MCL 2022
SUPERSPORT
The Super Sports section is a Tyre Smoking Treat
In the razor-sharp world of Super Sports motorcycles, news travels fast. Visitors to the Honda Super Sports and Racing stand at this year’s Motorcycle Live event are in for a tire-smoking treat.
On display is the Limited-edition Honda CBR1000RR-R Fireblade SP Special Livery, commemorating the Legendary John McGuinness’s 100th TT start. There are only 30 bikes for worldwide distribution. So hurry, this may be your only opportunity to see this two-wheeled tribute to one of the most successful TT riders ever.
Plus, you will get the latest information on Honda’s BSB line-up for 2023. British Super Bike fans will also had the chance to meet Honda Team racing stars Andrew Irwin and Tom Neave.
Listen out for hot-off-the-press updates on the cutting-edge, 30th-anniversary Honda Fireblade and the fabulous king of the middleweights, the CBR650R.
It’s time to saddle up, burn some rubber and enjoy a tyre-smoking treat at this year’s biggest and best UK motorcycle event.
Honda’s New Limited Edition Commemorates Two Racing Legends
Let's face it; we live in a modern world where retail therapy is fast becoming an Olympic sport. The label ‘limited edition’ doesn’t always mean a whole lot anymore. Once in a while, the real deal comes along and blasts everything else into the weeds.
Motorcycles don’t get any more special or limited than The Limited Edition Honda CBR1000RR-R Fireblade SP Special Livery John McGuinness 100th TT Start Replica.
With a mere 30 bikes for worldwide distribution, the Special celebrates two legendary icons from the world of Super Sports motorcycling; the Honda Fireblade and John McGuinness.
The Honda Fireblade redefined the Super Sports genre. It recently celebrated 30 years of leading the pack. Combine this with one of the most prolific IOM TT winners of all time, John McGuinness, and you have a Limited Edition motorcycle more than worthy of its name.
The Machine
In 1992, the launch of the all-new Honda Fireblade redefined Super Sports motorcycles. In 2021, after three decades of continuous success, Honda marked the occasion with the Fireblade SP 30th Anniversary Special. The Blade SP was without a doubt, special. Yet, adding a tri-colour paint job echoing the livery of the first Fireblade elevated it to exceptional.
The specifications for the 2022 CBR1000RR-R Fireblade SP read like a MotoGP checklist and it’s not surprising. The 160kW engine, RCV213V-inspired aerodynamics, Öhlins 43mm NPX forks, TT-36 rear shock and full Brembo braking are all racetrack-bred.
The John McGuinness 100th Start Fireblade wears a full replica respray, incorporating gold detailing and Gold wheel stripes. Meanwhile, the airbox cover features John’s signature and an individually numbered plaque is on the headstock.
The front mudguard and rear hugger are carbon fibre. Plus, there’s a special rear seat cowl and a tall screen. The bike will have Metzeler Racetec RR tyres with the original set of tyres provided.
The Man Behind the Machine
John McGuinness is an Isle of Man legend, second only in TT wins to the late, great Joey Dunlop. The Special Edition commemorates John’s 100th TT start. His collaboration with Honda is a long and fruitful one. The prolific racer won his first-ever TT, was the first to successfuly break the 130mph lap barrier and made his 100th TT start riding Hondas.
John McGuinness won almost every solo class at the TT from 250cc lightweight to Superbike. During his incredible racing career, he stood on the winner’s podium an astonishing 47 times and 23 as champion.
If you’re one of 30 fortunate owners, you can take possession of this incredible landmark motorcycle from the legend himself. John McGuinness MBE will be at Honda Racing HQ in Louth for the handover.
The Limited Edition Honda CBR1000RR-R Fireblade SP Special Livery John McGuinness 100th TT Start Replica, priced at 30K, comes with a host of goodies.
New owners will receive a custom Fireblade garage mat and a genuine Honda Accessories indoor body cover. If that wasn’t enough, they will also become the lucky owners of a 3D laser-engraved crystal featuring a John McGuinness 100th Start replica design.
The limited edition Fireblade will be on display at the Honda Stand throughout the nine days of the Motorcycle Live show.
Honda Focus on 2-Bike Team for 2023 BSB Challenge
Honda Racing UK proudly announces a line-up of familiar faces for the 2023 Bennetts British Superbike Championship season.
