26 | MOTOR CYCLE NEWS DECEMBER 14, 2005

ROAD TEST2006 HONDA CBR1000RR FIREBLADEwww.motorcyclenews.com/bikereviews

THE 2005 FireBlade is anoutstanding bike in a class ofastonishing machines. Its combination of high performance

and user-friendliness made it a superb road-going superbike.

The trouble was, that very ‘user-friendly’ nature deprives it of the excitement-packed,hardcore adrenalin edge that, in varyingdegrees, defines the class kings – the YamahaR1, Kawasaki ZX-10R and boss of them all,Suzuki’s breathtaking GSX-R1000.

The Blade didn’t have the raw savagery ofthe ZX-10R, didn’t turn as easily as the R1and couldn’t match the GSX-R for pureperformance. What’s more, those goal posts have already moved on.

The new and improved 2006 R1 is already with us and we’ve had our first taste of thedubiously-styled but astonishingly potent all-new Kawasaki. In short, Honda, without significant updates to its class contender,was in danger of being left behind.

This then, the new 2006 FireBlade, is

Honda’s answer to all its critics. A bike that Honda claims – in part thanks to its experiences with its World Superbike racingFireBlade campaigned by Ten Kate – ismore fun, quicker and has sharper steering.

So does the actual machine match up tothe Big H’s aspirations? How close is itlikely to be to the current class kings? How close is it to the Ten Kate racing FireBladeof last year? And what does BritishFireBlade-racing WSB hope James Toseland make of it all? We found out theanswers to all these questions, and more...

WHY HAVE THEY CHANGED IT?PUT simply, the Blade was due a tweak at the very least. Honda’s usual model cycle for this class is two years and they say they arereacting to customer feedback throughdealers and from their website.

Honda also emphasises that the new bike is designed very much for the road rather thanto simply win World Superbike races.

Although there’s no denying that the Blade

was lacking in some areas compared to thecompetition, let’s not get carried away inslating it completely. The old model soldamazingly well in Europe and the UK – infact, it accounted for an estimated 27% of1000cc sports bike sales this year. So if it ain’t broke…

SO WHAT’S ACTUALLY NEW?AT first glance you’d be forgiven for thinking that not much has changed, but take a closer look.

In all, Honda claims an astonishing 210 changes – although we’ll have to take their word for that – and the overall idea was toincrease the machine’s power, reduce its weight and make the whole experience morefun.

For more power, the cylinder head has been revised with a compression ratio upfrom 11.9:1 to 12.2:1. There’s also two valvesprings controlling the intake valve (a tricklearned from the HRC boys), the redline hasbeen extended from 11,650 to 12,200rpm

DECEMBER 11, 2005, LOSAIL, QATARWORLD EXCLUSIVE TEST

BY ADAMCHILDPICTURESBYDOUBLEREDANDCHIPPYWOOD

At a glance the new 2006 Fireblade doesn’t look like much has changed. But with 210 upgrades have Honda done enough to takeback the ultimate sports bike crown?

Blade getsfired up!

THE sharper steering allows thenew Blade to fly through corners

THE smaller wheelbase,lighter weight and shorter gearing make the ’06 Blademore wheelie-happy

‘You just have to look where you want togoand thebikedrops intothe turneasily –evenat high speeds’

DECEMBER 14, 2005 MOTOR CYCLE NEWS | 27

was lacking in some areas compared to thecompetition, let’s not get carried away inslating it completely. The old model soldamazingly well in Europe and the UK – infact, it accounted for an estimated 27% of1000cc sports bike sales this year. So if it ain’t broke…

SO WHAT’S ACTUALLY NEW?AT first glance you’d be forgiven for thinking that not much has changed, but take a closer look.

In all, Honda claims an astonishing 210 changes – although we’ll have to take their word for that – and the overall idea was toincrease the machine’s power, reduce its weight and make the whole experience morefun.

