2009 Honda CBR600RR-ABS - It Really Works!

Hard Parts
Better braking through technology

Engine
The CBR600RR's 16-valve inline-four produces more torque between 4000 and 10,000 rpm than it did last year, while still maintaining a peak output of 120 bhp at 13,500 revs. Increased midrange comes courtesy of a redesigned exhaust system with enhanced crossover tubes and an exhaust valve (as on the CBR1000RR) that regulates back-pressure for maximum power. Two Denso injectors per cylinder spray their combustibles into a bank of 40mm throttle bodies, which lead into intake ports with a shot-peen finish for optimized atomization.

Suspension
Showa components are standard equipment, an inverted 41mm fork with 4.7 inches of fully adjustable travel holding up the front and Honda's Unit Pro-Link suspension anchoring the rear. Based on the MotoGP championship-winning RC211V, the rear end features a cast-aluminum gull-wing swingarm controlled by a single shock whose upper mount is contained within the swingarm. This reduces negative suspension energy from being transmitted to the frame and improves stability when driving out of corners.

Chassis
The '09 CBR's Hollow Fine Die-Cast frame sheds more than a pound through the use of astonishingly thin 2.5mm walls. Frame spars are tuned to specific rigidities to enhance handling and feedback, although rake, trail and wheelbase remain the same. Honda's electronic steering damper hides under the plastic tank skin and works to maintain stability at high speeds. Use of the Unit Pro-Link swingarm allows the 4.8-gallon fuel tank to be shifted back and down, helping to centralize mass. Bodywork is restyled slightly to conceal the bike's electronic paraphernalia.

Brakes
Honda's Electronic Combined ABS is a step above the rest, offering controlled braking at the threshold of wheel lock-up. At low input pressures, the system is inactive and hydraulic force travels directly from the vertical-piston master cylinder to the new lightweight Tokico four-piston monobock calipers. Electric Control Modules (ECM) connected to the front and rear brake hoses measure pressure input and feed data to the system's dedicated ECU. When high pressure is applied to the lever, the ECU goes to work scrutinizing sensor data from the wheels and brake lines hundreds of times per second to direct pressure and determine if intervention is necessary. When traction loss is imminent, the ECU signals the corresponding wheel's Electronic Pressure Unit (EPU). Responding in just .006 of a second (about the speed of a honey bee's wings), the EPU's motor-driven ball screw acts on a modulating piston to adjust braking force and maintain traction. A stroke simulator inside each ECM creates artificial pressure at the lever, so feel is consistent and uninterrupted.

Tech Spec

Contact
American Honda Motor Co., Inc.
P.O. Box 2200
Torrance, CA 90509
866.784.1870
www.powersports.honda.com

Verdict 4.5 stars out of 5
Class-leading performance, further improved through brake-by-wire technology.