2017 Honda CBR1000RR SP Review | First Ride

Excited about the new CBR1000RR SP? So were we. Zack Courts flew to Portugal to ride Honda's new superbike around the Portimao circuit and give you this quick rundown of the new bike. He'd wanted to give turn-by-turn analysis and insights from the bike, but as it turns out it's a lot of work to hustle 150+ horsepower around a track like Portimao!
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The new CBR1000RR will come in three versions: base model, SP, and SP2. We didn’t ride an SP2 and we probably won’t-it’s made for racing homologation and Honda only plans to make 500 of them, selling for about $25,000 each. The SP will be widely available, and comes with a titanium fuel tank, lithium-ion battery, Brembo brakes, a standard quickshifter, as well as electronically adjustable Öhlins suspension and different paint-all for a base price of $19,999. The base bike will be available in two versions in the US, non-ABS for $16,499 and with ABS for $16,799. Both will use steel gas tanks, lead-acid batteries, and Tokico brake calipers.
The upshot of Honda’s hard work on the new CBR1000RR is 10 more horsepower and 33 pounds of weight loss. Based on the previous-generation’s measured weight (without ABS) compared with the Euro-spec bike I watched get pushed onto a scale in Portugal, the actual weight savings appears to be more like 20 pounds-the new bike weighed in at 425, while our 2012 test bike tipped the scales at 445 pounds. Claimed weight for the US-market ABS bike is 434 pounds, 33 pounds lighter than the last CBR1000RR with C-ABS (467 pounds claimed). That’s a solid diet for a superbike. Claimed power is now at 189 horsepower-that’s the Euro-spec bike, and we expect a little less from US-bound units.
Swinging a leg over the 2017 bike, it’s instantly clear that it has been made more compact. It’s amazingly narrow in the middle and feels very light coming off the kickstand. From the cockpit, it looks small, too. The upper fairing is an inch narrower, and the middle fairing is 0.75 inches narrower. The windscreen is nearly as tall as the 2016 bike but comes to a sharp peak at the top, making for a narrower and more angular look (as well as a little less wind protection). A bright, full-color dash displays all of the bike’s pertinent data and is controlled via the left switch cluster. That includes making adjustments over the nine-level Honda Selectable Torque Control system (traction and wheelie control), ABS, and engine brake settings, all of which are informed by a five-axis IMU at a rate of up to 100 times a second.
THE RIDING IMPRESSION
The test bikes I rode around the Autodromo Algarve in Portimao, Portugal were all equipped with a quickshifter, and one trip down pit lane demonstrated that it will be a sweet item to have on the street. It works up and down the gearbox, with smooth shifts at all rpms and satisfying rev matching on downshifts. The new CBR was more ready for Portimao’s crazy, undulating circuit than I was, which was a good confidence boost. Changing direction and diving toward apexes (some of which you can’t see until the last second) is a breeze on the CBR-there’s good feel from the front end and the chassis works well with the standard-issue, Bridgestone S21 rubber. It’s smooth, predictable, and precise.
Mid-corner, the new CBR feels stable, and it's easy to change trajectory or adjust a line in the middle of a turn. The only struggle I had was that the bike is so narrow in the middle it was a little tricky to grip with my legs. I think part of it was a Honda employee who was overzealous with the spray polish-the seat and tank felt slipperier than usual, and I suspect it was all so the bike would look good in photos. Nevertheless, agility and precision has never been a problem for the CBR and the 2017 bike carries on that tradition, 20-something pounds lighter than before.
Full story here: www.motorcyclistonline.com/20...
For a thorough rundown of the bike, read Zack's First Ride report here: www.motorcyclistonline.com/20...
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[@HeroRR]

Wow you have very impressive skills! I wish I was half as good as you. Amazing bike and amazing rider! Big thumbs up!

[@Ihelpanytime]

Half as good as him?????? Why not as good as him? ;D

[@bustinjieber9539]

Dang, you and Ari are really talented riders

[@gelul12]

RaphaelLee Peters its their Job too ride lol anyone can get good

[@Ozmeister666]

Pretty sure theyre journalists by Job and not racers. I see where youre coming from with your argument, but it's plain wrong. These guys are seriously talented, I know very few moto-journalists with that amount of skill (only Jamie from MotoGeo aswell as the French guys at MotoJournal coming to mind).

