CBR600RR (2013 - present) review
GLORIOUS Donington Park, the battlefield for some of racing’s great encounters. Rossi vs. Everyone in 2005, Senna vs. The Rain in 1993 and Kiyonari vs. Superpole in 2008. It’s a circuit that brings out the best in racing, both four wheels and two - and in the wet it's generated some amazing scenes. A soaking-wet Donington was the perfect place to launch Honda’s latest Supersport contender, the not-all-new but revised and updated-for-2013 CBR600RR; a bike that suits Donington’s flowing curves and high corner speeds.
GLORIOUS Donington Park, the battlefield for some of racing’s great encounters. Rossi vs. Everyone in 2005, Senna vs. The Rain in 1993 and Kiyonari vs. Superpole in 2008. It’s a circuit that brings out the best in racing, both four wheels and two - and in the wet it's generated some amazing scenes. A soaking-wet Donington was the perfect place to launch Honda’s latest Supersport contender, the not-all-new but revised and updated-for-2013 CBR600RR; a bike that suits Donington’s flowing curves and high corner speeds. Perfect were it not for the gentle sprinkling of snow trying to settle ontop of the rainfall. The only thing flowing was the river of icy cold water making its way down Craner Curves.
On the same day the BSB tests were cancelled at Snetterton, we soldiered on. What we lacked in tyre warmers, we more than made up for with cups of tea and a healthy amount of British stiff upper lip and delusional optimism. It could be worse: at least the snow’s not settling.
The new 600RR is more than just a facelift, but its raft of minor tweaks were largely ignored by onlookers who were caught staring at the new front end in the same way a rabbit sits frozen, staring at the front-end of the car that’s about flatten it. The ability to take anything else onboard was lost among most of us.
GLORIOUS Donington Park, the battlefield for some of racing’s great encounters. Rossi vs. Everyone in 2005, Senna vs. The Rain in 1993 and Kiyonari vs. Superpole in 2008. It’s a circuit that brings out the best in racing, both four wheels and two - and in the wet it's generated some amazing scenes. A soaking-wet Donington was the perfect place to launch Honda’s latest Supersport contender, the not-all-new but revised and updated-for-2013 CBR600RR; a bike that suits Donington’s flowing curves and high corner speeds. Perfect were it not for the gentle sprinkling of snow trying to settle ontop of the rainfall. The only thing flowing was the river of icy cold water making its way down Craner Curves.
On the same day the BSB tests were cancelled at Snetterton, we soldiered on. What we lacked in tyre warmers, we more than made up for with cups of tea and a healthy amount of British stiff upper lip and delusional optimism. It could be worse: at least the snow’s not settling.
The new 600RR is more than just a facelift, but its raft of minor tweaks were largely ignored by onlookers who were caught staring at the new front end in the same way a rabbit sits frozen, staring at the front-end of the car that’s about flatten it. The ability to take anything else onboard was lost among most of us.
