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2019 Honda CBR1000RR Fireblade Test & Review – “Everyday Superbike”

The 2019 Honda CBR1000RR Fireblade is designed to be the everyday superbike.
It’s easy to ride and live with on a daily basis.
It’s fast and far from being slow.

It may be that Honda has shown off the 2020 Honda CBR1000RR-R Fireblade, but there’s still lots of significance to the 2019 Honda CBR1000RR Fireblade.

First and foremost, it’s the base model for the SP which we tested earlier. Of course, the SP was all spec’ed-out including Öhlins electronic suspension with OBTi user interface, Brembo monobloc calipers, Brembo brake discs, quickshifter and a single seat. The fuel tank was titanium, so was the exhaust system. The SP was cosmetically different, too, with gold wheels, polished aluminium frame spars and HRC tri-colour racing scheme.

Read: 2019 Honda CBR1000RR Fireblade SP Test & Review

On the other hand, this base model makes do with Showa Big Piston Forks and rear shock, Tokico monobloc front brake calipers, anodized black frame and wheels, dual seats. Electronics wise, it doesn’t have the OBTi suspension controls since the suspension is manual. Most tellingly, it doesn’t include a quickshifter.

Does that make the bike less “better”?

Ergonomics is exactly the same, as with the engine power and performance.

Firing it up exuded that soul-stirring deep vroom from the exhaust, telling you that it’s ready to ride. Setting the electronics was easy-peasy, given three preset modes and two user-customizable modes. From left to right, there’s P for power (1 highest, 5 lowest); T for traction control (1 the least intervention, 8 the most); W for wheelie control (1 for highest intervention, 3 for the least); EB for engine braking (1 the least, 3 the highest). That’s it. One look and you know how the bike will respond.

Each setting returns really perceptible changes. For example, the bike takes off as soon as the throttle was twisted in Level 1, whereas you need to turn the throttle more in Level 5. But if anything, engine braking (EB) showed the biggest change. In level 1, the bike almost freewheeled (great for attacking corners) while the bike slowed a lot off the throttle in level 3.

Although not electronic, the factory suspension settings were already in the ballpark. No, wait. They were superb. We found that we didn’t need to adjust anything at all. Only once did it get of shape as I had to brake hard when keeled way over in a corner, because a car cut into my lane. The forks dived hard, causing the bike to wobble. However, adding just two turns of compression and rebound damping solved the issue.

Compared to the electronic suspension, the biggest difference was that the manual suspension felt soft in its initial stroke but was stiffer when you hit larger bumps. It’s the true opposite for the electronic set up. Yet, the CBR1000RR’s suspension was the most compliant on the street as opposed to all other superbikes we’ve ridden.

The bike isn’t slow, not at all. It’ll own everything thrown against it because it’s so easy to ride on the street. While you need more effort on other bikes, the CBR took all steering efforts in its stride. Think it, turn in.

In corners, the softer suspension settings let the tyres bite into the road surface and hook up early just as you add balancing throttle. That confidence goads you into opening the gas sooner without the risk of pushing the bike wide. I found myself adding too little throttle many times during the initial two days of testing, but I was punching in plenty of throttle soon enough.

There’s a corner on MEX Highway which I’ve never ridden through faster than 160 km/h (on the KTM 1290 Super Duke GT). One day, I hammered the CBR through it to see how far I could lean the bike. I looked down and saw 188 km/h and the knee was still far away from the road!

But it isn’t all about aggression. Feel the need to cruise? Just raise your body, switch to MODE 3 and putt along in sixth gear. The bike happily obliged even when we rode it at 80 km/h in sixth. Not only it didn’t stutter but it pulled hard as soon as I opened the throttle. From there it would blow through 100 km/h, 150 km/h, 200 km/h and all the way.

That inline-Four has gobs of low-down and midrange torque unlike its contemporaries. It punched hard from the standing start and acceleration only slowed down a little (just a little) past 8,000 RPM. Hard acceleration was accompanied by a mix of warble and whoosh from the intake with a howling and roaring exhaust, as if it was a small V-Four. The stock exhaust was loud enough – all the better for such a distinctive tone that’s totally different from all other inline-Four superbikes.

But it wasn’t all about aggression.

