Honda CBR600RR (2024) - Technical Review

2024 Honda CBR600RR Review Details Price Spec_02

 

Price: £TBA | Power: 119.4bhp | Weight: 193kg | Overall BikeSocial Rating: TBA

 

After an absence of seven years the Honda CBR600RR is heading back to UK showrooms in uprated form in 2024 – finally giving us a truly modern 600cc rival to Kawasaki’s ZX-6R, the only surviving four-cylinder machine left in that once-dominant category.

For a decade and a half after its 1987 debut Honda’s CBR600 dominated and defined the ultra-popular 600cc sports bike class in the UK before shifting fashions and an increasingly hardcore focus for race-rep 600s saw popularity decline – with the CBR600, now wearing ‘RR’ badging, finally being dropped from the UK and European markets at the start of 2017 when Euro4 emissions rules came into force. Having skipped Euro4 and the first generation of Euro5, the CBR600RR is making a surprise comeback for the 2024 model year having been revamped to meet the latest Euro5+ regulations. With middleweight sportsbikes starting to see a renaissance, is this the start of a return to form for 600cc fours?

Outside Europe, the CBR600RR was given a comprehensive restyle and tech update in 2021, and the machine coming to the UK in 2024 is an evolution of that variant, complete with winglets and a level of modern tech that the last generation could barely have imagined.

 

Pros & Cons

  • It’s a CBR600RR, and it’s back on the market – what’s not to like?
  • Modern traction control tech derived from the Fireblade’s
  • Styling is a quantum leap forward from the last generation seen on the UK market
  • Likely to be pricey
  • Still very much a track-focused bike
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Review – In Detail

Price & PCP
For and against
Engine & Performance
Handling & Suspension (inc. weight & brakes)
Comfort & Economy
Equipment
Rivals
Verdict
Specification

 

2024 Honda CBR600RR Price

Honda’s keeping its powder dry when it comes to 2024 pricing at the moment and the official RRP of the CBR600RR won’t be revealed until nearer Spring 2024, when it’s expected to reach UK dealers.

Even taking a guess is made more difficult by the fact the bike hasn’t been on the market here since early 2017, but Honda is sure to be aware that there’s just one direct rival on the market at the moment in the form of Kawasaki’s latest ZX-6R. The Kawasaki comes in at £10,599, and it’s likely Honda will be targeting something similar for the CBR600RR to ensure it snaps up customers who want a track-biased four-cylinder middleweight.

 

Available in two colour schemes with the traditional HRC version…

 

2024 Honda CBR600RR Engine & Performance

It might have been away from the UK market since Theresa May was PM – we’ve had Brexit, a global pandemic and at least another three leaders since then – but there are elements of the 2024 CBR600RR that will still be familiar to owners of the last generation to have been sold here. The essentials of the 599cc inline four-cylinder engine are among those long-lived parts.

However, since the last version was defeated by Euro4 emissions limits and we’re now up to Euro5+ standards, you can imagine there have been some serious changes inside to clean up its act.

The 67mm bore and 42.5mm stroke are the same as before, as is the 12.2:1 compression ratio, but the throttle bodies are increased from 40mm to 44mm, and the inlet ports are reshaped to increase gas flow. New cam timing closes the inlet valves 5% earlier and the exhaust 5% later, improving efficiency, and the exhaust and catalyst are redesigned to achieve the Euro5 targets.

The engine drives through an assist/slipper clutch, and is managed by an electronic setup derived from the Fireblade, itself inspired by the one from the RC213V-S. That means you get nine levels of traction control adjustment, five riding modes – three standard, two user-defined – and five power levels. There’s also engine brake control and wheelie control, each with three levels of intervention, and the whole lot is governed by a six-axis IMU that monitors the bike’s pitch and lean angle (it’s an upgrade on a five-axis version that was added to the CBR600RR in 2021 in markets where the bike was offered).

A quickshifter is standard, with three levels of adjustment for feel.

In short, while the engine looks much the same as the last generation of CBR600RR to have been sold here, the way it operates is much more akin to the current crop of superbikes.

Outright power peaks at 119.4bhp (89kW0 and 14,250rpm, while max torque of 46.5 lb-ft (63Nm) comes at 11,500rpm.

 

…or standard black

 

2024 Honda CBR600RR Handling & Suspension (inc. Weight & Brakes)

The chassis, like the engine, can be dated back to the 2007-on generation of CBR600RR – with a familiar-looking, diecast aluminium twin-spar frame and swingarm. The 1370mm wheelbase is the same as last version we were sold in this country, although there’s a new setup that means the rake and trail are fractionally altered. The new model has a 24-degree rake and 100mm of trail.

The chassis tweaks continue with a slightly revised swingarm that’s 150g lighter than the last generation.

The suspension features 41mm Showa SFF-BP upside-down forks, 15mm longer than before to allow more scope for setup adjustment and with fully-adjustable damping. The rear shock is also fully-adjustable and made by Showa, operating through a Honda Unit Pro-Link linkage. There’s an electronic steering damper, controlled by the ECU to alter its damping force depending on speed, and radial Tokico four-pot brakes on 310mm discs at the front, allied to a 220mm disc and single-piston caliper at the back.

Weight comes in at 193kg including fuel.

