Boasting
the second lightest weight and one of the best-handling chassis in the
supersport class, the modestly updated CBR600RR remains a force with which to
be reckoned. We put it to the test in a recent media event at Chuckwalla Valley
Raceway. For 2013 Honda upgraded the 600RR with a 41mm Big Piston Fork (BPF) – which we lauded in our street test –
a revised shock with new damping settings, MotoGP-inspired bodywork with a
redesigned centrally located ram-air intake system, and new ECU mapping. Also
worth mentioning are the 12-spoke wheels (same weight as last year’s 3-spoke
wheels) from its 1000cc big brother and new tank badges denoting its flagship
status among all Honda models.
The
only optional technology CBR purchasers have to consider is the electronically
controlled braking system (C-ABS) available on the all-red 2013 model CBRs.
Honda’s C-ABS (explained in its entirety here) is not your average ABS system.
With no evident pulsation at either brake levers, a CBR pilot is none the wiser
to when the system’s functioning. On the street, ABS can be worth its weight in
gold. But on the track, Honda’s hefty C-ABS might not be worth its weight.
Tipping
the scale at 22 pounds, Honda’s antilock system is likely the heaviest such
arrangement mounted on a sportbike. It transforms the second lightest bike in
the supersport category to the most corpulent. At street speeds the additional
poundage remains largely unfelt, and its panic-stopping benefits exceed the
weight penalty. At the track, however, the extra load is detrimental to lap
times. I wasn’t the only editor whose lap times were negatively affected when
aboard the C-ABS model.
While
the price of this year’s CBR is $50 less than last year’s model, it’s not much
consolation when comparing the CBR to Kawasaki’s new 636 Ninja. For only an
additional $209, not only are you getting 37cc more displacement and the
resultant torque increase, but also technologies including a slipper clutch and
traction control.With the majority of sportbikes equipped with rider aids, the
CBR600RR forces the use of the long-ignored trifecta of clutching, throttle
blipping, and downshifting when entering tight first-gear corners. After laying
a few darkies during corner entries, the process again became second nature,
but the omission of a slipper clutch remained present throughout our day at the
track. The downshifting process did, however, highlight the sublime ability of
the CBR’s transmission to smoothly match gears when spinning high RPMs, making
the non-existent slipper clutch more tolerable.But even then, the ABS-equipped
Ninja 636 remains only $209 more than the C-ABS Honda and adds just five pounds
to the bike’s curb weight, making the Ninja lighter than the C-ABS-equipped CBR
by four pounds.
For
Honda supporters looking to purchase a new supersport this year, the lure of
the Ninja and its included rider aids for a nominal price increase over the CBR
makes this is a particularly tough purchasing decision.
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