[@TomReagh]

His bio says he was a road racer for ten years prior to joining the mag.

[@sportbikejesus6297]

both of them have an extensive background as racers and still race from time to time.

[@cagednm69]

they're club racers and they have a few trophies to their names.

[@myriad860]

holy shit this guy gets low!

[@sportbikejesus6297]

IKR? I was going to point out it looks like he almost gets his mirror down and at one point it looked like he almost got the upper bodywork down.

[@PhantomRides]

Yes I kept looking at the mirrors as well lol

[@UnknownProdrive]

Phantom Rides Thought he was gonna leave them on track! The guy can ride for sure, qualified to assess this bikes top end performance. I would take his word on the bikes performance absolutely. He seems a good guy too. I enjoy his commute series. Cheers.

[@PhantomRides]

Sleepingdragon 1 hell yeah he can ride.

[@IchigolovesRukia7]

Hell yeah! I almost felt like he was touching the side mirrors with the tarmac! Classy riding Zack! :D

[@BikerOfAmsterdam]

the bike is RED. it means it is FAST? Right? i learned red is the fastest colour

[@sergioferreira5771]

and the weakest

[@MJT-DA]

SergioRC The Gamer its faster than the r1 and zx10r because it's the lightest.

[@sergioferreira5771]

it was a joke, in all lights the red is the weakest -.-

[@indrmln9932]

usually red is three times faster

[@Konghulio]

Great job on those apexes jeez killing it

[@Thesusoperator]

holy fuck the mirrors almost hit the curb

[@randinmotion6622]

Googly Eyes that's what those little radiuses on the mirrors are for... they match the outside radius of the curb for more ground clearance. ;-)

[@CRLAMB]

Rand in Motion i noticed that also. very trick

[@alanhirayama4592]

Zack has amazing skills and he has his perfect job! Awesome video!

[@4theriders]

awesome! Thanks for the quick tour! looking forward to more.

[@JVDK01]

Pretty ironic how the last video I watched featuring Zack Courts was his commute on a Grom. Gotta love a guy who can have fun on any motorcycle.

[@ALTMED]

This reminds me of my first crash on my 08 CBR. The memory is just so vivid. Love the video though.

[@hommebizzare]

Wow, Zack is not playing around when he is testing bikes, good job! It's funny how Honda always manages to make a bike easy to ride even though it's (almost) as fast as the competitors. I can't wait till I get more experience with bikes and feel in what ways this is true

EPIC RIDE man! Thank you for taking us along.

[@DearMajesty]

You were beasting it Zack!

[@SWTrailsAndWheels]

This the best camera setup I have ever seen on a motorcycle! Great job!

[@andresilva3413]

I wished I knew you were comming to my home country, I would have gone and said hi! Hope you enjoyed it, and kudos on the video, very well done.

[@hfr8343]

Between this and the 2017 gixxer 1000 it's gonna be a really tough choice. Can't wait for that launch video. Adam Waheed, Zack Courts and Ari are my favorite moto journalists

[@bchant19]

nice riding zack

[@lateapex9420]

That looked super smooth and fast. Very skilled rider.

[@tjugofyra24]

What a great morning - a new motorcyclist magazine episode!

[@metakmoto]

Dude your riding skills are insane! Slaying that track 😎👊

[@upsidedowndog1256]

great review.

[@bsmukler]

Great video and really impressive riding! All of your videos (MC Garage; MC Commute, and all the specials and reviews) are very helpful. In fact, I made my two most recent purchases based in part on your reviews.

[@nicolasalimei]

Congrats!

[@laktoweiz]

holy moly this was one fast lap!

[@VeeFour]

nicely ridden Zak, nicely ridden

[@gonerydin4225]

Nice riding Zack

[@lmdtm24v]

Wellcome to Portugal Zack!

[@dangerm2156]

Am I the only one who thought that the mirror is gonna scrap . ?

[@crazydrifter13]

yeah it looks like its gonna scrape

[@louielambretta389]

sounds super smooth

[@wetnoodl]

Man I love the sounds hondas make

[@MiguelSilva-ws7kv]

next time u guys come to portugal let me know.. big fan xD

[@adamstratford6740]

Looks like the blade is back 💨💨💨🏁

[@crazydrifter13]

they could have added a bit more power. Specially when the sp costs 4k dollars over the normal. Sp could do with 10 more.

