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Honda's 2006 Blade lighter and quicker
By Dave Abrahams
He also used tougher material for the hollow camshafts and reduced their wall thickness from 4mm to 2.5mm, shaving 450g off their weight.
The steering head angle has been steepened by a quarter of a degree for quicker steering, shortening the trail from 102 to 100mm, and the swing-arm shortened by 5mm; the effect has been to reduce the wheelbase by 10mm to 1400mm for quicker direction changes.. The radial-mount front brake discs have been reduced in thickness from 5mm to 4mm for a 300g weight saving and the bike's titanium and stainless-steel exhaust system has been revised to shave 600g from the header pipes, 480g from the servo-controlled exhaust valve and 380g from the underseat tailpipe. The styling has also been tautened, slimmed down; it's even crisper than the model it replaces, with a more sharply pointed centre section and narrower headlights. More comfortable The lower body is closer to the hardware beneath it, with larger cutaways leaving more of the engine on display, specifically the alternator cover on the right (now magnesium for a 100g weight saving) and the water pump and clutch cover on the left. The padding on the rider's seat, however, is a little thicker and of denser foam for a much more comfortable perch. The bike's dry weight has been reduced by 3kg to 176kg but it feels like a lot more; the bike's more agile, sharper, more precise on turn-in. It pulls strongly above 2500rpm; you could commute on it full-time (if your wrists would stand it) without exceeding 5000 but that would be a pity because after that comes a hard-edged growl from the air box that starts a tingle at the base of your spine. Above 8000 the engine begins to vibrate strongly, the intake roar becomes a baritone howl and the slipstream starts trying to pluck you from the saddle. The bike picks up speed faster than you can make sense of the visuals and for a while you have to ride by instinct, so you back off and try it again on the next long straight. After a half-dozen blasts you begin to recognise individual factors – the bike keeps on pulling from 8000 to 11 500rpm and even after that there is a long plateau in the power curve so that you can pick your spot to change up. Slicker gearbox Next, the screen is too low. That's a fashion thing, for which the Italians are largely to blame - the first thing any rider does when preparing a modern sports bike for the track is to put on a higher screen. Then, the triangular gearbox with its selector mechanism on top is a lot slicker at high revs than around town where the shift is notchy, a little gritty, sometimes embarrassingly vocal; on the open road it's firm and positive. You have to concentrate on your line through tight curves and ride neatly to get the smooth in-out swoop that feels so good. On longer, faster curves the steering is a little slower, thanks to the electronic steering damper pioneered on the previous model. The effort required to pitch it in is minimal, less than on the older model, but you have to begin the turn, unlike bikes that simply go where you look. It makes the bike reassuringly stable through fast sweeps; with the power on, the chassis "goes to sleep" and settles into its line. The downside, of course, is that it requires a distinct effort to change that line. Braided hoses The front brake discs' diameter is 10mm larger at 320mm but they're clamped by the same Tokico radial mount callipers. That gives you the same outrageously powerful, incredibly controllable braking as before but with less finger pressure. You can go into a corner at high speed on the brakes, let them off a little to change line and put them back on again – thanks to rigid callipers and hoses clad in braided stainless steel. The riding position is near ideal for fast road work with the rider's weight equally balanced between hands, saddle and footpegs; the bike is also eminently rideable, if less comfortable, around town, which says a lot for the chassis geometry. Is this a new, revolutionary, litre-class sports bike? No, it's the same basic Blade but honed and tempered. Is it the most complete, most civilised and most forgiving of the current crop of litre-class sports bikes? Definitely. And now for the best news: the 2006 Honda CBR1000RR will retail for the same price as its predecessor – R115 000. Additional Resources: |
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