HONDA FIREBLADE SP1
Slowly does it…
’Count to five? Easy: one, two, three, erm…’
Honda’s had more stick than a bamboo salesman since releasing its new CBR1000RRs (RR, SP1, SP2) to the world, which is a shame in my eyes. On the road they’re one of the best bikes on the market, but they just don’t cut it on track. Having clocked 4,000 miles on my SP1 termer last year, I knew this bike better than any other at SBOTY, but fondness and familiarity counted for absolutely nothing against the stopwatch.
I really wanted this bike to do well but its genetics compromised it like a ruptured rubber jonny. Fundamentally it was slow, being the most leisurely of the litre bikes down Navarra’s front straight (153mph), and it wasn’t just in terminal speed where the Blade was lacking. Out of corners it felt lazy, which made for a pleasurable ride, but we weren’t here to imitate pensioners on a Sunday joy ride. Despite an impressively raucous boom from the Honda’s stock can, the energy translated to the rear wheel must have got lost along the way, because it sure as hell never made it to terra firma. I don’t think it helped that the stock gearing was taller than one of Boothy’s bar bills, either.