It’s so easy to ride in any circumstance, including in heavy traffic. Whereas I found it difficult to maneuver other sportbikes in really slow traffic, I could cilok (swerve around) on the CBR1000RR like a Honda CB250R. I’m not kidding! Even U-turns were easy because there was plenty of steering lock. Carrying a passenger wasn’t much of a bother, either.

Watch: Video review of the 2019 Honda CBR1000RR Fireblade

That’s the central theme to the Honda CBR1000RR Fireblade. The CBR1000RR team wants to give the rider Total Control. Total control breeds confidence, and confidence turns to enjoyment. Total control also means that the bike is forgiving.

You’re always in control with those clip-ons positioned just right in relation to the seat. While other superbikes have their handlebars placed on the same level as the seat, the Fireblade’s are about 2.5 cm (1 inch) higher. In doing so, it gives the rider more leverage on the bars as well as better comfort, without sacrificing sportiness.

The more I rode the bike, the more I discovered that it’s Honda’s obsession with the little details. For example, like the previously mentioned abundance of steering lock and ergonomics. Going further, the design of the fuel tank made it easy to hook your upper arms and knees to it when you’re leaning into a corner. Apart from that, the seat height was at a comfortable level, yet the footrests didn’t touch down at all.

Honda also showed their obsession with quality and finish. Look down into the space between the TFT screen and handlebar and all you’d see is the clutch cable. No wayward cables and parts. Even the steering damper’s hidden away underneath the fuel tank’s cover.

Was there anything we didn’t like? Not really, but we know that detractors will bash the lack of a quickshifter. What? You’ve forgotten how to shift gears? Just joking. But trust us: You won’t miss it. The first two gears and downshifting may require the clutch lever but hooking up the next gears without the clutch was almost as good as using a quickshifter. It felt more rewarding too. The clutch pull was very light anyway, requiring on the middle finger to work it.

Another point excuse we always heard is the lack of top end power. The CBR1000RR has the lowest in the class at 189 hp. But unless you want to race the bike in MSBK or MSF, why does it bother you? What’s more important is the bike’s ability to accelerate faster from idle and while rolling compared to the others.

Let’s also not forget that the bike looks great from every angle.

Conclusion

It’s apparent that the Honda CBR1000RR Fireblade was designed to do almost everything as a sportbike. By that we meant that you could ride it everyday while carrying a pillion, head into the mountains on weekends or convoy, and still be able to turn and burn at the track.

And it’s surprisingly cheap as well (in relation to other 1000cc sportbikes, not our bank accounts) from RM 91,999 making it a superb value for money. (The CBR1000RR Fireblade SP is priced from RM 114,999.)

So, if you can only own one 1000cc sportbike that you have to use for everything, this is the bike.

Tunggang Uji Honda CB650F 2018: Si Serba Boleh

Model Honda CB650F 2018 adalah versi naked bagi motosikal ber-reraup CBR650F.
Kedua-dua motosikal ini berkongsi enjin yang sama namun dengan dinamik penunggangan yang berbeza.
Model CB650F ini dihasilkan sebagai sebuah motosikal lumba naked, namun, ia juga merupakan sebuah motosikal yang serba boleh.

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2018 Honda CB650F Test & Review: The All-Rounder

The 2018 Honda CB650F is the naked version of the fully-faired CBR650F.
Both bikes share the same engine but different riding dynamics.
While the CB650F is meant to be a naked sportbike, it does well as an all-rounder, too.

We’ve tested many motorcycles. Adventure-tourers, luxury tourers, supersports, scooters, cruisers, standards, café racers, modern classics, classics that aren’t modern, etc., etc. Many fit into their respective categories and perform their roles well with singular purposes. But the 2018 Honda CB650F seemed to do just about everything.

Launched together with its CBR650F fully-faired brethren, the CB650F takes on the look of a naked sportbike. It does look the part with its multi-faceted bodywork, engine hung out in open with its four exhaust headers for all to see, a stepped seat.

2018 Honda CBR650F Test & Review – “Between Two Worlds”

The 650cc, liquid-cooled, DOHC, 16-valve, inline-Four engine is shared with the CBR650F, so as almost every part of the bike, with the exception of the headlight and handlebar.