[@bramdriessens5942]

Adam Stratford The cbr900rr was the last real fireblade

[@SanFranciscoRiderr]

great looking bike

[@UnknownProdrive]

I think the front end styling of the new Blade is on point, particularly with LED lighting. I'm a Blade fan, so maybe biased. Thanks for the vid Zack nice riding sir. All the best from the UK.

[@Elias_g1]

At first I didn't like the bike (at least the looks of it).But now i am hooked and i think it looks great :D

[@Jack-bt8ct]

that gearbox whine is beeeautiful

[@vitornunes7041]

Welcome to Portugal guys!!!

[@Astute_white]

Yeah Zach you're the winner! Thumbs up!

[@u9Nails]

We needed a wind filter on that mic during the conclusion. Good first look on the bike. It's so quite tho, I can hear more intake noise than exhaust.

[@kunlequashie6246]

hey guys can you do a video on the mods allowed for super-stock racing vs full super bike. i know reg may vary by race association but just a general comparison is fine

[@Groagun]

Zack, what was noticeable right off the bat were your lean angles. Does the bike measure or record such stats and if not, can you give us a sense of how far and how easily it felt to lean way over.

[@Edwin6932]

I have a 2018 CBR1000RR and I don't his skills but I do enjoy the bike. The fastest I have ever been is 140 MPH and I don't go beyond that because I lack the skills and I don't want to die :) I am just a 54 year old combat veteran that like to have a little rush once in a while. I only have 5 years of riding experience and look forward to learn more as the time progress.

[@benjahnz]

Ridden like a total boss.

[@jeronepaulopunzal7655]

That engine sound!! It tickles me!! 👍🏻😁

[@farhandwiputra72]

Best superbike I've ever seen in 2017

[@AfonsodaMataSlam]

You guys were here in Portugal and didn't even give us a heads up? I'd be there on the stands to cheer for your podium and I'd buy you guys a beer, afterwards ;) Next time, don't forget to call ;)

[@OneWheelUp_03]

hope one day I could ride a bike that fast around a track

[@mayurkulkarni1990]

awesome riding zack, but why did you record last part in so much windy environment?

[@crazydrifter13]

he means get a better mic. Good lean angles.

[@Jonny_P_11]

any word on when you'll get to try the new GSX-R1000? I'm dying to find out about how the VVT works out.

[@jaybosher6144]

cant wait for the review to drop!

[@PepinoMichoacan]

Yeeeeeeah !

[@phernand7711]

Bem vindo a Portugal... WELCOME TO PORTUGAL.

[@Selvariabell]

VTEC just kicked in yo!

[@shawsie5780]

That motor sounds silky smooth

[@sportbikejesus6297]

Has anyone been to even one track day in the US that allows you leave mirrors untaped? I normally just remove them but this would be so nice to be able to leave the mirrors in place. First for convenience but also with the added benefit of those killer shots of the rider moving around as seen here.

[@LarryMullins111]

How does it compare to the R1 and ZX10?

[@andrewmcdonald407]

Bro, what tyres whr on the bike at the time?, Size and make?

[@Nicoya]

Are the mirrors that shape from the factory, or is the funny outside edge from scraping them on the rumble strips?

[@brysonmerrell575]

Nicoya yeah, they come like that. plus. the mirrors rarely get touched by the rumble strips.

[@Q.Q.]

@Other Me -- Yeah! Fuck humor! Fuck sarcasm! Who needs 'em?!... Literalism rules!...

[@untouchable1368]

Dude, I thought those mirrors were coming off for sure!

[@urhhoney]

can't wait for the full review with BMW s1000RR 2017

[@sheetalanugrahkispotta7791]

What time did it lap the circuit?

[@johnlee072092]

Is this faster than the r1m?

[@mrmenan6450]

waiting for full review.

[@sportbikejesus6297]

Also, 284k (177m) on the straight. Whee! Does that mean it's now on part with the latest and greatest in terms of power? I"m hoping the description "150+" is a huge understatement.

[@Edwin6932]

I own a 2018 CBR1000RR and I have put over 6200 miles in one riding season. I am not Zack neither a rider with tons of years of experience. Saying that the bike is perfect for the streets and it is comfortable. The power of the bike is definitely more than enough unless you want to die or get arrested.

[@Burnzi85]

Does anyone know where they sale those shirts? Love to support them through apparel sales.

