The new Fireblade will be in Honda showrooms in India, in 2012
Earlier this week, Honda released the first official photographs and details of the new, 2012-spec CBR1000RR Fireblade, the company’s high-performance litre-class superbike that’s widely regarded as one of the best sportsbikes in the business. The current Fireblade, which was launched in India a few years ago and which was priced at around Rs 12.50 lakh (ex-showroom), will be phased out and will be replaced with the 2012 model early next year.
HMSI will showcase the new CBR1000RR Fireblade at the Auto Expo in Delhi, in January next year. The bike, which celebrates 20 years of the Fireblade – the first one was launched back in 1992 – builds on the original model’s strengths, taking performance to even higher levels. The new Fireblade features revised, sharper styling, new suspension components, lighter wheels, retuned fuel-injection system, uprated brakes and a revised four-cylinder engine that now pumps out a phenomenal 175 horsepower and 112Nm of torque. On a bike that weighs 199 kilos, those power and torque numbers translate into near-unbelievable performance on the street.
‘The new Fireblade allows all supersports bike lovers, including the most experienced, to savour the joy of owning a CBR1000RR. The bike feels sportier than ever before and is a joy to ride, whether on winding roads or at a circuit,’ says Hirofumi Fukunaga, Large Project Leader for the 2012 CBR1000RR. And that may well be the truth. Among other things, the new Fireblade features completely revised, fully adjustable suspension for vastly improved high-speed handling. There’s the 43mm inverted ‘big piston’ telescopic forks at the front and double-tube rear suspension at the back, which Honda claims offers improved damping, increased tyre grip and better stability under braking.
Apart from more power and better handling, the new CBR1000RR is also safer – it features the latest anti-lock brakes (ABS), which allow the rider to brake very hard even on wet, slippery surfaces without the fear of locking up the wheels. And then there’s an electronic steering damper, which offers the best of both worlds – light, responsive steering at low speeds, combined with perfect stability at very high speeds. Honda engineers have also paid special attention to usability – there is no dearth of power with litre-class superbikes, but making all that power usable is where the challenge is. And Honda’s Programmed Dual Sequential Fuel Injection system (PGM-DSFI), which has been optimised for smooth, linear power delivery at low speeds, makes sure that things never get out of hand on this lightweight, hugely powerful motorcycle.
We expect HMSI to showcase the new Fireblade at the Auto Expo in Delhi, in January next year, and the bike should be available in Honda showrooms in India shortly thereafter, at a price of about Rs 13-14 lakh. Yes, that’s a lot of money and, yes, this is a very powerful, very high-performance superbike that’s not meant for novice riders. But for those who know and love big, fast bikes – and have the financial wherewithal to be able to afford one – the new Fireblade will be the must-have garage accessory in 2012.
