All signs point to end of the CBR600RR

Honda unwilling to deny reports long-lived sports bike will be killed off in 2017

All signs point to end of the CBR600RR

HONDA’S CBR600RR looks set to be killed off in 2017 after the Japanese bike maker declined to deny reports of its demise in the motorcycle press.

Asked for confirmation the model would remain in production next year, a Honda spokesman said: “All I can say about the CBR600RR is that it remains part of the Honda line-up.”

Falling sales and the expense of meeting Euro4 emission limits are blamed for the imminent demise of the supersport 600, which got its last big update in 2013.

It’s been in production in various guises since 1987, when it was launched as the ‘jellymould’ CBR600F, in which time sales have fallen from several thousand a year to fewer than 200.

It will leave the 87hp CBR650F as Honda’s middleweight sports offering.

The future of 600cc supersport machines from other manufacturers is also unclear. Questioned by Visordown earlier this year, a Suzuki source would only commit to existing stocks of the GSX-R600 remaining on sale.

The CBR600RR will also remain on sale until stock is sold.