Chris Moss Rides The New CBR600RR ABS ...

I tested the bike on road and track with Superbike magazine in the south of France. In dry and warm weather was able to ride as hard as I dared. Even so, the ability of the ultra clever system just laughed at all of my attempts at late braking, even my deliberate ham-fisted ones. Called Electronic Combined ABS, the computer-controlled system balances just how much pressure goes to the front and rear brakes. When you use the ‘front’ brake lever, the ECU sends pressure to the rear disc to keep the balance sorted. And better still, even if you jump on the ‘rear’ brake lever, pressure sent to the front calipers then stops the bike under full control. On most braking set-ups, that sort of thing would end up with a locked wheel and a useless stopping effort - if not a crash.

Now equipped with Fireblade calipers the CBR’s braking is even stronger than before, but it’s the techno-trickery that makes the CBR600RR so special. The more I used it, the more knocked out I was. It’s so sorted it never triggered the ABS, no matter how hard I tried. It’s great news for everyone from novices to experts, and I can’t recommend it highly enough. Not everyone is a fan of ABS, but I can’t think of anyone who won’t be totally impressed with the 600’s new system. Is it worth an extra £1000 over the standard bike? You bet it is.

The rest of the bike is pretty good too. There’s a bit more midrange power thanks to some detailed engine modifications, which helps to make the CBR even more useable and friendly – something that’s helped make it a winner since it was launched five years ago. But now it’s a hell of a lot safer.

Chris Moss

For more information on the bike log on to www.superbike.co.uk

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