Honda has unveiled two race spec versions of its next-generation superbike, christened CBR1000RR SP and the CBR1000RR SP2 at the 2016 Intermot Show in Cologne, Germany.
The most technologically laden Fireblade till date, the 2017 CBR1000RR gets a slew of mechanical and electronic upgrades to bring it on par with the new generation litre-class superbikes. The inline four engine now develops 190 horsepower, which is 11 horsepower more than the outgoing model. The bump in power along with the 15 kilogram lesser kerb weight has resulted in 14 per cent better power to weight ratio.
The CBR1000RR now gets Ohlins semi-active suspension, along with a sophisticated electronics package including traction control, a five-axis inertial measurement unit and engine braking management. It is also the first Fireblade to use ride-by-wire throttle with three rider modes. The cockpit integrates a full-colour TFT display that automatically adjusts its brightness to the ambient light.
For those who feel that the CBR1000RR SP isn’t track-focussed, Honda has also rolled out a homologation special limited to just 500 units. Riding on lightweight Marchesini wheels and featuring revised engine components, the CBR1000RR SP2 is available only in a HRC tri-colour livery. For those who plan to stick to the race track, the CBR1000RR SP2 can be further specified in two versions – race kit and sport kit.
The base Honda CBR1000RR Fireblade will debut at the EICMA Show in Milan, Italy, next month. Deliveries of the CBR 1000RR SP and SP2 in Europe and the US are expected to commence in March 2017. We can expect the road-legal versions of the new Fireblade to be launched in India by the second half of 2017.
![Honda CBR1000RR Fireblade [2014] Image](https://imgd.aeplcdn.com/272x153/bw/models/honda-cbr1000rr-fireblade-c-abs-125.jpg?20190103151915&q=80 "Honda CBR1000RR Fireblade [2014] Image")
