2007 Honda CBR600RR: Smaller, Lighter, Quicker

By Feann Torr - 27/Sep/2006

If you believe the PR hyperbole, the new Honda CBR600RR is pretty much Nicky Hayden's MotoGP bike, minus a few hundred cubic centimetres and an exhaust pipe or two. In reality, it's not quite the razor-edged weapon that Honda's spin merchants will have you believe, but it is a major revamp of the previous 2006 model CBR600RR, which was the heaviest and arguably the slowest bike in the 600cc market this year.

While Kawasaki, Suzuki and Yamaha were going gangbusters with their respective 600cc sports bikes, shedding weight and raising the rev ceilings to increase power and street cred, Honda was confident that it's easy-to-ride reputation along with its well-known reliability and resale values were going to keep its CBR600RR afloat. 

But these things could only keep the CBR600RR's head above water for so long, and something had give.

The alarm bells were sounding and Honda knew it had to respond to the increasingly advanced competition, and so the new 2007 model CBR600RR has been released to alay the fears of the Honda faithful.

To start with, it's given the engine more beef, while reducing it's overall dimensions. 

Raised rev ceiling? Check.

More power? Check.

Crankshaft, counter shaft, and primary drive stacked in one? Check.

With a range of revisions made to the engine (an inline 4-cylinder type with DOHC and 4-valves per cylinder), including a new magnesium cylinder head cover, single-coil exhaust valve springs, a lighter charging system, and nutless connecting rods, about 2kg has been shed from the it's weight. The engine keeps the bore and stroke (67mm x 42.5mm) of its predecessor but apart from this, almost everything else is new.

A new ram-air duct has been located centrally to catch unbroken air, and is similar to the item used in Honda's MotoGP bike, the RC51, which is connected to a 700ml larger airbox. The compression ratio has been upped to 12.2:1 thanks to forged aluminium pistons and Honda reckons that the bike will also be happy slurping down lower-octane fuel grades thanks to a new knock sensor. There's lighter and smaller clutch.

With lighter engine internals comes higher reciprocating speeds, and now the CBR600RR can spin up to 15,700rpm (up from 15,200rpm). The official power output figure is 118hp or 88kW @ 13,500rpm - not bad for a 0.6-litre engine, but only three horse power more than last year's model. Bear in mind however, that at higher speeds the ram-air system can add more power to that figure, taking it to almost 130 ponies. And the new bike is considerably lighter than it's precursor, which will no doubt give it a bit more boot.

Though there's no slipper clutch for the new CBR600RR (most of its rivals have one), the new 599cc engine said to be the smallest and lightest powerplant in the 600 class, which will give owners some bragging ammunition.

Honda is also talking up the new 600cc sports bike's stronger powerband (the engine's rev range between peak torque and peak power), saying that it's got strong mid range acceleration between 7000 and 10,000rpm with peak torque of 67Nm, and Honda has also added a new stainless steel exhaust system with an ECU-controlled back-pressure valve. It has also included what it calls IACV, or intake air control valve. This little doodad is supposed to nullify the jerky throttle response that affect some fuel-injected sports bikes with small throttle inputs, by responding to smaller throttle changes by "realizing more gradual reductions of air and fuel intake when the throttle is closed and then opened."

The Honda sport bike's six gear ratios have also been tinkered with, now taller than the previous model's, and spaced closer together which is expected to aid it's competition and track use. At the same time, the taller and more closely spaced gear ratios may reduce its rideability and on the street, but with the crisp new look, riders may be able to overlook this shortcoming.

From a styling perspective, the new Honda 600 may cop a bit of flak like the 2006 model R6 did, with it's edgy design. Still, if nothing else, Honda is pushing the design envelope forward, and I reckon it looks pretty sweet. With a sharp nose pierced by a central ram-air duct, the front end is plenty aggressive, but the gap between the side fairing panels and front cowl look a bit strange from the side. Perhaps in time they'll become easier on the eye? Honda reckons this styling cue was influenced by Formula 1 car design, which makes no sense considering this is a two-wheeler, not a four-wheeler.

