Just two weeks ago, we were rounding up the rumors on the next Honda CBR600RR, with talk that the 600cc supersport would be making an August arrival, and sadly not be an all-new machine.
Those rumors seem to be spon-on, because Big Red is now teasing the 2021 Honda CBR600RR on its Japanese website as well as YouTube. As such, we now expect to see the new Honda CBR600RR debut on August 21st.
The above is all that we officially know from Honda, as the Japanese brand isn’t divulging too much information, but from the video we can see the general look of the bike, as well as some of its features.
Right off the bat, we notice the fixed winglet near the headlight, which isn’t as elaborate of an aerodynamic design as what’s seen on the Honda CBR1000RR-R (maybe one day the CBR600RR will earn that extra “R” and get a winglet pod?).
We can also see a large TFT dash on the bike, which tips Honda’s hand on the electronics that have been added to the CBR600RR project.
Clearly visible are options for throttle maps, traction control, wheelie control, and engine braking control, which suggests and IMU and likely cornering ABS available as well.
Styling is a nice blend between the current CBR600RR look and what was created for the CBR1000RR-R superbike, complete with LED lighting and a front-and-center intake opening.
The undertail exhaust layout and other bits on the bike suggest that the previous generation chassis and engine design are still in use, so we don’t expect huge movements in the power department, and weight loss could be minimal.
The big question still remains though: which markets will the new Honda CBR600RR come to? The United States and Japan are 99.99% certainties, but the big question mark is Europe.
Rumors seem to be split as to whether the CBR600RR will be Euro5 compliant (note, the bike seems certain for the Japanese market, which closely follows European emission regulations, so…) – as usual, we will have to wait and see. However, it will also be interesting to see how Honda prices this new CBR600RR.
The current model goes for $11,800, while the class-leading Yamaha YZF-R6 hits the pocketbook for $12,200. Kawasaki is zigging where the others are zagging though, and offers its ZX-6R for under $10,000 (without ABS).
If Honda can keep the pricing reasonable on this new CBR600RR design (and by using the previous generation as a basis, it should), then the added features that come from the IMU-assisted electronics and the novelty of the winglets could put Big Red on the top of the heap.
For a space in the motorcycle industry that Honda had long ago surrendered, it is good to see Honda bringing a new CBR600RR to the table. Maybe they realize that not everyone wants to ride a 200hp superbike on the race track.
Source: Honda Japan
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