Rested and raring to go, Honda welcomes back Andrew Irwin and Tom Neave on the race-winning Honda CBR1000RR-R Fireblade SP.
Team Manager for Honda Racing UK, Havier Beltran, commented, “we’re delighted to welcome back Andrew alongside Tom in 2023. We’ve shared moments with Andrew like his and the bike’s first wins and now we’re very happy to be able to bring him back to the family.”
Beltran continued, “the 2022 season was a learning year for Tom, having graduated from Superstock and with that experience, he’s ready to take the next step in 2023.”
Memorable Milestones
With many memorable milestones already under his belt for Honda Racing UK, Andrew Irwin took his first-ever BSB victory at Thruxton in 2019. The timing for Irwin’s follow-up victory at Donington Park coincided perfectly with the debut race of the all-new Fireblade.
Tom Neave remains with the Louth-based squad for his second year in the premier class. After a maiden learning season in 2022, the 27-year-old rider and 2021 Pirelli National Superstock Champion is ready to take the next step in his superbike ascent aboard the #68 Fireblade SP.
Neave’s two former 2021 teammates, Ryo Mizuno and Takumi Takahashi, are moving to race pastures new for the 2023 season.
Honda Racing UK extended thanks to them for their team contribution. Honda also expressed hopes they will give their support during testing before and during next season.
Heading into 2023 with a two-bike team allows the squad to show the kind of focused commitment that brought Honda five victories and five podium places in 2022, says Honda Racing UK.
The successful 2022 season saw Andrew Irwin's brother Glenn start the season with a win and finish with a nail-biting victory for Honda in the last race of the competition. The Honda team battled for honours on board the Fireblade-SP and intends to continue their race-winning momentum in 2023.
British Superbike fans will be able to see Andrew Irwin and Tom Neave at the 2022 Motorcycle Live BSB Sunday event on 20th November.
A Nod to the Past
In 2021, at the EICMA Show in Milan, Honda revealed the CBR1000RR-R Fireblade SP.
Not content with the recent radical update of the Fireblade, Honda raised the bar higher still with the SP. The press labelled the motorcycle a race bike for the road.
Working hand in hand with the Honda Race Corporation (HRC), the SP borrowed heavily from the HRC’s radical RC213V-S MotoGP bike.
Leaving the in-line four’s 160kW at 14,500rpm power output unchanged, the mid-range received a notable boost by making changes to the intake ports, airbox, airbox funnels and exhaust midsection. In listening to owners and racers, the resulting surge occurred where it mattered, powering out of corners.
An increase in the rear sprocket to 43 teeth saw the Fireblade SP accelerate even harder off the line necessitating an upgrade to the quick shifter.
Feedback from Honda’s World Super Bike team also pointed to the need to refine the rear tyre traction management system and a less snatchy throttle response. The factory addressed both comments. First, optimising the Honda Selectable Torque Control (HSTC) and second, reducing the throttle spring load on the Throttle By Wire (TBW) system.
The catalyser and the exhaust pipes feeding it have undergone reconfiguration to allow for optimum gas flow. As the SP was intended for public roads, the Akropovic titanium slicer is muted up to 5000rp when a smart valve releases a more race-orientated soundtrack.
Track Quality
For the chassis, the track-quality aluminium composite twin-spar frame, Ohlins electronically controllable forks and TTX36 rear shock needed no tweaking.
The 2022 Honda CBR1000RR-R Fireblade SP is, undoubtedly, one of a kind. Still, it’s the year of its introduction that holds a unique relevance for Honda.
Three decades earlier, Honda unleashed a motorcycle that put the super in Superbike. Moreover, in doing so, the factory changed the face of sport biking forever.
The 1992 Honda Fireblade marked a radical departure from everything else on the market. In the ensuing 30 years, Honda has not once stopped pushing the envelope.
Today, the Fireblade SP produces a class-leading 214bhp and a staggering power-to-weight ratio almost 80% higher than its 1992 ground-breaking forebear.
To mark one of the most iconic anniversaries in motorcycling history, the Honda CBR1000RR-R Fireblade SP is the bike chosen to commemorate 30 years of Fireblade history.
Inspirational Colour Scheme
In the quest for continuity, Honda sought out the Fireblade’s original colour designer Mr Hiroaki Tsukui. His task was to create a design to convey the anniversary model's past, present and future.
