The Club Weapon of Choice: Honda CBR1000RR

At the heart of the 2008 CBR is an all-new 999cc engine, up one tiny cc from the '07 model. Honda has reverted to a more oversquare bore/stroke combo with the new engine now utilizing 76mm x 55.1mm bore/stroke versus last year's 75mm x 56.5mm arrangement. It sports eight new lightweight 30.5mm titanium intake valves and a slightly higher 12.3:1 compression. A slightly bigger bore and a shorter stroke motor, has the potential to be a ripper on paper.

A new dual stage fuel injection system (DSFI) incorporates 46mm throttle bodies featuring a pair of 12-hole Denso injectors per cylinder. Powering the new FI system is a smaller ECU that provides two separate fuel injection and ignition maps for each of the four cylinders. Dispersing the unexploded fuel/air remnants is a new MotoGP styled mid-muffler exhaust system that is tucked low and away which help keep mass centralized down low.

The CBR1000RR features a cable actuated slipper clutch which will bridge the gap between the engine and the close-ratio six-speed transmission.

The new litre-class Honda also has an all-new twin-spar aluminium frame that utilizes hollow fine die-cast manufacturing process. The unique manufacturing method has been employed by Honda since 2003 and the art was refined over the years, culminating in a reduction in overall frame parts on the 2007 CBR600RR. That experience has led to a similar fate for the 2008 CBR1000RR. With wall thicknesses measuring as thin as 2.5mm, Honda engineers have designed frame members to attain specific rigidities in particular pieces. As a result, the '08 frame has been reduced to just four castings compared to the '07 frame which utilized 11 welded sections. This all equates to a stronger, lighter frame.

The new machine sports lighter aluminium-alloy hollow-spoke wheels and a lighter, more compact battery. The front brake hoses and kickstand have been slimmed down.

Braking components received a bit of an upgrade in the form of a new monoblock-style radial mount four-piston front brake callipers and highly-perforated dual 320mm floating discs. The 43mm HMAS inverted fork makes a return visit as well as the Unit Pro-Link rear suspension. This year the swingarm looks quite different as it accommodates the new Moto-GP-inspired exhaust.

Hopping aboard the new bike reveals a much more compact, slimmer feeling CBR. Seat height seemed to be lower even though the specs still say 820mm. Whether it's a narrow seat/tank junction or what facilitates this exactly, but it felt like more like the rider is a part of the machine. The new bike feels slimmer between the legs and when rocked from side-to-side, it felt as if the weight has been lowered too. Reach to the bars seemed to be a little closer than last year's model and bar height seemed to be a little bit higher-which may be a happy medium for track and street use.

A full line of genuine HRC components including cams, transmission kit, wiring harness, exhaust system, throttle kit, suspension, air intake kit, and oversized radiator will all be available for purchase circa spring 2008.

John Rouseaux