Honda’s new CBR1000RR Fireblade has already proven itself on the racetrack. Chris Vermeulen is going great guns in World Superbike, without any factory HRC input, and in this arena the Fireblade has proven to be well ahead of the other Japanese sportsbikes.
While in Australia, Josh Brookes and Adam Fergusson have been breaking lap records and notching up close to a perfect win record for Honda thus far in Australian Superbike. Therefore, as far as track credentials go, the Fireblade has the goods.
However, most of us spend 99% of our time commuting, touring or scratching on public roads. I made it my mission to find out whether the Fireblade cuts the mustard in the real world of potholes, gravel and long distances.
The commuting part of the equation saw me use the Fireblade to explore the close environs around Goulburn (NSW). While the touring and scratching test was undertaken in a single 900km day covering two states, a territory, and some of the most amazing roads this country has to offer.
From Goulburn I ventured down through Canberra to Cooma, followed by a jaunt across the Snowy Mountains including Jindabyne, Thredbo, Corryong and Khancoban, before joining the Hume Highway for an exercise in self-control over the last 300km down to Melbourne.
The Fireblade managed that last 300km stretch in one stint, with no stops for fuel. 300km from a single 18-litre tank is quite an achievement for a firebreathing 1,000cc sportsbike that pumps out 150 ponies at the rear wheel.
Excellent luggage hooks made it easy for me to strap a large bag to the back seat for the trip. With a computer, cameras, shoes, clothes, make up, umm’ I mean toiletries, it adds up to quite a load, and that’s before I sit on the poor thing. From packing to on the road, it took me all of five minutes. I love it when a plan comes together.
Because of the addition of the underseat muffler, the useful storage area under the seat that we have come to love on Fireblades has sadly gone by the wayside. The pillion seat and sides of the tail cowl are well insulated from the heat. This area certainly remained cooler than any other bike I have ridden with underseat pipes.
Recent Fireblades had a back pressure control unit in the exhaust collector, similar to the Yamaha EXUP system. For 2004 Honda have taken a different path by installing an electronically controlled valve high in the system, under the seat, just before the muffler.
Honda have long suffered a capacity disadvantage to Yamaha’s YZF-R1 and Suzuki’s GSX-R1000, but for 2004 Honda is on a level playing field with a new 998cc in-line four.
The engine is fantastic. Grunt everywhere means changing gears is much less of a necessity than on the previous 954cc model. And swapping cogs is a slick operation, perhaps even a little more positive than before. Use of the clutch is largely optional.
The engine seems to make quite an amount of mechanical noise, certainly more than previous Fireblades. The exhaust note through the underseat pipes is different to anything else on the market. At idle, when the tachometer is indicating around 1,100rpm, the note emanating from the dual outlet muffler makes it sound as though it is turning at least 2,000rpm.
A dual sequential fuel injection system has two injectors per cylinder. A large new airbox design is fed from an intake tract which runs between the radiator and the lower triple clamp.
A pair of cylindrical filters clean the air, rather than the conventional flat element type normally seen on sportsbikes. This is an interesting departure from the norm.
Right off the bottom the Fireblade could be a little stronger as it doesn’t start to wake up until 3,000rpm, but this is getting really picky.Â
Up front are 43mm upside-down Showa forks. These offer the full range of damping, rebound and preload adjustments. At the rear a single Showa Pro-Link shock offers the full range of adjustment.
The suspension is taut, precise and instantly responds to every ripple in the road, however, it also remains compliant over bumps, which is the best of both worlds. Stability under acceleration and braking is awesome. It requires a tug on the bars, or a good bump in the road, to send the Fireblade’s front wheel skywards. Under acceleration, it just seems to drive forward and push the nose into the deck while doing so. It really is almost surreal.
Similarly, under very hard braking it really takes quite a savage effort to unsettle the rear wheel. I cannot over-emphasise the stability of this bike enough. I simply never imagined that a bike this light and powerful could, at the same time, remain so utterly stuck to the tarmac.
The electronic steering damper seems to work well enough. On public roads, I am sure you would have to go completely berserk to provoke a slap from this machine.
I have never been much of a fan of Pirellis. In my experience they have always worn much too quickly, but the new Diablo Corsas fitted to my test machine performed quite well.