 

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2024 Honda CBR600RR Comfort & Economy

The fairing of the new CBR600RR is closely related to the 2021-on version that was sold in markets outside Europe – complete with the inevitable downforce-generating winglets on either side – with minimal changes for the 2024 model.

Honda reckons it has the lowest drag coefficient in its class, so provided you’re prepared to adopt a racing tuck you’ll be out of the wind-blast, but the focus is very much on track use rather than day-to-day comfort and practicality.

Compared to its predecessor, the fuel tank cover has been dropped by 10mm to let you tuck in even more completely behind the fairing, and it’s narrower to let you get your elbows out of the airflow. There’s also a revised belly pan to get heat away from the exhaust and to deflect air away from the rear wheel and cut drag further.

The aero might be aimed at improving track performance, but there’s a benefit on the road as well, with the bike achieving a claimed 51.4 mpg, enough to get a range of 200 miles from the 18-litre tank.

 

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2024 Honda CBR600RR Equipment

On board there’s a colour TFT dash that includes access to the huge array of settings for the IMU-assisted traction control and riding modes, with a display that can be set in ‘street’, ‘circuit’ or ‘mechanic’ mode. A gear shift indication helps keep the engine on the boil and the dash also shows lap times, number of laps completed and fastest lap readouts. In case you were wondering, this is a track-focussed bike.

Other kit includes full LED lighting, with an emergency stop warning that flashes the hazard lights under heavy braking.

You can also uprated the CBR600RR with a pair of optional accessory packs. The ‘racing pack’ adds a carbon-look tank pad, a pillion seat cover, wheel stripes and an HRC oil filler cap. The ‘comfort pack’ includes a tail pack, expandable to 22 litres capacity, plus five-level heated grips and a USB-C socket.

Finally, there’s the option of an HRC Race Kit, for track use only, that includes a race ECU and wiring harness (removing road equipment), a stronger head gasket, bigger radiator, race exhaust and uprated suspension and brakes.

 

 

2024 Honda CBR600RR Rivals

Supersports-style bikes in the 600cc class are few and far between now, but CBR600RR customers might want to consider the Kawasaki ZX-6R, MV Agusta’s F3 or perhaps Aprilia’s RS660.

 

Kawasaki Ninja ZX-6R | Price: £10,599

Power/Torque: 122bhp/50.9lb-ft | Weight: 198kg

 

MV Agusta F3 Rosso | Price: £14,095

Power/Torque: 147bhp/65lb-ft | Weight: 173kg

 

Aprilia RS660 | Price: £10,300

Power/Torque: 100bhp/49.4lb-ft | Weight: 183kg

 

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2024 Honda CBR600RR Verdict

The highlight of 2024? Maybe, but we’ll be sure to let you know as soon as we’ve ridden it, which is likely to be in March 2024.

 

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2024 Honda CBR600RR - Technical Specification

New price

From £TBA

Capacity

599cc

Bore x Stroke

67mm x 42.5mm

Engine layout

Inline four

Engine details

16-valve, DOHC, liquid cooled

Power

119.4bhp (89kW) @ 14,250rpm

Torque

46.5lb-ft (63Nm) @ 11,500rpm

Transmission

6-speed, quickshifter, assist/slipper clutch

Average fuel consumption

51.4mpg claimed

Tank size

18 litres

Max range to empty

203 miles

Rider aids

Cornering traction control, wheelie control, power modes, engine brake modes, rear lift control, cornering ABS.

Frame

Diecast aluminium twin spar

Front suspension

41mm Showa SFF-BP USD forks

Front suspension adjustment

Fully adjustable

Rear suspension

Unit Pro Link, Showa monoshock

Rear suspension adjustment

Fully adjustable

Front brake

310mm discs (x2), Tokico four-piston calipers

Rear brake

220mm disc, single-piston Tokico caliper

Front wheel / tyre

120/70ZR17 Dunlop Roadsports 2

Rear wheel / tyre

180/55ZR17 Dunlop Roadsports 2

Dimensions (LxWxH)

2030mm x 685mm x 1140mm

Wheelbase

1370mm

Seat height

820mm

Weight

193kg (kerb)

Warranty

Two-year, unlimited mileage

Servicing

TBA

MCIA Secured Rating

Not yet rated

Website

www.honda.co.uk

 

Looking for motorcycle insurance? Get a quote for this motorbike with Bennetts bike insurance

 

2024 Honda CBR600RR Review Details Price Spec_04

 

What is MCIA Secured?

MCIA Secured gives bike buyers the chance to see just how much work a manufacturer has put into making their new investment as resistant to theft as possible.

As we all know, the more security you use, the less chance there is of your bike being stolen. In fact, based on research by Bennetts, using a disc lock makes your machine three times less likely to be stolen, while heavy duty kit can make it less likely to be stolen than a car. For reviews of the best security products, click here.

MCIA Secured gives motorcycles a rating out of five stars (three stars for bikes of 125cc or less), based on the following being fitted to a new bike as standard:

  • A steering lock that meets the UNECE 62 standard
  • An ignition immobiliser system
  • A vehicle marking system
  • An alarm system
  • A vehicle tracking system with subscription

The higher the star rating, the better the security, so always ask your dealer what rating your bike has and compare it to other machines on your shortlist.