[@sfasto1]

When are you doing the new GSXR test?....

[@farhandwiputra72]

I've been waiting for SP2

[@faheemsaiyed8094]

Zack do you have to pay from your pocket if you crash the bike?

[@gmc3578]

sounds very smooth like a Honda, wish they would have made it a Cross-Plane crank bike like the Yamaha!

[@JeffNoel]

That windscreen shape is odd! Bike looks nice overall. I remember people complaining about 2016 zx10r's linear power... Now it's the new trend!

[@PureSoundAddiction]

Man was dragging his tongue around those corners.

[@luiscaldas5116]

welcome to my country

[@skimboards4life]

What's that whining noise as the revs climb out of the corners? It sounds almost like a supercharger but I wasn't aware of one being on this bike?

[@cagednm69]

PAIR valve i think. Its even on the CBR650F.

[@skimboards4life]

cagednm69 thanks! I'll do some research

[@juliecampagna2388]

You should see zach ride a 125gp bike, awesome talent

[@elithegreat6463]

Im thinking the New Suzuki GSX-R may be top Dog this year??, we'll see ?

[@theincrediblesulk5543]

At 2:03 is that called dragging mirror?!

[@pistolpete6321]

Sounds great, looks great but does it separate itself from all the other incredible sport bikes out there? If not then just Honda brand loyal folks will buy this bike.

[@sportbikejesus6297]

I've never liked any Honda (car or bike) before but this is the bike I want now.

[@IbrahimAli-ps1gt]

Not one photo if the bike. ?????

[@MultiFireblade1000]

Ferrari and Mclaren and Porsche tested their latest generation hypercars here on this track setting a 1.54 second laptimes. It wouldve been nice to have a Pro set the new Fireblade lap times for this track. Nicky Hayden, or Marc Marquez would do just to show us the way!

[@JSSQuelloAutentico]

400 km/h?

[@JoaoPaulo-wi4ie]

Is the CLASS OF ... only in odd years? 2013, 2015, 2017?

[@carstenhansen5757]

You need a mic with a windcover. :P

[@IDontKnow-bb6mt]

Wow watching this vid makes it look like the wheelie control really sux.

[@sandrego2884]

I know i'd never get to ride this bike coz i wont be able to afford it 😩.. so the next best thing is to watch a lengthy beautifuuuul well made review from you guys.. such a let down😔😔😔

[@Saelki]

Is the cbr250rr coming to the US?

[@SousukeAizen421]

i heard they will be bringing the 350cc version soon for the eropean and us market

[@jeetpatel4561]

Hell Yeah!!! Dying to wait for 2017 Litter class shootout...

[@anarchaeopteryxhunter4516]

good

[@themrgenius13]

Portugal

[@fabioRACE]

at minute 0:55 you almost hit a freaking drone!

[@azrilsyazrin]

damn.. i wish i can ride like that

[@vaajchang]

I liked the video before it started.

[@tiagoamorim1131]

Portugal ❤

[@urbanfarmertoronto]

anyone else see the drone at 0:55?

[@seanmapley7417]

What tires were they running on these bikes if you don't mind telling us?

[@brysonmerrell575]

Sean Mapley probably the stock tires.

[@seanmapley7417]

Which are?

[@nabiji]

S21's I believe.

[@crypto_que]

this is the second review where an editor says the bike is "small" what does that mean? Zack is pretty tall, does that mean the ergos are totally uncomfortable ie cramped up knees (high pegs) painful wrists? just never hear editors use the word small about the ZX-10RR, S1000RR, GSX 1000RR et.al.

[@cagednm69]

The front section of the Blade is skinny now, you might feel a bit of windblast on your arms if you're too tall.

[@christoandries7117]

I wish my 929 had a 1000 engine thats all i would want from these bikes

[@bangun172]

honda is awesome

[@steelfoe]

someone is showing out.

[@sachinmb6479]

The bolts holding windscreen is really annoying to look at.

[@SR-fm1ft]

What happened to on two wheels?

[@MotorcyclistMag]

We're still making On Two Wheels and will have new episodes out soon!

[@Jayhawkk]

I wish they could be uploaded on a separate channel since those are the one's I'm always looking for. Or just have Zack and Ari do all of Motorcyclists videos lol

[@cagednm69]

You guys need to make an OTW episode atleast once a month.

[@shibui2466]

Portugal Alé!