Honda seem to be going along the same lines as Kawasaki with road and track orientated new models, but their new CBR600RR is not really being pushed as a pure racing or track-day bike - rather a more radical F4i. Instead Honda claim to have based the concept of the new bike on their world title winning RC211 GP bike.

The RR carries a new, slimmer motor, lighter pistons and painful sounding nutless rods! This results in a much higher revving engine thus giving more power. There's also a second set of fuel injectors added into the airbox which come into operation at full throttle above 6,000 rpm. Honda say that these secondary injectors effectively cool the intake charge, thus making the air denser and giving more power in the upper rev ranges.

The hollow aluminum frame is made utilising the increasingly popular die-cast method seen on the Yamaha's R6 and Suzuki's SV650 & 1000. In order to aid a low centre of gravity, the fuel tank extends down to the crankcases, the front section being donated to the airbox. The new format tank also allows more room for the rider's seat - allowing the rider to positioned further forward and closer to the bike's mass centre which according to Honda is apparently a good thing in the feel department!

Front conventional forks are now bigger (than the F4i) at 45mm, with larger 310mm discs up front. The rear swingarm, although lighter than the previous version has also grown and now contains the Pro-link rear suspension inside it , just like the RC211, and in typical Honda style, it is mounted directly onto the rear of the motor. At the rear of the new bike we have a gem of an exhaust system sweeping under the motor, through the subframe and exiting out underneath the seat in true Ducati style, nice..

The RR should be available in March 2003 . Colours will be yellow, black and red. The F4i will be sold alongside the 600RR, which makes me ask the question, will the F4i return back to a more general user friendly F3? Time will tell.

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