2022 Honda CBR1000RR-R SP Fireblade

2022-Honda-CBR1000RR-R-SP
Manufacturer
Price
£23999
Available from
2022

Simply put it is one of the best handling 1,000cc bikes on the market. But with Honda focussing on mid-range punch and some more get-up-and-go out of the slow corners, it’s hard to gauge the improvements – especially as the Melbourne Loop was out of bounds. Did the mid-range feel more chunky? Probably. Is the quickshifter slicker? Definitely! Can I notice that the inlet trumpets are now 15mm shorter on cylinders two and three? Absolutely not.

What I can tell you is that the changes to the gearing are evident. The final drive is shorter overall, going up from 40 to 43 teeth, which, added to some air-box and previously mentioned intake jiggery-pokery, do make the Honda exit corners a bit more potently. It’s not totally there though. You could still easily drop another tooth off the rear sprocket, although when you’re chucking the thing down Craner Curves at 130mph being chased by John McGuinness, you’re really not going to give a monkeys about that.