The 2012 20th Anniversary Fireblade is here, what are your thoughts?

[Rogwick]

The 20th Anniversary Fireblade has arrived...whaddyareckon?

The new Honda CBR1000RR Fireblade

Today, Honda officially unveils the 2012 CBR1000RR Fireblade, celebrating 20 years since it was first launched as the CBR900RR in 1991.

The new machine was revealed simultaneously at two world class racing events: the Le Mans 24 hours round of the Endurance World Championship in France, and the eleventh round of the 2011 World Superbike Championship in Imola, Italy.

On hand to unveil the new machine to race fans were John McGuinness, racing at Le Mans for the Honda TT Legends Team, and Jonathan Rea, rider for the Castrol Honda Team in the World Superbike Championship.

John McGuinness, winner of 17 races at the Isle of Man TT, commented:
"I've got a real soft spot for the Fireblade. I've ridden it in many different racing events over the years and had a lot of success with it. In fact, some of the most memorable moments of my career have been on the Fireblade - from TT wins to this year in the World Endurance Championship. Unveiling the new model here at Le Mans is pretty exciting and I'm honoured that I was chosen to do it. It's great that all the thousands of racing and Fireblade fans around the world will now have the chance to see it for real."

Jonathan Rea, rider for the Castrol Honda World Superbike team:
"I feel like I have grown up with the Fireblade. It's such an iconic machine and it's an unbelievable feeling being the man to actually reveal the latest version. It really looks fantastic and I can't wait to get my hands on it."

Hirofumi Fukunaga, LPL for the 2012 CBR1000RR Fireblade:
"This is a model allowing all super sports bike lovers, including the most experienced, to savour the joy of owning the CBR1000RR Fireblade, while at the same time feeling more fun in sporty riding and more joy of riding than ever before, whether it be on winding roads or at a circuit."
(LPL = Large Project Leader, leader of model development)

2012 CBR1000RR overview:

NEW FOR 2012
New styling package includes a new nose, layered main fairing and a tail section which bring a more aggressive and dynamic look to the 2012 CBR1000RR.
Introduced for the first time on a production motorcycle, an advanced new rear shock uses a double-tube design to ensure smoother and more accurate response, superior damping and improved traction. The 2012 CBR1000RR also features inverted 43mm telescopic front forks with Showa’s Big Piston technology, offering improved damping, increased front tyre grip and better stability under braking.
New fuel injection settings for the 999cc inline-4 engine, make it even smoother and easier to use, particularly at smaller throttle openings.
Stunning 12-spoke cast aluminium wheels provide more consistent rigidity to work with the new forks to deliver improved handling.
The new CBR1000RR Fireblade uses a multi-function LCD instrument panel now with lap timer, gear position indicator, plus tachometer with 4 modes of display.

DEVELOPMENT CONCEPT
The CBR1000RR focuses on the evolution of the fun of sport riding and ease of handling. In 2012, changes have been made to the front and rear suspensions and the wheels, which contribute significantly to manoeuvrability while offering improved stability under braking, increased traction performance when pulling away, and enhanced ease of handling for sport riding.
The styling expresses a sense of speed and dynamic action that allows people to imagine sporty riding performance at a glance.
Full LCD meters are adopted for a variety of functions, to further improve the user-friendliness of circuit riding.

STYLING
The 2012 CBR1000RR has a dynamic speed shape. The side cowl and lower cowl that constitute the front cowl have an intricately worked surface shape to allow truly nimble handling.
The rear cowl has an extremely distinctive overhang to the right and left, offering up a sporty rear view.
For the cover, the lines moving from the sides to the top on the left and right are emphasized, making edges more effective for a sharp feel.
Along with adopting full LCD screens offering excellent visibility, the meters have higher functionality from the addition of features like a gear position indicator and a lap timer, for a truly race-inspired image.

