2019 Honda CBR1000RR Fireblade to come with more power and better aero

MANILA: Honda Motorcycles is reportedly set to unveil a comprehensively updated version of the CBR1000RR Fireblade. This new bike is expected to be showcased at the EICMA motor show, which is scheduled in November 2018. Though no official announcement has been made yet, reports suggest that the revised model will get some major aerodynamic updates, along with a more powerful engine.

It is important to note that factory racing teams had earlier complained about Honda’s equipment, which was reported to be inferior to its competitors. Factory racing teams are famous for pushing a bike to over 150 percent of its capacity. Such teams repeatedly criticized the lack of power in the CBR1000RR, which is rated at 189 PS; around 10 – 15 PS less than its direct competitors.

Moreover, racing teams weren’t too impressed with the bike’s front end aerodynamics either. Complaints about inconsistent air flow from the front have been rising ever since the bike’s introduction last year. Honda’s BSB team has twice replaced the fairing designs and are currently on their third iteration, while the company’s Pro Racing team too is facing similar issues, which results in poor top speed and front grip in high-speed corners.

After taking all these inputs from its factory racing teams, Honda appears to have finally readied an update that will address all said issues. The engine has been retuned to extract an additional 10 PS of power, while the front fairing has been redesigned to aid airflow. The sharper nose now comes with the entire fairing unit mapped around it, resulting in the best possible air drag coefficient. Additionally, the air opening in the centre has been pushed closer to the nose, which helps the air to flow around the rider, thus eliminating wind blast and improving the bike’s overall aerodynamic capabilities.

Additionally, the Fireblade SP2, which is Honda’s flagship superbike, is expected to get a revised full carbon fibre fairing. This will help limit the bike’s weight to just 185 kg. There is also a possibility of Honda using the same engine on all models of the Fireblade series, rather than having the current arrangement of using one engine on the standard Fireblade and SP, and another on the SP2.

With the aforementioned comprehensive changes, the 2019 Honda CBR1000RR is expected to be priced at a premium over the current model range. However, final prices will be known only in a couple of months.