The limited edition paint is stunning. Yet, it’s not the only Anniversary Blade’s stand-out feature. It also features a limited edition serial number laser-etched on the top yoke. Plus, a 30th-anniversary logo on the petrol tank cover.
The oval Akropovic silencer is laser engraved with the anniversary logo. The Blade’s smart key also features the iconic logo. Activating the ignition prompts a ‘ring of fire’ anniversary animation on the TFT information screen.
The 30th Anniversary Honda CBR1000RR-R Fireblade SP is a worthy flag-bearer for the original groundbreaking Blade, the bike responsible for tearing up the sport bike rulebook.
Take time to visit the Honda stand and see the incredible 30Th Anniversary Blade.
Honda CBR650R: Is it the Most Versatile Sports Middleweight on the Market?
The fully-faired CBR650F was a popular sports tourer launched in 2014. With its spirited engine, surefooted chassis, clip-on style bars and angular bodywork, it was begging to be ridden hard. Moreover, its riding position nudged it even closer to the sporty end of the sports touring sector.
Five years later, Honda changed the F for an R and the new 2019 model at last, shrugged off any pretensions of touring. This motorcycle was a middleweight sport bike, pure and simple. As a Honda, it was also user-friendly and able to scratch around a track day, as well as bumble to work through rush hour.
Honda hit the nail on the head. A statement confirmed this in 2021 when the CBR650R became the best-selling sport bike in Europe. To celebrate, Honda continued the development curve with user-driven detail improvements and a significant upgrade for the front forks.
More than meets the eye
The previous model wore 41mm Showa forks, and the change didn't look that significant. The new 41mm Showa's, though, featured Separate Function Big Piston (SFF-BP) internals.
Behind the scenes, a pressure separation damper in one fork tube and a spring mechanism in the other significantly increased damping performance. The resulting increase in feel and bump absorption was a revelation. In addition, with the lighter forks, front stability and overall control improved handling considerably.
At the rear, a curvaceous gravity die-cast aluminium swingarm serviced by a 10-stage spring preload adjustable monoshock keeps the back controlled and predictable.
The bane of motorcycle manufacturers worldwide, EURO5 compliance, presented problems with potential power loss. Yet, Honda overcame the obstacles with their usual aplomb. Revisions to the ECU, cam lobes, intake timing, exhaust pipe, catalyser and silencer, as well as the addition of a crank pulsar, resulted in the engine losing none of its 94bhp.
As for other upgrades, the newly angled LCD dash received larger figures to make it easier to read. What’s more, alterations to the reflectors improved the headlights.
The CBR650R boasts twin-channel ABS, an assist/slipper clutch and an under-seat USB type-C socket. The rider has the choice to disconnect the Honda Selectable Torque Control.
New for 2023
For 2023, the sport-focused yet versatile CBR650R is available in Mat Gunpowder Black Metallic. It also features black engine and cam covers, blue highlights and red shock spring. Alternatively, owners can choose Grand Prix Red with new black engine and cam covers, black belly pan and front mudguard. There is also a red Honda logo and shock spring.
Catch up with the middleweight champ on the Super Sports section of the Honda Stand at Motorcycle Live. We look forward to seeing you there.
Celebrating Past and Present Super Sports Icons
A visit to this year’s Motorcycle Live sees Honda pay a two-wheeled tribute to the world’s greatest living TT rider, John McGuinness. To honour his incredible achievements and career, Honda created the stunning CBR1000RR-R SP Limited Edition John McGuiness 100th TT Start bike.
As only 30 of these ultra-rare beasts are available for sale, this may be the only chance you’ll get to see one in the metal.
Continuing with the HRC’s full-out assault on the BSB Championship, we are happy to also announce the names of two of the finest riders. In 2023, the dynamic duo will be racing to the finish line on Honda's race-winning Super Sports bike, the CBR1000RR-R SP. Watch this space.
Get your motor revving, drop by and check out the special edition bike created to mark the 30th anniversary of an icon. Bursting onto the scene three decades ago, the 30th Anniversary Fireblade SP is a fitting tribute.
Honda's heavyweight hitter in the middleweight division and one of the most versatile sports bikes on the market also await you. Discover why the incredible CBR650R became 2021's number-one-selling sports bike in Europe.
The world of super sports bikes on the road or track is an adrenaline-fueled rollercoaster. It creates memories and we welcome you to share yours.
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