2011 Honda CBR1000RR and CBR600RR - First Look

With Kawasaki taking off the gloves in the liter-bike class in the form of the all-new Ninja ZX-10R, sportbike fans certainly had hopes for a similar effort from Honda that offered traction control, more power and lighter weight to the CBR and its optional ABS. Alas, Big Red rolled out its 2011 CBR1000RR and new paint and graphics top the list. It's the same news for the CBR600RR.

Admittedly, the CBRs have fared well in testing, both in ABS and non-ABS form, and it's hard not to remain impressed with these bikes on the road and track. But Cycle World's 2010 pick for Best Superbike, the BMW S1000RR, shook up the liter-bike establishment pretty big with its huge jump in power, competitive dry weight and, most importantly, its addition of traction control and ABS—all delivered at a competitive price. Kawasaki looks to be the star for 2011 and, based on the claimed 197 horsepower (207 with the help of ram air) may outpace the mighty S1000RR. And Suzuki has rolled out an impressive new 2011 GSX-R600 (and GSX-R750) to combat the middleweight sportbike class.

As for Honda, rumors have been circulating for several years about a return to a V-Four configuration in the 1000cc sportbike class, but so far it's just been forum chatter and a few graphic conceptual knockups of what might be coming. So, for 2011, the Honda CBR1000RR and CBR600RR return in a few new graphic flavors, with prices yet to be determined.