BSB: Linfoot gives verdict on new Fireblade

Honda’s MCE British Superbike duo got their first taste of the all new CBR1000RR Fireblade at the Portimao circuit as they joined journalists at the world press launch.

Riding both the standard ‘RR’ and SP models, Dan Linfoot and Jason O’Halloran were given an insight into the model that their Louth-based team will convert into a BSB weapon for them to challenge Shane ‘Shakey’ Byrne and other rivals for the title in 2017. 

While there will be major differences between the standard, street bikes ridden today and the full-blown Superbike, both riders were pleased to get the chance to ride the machine before getting their hands on their race-spec Fireblades in testing later this year.   

“For me the biggest thing for me is the stability under braking while downshifting with the new autoblip system,” Linfoot told MCN. “It keeps the wheels in line and gives you more direct pressure on the brake lever. Last year we had no blipper in BSB and our bike tended to kick away at the back and at that point you’d have to release the front brake a little bit, but with this system you can keep the pressure on with the front so I’m hoping that’ll be the same with the race system.

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“The power increase will help, we need to keep it under control with the fly-by-wire but it will definitely be a bonus and of course, hopefully we can get even more power out of it when the engine is tuned for racing.

“The SP we’ve ridden today is probably the closest we’re going to get to the start point for our race bike, so I’m looking forward to getting on the Superbike now. It’s difficult because these are road bikes at the end of the day and although it’s a cracking road bike, it’s very, very different to how our race bike will be. All it can really do is give me a vision from the three or four bits on this bike that’ll go on our bike will improve the package we had last year.” 

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