The Supersport 1000cc class of 2006

The supersport category is a key category in motorcycle sales in most countries, creating a chicken and egg relationship with Supersport, Superbike and more recently Superstock racing. Since 2003, the emphasis has increasingly been focused on 1,000cc models and in 2004, all four of the big Japanese manufacturers launched new 1000 supersport bikes for the 2005 model year.

All have sold well, though the biggest sales went to Suzuki due to the company’s early season dominance of World Superbike Racing and its success in the American Superbike Championships. For 2006, all but Suzuki will again offer completely new machines and this article covers the specifications of the first two to be made public - the Yamaha and Honda.

The evolution of the 2006 Honda CBR1000RR Fireblade makes an interesting story – it is a lighter, faster and more visually refined machine than the current machine. The surprise though is the Yamaha 2006 R1 SP – this is a special very exclusive, limited edition bike with special Ohlins suspension, lightweight rims and a host of refinements designed to ensure the bike wins on the racetrack. Suzuki's contender will be unveiled in the next few weeks but is essentially a new coat of paint. And Kawasaki's new beastie can be seen in fine detail here.

In 2004, all four of the big Japanese manufacturers launched new 1000 supersport bikes and all sold well, though the spoils went mainly to Suzuki due to the company’s early season dominance of World Superbike Racing and its success in the American Superbike Championships.

From its initial conception, the CBR1000RR has featured strong visual and technological ties to Honda’s famed RC211V MotoGP race machine.

For its new second generation, the Fireblade’s bodywork has a new look that more impressively expresses its sense of speed and winning performance. Front and side cowls have been redesigned with a sleeker, more curvaceous and more aggressive look that still maintains strong bloodline ties to its MotoGP racing predecessor. Detailed changes include a more pronounced indent in the front cowl and a slight redesign of the shape of the RR’s distinctive ‘Slimline’ headlights that combine to project a more aggressive forward visage.

The fairing’s new side cowls also feature more compact and rounded lines to lighten and accentuate its aerodynamic look as well as its high-speed handling, giving the Blade a stronger look of high performance. Moreover, the lower exhaust ducts in the side cowls more effectively draw air through the radiator to greatly reduce the rider’s exposure to engine heat for enhanced riding comfort.

The changes are not just about ‘good looks’, however as considerable attention has been focused on reducing the engine’s weight while achieving a notable increase in maximum power output. This increase was achieved not with any single improvement, but rather with a collection of detailed modifications that add up to a significant boost in performance.

A new cylinder head boosts power throughout the rev range along with new intake valves actuated by a more aggressive camshaft profile. New double valve springs also replace the single coil items on the previous model and the compression ratio has been increased from 11.9:1 to 12.2:1.

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