REVIEW:

Dynamic styling package: A new nose, layered main fairing and a tail section bring a more aggressive and a dynamic look to the 2012 CBR1000RR. Big Piston Front Fork: The 2012 CBR1000RR also features inverted 43mm telescopic forks with Showa’s Big Piston technology.Embodying speed and dynamism: The previous CBR1000RR was designed around the keynote themes of ‘compact dimensions’, ‘lightweight’ and ‘mass centralisation’. For 2012, it was decided that the styling should underline the sheer speed and dynamic potential of the CBR1000RR. Some styling keys remain – for example, the familiar vertical slit in the fairing side panels has been retained, providing visual tension. The result is a more graceful profile that draws the eye from the sharper nose, and revised air intakes, to a more elegant tail.

MODEL HISTORY

In November 1991 Honda unveiled the CBR900RR - a machine that would revolutionise the Super Sport sector. Since the arrival of the first Superbike, the CB750, more than 20 years earlier, much had changed. Chassis rigidity, four cylinder engine performance and suspension sophistication had all evolved considerably but Super Sport machines had also grown heavy. A dedicated team at Honda, working under Tadao Baba, knew there was another way. Reduce a motorcycle’s bulk and weight and you can achieve more speed with less power.