Honda CBR 600RR
While various very knowledgeable folk might have been correct in shining spotlight on the demise of the sports bike in the UK (particularly), and noting that Suzuki no longer has a bike in the category, and that Yamaha has taken its R6 away from the roads and now sells it as a track bike only, we need to remember that Kawasaki has brought its ZX-6R back as a true 600cc machine, and the Honda CBR600 has never really gone away. Okay, so the Honda did have a little lie down in a dark room between 2017 and 2021, after which it was reintroduced in Australia, Japan, and Asia, with the positive sales successes there encouraging a Euro 5+ tweak and a rebirth into the European marketplace.
But many people are under the impression that mid-capacity sports bikes are very focussed in their abilities, and I was keen to find out if this was still the case, or not, with the fettled and finessed 600RR.
I collected the Honda from the office, and rode home, all of about 12 miles. Prying myself off, I did get to wondering about just how comfortable the racy riding position would be over a greater distance, with a side thought of, 'I'm too bloody old for contortions and pain...'
Interestingly, the next ride on the RR was a 300-mile round trip to, of all places, the Adventure Bike Rider Festival in Warwickshire which, aside from being really amusing (to me, at least) to turn up on what was probably the only supersports bike at the venue, as well as riding past so many folk on fully-kitted adventure bikes (pathering around, feet down, on dry and smooth grass...) immediately proved to me that the CBR was perfectly capable of covering a decent amount of miles in perfect comfort. Yes, that initial feeling of all my weight going through my wrists and my feet being tucked up right against my buttocks was clearly only thanks to having jumped straight onto the CBR from the KTM 890 SMT, with all its room, space, and luggage.
この記事は Motorcycle Sport & Leisure の October 2024 版に掲載されています。
7 日間の Magzter GOLD 無料トライアルを開始して、何千もの厳選されたプレミアム ストーリー、9,000 以上の雑誌や新聞にアクセスしてください。
すでに購読者です ? サインイン
この記事は Motorcycle Sport & Leisure の October 2024 版に掲載されています。
7 日間の Magzter GOLD 無料トライアルを開始して、何千もの厳選されたプレミアム ストーリー、9,000 以上の雑誌や新聞にアクセスしてください。
すでに購読者です? サインイン
Honda CRF1100L ES Africa Twin
Without panniers he was adventuring nowhere - so at least Bertie's got something sorted now
BMW R 12 nineT
Chad gets a track day surprise when BMW's R 12 nineT turns out to be surprisingly fun on track
Test fleet: VOGE 525 DSX
After testing the Voge's abilities on a long ride, it was time to take it to the Cotswolds and see how it would manage on the rougher stuff
Portuguese Perambulations
Nearly over before it had begun, a brief workshop stint allows Spain and Portugal to be explored
Highway to Heaven
Three friends take on the challenge of riding the length of Canada, from Vancouver in the southwest to Inuvik in the north. The road is long, the conditions merciless, and wildfires are tearing through the country. To top it all off, the final leg of the journey is the ultimate test of gravel riding skills, nerves, and courage - it's the legendary Dempster Highway...
Battlaxes at the ready!
We tend to take tyres for granted, never really looking at them in any detail, or at how they work, just hoping that they keep us shiny side up at all times. Even in the wet
Ducati Riding Experience
When I rode the Ducati DesertX to France last year, I did have a bit of an explore on some easy fire roads and gentle green lanes in the wilds of the Médoc area, but was left with the feeling that, had I the experience, the DesertX would have been capable of taking me along some more extreme trails to some even more exciting places. If only there was a way of finding out just how well the Italian adventure bike could cope with some more extreme terrain...
Four pot flyer
Many said that sports bikes, and particularly bikes in the traditional Supersports class that was populated by 600cc inline fours, were dead. Maybe they spoke too soon?...
Eastern adventurer
With an increasing interest in smaller capacity adventure bikes, the market expands with a new entry
First Time Lucky?
It's ironic that the first all-new MV Agusta model to hit the marketplace right after Italy's No.1 trophy brand was acquired by Austrian giant Pierer Mobility, owner of off-road titans KTM, should be the company's first dual-purpose model of the modern era, powered by MV's all-new 931cc three-cylinder engine that's destined to form the basis of a whole series of new models in coming months and years.
