WHO NEEDS WINGS?

If you want a top-rate supersport bike, an older generation of the Honda CBR600RR is a hard act to beat.

- JON URRY

Many questioned Honda’s decision to reintroduce the CBR600RR into the UK last year, but despite speculation it would flop, especially considering its £10,999 price tag, it has sold well. This is great to see as its proves that UK riders still have an appetite for a ‘proper’ supersport bike that can cut it on track, rather than the slightly lacklustre new generation of ‘road-biased’ sportsbikes such as the Yamaha R7, Triumph Daytona 660 or Suzuki GSX-8R. But that £11k price tag is still a heck of a hurdle to overcome, which is why a used 2013-onwards CBR600RR looks like an extremely tempting prospect. It may lack the new model’s wings, traction control, variable power modes or quickshifter, but if you peel back the tech, underneath they are remarkably similar. Some would say they are basically identical, which ironically is a comment that the 2013 model faced at its launch...

When this generation of CBR was revealed, many thought it was an admission that Honda had thrown the towel in when it came to the supersport class. Heavily based around the previous generation, the 2013 model may have gained ‘MotoGP-style bodywork,’ 41mm Showa big piston forks, a tweaked shock and 12-spoke wheels, but that was about all that was different, aside from a fuelling remap. But did it need to be improved? Honda pointed out the RR’s motor was powering Moto2 bikes and breaking lap records every weekend, demonstrated that it was still more than potent (and reliable...) enough for track use, and that the CBR’s chassis’ abilities have never been called into doubt. It has, remember, won eight WSS titles in its time. And when you ride a 2013-2017 CBR600RR nowadays, you must concede that Honda has a point.