 The life and times of Honda's CBR600RRAmong bike aficionados, any discussion about truly 'iconic' machines is very likely to witness a mention of the stunning Honda CBR 600 RR. More than just the trusted and envied Honda brand name has gone into making this model such a popular one for those who love racing down tracks with the wind whipping by. The sheer beauty of the machine, sleek, stylish lines, the performance and unmatched power- all went into putting the CBR 600 RR into a class of its own, far, far above many others in its niche. Yet, Honda has made an official announcement that this particular beauty will no longer be part of its product line- up once this year comes to a close. Given this, we thought this was the perfect opportunity to give our tribute to this incomparable machine and also rejoice in the fact that it may not actually be end of the road for folks who really love this bike. Where it all began With its comfortable peg placement, padded seats, decent bar height and more significantly, the increasingly uncommon undertail exhaust, the Honda CBR 600 RR certainly has a lot going for it. A hugely lovable sportsbike that really cares about rider comfort, this mode has had a long and eventful history: The first City Bike Racing (CBR) model- It all started back in 1987 when the curvy CBR 600 cc sports bike made its impressive debut. It packed a lot of power within a light weight body and ensured that a big cross section of bike enthusiasts simply fell in love at first sight. First overhaul- This came by in 1991 and the CBR was a universal favourite by this time. The overhaul gave the bike a 2mm larger bore and added to this a shorter stroke and new twin spar steel frame plus brand new fairings. This resulted in a gain of 8bhp and 3ftlb torque. Real steel- Between 1999 and 2000, a major change for the CBR was its new aluminium beam frame. Emission law compliance- Fuel injection came into fulfil the new emission laws in 2001- 2006. Twin headlights gave the CBR an aesthetic makeover. Graphics intensive- 2010 saw the CBR get bolder and more stylish with new graphics. 2009 was the year of the Phoenix colour scheme while 2010 ushered in the Leyla scheme. Built for the track- By 2005, with its 117 bhp motor, inverted fork and radial brakes, race ready. Switching to a practical design- The years between 2011 and 2014 saw a shift back to the practical side of things and the CBR 600F had a relaunch. The RR's engine was now housed in an aluminium chassis and this transformed the bike into a road and racing bike from its previous track monster image. The last rework- In 2013 came the final rehaul for the popular model with a redesigned ram air system that is now centrally mounted. In addition, the engine output has been enhanced to give better on road performance. Aerodynamic body design and the new Big Piston Fork make it a terrific machine. The CBR 600 RR's impressive track record There is no question that the CBR 600RR transformed the way people looked at sports bikes and the model's ability to rule the race track roost testifies to this. The years between 1991 and 1998 were indubitably the best for this model and it was during this phase that it practically dominated the race tracks in any 600 cc race class competition. This model has under its belt eight out of a total twelve Supersport World Championship titles, making it a truly worthy member of the Honda family. After all, the brand has a mind boggling 700 MotoGP wins in its kitty. The decision to cull it in 2017 The main reason being touted for Honda's decision to pull out the CBR 600 RR is its inability to match the super- stringent Euro 4 standards for noise and emission levels that will soon come into force at the beginning of next year. Honda has decided that it will not invest in new engine technology to fulfil the new requirements. It just doesn't make financial sense for the brand to keep the 600 cc bike alive anymore, experts believe. Honda officials have stated that the bike is simply not bringing in the turnover that justifies that investment in a newer version. It's not just the cost and red tape involved in keeping it complaint that poses a challenge to the makers. A significant issue that can also impact the performance of the bike itself and its 'feel' for bikers, is that compliance would require increasing the weight of the machine. This, in turn, would skew its power to weight ratio. A major tweak to the engine should typically address this issue but with this tweak being financially unviable, the brand has been left with just one thing to do. The news is not all bad though because even beyond the Euro 4 implementation date, a limited number of these bikes may still be on the market only in the UK and across Europe due to the 'derogation' rules. Plus, in the USA, it is likely that the bike will continue to be sold. There is little doubt that the Honda CBR 600 RR still has a solid share of fans in the bike lovers market and it is a great seller simply because it offers such excellent value for the money spent. For those who have one to sell or those that want to own one, the avenues are not all closed although finding one to buy, or locating a buyer who will care for it as much as you do may be slightly more challenging than usual. https://www.wewantyourmotorbike.com End
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