New Honda Fireblade spotted

First shots of next year’s CBR1000RR emerge, looks very similar to the current bike

New Honda Fireblade spotted

THE FIRST photos of what we can safely assume to be the 2017 Honda CBR1000RR Fireblade have emerged on Twitter, and if you were hoping for a radically restyled bike - somehing like this, perhaps - then you might be disappointed. 

After being photographed on a circuit, the images of the new Fireblade were posted to the social networking site by wakiwakiYZF_R1M.

Without getting a really close look at the bike, it’s hard to know for sure what’s changed over the current Fireblade but this new model looks very similar to the current bike – looking similar is proportion, size and shape, but with a new front fairing (which bears a resemblance to the CBR250RR's front fairing) and a revised seat unit.

From what we can see, the wheels and swingarm also look to be the same. The subframe, which has a new design, looks like it bolts to the main frame at the same point as on the current bike.

An obvious visual change is the move from a stubby exhaust silencer to something more traditional and more akin to the exhaust on the Yamaha R1. This will no doubt be to make the bike compliant with looming Euro 4 regulations.

But it’s what’s under the skin that counts and we don’t yet know what changes Honda has made to the engine, or what kind of electronics the bike will come with, although it safe to say that this next generation Fireblade will be on a par with the current crop of litre superbikes in terms of power and technology.

If you're disappointed that the new Fireblade hasn't aesthetically changed much, there's always the hope that Honda has spent its R&D money on the rumoured V4 superbike, spawned from the RCV213-S. With EICMA and Intermot coming ever closer, we could find out soon.