Honda launches two superbikes in India. KARTIK WARE argues for the CBR1000RR Fireblade, while KYLE PEREIRA’s kicked about the CB1000R.
HONDA CB1000R
Can you stare at it all day long?
Hell yeah! The CB1000R is stunning. There’s no doubt about that. It’s instantly recognisable and I’m betting a bloke on the naked Honda has more chances of landing up a date than a guy who’s in a car double the price. There is no way the CB1000R can be mistaken for anything else on the road today and if you’re the kind who hates attention, this isn’t the bike for you. That’s because you’re treated like a rockstar everywhere you go and suddenly, everybody wants to be your friend. Fully-faired sports machines are for wimps, this machine seems to say. And I’m listening.
What about brag value with your mates at the pub?
Plenty! You can go on and on about the CB1000R and there always will be much more to brag about the next time you and the blokes meet over a few chilled ones. The CB1000R engine is straight off the ’07 CBR1000RR Fireblade and that’s saying something. It has been retuned for incredible low and mid-range grunt with an ample 123.4 bhp of power. The torque is where the CB scores top honours, with a gigantic output of 10.2 kgm at 8000 rpm. Yes, you’re now going to be the big shot at the watering hole all right.
Will you need a spine of high tensile steel to ride it?
If you’re expecting to glide over potholes with the grace of a flying-carpet, you will be disappointed. But on faultless tarmac, it’s another story. The CB1000R glides with a surreal calm and composed air so there is no way you can be dissatisfied with the Honda’s ride on good asphalt. It’s the potholes and road irregularities that might rattle you silly while aboard the CB1000R. Although the CB1000R is a chick magnet, it’s unlikely that the girl would last a 100 km ride, perched at the back. The seat is barely adequate and sustained riding could result in an appointment with her friendly chiropractor. But up front, it’s a whole different story. The flat handlebars and the comfortable riding position are spot-on for long rides and daily commutes alike. So, the rider’s well taken care of. But for the pillion, a spine of something harder than steel might help — something like titanium alloy.
What about corners?
It’s naked as sin and it’s wide as a barge. But make no mistake of assuming that the CB1000R handles like a sack of potatoes. It’s a surgical corner carving tool that is sharp yet pretty much forgives your fumbling inputs. You can lean into a corner and put everything you’ve got into it and yet, there’s a very slim chance the Honda will wash out and spit you off. The ferocity that the CB tackles corners and the twisties is phenomenal. It’s agile and nimble and loves being banked this way and that. Despite its ungainly kerb weight of 217 kg, the manner in which the CB1000R filters through traffic is pretty much the same as a 150cc motorcycle that’s barely half of its weight.
What can it do?
Well, how does 187 kph with plenty left in store, in the blink of an eye, sound to you? And what about lean angles that would make a physics lecturer begin to doubt his faith in the subject? This is precisely the domain of the CB1000R — one that’s out of this world yet real enough to touch with your own two hands. When you gun that throttle, the CB will happily scare you silly, increase your heart-rate five-fold and then surge on till you’re well past sanity.
However, the motor is just as happy puttering around at city traffic speeds in top gear as it is setting the open highway on fire and this makes it pretty versatile and much more practical when compared to super sports machines. I really think the CB1000R’s mill is the main aspect that makes the Honda a good daily runabout and if I had one, riding to work everyday would be a very distinct possibility. The frame is a gravity cast mono-backbone aluminium unit that’s perhaps as rigid as Gandhian principles themselves, which endows the bike with fantastic handling characteristics.The CB is glued to the road with some very wide and sticky rubber — 120/70-ZR17 up front and 180/55-ZR17 at the rear.
Okay, but how far can you push it in India?
Quite a lot but not enough — to put it across as briefly as possible. With the kind of performance that the CB1000R is capable of, it’s highly unlikely that you can put to use more than a quarter or so of what it can do (which is a lot, really) on public roads in India. The greedier lot will have to head to the two race-tracks in the country to realise the true potential of the bike.
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Is it worth robbing a bank for?
Well, with a Mumbai ex-showroom price tag of Rs 10.21 lakh, the CB1000R doesn’t come cheap. Thanks to our archaic laws, we Indians have to shell out nearly double of what the Honda would cost in Europe, for example. But what you get after digging deep into your pockets is tonnes of thrills and an instant fan following, in addition to a warranty and company service back up through select centres. It just boils down to how much of a motorcycle person you are to justify the cost of plonking a CB1000R into your garage. Too bad I won’t be able to afford this Honda any time soon and with the state that the market is in presently, I doubt banks have that kind money in their vaults either. Sigh!
