The ShaRR-Rpest ’Blade.

Cycle World Magazine’s Michael Gilbert goes in depth about the brand new Honda track weapon.

Right from the off, Michael recognizes this bike as one of Honda’s greatest. “The Fireblade joins legendary Honda homologation specials like the V-4 RC30 and RC45, but democratizes its MotoGP-derived technology by making it more affordable. True, the CBR is not inexpensive, but the value the bike represents in the form of decades of experimentation and progress at the highest levels of racing comes out every time you ask it to perform” says Michael.

At a press event at the Losail International Circuit in Qatar, he said “it’s a magical, almost surreal feeling to slipstream three-time world champion and grand prix icon Freddie Spencer aboard the 2020 CBR1000RR-R Fireblade SP, the long-awaited redesign of Honda’s open-class superbike. But while tucked behind the bubble and letting the powerful inline-four rip toward redline across Losail International Circuit’s front straightaway in top gear, it somehow feels just right.”

“What you get is a bike that Honda proclaims as the most racetrack-focused and powerful Fireblade ever created. In fact, the claimed 214 hp at 14,500 rpm and 443 pound curb weight for the Euro model (fully fueled and ready to ride) is said to net a 9.7-percent power-to-weight ratio improvement over the outgoing model and a whopping 79.5-percent gain compared to the original CBR900RR of ’92.”

In conclusion, he makes it clear what he feels about this masterpiece. “Everything about this Fireblade is built to strive for the perfect lap and reassert Honda’s domination in the World Superbike championship. It’s got all the right maximums, all the right minimums, and a heck of a lot of technology derived directly from MotoGP. It feels as if it was hand-built on the workbench right alongside the grand prix bikes. In fact, Honda says the performance benchmark for the new model was the $184,000 RC213V-S MotoGP replica racer of 2016. The difference is, it’s much easier to own a Fireblade, which is scheduled to be available stateside in June of 2020 in very limited numbers for $28,500 as a 2021 model.”

Check out our inventory of the new Honda CBR1000RR-R Fireblade SP >