The Honda CBR1000RR-R Fireblade SP is ‘Born to Race’. The Fireblade is based on the engine and chassis technology of the RC213V-S MotoGP machine and incorporates the aerodynamics of the RC213V MotoGP machine in the pursuit of speed.
But what does this mean on the track, and with the help of the Honda Racing UK British Superbike Team, they decided to answer that question. How fast is the production version of the latest Fireblade?
If you look at the CBR1000RR-R Fireblade SP and the British Superbike machines side by side, you can see that they have a lot in common. In fact, according to the series regulations, British Superbike race machines must be developed based on homologated production machines. They share many core components such as chassis and engine, but of course there are differences from race machines designed specifically for BSB competition, such as ECU "specs", permission to change gearing, minimum weight of 168kg, and increased rpm.
So, except for Honda Racing UK's BSB star Glenn Irwin's #2 British Superbike and the series' control, Pirelli Diablo Racing Slicks (SC0 compound), the standard CBR that came off the showroom floor 1000RR-R Fireblade SP were prepared for the shootout at Oulton Park.
Both lap times were set by Glenn Irwin, who rode the International Circuit at Oulton Park on the same day in the same conditions.
Glenn Irwin on his CBR1000RR-R Fireblade SP set a time of 1:39.054 on the sixth and final lap. This time is only 2.872 seconds off the time set by Glenn on his British Superbike Fireblade.
Amazingly, Glenn's time on the CBR1000RR-R Fireblade SP, which he brought straight from the showroom with mirrors, standard tool kit, and other accessories, was good enough to qualify him for the opening round of the 2021 BSB at Oulton Park Circuit, which will be held just a month after this photo session. He was able to get into the 11th row of the Superstock race.
Glenn Irwin, Honda Racing UK British Superbike #2
From my experience today, it’s blown my mind to see what a bike straight out of the showroom can do around a track and just how fast I could go on the standard Fireblade SP. The two bikes are very, very similar. It doesn’t surprise me as I love this bike, but it’s incredible. It truly was ‘straight from the showroom’ too with no setup time as it even took me a couple of laps to adjust the levers to make them more comfortable for me - with more time to get used to the conditions I am certain I could have gone even faster.
Havier Beltran, Honda Racing UK Team Manager
The Born to Race philosophy that has gone into the CBR1000RR-R Fireblade is clear to see. Under BSB series rules we have to keep a lot of the standard parts for our British Superbike race machine, such as chassis and engine, and the production model makes such a good basis for a race bike because it’s been designed from the start for speed on the track already. To achieve the laptime that Glenn did on a standard bike on slick tyres proves that and is absolutely mind-blowing.
Original Source [ HONDA ]