The suspension action is smooth and controlled which certainly helps tyre wear. I had some serious fun during my time with the bike but the rubber never really tore up and looked as though it would last reasonably well.
Tyres are certainly the biggest operating expense for the modern sportsbike rider. Most riders spend more on tyres than they do on fuel, even without visiting the racetrack. So the fact that the Fireblade seems quite friendly to tyres could be a welcome hip pocket reward down the track for those that cover a few kilometres.
Through the 70km of tight 20 and 30kph hairpins that is the Great Alpine Way, the rear did slither around a little. However, with the horsepower on tap and some enthusiastic use of the right wrist, I of course am referring to the throttle, any rubber would have struggled to cope.
Honda have moved to radial mount calipers for 2004 and the Fireblade’s Tokico four-piston items clamp on 310mm disc rotors. At the rear a single 220mm disc aids the stopping process. One finger is all that is needed for road riding. These stoppers really have some bite.Â
When first hopping aboard you will quickly find that you need to cosset the brake lever, ham-fisted efforts are not received kindly.
So how did I fare after a 900km day in the saddle?
The seat is fairly firm, but also gives in just the right places. I found it quite comfortable for the long haul, this is obviously well aided by the compliant suspension which dispatches all but the biggest bumps without punching you in the kidneys.
The pegs are quite high. When first hopping aboard the bike I thought they might pose some problems. However, after some time on the bike my legs became accustomed to the riding position, getting on and off the bike after long stints caused me little drama.
The reach to the bars is quite comfortable, offering a good balance between weight on the wrists and backside.
My portly 180cm frame soon became accustomed to the riding position. I would have no hesitation in doing a similar interstate trip again in the future.
The look of the new Fireblade has certainly grown on me since I first saw it. Form has not overtaken the main design criteria of function in this baby though. All the controls fall perfectly to hand and the machine has been designed with the rider very much in mind.
The standard of finish is impeccable. The Fireblade is Honda’s flagship model and they always go that extra mile to ensure it is seen as such.
The lower fairing has a strange coarseness to the paint that refused the adhesion of stickers. The tail section proved remarkably resistant to scuffing. I deliberately did not tape up the rear section where the straps securing my luggage were going to rub in order to see how resistant to scuffing this area of the bike would prove. It passed the test, with flying colours.
Unfortunately, the tank was not quite so impervious to scuffing. My leather clad inner thighs did manage to dull the finish. A good tank protector will be needed to keep this area looking good.
The Fireblade is a little heavier than its chief rivals. Perhaps Honda built the machine with plenty of beef in all the right components to provide a long service life. I have seen Fireblade gearbox internals next to that offered by a rival manufacturer in racetrack pit bays in previous years, and you don’t have to look very closely to see which one is stronger.
On the road the Fireblade certainly has the goods to deal with any threat coming your way, while also offering great poise and civility when you don’t want be going flat out everywhere.
The best of both worlds if you will; a well mannered and graceful dinner partner for when the parents or the boss is around; but when the time is right, more than capable of pleasing you like a horny whore, but still managing to maintain its good looks and performance as the years roll on…
SPECS – Honda CBR1000RR
- Engine: 998cc, in-line four cylinder, liquid cooled, DOHC
- Bore x Stroke: 75 x 56.6mm
- Compression: 11.9:1
- Induction: PGM-DSFI electronic fuel injection, 4 x 44mm throttle bodies
- Starter: Electric
- Transmission: Six speed
- Final Drive: Chain
- Wheelbase: 1410mm
- Dimensions (L x W x H): 2025 x 750 x 1120mm
- Seat Height: 820mm
- Dry Weight: 179kg
- Fuel Capacity: 18 litres
- Tyres: Front _ 120/70ZR17; Rear _ 190/50ZR17
- Suspension: Front _ 43mm inverted Showa forks, stepless preload, compression and rebound adjustment; Rear _ Single HMAS shock, 13 step adjustable preload and stepless compression and rebound damping adjustment
- Ground Clearance: 130mm
- Brakes: Front _ Dual 310mm discs with four piston calipers; Rear _ Single 220mm disc with single piston caliper
- Price: $18690
- Warranty: Two years, unlimited kilometres