For more power, the cylinder head has been revised with a compression ratio upfrom 11.9:1 to 12.2:1. There’s also two valvesprings controlling the intake valve (a tricklearned from the HRC boys), the redline hasbeen extended from 11,650 to 12,200rpm

and the crankshaft has been strengthened,again using practices learnt from Honda’s racing department.

They’ve also tried to save weight wher ever possible, so the exhaust, radiator,engine covers and even the ECU have beenredesigned to shed precious grams.

Chassis-wise, little has changed. Theframe is the same, as are the forks, while theshock only receives very minor alterations.However, Honda has reduced the rake andshortened the wheelbase by 10mm in order to quicken up the steering.

The new FireBlade has been down-geared,which increases acceleration and themidrange. But as the bike now produces more power and weighs less, top speedhasn’t been compromised. Honda says thetop speed is absolutely identical to last year’s machine.

Finally, the overall look of the bike has been updated – although admittedly it’s fairly subtle. Apart from keeping the stylingfresh (yet still unmistakably Blade), Honda

says the new clothes make it slimmer andmore aerodynamic.

WHAT’S IT LIKE TO RIDE?FROM the moment you throw a leg over thenew Blade it all seems very familiar. Theclocks are unchanged, albeit with a higher redline, while the bars, footpegs and seat height are identical to the old bike… but then the overall comfort and ergonomics ofthe old bike were never problems.

Down Qatar’s pitlane for the first time, Iopen it up and dip the (non-slipper) clutchslightly – the front comes up instantly, andeasily, which is something of a surprise as the old Blade was never regarded as a great

wheelie bike. Now, thanks to the reducedweight and wheelbase and more midrange,it’s far easier than before.

Qatar is over two minutes per lap long,very technical, and as flat as a pancake withvirtually no reference points. Even after afull day I’m still not 100% confident withthe layout. Accordingly, my first few laps arefull of missed lines and apexes. Within that,however, some things become immediately apparent.

The new bike is lighter, steers quicker thanbefore and falls on its side effortlessly. Youjust have to look where you want to go andthe bike drops into the turn easily – even at high speed.

The increase in performance also jumps out at you straight away. There’s morepower low down and from there the new Blade pulls strongly with smooth linear urge– perfect when you’re on an unfamiliar racetrack, and keep finding yourself in thewrong gear…

Next time out I have the perfect tutor –fellow Yorkshireman and former WorldSuperbike champion James Toseland. By following Toseland’s smooth lines I can start to push the bike, and with the pacesignificantly increased the new Blade’s easeof steering becomes even more apparent.

At these higher speeds it also becomes clear just how much more involving andcharacterful to ride the new Blade is over the previous model. Over Qatar’s only slight crest the bars give a slight twitch, and out ofthe second gear hairpin a tug on the bars,combined with shifting your weight, causes some fun, low-power wheelies.

That said, as the pace hots up, thelimitations of the new Blade’s standard road

Blade getsfired up!

THE sharper steering allows thenew Blade to fly through corners

THE smaller wheelbase,lighter weight and shorter gearing make the ’06 Blademore wheelie-happy

‘You just have to look where you want togoand thebikedrops intothe turneasily –evenat high speeds’

28 | MOTOR CYCLE NEWS DECEMBER 14, 2005

ROAD TEST2006 HONDA CBR1000RR FIREBLADEwww.motorcyclenews.com/bikereviews

suspension settings creep to the surface,too. The rear shock is slightly too soft meaning the bike squats slightly under power. There isn’t quite enough rebounddamping to control the rear end on thebrakes either, especially when rolling offthe throttle over the crest.

But on my next outing, with thesuspension settings changed for trackriding, the Blade is transformed and thesoft, squatting rear and slightly soft front have been completely dialled out.

For most of the test, the bike remainedon the standard Bridgestone BT015 roadtyres, which proved almost faultless. Only when the throttle was wound open hardout of the tighter corners did the rear tyrecomplain slightly.