BRAKES
As in the previous machine, the CBR1000RR brake system is set with the standard type and the electronically controlled “Combined ABS”.
In the front, as before, the machine is equipped with a combination of a 320 mm-diameter double disc and 4-piston opposing calipers. The calipers are radial-mount, lightweight and highly rigid monoblock type, with lightweight aluminum material adopted for the piston. And although the disc diameter is large, setting the number of floating pins to six allows for reduced weight. As a result, along with realizing direct responsiveness, the machine achieves nimble handling.
Furthermore, the rear, as in the previous model, features a 220 mm-diameter disc and compact, lightweight single-piston calipers.
The new CBR1000RR also features the world’s first electronically controlled “Combined ABS” for super sports bikes, developed by Honda in 2008 and loaded on the 2009 model, garnering rave reviews from super sports bike-loving riders all over the world.

ENGINE
The lightweight and compact, liquid-cooled DOHC inline 4-cylinder engine features 76mm bore, a short stroke of 55.1mm and a total displacement of 999cc.
Furthermore, as with the previous model, the cylinder surface is treated with a nickel-silicon carbide (Ni-SiC), ensuring strength and reliability even in extreme regions. And along with remarkable output characteristics, the engine is extremely lightweight.
In addition to adopting from the previous model the Programmed Dual Sequential Fuel Injection System (PGM-DSFI), cultivated by racing technology, the engine also features a supported material with high adsorbability for the catalyzer in the exhaust pipe and muffler, for a high-output engine with cleaner exhaust emissions.

FRAME
For the frame, as in the previous model, a compact 4-piece type, aluminum die-cast frame is adopted, achieving both high rigidity and a slim body.
Front and rear suspension that offer more stable damping force, wheels with reassessed rigidity, and a new cowl design mean the new CBR1000RR frame offers nimble handling with quick and superior responsiveness.

[W1LK0]

I keep looking at that first picture and thinking sideburns.

[Dirty32]

Im not quite sure I like the nose cone and headlight config...

Having said that, I hated the 08-11 CBR thou nose cone and headlight design when it first came out.
Iv grown to love it and if I was in the market for a CBR, id have an 08+ over any previous designs earlier based on looks.

Perhaps this will be the same and ill learn to like it...!
We'll see.

[TeaBee]

I dunno.. Kinda looks like a Tyga kit on the front. Wheels and LCD display are nice touches though

[Barfridge]

oh look, a tricolour, they really thought long and hard about this one.

Honda bike designers, the laziest in the world, after Porsche car designers?

[dadwantsafyabl4de2]

Don't want.

[SOLID]

*makes fart noise*

[Heretic]

I dunno.. Kinda looks like a Tyga kit on the front.

if you listen carefully you will shortly hear the entire Honda fairing design department getting the japanese version of a right good bollocking, then them running for the "break in case of emergency " samarai swords that are along the wall for them to remove their inner dangly bits

the japanese change so slowly..... but i spose if it ant broke dont fix it

Im sure i saw that the highest percentage of people worldwide who bought Blades were males in their 40's, is that true ? (seriously)

[Kristy]

the japanese change so slowly..... but i spose if it ant broke dont fix it

That doesn't explain their rapid evolution from the perfectly well proportioned 07 CBR thous to the snub-nosed 08+ version with the infintesimally small arse.

The 2012 doesn't look as extreme as the 08-11 models though...

[harpo marxman]

meh...still don't want one

[Heretic]

That doesn't explain their rapid evolution from the perfectly well proportioned 07 CBR thous to the snub-nosed 08+ version with the infintesimally small arse.

The 2012 doesn't look as extreme as the 08-11 models though...

how bout cause they dropped the underseat exhaust because everybody else had it now and HRC said they could win more races by helping centralizing mass, and they had to redesign the front to balance the back out asthetically, cause it might look to pointy and the 2007 sold really well anyhow so now everyone had one, and if they didn't change it no one would need to buy one and they were commanded into action because of pre GFC sales figures were great and they had the money to do it ??

hey, i really dont know, just putting out ideas, only from my experience in the past, working for a Japanese company,(tho not bikes) it was refine, refine, refine, refine, ,major reason to do something, refine refine, refine, refine

me personallly im not sold on the whole styling, and im a Honda fan. but it doesn't matter cause i wont be buying one this year anyhow

[Rorschach]

Not gonna lie, I quite like it...

