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Upon first seeing the CBR the word ‘battleship’ sprang to mind. After riding back to work, through town, I was still thinking ‘battleship’. As well as that I could feel the weight on my wrists, the lack of feel in the brakes, and the lack of low-down power that I was expecting. Until I got the bike out of town I wasn’t a happy chappy at all, though once I reached the open plains of the Wairarapa, my grin grew in proportion with my speed.
I found the missing low-down power upward of 140 km/h, also at that speed the ‘battleship’ thought tended to take on a rosier tint. There was absolutely no buffeting or wind chill, and once I leaned forward a little, the weight came off my wrists. This coupled with the squishy seat made for an extremely comfortable long distance ride. This bike will eat many miles, and then come back for more. It’s smooth style will have you climbing back on board after 1000km willingly, if not joyfully. The CBR is designed to be ridden hard and fast, all day everyday. However, if you like warm hands, I would invest in some heated grips, as there’s no way you can warm your hands on the motor, although my feet were toasty due to the warm air coming through the fairing.
The Dual Combined Braking System may not be everybody’s cup of tea, it certainly isn’t mine. I like to have control of my brakes separately, especially in gravel and the wet. In their defence however, I will say that this bike hauls up extremely quickly for a dry weight of 235kg.
An added bonus with the CBR is the ease in which after-market luggage can be fitted. This bike really is the king of the big-bore sports-tourers. It has gained the reputation for power, performance and reliability and, after a weekend of full on riding, I can see why.
Check out Co-op Honda for a couple of fine examples.