In short, the 2006 Blade is phenomenalwhen it comes to laying the power down.What’s more, even though we’ve yet toride it back to back with the new ZX-10R, it’s difficult to imagine any bikebeing easier to ride. You can take realliberties with the Blade’s throttle, even at big lean. The shock takes the strain andthen the tyre grips, offering great feedback and then firing you towards thenext corner.

Performance-wise, there seems to bepower everywhere – far more thanbefore. That said, without being able tocompare it side by side with theopposition, it’s hard to say for sure if it will have the GSX-R and new ZX-10Rbeaten, but I very much doubt if either will be as easy to ride. You can make silly mistakes and the Blade doesn’t complain.It just gets on with it and carries you tothe next corner.

One example stands out clearly – whenI turn in too early for a massive-lean,third gear 100mph turn. At these times you see the exit approaching and know it’s going to be close – either gravel or heroics. But on the new Blade you simply roll off the throttle, counter-steer and thebike will turn in tighter without fuss. Onthe old bike you’d have understeered, runwide and ended up in the kitty litter.

This changes what you thought couldbe done on a superbike. Braking mid-

corner? That’s no problem either.Speaking of the brakes, they’re

different, too. The disc size has beenincreased, but they are slightly thinner,too, to reduce unsprung weight. As aresult they are strong and progressive andrepresent a slight improvement over theolder model.

Honda, unlike the competition, hasn’t gone for a slipper clutch (although one is available as a racing part through HRC),but, to be honest, the new Blade doesn’t need one. There may be an advantage onUK tracks with tight first gear hairpins like Mallory Park, but most of the timeit’d be unnecessary.

HOW ABOUT ON THE ROAD?THE million dollar question but onewe’ve only got limited answers to at this stage. Honda has built the new Blade for the real world so it should excel. It stillcomes equipped with Honda’s excellent electronic steering damper and on thetrack there was only the faintest twitchfrom the bars so it shouldn’t be a problem.

Our track test also revealed how easy thenew Blade is to ride so even riders withonly a few years’ experience shouldn’t findit too intimidating. It turns easier, weighs less and has more mid-range punchmaking it more fun. Even travelling alongin top or fifth down an unfamiliar roadyou’ll be able to hold a respectable pace.

VERDICTIN a nutshell, the new Blade is not only the usual ‘Honda safe’, but it’s a great laugh, too. I’ve never ridden around atrack so hard and felt so secure. I didn’t have one ‘moment’ or nasty surprise as it steers so nicely that you can take realliberties with the throttle and brakes –even when it’s on its ear.

Whether that’s enough to beat thecompetition is another matter. Hondaassures us the new Blade is now a matchfor the class-leading GSX-R1000 onpower alone (see right). But then there’s the formidable new 2006 ZX-10R, too,and that’s going to take some beating. Ican’t wait for the back-to-back test...

THE standard BridgestoneBT015 tyres hardly complaineven when seriously abused

HONDA CBR1000RR FIREBLADE IN DETAIL

SEAT HEIGHT:831mm

RAKE: 23°TRAIL: 100mm

FUEL: 18 litres

WHEELBASE: 1400mm

LENGTH: 2030mm

2006 HONDACBR1000RRFIREBLADEHHHHHCOST: (est) £8800POWER: (claimed) 169.5bhpWEIGHT: (claimed) 176kgTORQUE: (claimed) 84.5ftlbAvailability: Feb 2006Colours: Red, black, silverNew for 2006: New modelInsurance group: 17 (of 17)Info: Honda UK – 01753-590500

TECHNICAL SPECEngine: Liquid-cooled 998cc (75 x56.5mm) dohc four-stroke inlinefour. Fuel-injection. Six gearsChassis: Twin spar aluminiumframe. 43mm upside-down forks,fully adjustable. Single rearshock, fully adjustable. Brakes:2 x 320mm front discs with four-piston radial calipers. 220mmrear disc with single-pistoncaliper. Tyres: 120/70 x 17 front190/50 x 17 rear.

