Overnight at the Milan show, Honda announced its brand new 2020 superbike, the LONG overdue replacement for the ageing Fireblade. Named the CBR1000RR-R it is just about all-new and it damn well needs to be. Despite its outstanding MotoGp success, Honda has been lagging behind in the street bike 1000cc category for years. And, as a consequence of this, it has also been regularly taken to the cleaners by the other manufacturers who have chosen to take World Superbike racing seriously.
Go back through your records (I couldn’t be bothered, it’s too depressing) and see when it was that a Honda last won a WSBK race, let alone a championship. But it appears that Honda have suddenly woken from their torpor and decided to get serious about the top street bike category. The new Fireblade promises to more than redress the balance. There are a myriad of details that could be added here, but there are really only two that you need to note.
215bhp and 201kg kerb weight, fuelled and ready to rock. Yes, genuine, serious power and low weight, it has to be a winner.
Now you all know that I’m a dedicated Honda man so you know how exciting this news is for me. I wondered why Alvaro Bautista decided to leave Ducati at the end of the season despite winning so many races for them early on, here is the reason why and here is the reason he signed with Honda. Watch this space in 2020.
Oh, and there’s an even sexier version as well with Ohlins boingers and other features, it’s going to be called the CBR1000RR-R-SP (try saying THAT three times quickly)
And, for an over-dose of Honda goodness, watch this great little video of Marquez testing the new ‘Blade; he’s just a big kid, really.