[Kristy]

how bout cause they dropped the underseat exhaust because everybody else had it now and HRC said they could win more races by helping centralizing mass, and they had to redesign the front to balance the back out asthetically, cause it might look to pointy and the 2007 sold really well anyhow so now everyone had one, and if they didn't change it no one would need to buy one and they were commanded into action because of pre GFC sales figures were great and they had the money to do it ??

hey, i really dont know, just putting out ideas, only from my experience in the past, working for a Japanese company,(tho not bikes) it was refine, refine, refine, refine, ,major reason to do something, refine refine, refine, refine

me personallly im not sold on the whole styling, and im a Honda fan. but it doesn't matter cause i wont be buying one this year anyhow

My post was in reply to you saying the Japanese change so slowly. You have to admit that was a pretty radical overhaul of the cosmetics of the bike from 07 to 08. Normally models evolve - if over the space of 4 years the CBRthous evolved to what the 2012 looks like, I think people would probably be less critical of the snub nose design rather than it being thrust upon us overnight. Then again there will always be lovers and haters of designs. I'm just not a fan of the smashed crab look .

[Logie]

My post was in reply to you saying the Japanese change so slowly. You have to admit that was a pretty radical overhaul of the cosmetics of the bike from 07 to 08. Normally models evolve - if over the space of 4 years the CBRthous evolved to what the 2012 looks like, I think people would probably be less critical of the snub nose design rather than it being thrust upon us overnight. Then again there will always be lovers and haters of designs. I'm just not a fan of the smashed crab look .

I love my smashed in crab look!

[Kloun]

Looks like a fast looking vfr... Why have Honda started with this robotic look sharp lines thing?? There is no flow to it... Logies CBR > 2012 CBR (aesthetically)... But then again I like the look of the new gsxr 600/750s so that warrants my opinion worthless

[dazza]

like many before, i didnt like the 08 initially but it did grow on me significantly, actually i do love the snub nose now i nearly bought one. I was waiting for this model to come out so i could upgrade the 600rr but the 848 evo caught my attention first! looking at this picture im happy with my choice. But maybe with a different colour scheme, a test ride and a bit of getting used to over time i will go back to honda, they are just so user friendly and inspire confidence at all levels.

[Dirty32]

Agree with TeaBee too, the new wheels are a lot nicer than the current Honda 3 spokers and the new dash looks great.

Is the fuel tank shape new?
Looks flatter & squarer than the current tank...

Be interested to see what it looks like in the Repsol livery. Being black and with the colour combo, it might take away some of the hardness of the lines on the bike. The 12 spoke wheels in orange should stand out well too...

[Bendito]

guess that four year cycle is out the window, fancy new one in '14 then?

[Heretic]

My post was in reply to you saying the Japanese change so slowly. You have to admit that was a pretty radical overhaul of the cosmetics of the bike from 07 to 08. Normally models evolve - if over the space of 4 years the CBRthous evolved to what the 2012 looks like, I think people would probably be less critical of the snub nose design rather than it being thrust upon us overnight. Then again there will always be lovers and haters of designs. I'm just not a fan of the smashed crab look .

fair enough, but it kinda sticks to the usual four-ish year design cycle they run to, like difference b-tween 954 and 1,000, they were forced into change, and did a real nice job of it, because they had so many fantastic ideas on the back burner, thats typical Japanese, solid R & D but conservative bringing it to market, and honda are probably the most innovative**

the italians, yanks and germans i think have completely different ideas on go to market strategy

i'll probably get used to the smashed crab look, and fyi i never liked the underseat exhaust thing, i thought it was just fashion...



** results may vary with personal opinion, consult doctor if symptoms persist

[Rogwick]

I quite like the 08-11 Blade shape, the analogue tachometer, thin rear cowl. I don't like the rear cowl so much on the new Blade. At first when I saw the digital dash I thought "nah...not for me" but after seeing it work its not bad and the digital rev response is ok I guess. I'm just familiar with a needle. Been playing around on photoshop a bit as I don't like the Tri-colour, results: