2020 Honda CBR1000RR-R Fireblade SP review - aimed at hardened trackday addicts or racers

With the 2020 Honda Fireblade SP (code name CBR1000RR-R) the Japanese firm have made their on-track superbike intentions loud and clear. From its exotic price tag, to its tiny dimensions, to the way the engine screams, at the expense of the old bike’s low-down torque, the new Blade is now flagrantly aimed at the well-healed, hardened trackday addict or racer.

It’s still beautifully appointed but is now as single minded as they come - loud, face-meltingly fast and a demon in the corners. You’ll need the commitment and the skill of a racer to do it any kind of justice, which may limit its road appeal, but Honda want to win superbike races and they might just have the tool to do it.

• Related: Standard 2020 Honda Fireblade review
• Related: Honda CBR1000RR-R SP long-term test

Of course, there wasn’t much wrong with the out-going Blade – MCN’s 2017 Superbike of the Year. Sure, it didn’t have headline-grabbing power ('only' around 185bhp at the back wheel), but its long-stroke inline four decanted lashings of real-world road grunt. Ask anyone who owns one and they’ll tell you it’s more than fast enough, thank you very much.

It handled beautifully, was screwed together with Honda love and such was its lightness (easily trumping its rivals), balance and all-out friendliness, it could set impressive lap times, too - proving you didn’t need 200 bhp-plus to have a good time.

The 2017 Blade SP was the ultimate evolution of the Fireblade philosophy that dates back to the 1992 original: keep it light and simple and you won’t need an excess of power.

The Blade has BSB and WSB wins and championships under its belt and a string of TT victories, but it hasn’t seen the podium much lately, especially at world level. It reached the end of its racing development years ago and has been left behind. Honda want to change all that and have had to change tack with this new model.

In 2022 Honda achieved what it set out to do with the new Fireblade: win races…in the UK, at least. Honda Racing UK’s Glenn Irwin has taken top spots at BSB (British Superbikes) and the NW200. To do this they’ve moved from making road-friendly Blades to creating this version: a single-minded 215bhp track weapon with a cramped riding position, peaky engine and gearing so high you barely need anything beyond third on the road. To celebrate 30 years of Honda’s iconic superbike and with the hope of tasting even more champagne they’ve given it a nip and tuck.

It’s still every inch a race bike with lights, but the changes, especially to the engine and intakes are minor and barely detectable on a 215bhp superbike so fast your eyes are on stalks the whole way around Donington Park, at its 2022 launch. The extra midrange should be more noticeable on the road where you’re lower in the revs, but despite the shorter gearing the Honda is still much longer geared than its rivals.

These upgrades apply to all 2022 Blades, but the extra 500 quid for the 30^th Anniversary model’s iconic paintjob, which looks as fantastic as the original, will be money well spent.

Watch: 2020 Honda Fireblade SP video review by Michael Neeves

The Blade’s new-found raciness continues to the riding position. It was never the roomiest of all the superbikes before, but now it’s more compact, with pegs 21mm higher and 43mm further back. The seat is 10mm taller and bars 17mm lower.

It fits Bautista and Haslam like a glove, but larger superbike lovers will look and feel big on the new bike. Madam or sir may be better off on a roomier rival, like a Yamaha R1, Ducati Panigale V4 or Suzuki GSX-R1000.

On the flipside there’s plenty of room to move back and forth on the seat when you’re hanging off this way and that. The new screen is more raked, to the tune of 38 degrees, but as the top of the tank is 45mm lower, it’s easy to duck down and tuck out of the wind, something you couldn’t do on the drafty old Blade.

Pummelling through corners has always been a CBR strength. It was stable, agile and sweet steering, but thanks to more power, Honda have stretched the chassis for more poise, raised the centre of gravity to keep it on its toes, factored in more flex and added more braking power in the shape of new Brembo Stylema calipers, first seen on the '18 Panigale V4.

Now the Blade stops harder, flows even easier from corner to corner and is less snappy than the shorter old bike and new Öhlins semi-active shock and gas forks plump up the ride quality and adds extra control and confidence.

The Swedish firm have got the hang of producing the right hardware and electronic damping control for their semi active units over the years (it first appeared on the 2015 Yamaha R1M and MV Agusta F4 RR) and it shows. The new SP never shakes, wallows or weaves, it just hunkers down and lets you get on with it, with a limit that’s impossible to reach for riders who don’t race for a living.

Pirelli SC1 compound slicks fitted to our test bike undoubtedly add to the feeling of invincibility, but the SP still comes on sticky rubber: 'Version 3' Super Corsa SPs with a modern 200/55 rear that finally replaces the antiquated old 190/50.

Do the wings work? Well, you could bounce off the limiter in fifth along Losail’s start/finish straight one-handed if you wanted and Honda says the new bike is a second faster around Sugo with them than without, so it’s probably a yes.

For 2022 the Blade’s basic chassis and layout remains, but it gets grippier new brake pads. Braking performance has always been strong, but in road tests we’ve often had the ABS system intrude way before the limit. We don’t bump into the braking electronics on Donington Park’s swooping national layout at the ’22 Blade’s launch.

Whether that’s down to its new pads or the nature of the track, it’s hard to say without testing them back-to-back with the old ones, but we don’t have any problems stopping, which is what you want on a machine as quick as this. Best of all its electronic engine braking control still sounds like a firework display off the throttle.

For the first time the Big H have chased the big bhp figures and employed every weapon in their armoury to challenge its rivals - from clever chassis tech to electronic rider aids and advanced aerodynamics, all overseen by project leader, Yuzuru Ishikawa, who knows his onions having developed Rossi’s '02 RC211V and the Honda RC213V-S road bike.

The new short-stroke motor dominates the riding experience. It’s now a rev-monster - so much so that the good stuff doesn’t really start to arrive until it's screaming at 11,000rpm. That’s 500rpm more than the redline on the original '92 Blade. From there the inline four keeps on pounding your senses, all the way to 14,500rpm where it’s making a very un-Blade-like 214bhp at the crank.

It takes time to get used to dishing out mechanical abuse on a bike that’s never needed to be revved before. It’s hard to get out of the habit of taking it around to just 12,000-13,000rpm, but if you want to exploit the Blade SP’s new superpowers you have to work for it.

Let it fall out of the power mid corner and you’ll be flailing on the gear lever to get going again and that’s your lap gone, especially in slower corners, where, like the previous model, first gear is sky high.

The motor’s lack of low-down grunt isn’t filled in by clever ShiftCam systems, crossplane crank assistance or extra cubes. It could struggle against the BMW S1000RR, the Yamaha R1, the Ducati Panigale V4 and Aprilia's RSV4 1100 Factory accelerating out of corners but keep the Honda’s motor screaming and it isn’t going to struggle to keep with the best.

214bhp is a lot, especially with just 201kg of fully fuelled metal, rubber and plastic to push along (although it’s 5kg heavier than the out-going SP), but here at the open expanses of the Losail circuit, it doesn’t set your world alight. Whether it’s the Qatari track’s wide-open nature that sterilise speed or the conventional inline four’s staid character, it’s tough to say, but at somewhere like Donington, Cadwell or Brands it’s going to feel ballistic.

Throttle manners are improved over the old Blade, too, with less mid-corner snatch and although the Euro5 exhaust is quiet at low revs, the SP shrieks like an open-piped WSB racer when you open the taps. Like the old Blade, getting through strict noise testing at trackdays will still be a problem.

Electronic rider aids came late to the Blade party – only appearing on the 2017 Fireblade. They were fine on the road, but sometimes were too crude and inconsistent for quick track lap. Turning them off was never a problem thanks to the Honda’s reserves of feel and mechanical grip, but the Japanese firm refined them for the lightly updated 2019 and now they’ve gone a stage further.

200bhp-plus power is ably harnessed by Honda’s most sophisticated electronics package yet, controlled by a six-axis IMU (it was five on the old Blade) for smoother (nine stage) traction and (three stage) wheelie control. Rider aid adjustment is deeper and more refined with rear wheel slide speed as well as amount calculated. It can be all be turned off, if you’ve got the talent, except for the new two stage (Sport, Track) ABS system.

Working faster and smarter, the Blade now feels more natural when traction and wheelie control are tickled and their intervention is barely noticeable from the hot seat. The up/down shifter is a cracker, too.

How the Honda put the fire into the Blade’s belly

It’s out with the old Blade’s 999cc, 76mm bore a 55mm stroke inline four and in with a more compact, over-square 999.9cc motor with an 81mm bore and 48.5mm stroke. That’s the same as the road-going RC213V-S’s and as close as makes no difference to a Ducati V4R Panigale.

Power and revs are all up, maxing out at 214bhp@14,500rpm and torque is a foot pound less (83ftlb), 1500rpm higher up the tacho (12,500rpm). Suffice it to say the Honda is a screamer.

To achieve such dizzying performance the motor is packed with all the tech, exotic metals and low friction trickery you’d expect, so deep breath: DLC-coated camshaft and lobes, finger follower rocker arms, bigger inlet and exhaust valves, titanium con rods, forged ali pistons with Teflon-coated skirts, Beryllium-copper coated small ends, more effective oil and water-cooling systems, a tucked away starter motor and a shorter cam chain that’s now driven from a new gear system above the crankshaft. Air intakes and throttle bodies are up from 48mm to 52mm, new exhaust headers are oval and a titanium Akrapovic exhaust comes as standard.

Honda has taken the obstructions away from its huge central air intake, so the old rotary steering damper has been replaced with a three-stage electronically adjustable rod-type and the ignition barrel and gubbins is junked in favour of keyless ignition.

Asked for by race teams, but a useful benefit for the road, Honda has bolstered the ’22 Blade’s midrange slightly. The airbox is reshaped, cylinders two and three have 15mm shorter intake funnels, intake ports are reshaped and the mid (two pipe) exhaust section and catalyser has been tweaked to help the exhaust gasses flow easier.

The ride-by-wire throttle return spring as also been lightened. Power delivery is still akin to a rev-hungry race engine, delivering more speed than you could ever wish for, so it’s tricky to notice these tweaks flat out. But combined with the shorter gearing they’ll give the Blade some much needed tractability for the road.

Fireblades have always been long-geared and here at Donington Park, even on the 2020 model you’re generally in a gear lower than a rival superbike. On the road the latest Blade has such tall gearing the peaky engine doesn’t come on song until way past legal speeds, even in first.

To bolster the ’22 bike’s drive, it gets a bigger rear sprocket, going from 40 teeth to 43 (equivalent to one tooth smaller on the front sprocket). The change will be useful on the road, but it’s still so long-legged that even on Donington’s back straight you only need fourth gear.

You may be one of the few brave enough to lean on a superbike’s traction control at a trackday and have the skill to make a sticky Pirelli Diablo Super Corsa SP break traction at will. If that’s you, you’ll find the ’22 Blade’s ‘torque control’ smoother as the electronics feather your 200bhp-plus bhp to match rear tyre grip.

The six-axis IMU controlled system is a world away from the previous generation Blade’s more intrusive electronics, which were focused more on safety than performance. Its crackling electronic up/down shifter settings are also tweaked for faster, easier changes through its deliciously slick gearbox.

Pictures don’t do justice to the Blade’s top drawer fit and paint finish and as for dependability, there’s a reason the Honda has consistently topped the superbike sales charts around the world over the years.

Aside from a recall right at the beginning of the Blade’s life, before it even hit dealers, it seems to be an especially reliable bike. Our sole Honda Fireblade SP owner's review claims excellent reliability by stating "it's a Fireblade!", before admitting that their chain needed replacing early on. That's not a huge job, though.

Read owners' reviews from the previous Honda Fireblade SP here.

The new Blade SP won’t cost any more to run than any other Japanese superbike, but all the detailing, designer chassis labels, racing engine parts, electronics and everything in between adds up to a bike that will be out of reach for most.

Add some official Honda carbon trinkets, or crash protection and you’re in for even more. You can save a big wodge if you go for the base model, which is identical except for its mechanically adjustable Showa suspension, Nissin calipers and no up/down shifter.

But if you’re going to spend that kind of money, you may as well go the whole hog for the SP - easier said than done, we know.

Gone are the days of a cheap Blade - the latest SP sits alongside the European exotic in the price stakes. It’s beautifully made, generously equipped and reliable, but it’s conventional in its layout and even comes on cheap rubber brake hoses, which makes it feel less special than its rivals.

'Is it any good on the road?' - Your questions answered

First published 16 July 2020 by Michael Neeves

Honda’s Fireblade has always been the go-to superbike for the discerning road rider. Simple, light, effective, easy to get on with and beautifully built, others have come and gone, surrounded by their own fanfares, but the Blade has continued to be a best-seller.

Now, desperate for racing success, Honda have changed tack for the 2020 model. We rode the CBR1000RR-R SP at its track launch earlier in the year at Qatar and again on the road, before and post-lockdown easing in England, to find a very different beast – more powerful, but tall- geared, revvy and small. But you wanted to know more...

How much power does it make on the dyno?

It made 201bhp @ 14,000rpmon our dyno. Honda claim 214bhp at the crank but say the new short-stroke motor won’t rev to its 14,500rpm limiter when the front wheel is stationary, so it won’t produce full power on a dyno.

The only way around it is to trick the front wheel into thinking it’s going as quickly as the rear by wiring the wheel speed sensors together (Honda Racing have made their own loom for doing just that). It’s well up on the old Blade’s 179bhp.

⏱️ Spend #60secondswith @Neevesy33 and the 2020 Honda CBR1000RR-R Fireblade. Find the full review and video here: https://t.co/VNwBP0p08K pic.twitter.com/mhnQ1yCHsl

— Motor Cycle News (@MCNnews) July 10, 2020

Is it worth getting the new model?

For the extra power, yes, if you’re going to trackdays. You also get a longer, more flexible chassis for stability and feel, MotoGP-derived wings, smoother rider aids, now controlled by a six, instead of five, axis IMU, the latest evolution semi-active gas forks from Öhlins, an upgraded colour dash, top-drawer Brembo Stylema calipers and a fresh new look. But the outgoing Blade SP is roomier, has more grunt and is just as capable on the road.

What’s it like after a few hours riding?

Yes, it’s small – more Aprilia RSV4, or even supersport 400-sized than the outgoing model, which wasn’t exactly the roomiest to begin with. There’s a deep dish cut out in the tank to help you get your head down under the bubble on track, but for the road the low clip-ons and high pegs are more suited to smaller riders.

If you’re tall you’re going to struggle to get comfortable, especially if you like riding on the balls of your feet. You could do distance on it, but for many riders it’ll be too uncomfortable.

Hasn’t there been a recall?

Honda are checking new Blades before they’re delivered and told us: "The recall requires an inspection of the connecting rods (endoscope inspection) and any rectification work is carried out as required.

"Since March 16, 2020, only parts which have undergone the revised manufacturing process have been used in mass production units. We are anticipating dealers in the UK to receive their units June/July."

144mph in second gear, Really?

Yes! Last week MCN’s tame performance tester, Bruce Dunn, speed tested the Blade on a disused RAF runway and saw it hit an indicated 144mph (132mph GPS) in second. The new Blade is tall-geared with its power crammed up top, so there’s little grunt for normal riding.

Low and midrange is more like a supersport 600, but that’s not all bad. There’s a step at 5500rpm as the Blade gets ready to make its ascent for the redline, but beneath that the delivery is smooth, docile and friendly. But if you want to overtake, or get a nice run out of a corner, you need to thrash it.

The verdict: Honda Fireblade SP vs Ducati Panigale V4 S vs BMW S1000RR

The engine is now such a tall-geared rev monster it feels flat unless you thrash it. Ride it straight after a the Ducati Panigale V4 or the BMW S1000RR, with ShiftCam, and the peaky blinder feels positively gutless. But having all its power squeezed up top isn’t always a bad thing. At normal speeds the Blade SP is docile as a CB500 and accelerates smoothly (but steadily) from low in the revs, before a step in the power at 5500rpm signals it’s ready to go. If you need to overtake or blast out of a corner, you need to stir the gears (yes, they work fine, as does the blipper/shifter) and cane it like a 600.

Brembo Stylemas, complete with switchable ABS (Road/Track) are straight off the top shelf. They work well, but are devoid of the instant, satisfying bite of the Ducati’s and BMW’s brakes. And it should now have the power to outrun its arch rival; the Yamaha R1.

Superbike group test video: Honda CBR1000RR-R Fireblade SP vs BMW S1000RR M vs Ducati Panigale V4S

Pictures don’t do justice to the Blade’s fit and finish. The faring is much fatter in the flesh thanks to the wings (its big-bore engine makes the whole shebang wider, too).

There are also more bumps, curves, slats, slots and strakes than ever to help the SP slip through the air. The rear of the hugger is scooped-out for improved airflow and the raised edges and spoilers on the front mudguard help direct the wind away from the wheel and fork legs.

A new 5" colour TFT display has five different layout options and six rev counter styles. It’s also the interface for the electronic rider mode settings menus, controlled by new switchgear blocks. The bike's on/off switch is down by the left side of the clocks, too.

Honda won’t give away exact figures, but they say the new faired-in wings produce as much downforce as Marquez’s 2018 MotoGP racer and perform better than their road bike rivals – that’ll be the Panigale and RSV4. then.

New fully adjustable Öhlins semi-active NPX Smart EC 2.0 forks are pressurised for more consistent damping at the limit. Stroke is increased 5mm to 125mm for improved corner exit grip and fewer wheelies. The TTX rear shock has a 10% longer stroke, too.

For £500 over the standard SP a limited edition, numbered 30^th Anniversary ‘Tricolour’ version was available in 2022. The graphics were penned by Hiroaki Tsukui, who did the 1992 original.

That was a ground-breaker that didn’t conform to any racing class, the Blade’s ethos was all about lightness and not big power (it’s power-to-weight ratio is 80% less than now). The 893cc inline four made 122bhp, weighed 185kg and had no rider aids or aero… but did have holes drilled into the fairing for lightness and to help change direction at track speeds. It’s also peppered with 30^th Anniversary logos and ‘Ring of Fire’ dash animation on the start screen.