2021 Honda CBR600RR: The Revised Supersport Icon

The 600cc supersport is a dying breed of motorcycles. It used to be one of the most hotly contested segments but now only the Yamaha R6 and the Kawasaki Ninja ZX-6R live on. Honda’s CBR600RR seemed to have met its fate in 2013 when the Japanese bikemaker stopped offering the motorcycle in European and UK markets. But like a phoenix rising from the ashes, the middleweight Ceeber lives on and it is back to challenge its Japanese foes.

Neither form nor function takes utmost precedence over the other when it comes to the design of the 2021 CBR600RR. Honda engineers have worked their socks off to achieve the lowest drag coefficient figure in the class of 0.55. Like its elder sibling: the CBR1000RR-R Fireblade, the 600RR too gets wings, albeit smaller ones to suit the bike’s capabilities.

Despite having a brilliant aero package, the CBR600RR looks quite appealing. It has that sense of familiarity that we have come to expect from Honda supersports. The face looks a tad bit similar to the Yamaha R15 v3. The underseat exhaust is just so typical of the CBR600RR. The lower air scoops on the fairing remind you of the glory days of the NACA ducts.

Unlike Triumph who upped the displacement of its middleweight offerings from 675cc to 765cc, Honda is persisting with the 599cc inline-four mill. Although the specs might be the same, Honda engineers have crafted engine internals from stiffer and lighter materials. Plus, the valve timing has been revised to improve its breathability and consequently become kinder on the environment.

Get latest updates on
the automobile community

Login Now

All of these changes allow the inline-four mill to push out 121PS at 14,000rpm. Even the peak torque of 64Nm is generated at an extremely high 11,500rpm. It isn’t all mechanical too as you get ride-by-wire and a Bosch six-axis IMU on board. There are five throttle maps, nine traction control settings, five wheelie control intervention levels and three engine braking settings. The traction control and wheelie control can be switched off altogether too.

The aluminium die-cast diamond type frame has influences from Honda’s WSBK, WSS and MotoGP exploits. There are minor tweaks to the chassis, like moving the engine closer to the bike’s centre of gravity or lowering the fuel tank mounting to make the CBR600RR more friendlier than before. There are no changes to the suspension units offered with the same Showa BPF fork and Prolink monoshock found as before.

Tokico radial braking units act upon 320mm discs on the front wheel while a single-piston caliper with a 220mm disc is attached to the rear wheel. With the inclusion of IMU, the CBR600RR also gets cornering ABS with rear lift mitigation as standard.

Honda has launched the CBR600RR in Japan at 1,606,000 Yen, which roughly equates to Rs 11.40 lakh (excluding Indian custom duties and import). India’s only official tryst with a 600cc supersport to date is the Ninja ZX-6R, which was launched last year at Rs 10.49 lakh (ex-showroom India). The Ninja was devoid of sophisticated suspension or electronics and hence the CBR well justifies the extra asking price.

But before you get your hopes up, the bike will not come to India. In fact, it might not even make it to Europe. The engine, while cleaner in terms of emission, hasn’t received its Euro 5 compliance yet, suggesting that Honda are quite content making the bike only for Japan, USA and other markets where emissions norms aren’t as stringent. While illegal imports are still roaming our streets, it is a shame that the supersport icon will never grace our shores.