2004 CBR1000RR DEVELOPMENT

The 2004 season witnessed the introduction of a truly innovative machine: Honda's CBR1000RR. The big RR represented a landmark break from past sport bikes; rather than following in lockstep with its predecessors, it instead drew from the present state-of-the-art and hurtled headlong into the future. By tapping wholesale into the cutting-edge technology gleaned from within the company's ultra-high-tech MotoGP racing program, this new design unveiled a whole new era of big-bore supersports machine. Indeed, the basic DNA of the CBR1000RR sprang forth from the incredible RC211V, a technological wonder that incorporated exotic and ground-breaking chassis architecture to accomplish its single purpose in life: winning races.

Like the MotoGP racer, the CBR1000RR design utilized an innovative long-swingarm, weight-forward configuration that allowed the machine to get more power to the ground sooner when exiting corners--thereby creating a remarkably well-balanced and rider-friendly package that simultaneously wielded the kind of awe-inspiring power that only a modern-day liter-bike could generate. The 1000RR's credentials seemed never-ending: gravity die-cast aluminum frame, extraordinarily compact high-output engine with Dual Sequential Fuel Injection (DSFI), Unit Pro-LinkTM rear suspension, radial-mount front brakes, and the unique Honda Electronic Steering Damper (HESD).

A NEVER-ENDING QUEST FOR PERFORMANCE

Innovative as the new CBR1000RR appeared, its 2004 rollout provided scarcely a pause for Honda's engineers because life in the 1000cc sportbike class revolves around a single, relentless quest: more performance. This unquenchable drive for additional development and more performance continued virtually unabated. So now, only two years later, 2006 brings the next evolutionary step in the life of the 1000RR. To that end, the 2006 CBR1000RR offers advancements in every parameter, with more power, better handling and less weight, thanks to the following changes:

POWER IS WHERE YOU FIND IT

In the ultra-competitive liter-class sportbike wars there's no time to rest, no free lunch, no easy path to improvement. Which is to say the CBR1000RR's improvement in power output was achieved not with any single change, but rather with a collection of carefully developed modifications that add up to a significant boost in performance.

To start, the cylinder-head's intake and exhaust ports were refined in shape and size to yield a straighter path for higher flow--and a resulting significant improvement in power feel. The reduced volume in the combustion chamber provides a distinct increase in the compression ratio, from 11.9:1 to 12.2:1, although this alteration was achieved in a slightly unusual fashion. Rather than change only the shape of the combustion chamber proper, Honda's engineers also reshaped the surfaces of the intake valves that face each combustion chamber; shallower dished-out areas essentially add material to the chamber to reduce volume and help raise the compression ratio. To nullify any weight gain to the intake valves, each valve had a corresponding amount of material removed on the opposite side of the valve head, in the area near where the valves rest in their seats.

Other performance-up measures include new valve timing and more lift (from 8.9mm to 9.1mm) on the intake side to help boost power, and a new double-spring design for the intake valves replaces the single-spring setup previously used--all the better for enhanced power output and reliable operation at higher engine speeds. Specifically, torque now peaks at 10,000 rpm, 1500 revs higher than before, and engine redline increases from 11,650 rpm to 12,200 rpm with the 2006 model. In conjunction with a larger rear sprocket (from 41 to 42 teeth) these changes enhance acceleration while top speed can remain unchanged. Usually, gains made in a larger rear sprocket's sharper acceleration must be paid back in reduced top speeds, but this new engine's taller redline and stronger high-end power output maintain the CBR's high top-speed ceiling for performance.

• Arata Slip-On Exhaust
• Rear LED signals
• Flush Mount Blinkers
• Custom Paint