July 2007
The God of Irony has clearly had me in his sights these past weeks. Last month we had the supersports 600s in for a group test, and which 600 did I like the least? (note: that's 'like the least' as against 'dislike', there is a difference.) The Honda CBR600RR. So what's my allotted long termer for this year? The CBR600RR. Yes indeed.
Set against that somewhat awkward juxtapose I can still honestly say I felt properly excited when I collected the RR from Honda's HQ just two week ago. For a start, unlike test bikes we typically receive, it was absolutely brand new, with zero miles on the clock. So it had the factory waxy smell and was utterly unblemished, everything we associate with new bikes. Nice. And it's also the blue one. Our test bike last month was a white/black combination that left me cold, whereas this blue has an almost GSX-R aura about it. And as with most Honda sports bikes, the more you study them the more you appreciate the attention to detail. So the RR did receive an enthusiastic reception, no question.
And since then it's been a matter of running in. Or what we like to call running in. That is to say, riding at a fair clip most of the time while resisting as much as possible any lunges into that post-10,000rpm realm. And of course the Honda's simply buzzed along quite happily. There's no sense of tightness in the engine, nor in the gearbox and the chassis all feels just-so. Mind you, the seat feels rock hard. We'll
probably give it until the first service (500 miles) and then start going for it.
So far the over-riding concern hasn't been modification, or track riding - no, simply security. A supersports 600 this new, this shiny is right at the top of the Bike Thieves' Top 10. So the RR sleeps in the garage at home, chained to a ground anchor by a meaty Abus Granit 'Extreme plus 59' lock and chain (as featured in the May issue). It's pricey at £209 but it's top shelf protection. Yet I still feel paranoid and I'm in the need of serious out-and-about security too, so I'm talking to the Datatool people about a suitable alarm, of which more next month.
Plans for the future are as yet unformed. Track days would seem in order though; having read Niall's reviews I'm just hanging-out to experience the RR in its natural habitat. One thing though, having been testing an MV and latterly a monster BMW 1200GS Adventure, the RR feels miniscule - it should be laughingly easy to hurl around somewhere like Brands. Should be a good opportunity to refresh my fast-rusting track riding skills (such as they are) too as plenty of desk jockeying of late is doing them no favours.
In the meantime there's the small matter of keeping the rest of the crew off the RR. Not easy. Already Evil Jim's been on the phone with the flimsiest of fabrications as to why he needs the RR for a weekend. No chance baldie!
September 2007
A trackday at Brands Hatch with Focused Events proved to be my happiest day of last month. Brands was warm and sunny and so was the RR. What feels good about the RR on the road feels stunning on track. I spent the day braking later and accelerating earlier. With oodles of grunty yet controllable power anywhere between 7 and 14,000rpm the RR created an experience that I can only imagine to be a close approximation to riding an RCV212, or an HM Plant 'Blade at least. Right up to the point late in the afternoon when the Bridgestone BT015 rear felt to be sliding leaving Clearways. It just couldn't get any better.
Only it did. Yeah, I was happy enough, but one of the visordown.com chaps (Sambo) thought I should speak to Brian Nicholson of BN Race Science (07831 258094). Brian's a former rider with the Honda UK race team and now a senior instructor with Focused Events. Brian cast his eye over the RR, deducing there was too much sag in the shock - especially given my considerable 14-stone. So Brian set to with the spanners. The preload was wound up one full turn and 2 turns more compression and rebound was taken to nearly 2/3rds available of maximum. The forks weren't far off the mark, but more rebound damping was needed as the bike was running a little wide coming off the brakes. Brian noted that meaningful adjustment really didn't happen until the last turn of the adjuster. It was all or nothing in one turn, so we set it at 3/4s of a turn back from max.
On track the difference was immediate. I'd been immeasurably happy before but now the RR was taughter and so much more composed. It turned in quicker and simply felt rock solid mid-turn. And you could power on harder as well. The net effect felt to be worth a good second a lap, at least. Excellent before, now it felt like the ultimate racer.