MCN: When did you startworking on the new bike?Hancock: As soon as the oldbike was launched we had plansfor the new bike. In fact, some ofthe features on this bike nearlymade it to the old one. I first rodethe new bike only a few monthsafter the launch of the old bike atour test facility in Japan and onthe road in Germany.

MCN: Did you ride it up against the competition? And if sowhere does the new Blade sit?Hancock: Yes I rode all thecompetition – the R1, GSX-R andZX-10R. I also rode the old bike towork out how much the newbike had improved. We rode allthe bikes at our test road/track inJapan – Takasu, a purpose-builtprivate track that simulates allroad conditions, even humpbackbridges. We used the GSX-R asour benchmark. The old Bladestruggled out of the corners anddidn’t have the midrange, butnow the new bike is quicker thanthe Suzuki.

MCN: How much quicker exactly is the new Blade?Hancock: Around Takasu –which is over six kilometres long

– the new FireBlade lapped a fulltwo seconds quicker than theSuzuki. That’s with me riding andI’ve got a relaxed road-ridingstyle. The Suzuki was muchharder work, which in turn madeit lap slower.

MCN: Is the new Blade more ofa road bike or race bike?Hancock: The FireBlade is builtfor the road, not as a race bike,but it can obviously be used as atrack bike. We designed the biketo be a fun, safe road bike.

MCN: How do you decide onwhat changes to make –through market research or racing?Hancock: Mainly throughmarket research, talking tocustomers and finding out

exactly what they want. At theend of the day they are the oneswho are buying the bikes. Weuse a lot of customer feedbackthrough our dealers and fromwebsites.

MCN: It seems the Bladechanges every two years.What can we expect in 2008?Hancock: We plan changesevery two years or so, mainlyminor changes like this year.Then, every so often, we make ahuge leap forward. For examplein the past we’ve increased thecapacity. We come up with a listof things we want to change, seeif it’s possible and makealterations from there. We knowin theory what the FireBlade willbe like in 2015, we plan so farahead.

THE majority of the FireBlade’s 210 changesare invisible to the naked eye. Here we talkyou through the tweaks that count...

The cylinder head intake port has beenreshaped and the exhaust port increased insize. This boosts the amount of fuel/airmixture into the smaller combustion chamber(compression ratio is up from 11.9:1 to 12.2:1).

There are now two valve springs on eachintake valve. This makes operation moreprecise at high speed and pushes the redline

from 11,650rpm to 12,200rpm, also givinggreater durability when pushed to the limit.

A new crankshaft is made from a new steelalloy, making it stronger, stiffer and thinner,therefore saving weight. The radiator hasbeen redesigned as another weight-savingmeasure and all these little savings add up.

To improve the throttle response andsmooth out the power curve, Honda hasinstalled a new, smaller ECU.

The alter the gearing, Honda has switched

from a 40 to a 42-tooth rear sprocket forbetter acceleration. The wheelbase has beenpulled in by 5mm.

The frame and forks have remainedvirtually unchanged, yet the steering angle isreduced by a quarter of a degree. This affectsthe trail; reducing it from 102mm to 100mm tosharpen the steering and response.

Honda has saved 600g with the newexhaust. It still exits under the seat though,adding to the Blade’s mass centralisation.

SOWHATHAVETHEYCHANGEDEXACTLY?

INTERVIEW: DAVE HANCOCK, DEVELOPMENT RIDER

UNDER the skinis where most of the Honda’s

210 changes have been

made

HONDA tester Dave Hancock

EVEN at full lean the new FireBlade is completely confidence-inspiring

CLOCKS are unchanged, bar a higher redline BRAKE discs are larger, but thinner and lighter

2006 engine breathes easier, increasing power NEW underseat exhaust is 600g lighter!