGM-Dual Sequential EFI, 44mm
throttle bodies, dry paper filter, electronic variable
ram air Exhaust: titanium and stainless steel four-into-two-into-one
with servo controlled exhaust valve Gearbox: six-speed
close-ratio cassette style Ratios:1 2.538, 1.941,
1.578, 1.380, 1.259, 1.160 Final ratio: 16/40 Clutch:
wet multi-plate with hydraulic actuation Final drive:
530 pitch O’ring chain CHASSIS - Frame type: gravity
die-cast alloy diamond configuration frame with separate
alloy swingarm Wheelbase: 1410mm Rake: 23 degrees
Trail: 102mm Front suspension: fully adjustable 43mm
Showa H.M.A.S inverted forks, 120mm travel Rear suspension:
Unit Pro-Link with fully adjustable Showa H.M.A.S
shock, 135mm travel Front brake: twin four-piston
radial-mount Tokico calipers, vertical-piston master
cylinder, 310mm rotors Rear Brake: Tokico single-piston
caliper, 220mm rotor Front wheel: hollow-section three
spoke cast alloy, 3.5 x 17in Rear wheel: hollow-section
three spoke cast alloy, 6.0 x 17in Front tyre: Michelin
Pilot Sport 120/70 – 17 Rear tyre: Michelin Pilot
Sport 190/50 – 17 Ground clearance: 130mm Seat height:
claimed 820mm Overall height: N/A Overall width: N/A
Overall length: N/A INSTRUMENTS Speedo, tacho, odo,
dual tripmeter, clock, adjustable shift light, reserve
light, engine check light, oil warning, water temp,
immobiliser indicator, indicators for high beam, blinkers,
neutral and FI
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