After seeing the spy photos of the Honda CBR1000RR filming in Croatia, we already have a pretty good indication that Honda isn’t going to stray too far from the current Fireblade design. The chassis looks almost exactly the same as the current generation model, as does the engine.
The most recent teasers from Honda confirm this notion, with the Japanese brand showing us four glowing header pipes off an inline-four engine. The exhaust note should end speculation that a crossplane crankshaft has been added to the CBR1000RR, with a distinct “screamer” tone coming from its pipes.
Honda’s next video gives indication that the 2017 Honda CBR1000RR will have an LED headlight, a tip to the likely robust electronics suite that Big Red is bringing to its new superbike, which will compliment the major fairing design upgrade
With the tagline “Total Control” being touted by Honda, we can expect the 2017 Honda CBR1000RR to come with the bevy of electronic rider aids that we have come to expect from this segment: ride-by-wire, traction control, wheelie control, launch control, etc.
If Honda is smart, they will raise the bar in this category — which would help distract us from the continuation of the same mechanical package) — adding electronic features not yet seen in the superbike space.
The use of an inertial measurement unit (IMU) is rapidly becoming a must-have feature in this space, and we are already a stratification between the brands that are using a true six-axis system, and those who are using a five-axis or virtual six-axis setup.
Features like the slide control found on the current generation Yamaha YZF-R1 are made possible by this technology, though we have only begun to scratch the surface of what’s available with these systems.
Hopefully Honda will give us some surprises in this regard. Stay tuned.
Source: Honda Moto Global
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