Honda CBR1000RR-R Fireblade presented at EICMA 2021

Honda CBR1000RR-R Fireblade design

The 2022 Fireblade is a long way from being a bug-eye superbike of the 90s. Compared to the original, the Fireblade has become visually much more aggressive. Design elements from Honda’s RC213V MotoGP machine have flowed into the Fireblade, with winglets in the fairing to increase downforce and improve braking stability. The Fireblade also has three wings that are arranged in a vertical line in both the left and right fairing ducts for improved aerodynamics. The bike will be available in a Grand Prix Red color scheme first introduced in 2020, now with a white number plate on the front. The Fireblade also gets a higher quality SP variant, and apart from a few additional kits, the SP is also offered in a limited edition for the 30th anniversary. Visually, the anniversary edition differs through its tricolor HRC color scheme, which is based on the original logos of the 30th anniversary edition on the tank cover, a blue rear seat, a smart key fob and a unique, laser-engraved serial number on the yoke.

Honda CBR1000RR-R Fireblade engine and chassis

The road rocket of the Honda Fireblade is powered by a 1000 cm³ in-line quad, which offers many inputs from the HRC MotoGP program. The engine generates a peak power of 215 hp at 14,500 rpm and the maximum torque is 112 Nm at 12,500 rpm. So that the engine now breathes better, the slash-cut air intake between the headlights has been redesigned with shorter funnels for cylinders # 2 and # 3. This engine is coupled with a six-speed gearbox with an optional quickshifter. One of the criticisms of the older Fireblade, the excessively high gearbox, was fixed in the 2022 edition, with the rear pinion enlarged by three more teeth to 43 teeth. This has shortened the translation and will likely improve real world performance and acceleration. The engine and transmission are still housed in an aluminum-diamond main frame, with the Fireblade’s wheelbase increasing by 5 mm to 1460 mm. The superbike is equipped with the 43 mm Big Piston Fork (BPF) from Showa and a Showa Balance Free Rear Cushion Lite (BFRC-L). They also have a 330mm disc in the front with a 4-piston Nissin brake caliper for braking tasks, while a 220mm disc with a 2-piston Brembo brake caliper is available in the rear variant with semi-active Öhlins suspension along with Brembo Stylema brakes.