CBR 600 RR

Torrance, Calif. 09/01/2003 --

Honda's RC211V gave Repsol Honda rider Valentino Rossi a distinct edge over the competition, an edge he used to win the 2002 MotoGP world championship. There was one particular advantage, though, he used to devastating effect: The ability to open the throttle earlier when exiting a corner. That advantage is directly attributable to Honda's new Unit Pro-Link rear suspension, as used on the RC211V--and now on the CBR600RR.

Torrance, Calif. 09/01/2003 --

The blink of an eye takes about one-quarter of a second, or 250 milliseconds. At 15,000 rpm, each intake and exhaust valve of Honda's CBR600RR opens and closes 125 times a second, or 8 milliseconds. That means the valves will open and close 31 times before the rider can even blink.

More importantly, at 15,000 rpm there's only 4 milliseconds for the fuel squirting out of the Denso injectors to vaporize and combine with incoming air into a combustible mixture; fuel droplets simply do not burn well. The RR's engine demands at that rpm exceed the capabilities of conventional fuel delivery systems, however sophisticated--there's just not enough time.

Torrance, Calif. 09/01/2003 --

Mass Centralization

One of the central concepts that drove development of the CBR600RR and the RC211V is mass centralization; that is, concentrating the component masses as close to the motorcycle's center as possible. When a rider initiates a turn, the motorcycle rotates around its roll axis--an imaginary fore-and-aft horizontal line drawn through the center of mass of bike and rider--as it leans into the turn. Placing the major masses (engine, fuel, rider) closer to this roll axis results in a motorcycle that reacts more quickly and smoothly to control inputs at the handlebars. The concept of mass centralization has been a guiding principal at Honda for decades, but the application to the RR takes the concept to a whole new level.

Torrance, Calif. 09/01/2003 --

Honda's first CBR600 was a breakthrough machine in a number of ways. To start, its unique full bodywork allowed designers to forego the usual engine and frame cosmetics, and instead devote development dollars to pure performance. The result was 83 bhp from the CBR's liquid-cooled inline-four, superb handling, and a dry weight of 396.8 pounds--making the Hurricane the lightest, most powerful 600 available. Such performance alone blew away the competition; with versatility no other 600 could match, the CBR was irresistible.

Torrance, Calif. 09/07/2005 --