So yes, I'm one happy camper. I'm not one for dicking about, not when a bike's this good in the first place. I love bikes like this. But here the smallest amount of fettling netted a big effect. Thanks Brian.
Meanwhile, back in the workshop Jules, Datatool's most experienced fitter, came to the TWO offices and in a couple of hours had a Datatool S4 kit fitted (expect to pay around £300 fitted). It was impressive to see how far alarm technology has come. The way the system cleanly splices into the existing loom without so much as a cut wire. And the way the systems have become miniaturised and through the use of resins are now practically solid-state - and so a heck of a lot more reliable. Jules was also able to customise the settings for me, so that the alarm is activated silently - none of those annoying blips, just a flash of the indicators. So now, knowing the garaged RR is protected by the Datatool and the Abus Granite lock and a ground anchor, I'm sleeping a lot easier.
WE LIKE: Focused Events track days and Datatool's piece of mind
WE DON'T LIKE: parting with the RR for anything
May 2008
At the outset of the CBR600RR’s tenure, former editor Tim Dickson had queried whether sports 600s could still be considered relevant as everyday transport. For some reason it befell to me to make that evaluation and after testing all the 2007 sports 600s over a week of winter commuting I concluded that actually yes, you can consider these 600s for daily duties.
Nearly a year later the long term RR has thankfully proven that initial assessment correct. Rain or shine the CBR and I are out there, day after day. And more to the point, I’m still loving it. If I’d bought this bike with my own money and was still looking at another 24 months of finance I’d be very happy right now.
Not least because it is a quality build. Seeing the state of Jim Bowen’s Bandit 1250 with badly furred up brake banjos came as a shock. Living the same outdoor life the CBR isn’t anywhere near as badly corroded. Weekly washes are keeping it pretty clean. Although, honestly, if it was mine I would buy a winter hack and take it off road for the worst of the weather. It really is too beautiful a bike to be brutalised by an English winter.
And it’s done everything the way a CBR traditionally does – well. On track, down at Brands, it was simply sublime. God I loved it, I needed no more. It toured all the way to the Shetlands with Jim’s mate Fez and he came back totally won over. Having ridden a 500-mile day on it myself, in pissing rain and cold, I can verify his findings – long distances, not a problem.
Now to clear up some misreporting: when the CBR got rear-ended by a car some months back the only damage was in fact a written-off rear wheel and a broken numberplate hanger. Credit there to the three-spoke design which took the force of the impact and let itself get buried in the car bonnet. So no fairing damage, no swingarm replacement and an all-up bill of only £500. Not bad.
Sadly the CBR has recently spoilt its copybook when it, er, broke down. One morning it became a non-starter. So it was collected by the local Honda dealer who found the spark plugs to have failed – curious, especially on a bike not long serviced. A whopping £160 later the CBR was running as good as new. Of course if this was a Ducati we’d be making a lot of that. I guess we still should.
Anyway, the RR’s now only a few clicks short of its 10,000 and however much I think of making modifications I really can’t justify any. Sure if I was racing it I’d be looking over every minutiae for a performance advantage. But for road use and trackdays, having had Focused Event’s Brian Nicholson fine-tune the stock suspension, short of fresh tyres I’ll leave as-is.
And just how practical a ride it is was reinforced when reader Rodney Shaw emailed asking me whether he should choose an RR or a Hornet for a sport-touring ride down to the Alps. I had to say, given just how effective the fairing is and just how comfortable a ride it is, I wouldn’t hesitate to take the RR. Having been a big fan of the old CBR-F range I’m surprised to hear myself say that, as I didn’t expect the RR to be this amenable. But there you have it.
Oh and I have must tip a nod to Datatool. There was some hilarity in the office when I had this fitted. But unlike previous sports 600 long termers this one is still with us at the end of its term. Publishers too have to pay insurance premiums, so even if it made no difference to me I’m sure the company here is happier for it.
So, as longtermer ratings go this one is scoring bloody high. Yeah, if Honda rang tomorrow and said ‘hang on to it for another year’ I’d be well chuffed.