The CB650F’s seating position put me in a nice forward crouch without needing me to plop my (substantial) belly over the tank and offering my bum to the traffic behind. The angle was between the fully sit-up style of say the Yamaha MT-07 and aggressive Honda CBR650F.

The seat may look tall but has a nice height which is accessible to most riders, while the footpegs are placed relatively high and back for ground clearance.

Stabbing the ignition button brought the bike instantly to life with a “whooshing boom,” courtesy of four cylinders. The engine felt smooth when I blipped the throttle, although there was some vibration to tickle certain parts of the body.

The CB650F needed a little more clutch slip to get going put the power kicked in quickly, accompanied by a hair-raising burble from the airbox under the fuel tank. Just as Honda claimed, the engine was tuned for low- to mid-range torque and it accelerated surprisingly fast for a mid-range inline-Four through the slick gearbox as it surfed that wave of torque around heavy traffic.

Its engine served more like a three-cylinder bike, actually, because there’s always torque everywhere up to 8000 RPM. Heck, you could even filter through traffic at 60 km/h in fourth gear without any driveline snatch. It makes life a whole lot easier than having to constantly shift gears back and forth.

But when the roads opened up, so did the CB650F as it rocketed away and kept building speed briskly. It kept finding myself riding faster than I should. Well, why not, it’s got 90 bhp and 64 Nm of torque.

Now the bike has taken on the role of a sport-tourer, as it could hold on to any high-speed I chose. There’s another surprise here: Most naked bikes would have the windblast hammering on your chest at 130 km/h, but I found that I could sit up relaxed at 160 km/h. That’s true credit to the bike’s seating position.

The tingles typical of inline-Fours stayed with me at most times but it seemed to balance out at above 110 k/h. There’s still plenty of go at this speed as a twist of the throttle had me passing an entire line of cars in a hurry.

The Honda CB650F handled quite well and it’s more nimble than the CBR650F despite the same 25.5^o rake and 101 mm trail. The taller handlebar means your arms are extended straighter while gripping the handlebar, hence your countersteering forces are more perpendicular (straight ahead) in relation the handlebar. Compared to bikes with their handlebars down in front the headstock, there is a tendency to push downwards on them as support for your upper body weight, resulting in slower steering.

The bike never protested when slammed it into corners considering the basic suspension package. The bike was suspended by the same non-adjustable Showa Dual Bending Valve Forks (SDBV) forks in front and a monoshock at the rear (adjustable for preload only). But the suspension definitely felt better on the CB650F as I didn’t have so much upper body weight on the front end.

The only thing I had to do was remind myself to hit corners with a gear higher as the engine’s torque results in heavy engine braking with the throttle off. However, this is just my personal preference as I prefer the bike to freewheel into corners. I would reduce a couple of teeth on the rear sprocket or install a slipper clutch if this bike was mine.

That brings me to what I didn’t like. The throttle was abrupt when it’s picked up from fully closed. Not from when the bike is idle, but when riding and shifting gears at low speeds, spoiling super smooth ride. I had to compensate by leaving some throttle on.

All-in-all, the 2018 Honda CB650F was a nice bike to ride around on a daily basis as it performed the role of an all-rounder remarkably well, whether it was commuting, long-distance blasting on the highway or weekend corner carver.

It’s offered at a price that’s hard to beat, considering that it has 90 bhp, great Honda build quality and comfortable, all at the same time.

2018 HONDA CBR650F
ENGINE
ENGINE TYPE	4-stroke, DOHC, 16-valve, liquid-cooled, inline-Four
DISPLACEMENT	648.72 cc
BORE x STROKE	67.0 mm x 46.0 mm
POWER	90 bhp (67 kW) @ 11,000 RPM
TORQUE	64 Nm @ 8,000 RPM
COMPRESSION RATIO	11.4:1
TRANSMISSION	6-speed
FUEL SYSTEM	PGM-Fi programmed fuel injection
CLUTCH	Multiple-plate wet clutch, cable-operated
CHASSIS
FRAME	Steel diamond
FRONT SUSPENSION	ø 41 mm Showa Dual Bending Valve (SDBV) telescopic forks
REAR SUSPENSION	Monoshock with adjustable spring preload
FRONT BRAKE	2 X Two-piston caliper and ø 320 mm discs
REAR BRAKE	1 X Single-piston caliper, ø 240 mm brake disc
TYRE FRONT; REAR	120/70 ZR-17; 180/55 ZR-17
STEERING HEAD ANGLE	25.5^o
TRAIL	101 mm
WHEEL BASE	1,449 mm
SEAT HEIGHT	810 mm
FUEL TANK CAPACITY	17.3 litres
KERB WEIGHT	214 kg

DIUJI: Honda NSS300 – Skuter Yang Mewah

Honda NSS300 ini dikelaskan sebagai skuter premium.
Ciri-ciri terbaiknya adalah kelincahannya, ruangan simpanan serta penjimatan bahanapi.
Cukup pratikal untuk kegunaan berulang-alik dan juga penunggangan jarak jauh.

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TESTED: Honda NSS300 – “Luxo Scoot”

The Honda NSS300 is placed as a premium scooter.
Its best features are agility, storage space and fuel economy.
Practical for commuting and long-distance riding.

Boon Siew Honda (BSH) Malaysia had called upon the local motorcycling media to attend an iftar (breaking fast) event at the Sepang International Circuit (SIC).

The program sheet stated, “Test ride of BSH’s latest big bikes on track.” Whoa! Who could ever resist such an invite, regardless of the fasting month.

So we made our way to the circuit, listened intently to the briefing, and went down to the pits to find a gaggle of gleaming Hondas parked on the pit lane. There were the CBR650F, CB650F, CBR500R, CB500F, CB500F, CBR250R, CRF250L, Rebel 500, and three large scooters.

Err… wait a minute. Scooters on the fabled SIC track? Here where GP greats race on? Surely there’s a mix up.

Anyway, I kept my mouth shut and we switched bikes at every session of 3 laps. And I was finally on the white coloured scooter. It said “NSS300” on the flanks. I climbed on, in complete RS Taichi leather racesuit and stared at the car-like instrument cluster.

BSH’s personnel signaled us to go and out I went of the pit lane and onto the circuit.

Down into Turn One and Two, it dawned on me of how agile the NSS300 was, despite its long, long wheelbase and wide body. But it was when I flew threw Turn Three, then swept down the hill from Turn Four to Five and through Six, which curved all the way to the front straight that I realized that this was a scooter unlike any other.

Small-wheeled scooters have a tendency wobble in long sweeping corners, but the NSS300 was stable on its sides, so much so there were journos who were throwing off sparks from the centrestand and grounding the fairing.

The engine responded immediately to the throttle and was so smooth that it was almost electric-like, belying the fact that it has one-cylinder. Speed climbed effortlessly as we blasted, er… swooshed down the front straight.

Everyone regrouped at the paddock afterwards for breaking fast. We compared notes and while all bikes were good, it was the NSS300 that had surprised everyone.

I made a mental note that we needed to test this bike on the road someday. Will it do well on out in the real world too?

Well, who says prayers are never granted? BSH had arranged an NSS300 for us and I jumped on the opportunity like an unconditional donation.

Known as the Forza in certain countries, the Honda NSS300 is offered as a luxury scooter. On first viewing, it looks like a PCX150, but make that a supersized PCX.

While the PCX is a compact runabout, the NSS fills the roles from being an everyday commuter to a long-distance automatic tourer. As such, the bigger NSS offers plenty – make that a lot – of storage space. There’s a cavernous 62-liters of space under the seat alone.

I could stuff two jet type helmets under the seat with two sets of rainsuits; or one helmet, a backpack, a small camera bag and two sets of rainsuits. Talk about practicality. Add on a GIVI M43 Mulebox ADV top box and you’ll have crossborder tourer.

There are two more “glove boxes” embedded in the large fairing up front. The right compartment is not lockable and smaller, enough for a wallet or pack of ciggies. The left compartment, on the other hand, has to be released via a button. It’s so deep I could reach in all the way with my forearm right up to the elbow! A scary movie might have that arm pulled by a monster inside… Anyhow, I stored a bottle of 100 Plus, plus my phone and a pair of gloves in there. There’s also a cigarette lighter-type 12V socket in there for you to charge your phone or other devices.

The large instrument cluster looks familiar… like it belonged in a Honda car or Gold Wing, perhaps? The view is dominated by the large analog speedo and rev counter, flanked by the fuel and coolant temperature gauges. There’s a smaller round LCD on the top which displayed the average litre/100 km fuel consumption.

As large as the NSS300 looks, its seat is actually quite low. The sides are tapered off so even a short rider like me had no problems setting both feet down at stoplights. The seat widens to the rear up to the backstop. A nice touch. The rear portion is wide and deeply cushioned.

Insert the chip embedded HISS (Honda Ignition Security System) key and start the engine. It fires up with a small thump from the large piston then settles down into a zen-like idle. Twist the throttle and off you go.

The liquid-cooled, SOHC, single-cylinder, 279cc engine is governed by Honda’s proprietary PGM-FI electronic fuel injection system and coupled to a seamless CVT. The combination provided plenty of torque from standstill to almost anywhere in the powerband.

The bike’s size caused some early reservations during our urban test, as I wondered if there’s enough space to filter. Again, these dimensions are misleading – the NSS300 allows you to leave your brain in that left side compartment and go even more bonkers than the already bonkers KL traffic, especially when dispatch riders try to act the foo. Each gap was an invitation to the top step of the podium, each traffic light was a dragstrip’s Christmas lights, each corner was the Rothmans corner.

With the super strong Combined Braking System, backed up by Combined ABS, there was no fear of running into the back of another vehicle. The bike just stops almost on a dime. Honda quoted a kerb weight of 194 kg, but the bike certainly felt a lot lighter than that.

We also had the opportunity to ride the NSS300 on long-ish trips to where we first met, the Sepang International Circuit, to cover an event over the weekend.

Out on the highway, the bike just purred along, never stressed even when ridden at high speeds. It was also apparent that Honda had put in much wind tunnel time as there was very little buffeting, despite the low screen. The deep seat coddled our bums, the long floorboards provided all sorts of feet placement (from the straight up motorcycle posture to being like a garden slug) and the handlebar wa close to the body. Our expectations of touring on the NSS300 was confirmed.

Owning a scooter also meant savings in fuel costs. Honda claimed a frugal 3.24 litre/100 km (30.8 km/litre) consumption. That’s quite close to our best of 3.6 litre/100 km figure, considering the amount of hard charging in the city and high speed riding on the highways. The best range we got from the 11.6-litre fuel tank was 308 km. Not bad at all.

Shortcomings? Again, it’s the condition of our sorry excuse for “roads.” Potholes as deep as fish ponds, patches that seemed like the Titiwangsa range, uneven surfaces like the whoops on a motocross track played havoc with the suspension. However, the NSS300’s suspension coped as well as it could for a scooter, never bottoming out. Uneven long corners also caused the bike to weave slightly, but the bike never threatened to lose its footing and slide out. Honda had also equipped the NSS300 with the excellent Dunlop Scootsmart tyres, which are based on the Sportsmart sport-touring tyres. They gripped well on wet roads too.

In conclusion, the Honda NSS300 is a refined, practical, rider-friendly, and good-looking motorcycle. You could just jump on and go without having to worry about much of anything else. It may seem pricey, but test ride one and you’ll most probably own it.

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

ENGINE
Engine type	Liquid-cooled, 4-stroke, SOHC, single-cylinder
Compression ratio	10.5 : 1
Bore X Stroke	72.0 mm X 68.5 mm
Displacement	279 cc
Fuel system	PGM-FI electronic fuel injection
Maximum power	25.5 bhp (19.0 kW) @ 7500 RPM
Maximum torque	26.0 Nm @ 5000 RPM

TRANSMISSION
Clutch	Automatic, centrifugal
Gearbox	V-Matic CVT (constantly variable transmission)

CHASSIS
Front suspension	35 mm telescopic forks
Rear suspension	Twin shocks
Front brakes	Single disc, with Combined Braking System and optional Combined ABS
Rear brake	Single disc, with Combined Braking System and optional Combined ABS
Front tyre	120/70-14
Rear tyre	140/70-13

FRAME & DIMENSIONS
Frame	Underbone
Wheelbase	1546 mm
Seat height	716 mm
Kerb weight	194 kg
Fuel capacity	11.6 litres

PICTURE GALLERY

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