HONDA CBR1000RR FIREBLADE
Can you stare at it all day long?
If it is raining outside, then yes, I would rather stare at it all day long. But I have a feeling that I would fall asleep sooner or later. You see, the Fireblade is not exactly eye-wateringly gorgeous as say, the 2009 Yamaha R1. The only people who give it the second look are those on other motorcycles, especially in this dull black colour. The cues are all there — the angry-looking twin headlights, sculpted tank, minimalistic rear section that shows off the fat rear tyre and so on. But somehow, it does not evoke a sense of occasion each time you look at it.
What about brag value with your mates at the pub?
Now we’re talking. Well, the Fireblade is still the best litre-class sportsbike that money can buy. The 999cc liquid-cooled 16-valve four-cylinder motor puts out 175.67 bhp at 12,000 rpm while twisting out 11.42 kgm of torque at 8500 rpm. These numbers should shut up all of your mates except those who ride the latest Hayabusa. But even they will have nothing to counter you with when you mention the Combined Anti-lock Braking System that will be standard fitment on the Indian Fireblade. In addition, there is also the Honda Electronic Steering Damper that endows the Fireblade with good handling manners and prevents nasty head shakes at high speeds. Then there is also the Unit Pro-Link rear suspension derived from Honda’s MotoGP racing programme to add to the cool quotient. All in all, the Fireblade is loaded with all the right ammunition and then some.
Will you need a spine of high tensile steel to ride it?
Yes and no. Confused? Well, if you plan to commute in the city during peak hours where you will have to manoeuvre this front-heavy sportsbike, you better be ready for aches and pains. The ergonomics are tailor-made for high-speed riding and on the highway, most people will be comfortable enough in the saddle to continue riding for at least a few hours. Even the suspension is so sorted, it is difficult to believe that this is a machine with a pure racing track focus. Really bad bumps will make themselves known,but anything less than that is effectively absorbed by the adjustable upside down front forks and the rear shock.
What about corners?
This is what it’s all about! The Fireblade’s handling will put most jet fighters to shame when it comes to agility. Whatever the surface, whatever the radius and whatever the camber of a corner, the Fireblade is so planted, it will convince you that you are as good as it makes you look. But if you are smart, you will know that it is actually the bike that’s the hero here. And it has every reason to be. At 199 kg with its compact dimensions, the Fireblade is almost like a 600cc supersport motorcycle that has somehow gained substantially more power. Besides, the 120/70 front and 190/50 rear Bridgestone tyres are very good at gripping the road regardless of the surface and conditions. And the steering damper works brilliantly to keep the Fireblade pointed in the exact direction that you aim at.
What can it do?
Oh, around three seconds to 100 kph and a 290 kph top speed, that’s all. The Fireblade is a rocketship compared to the CB1000R. Those numbers might make you think that this is one madcap of a motorcycle, and it is, but only if you want it to be. All of that prodigious power is concealed under a thick veil of good manners — this is a Honda after all. It is a baby to ride in town without feeling like it is about to burst at the seams and when you do decide to let it rip, the Fireblade goes for it without making you feel like you are going to die. It is a reassuring motorcycle to ride even at high speeds, which makes it a good choice for those who are new to superbikes. But it has to be treated with the respect it deserves for sure!
Okay, but how far can you push it in India?
Good question. More pertinent, in any case. While you will never get close to the Fireblade’s stratospheric limits, it will allow you to explore them safely and that is reason enough to buy it, never mind the holy cows and holier people that dot our roads. If anything, the Fireblade’s awesome brakes and handling will save you from all that our roads throw at a motorcyclist. If you do feel inclined to test how adept you are at handling the bike, I suggest that you head to Chennai or Coimbatore and ride at the race track.
Is it worth robbing a bank for?
At Rs 13.37 lakh, ex-showroom Mumbai, to say that the Fireblade is expensive is an understatement. Thanks to the duty structure, Indian bikers have the privilege of paying almost twice of what fellow motorcyclists pay elsewhere. And while that is unfair, if I had the money, I would definitely run into the nearest Honda showroom at the drop of a helmet. After all, it’s not every day that the best litre-class sportsbike comes to India, right?