The side fairing panels take a minimal approach, showing off more of the Honda 600s engine, and it's clear as daylight that the engine has been reduced in size. The riding position has changed as well, with the seat position moved towards the rear somewhat, and the clip-on pegs have been lifted 10mm higher, which should please taller riders no end. At the rear, the bike features a smaller exhaust end pipe, a remodeled duck tail and the LED brake light.

The 2005/2006 CBR600RR weighed 163kg (361.lbs) and the new model tips the scales at 154kg (341.lbs) dry, which is a rather big drop. Not only lighter overall, Honda's new 600 sport bike is also shorter, sporting a 137.4cm wheelbase - now the shortest in the 600cc class. This shorter wheelbase and lighter overall weight should improve turn in, and the smaller engine dimensions made the job of shortening the chassis much easier for the canny Honda spanner men in Japan. While shorter overall by 22mm when compared to its predecessor, the new Honda CBR600RR has a longer swingarm (by 5mm), which was also made possible by the more compact engine.

The new 2007 bike is shorter, and also slimmer than the 2006 model giving it a more aerodynamic body, which is made possible thanks to the adoption of a 33mm taller but 40mm narrower front radiator. The frame is also lighter and slimmer than past iterations of the CBRs, but thanks to Honda's FDC (fine die-cast) technology torsional rigidity and overall strength didn't have to be compromised; it uses just four FDC sections as compared to the previous model's 11 section frame.

Suspension wise, not a lot has changed. The 41mm inverted front forks have been retained from the last model as has Honda's Pro-Link rear suspension unit, but the reasoning at Honda is that the bike's improved chassis and lighter overall weight will allow these components to operate better than before. At the end of the front forks and the rear swingarm are a pair of lighter-weight, three-spoke, cast aluminium wheels, shod with 120/70 ZR17 and 180/55 ZR17 sized tyres respectively. The new 2007 CBR600RR also gets a new version of the Honda Electronic Steering Damper (HESD) system, which is hidden below the steering head and is supposed to stop you getting all crossed up and tank slapping, and is similar to the one used on the CBR1000RR.

Honda didn't forget to add brakes to the new bike, which is good thing considering it should be able to reach speeds of around 270km/h (168mph). Up front are a pair of 310mm discs clamped by dual radially mounted 4-pot callipers, and a single-piston calliper working a single 220mm disc at the rear axle.

So there it is - Honda's new CBR600RR. It address a number of issues that left its precursor lagging behind the competition, and with a striking new look - not to mention the more powerful engine, lighter weight and reduced wheelbase - Honda could have a real rival for the Gixxer, Ninja and YZF 600s on its hands. With a revised centre of gravity for "side-to-side flickability" and a range of new colours (Pearl White/Silver, Ultra Blue Metallic/Silver, Red/Black, and Black), Honda will begin selling the bike in late 2006.

2007 Honda CBR600RR Specifications:

Model: CBR600RR
Engine Type: 599cc liquid-cooled inline four-cylinder
Bore and Stroke: 67mm x 42.5mm
Compression Ratio: 12.2:1
Valve Train: DOHC; 4-valves per cylinder
Carburetion: Stage Fuel Injection (DSFI)
Ignition: Computer-controlled digital transistorised with three-dimensional mapping
Transmission: Close-ratio 6-speed
Final Drive: #525 O-ring-sealed chain
Front Suspension: 41mm inverted HMAS cartridge fork with spring preload, rebound and compression damping adjustability
Rear Suspension: Unit Pro-Link HMAS single shock with spring preload, rebound and compression damping adjustability
Front Brakes: Dual radial-mounted four-piston callipers with 310mm discs
Rear Brakes: Single 220mm disc
Front Tyre: 120/70ZR-17 radial
Rear Tyre: 180/55ZR-17 radial
Wheelbase: 1374mm (54.1 inches)
Rake (Caster Angle): 23.7º
Trail: 96.3mm (3.8 inches)
Seat Height: 591.8mm (32.3 in)
Dry Weight: 154kg (341.7 pounds)