The Goodwood Test – Honda CBR1000RR Fireblade SP

Heritage

The SP designation stands for Sport Production – traditionally a hotted-up roadster conceived with racing intent – and it suits the Fireblade SP just fine. In June, John McGuinness lapped the Isle of Man TT circuit at over 132mph and took two Isle of Man TT podium places on a very similar looking red, white and blue ’Blade, having won the Senior TT on the Honda last year.

The showroom SP isn’t as fast or focused as McGuinness’s racer, but it’s the current flagship of a Fireblade family that dates back to the original CBR900RR, which revolutionised the superbike world in 1992. Since then Honda’s four has been updated numerous times, growing in capacity from 893 to 999cc along the way. The SP is an upmarket version of the standard ’Blade, boasting a tweaked motor plus uprated suspension, brakes and tyres.

Design

The SP is the most lavishly equipped Fireblade yet but it’s resolutely traditional in its adherence to the classical format of a powerful, flexible motor in a light, simple chassis with minimal electronic assistance. The old tuner’s art of blueprinting – pistons are carefully selected to ensure they’re within a gram of their target weight – adds a couple of horsepower to bring the 16-valve unit’s maximum to 178bhp.

Most of the SP’s edge over the standard Fireblade comes from its chassis, notably from the Öhlins suspension parts which include a TTX36 rear shock reworked with input from the Swedish specialist. Front brake calipers are upgraded to Brembo Monoblocs, incorporating Honda’s C-ABS anti-dive. Pirelli’s sticky SuperCorsa rubber completes the specification. The SP is simple but finely honed – a useful combination at the TT, and plenty of other places too.

Performance

Storming midrange acceleration and sweet throttle response are traditional Fireblade strengths, and the SP puts a big tick in both boxes. Its fuelling is crisp, and the motor builds power in a strong, consistent surge from 6000rpm to the redline at 13,000rpm, making the Honda easy to ride despite its lack of traction control. The SP is good for over 170mph and gets there with neck-snapping force, yet it’s equally suited to more sensible speeds.

It also brakes hard and handles superbly, the Öhlins front end giving a blend of sharp steering, confidence-inspiring stability and flawless feedback. The rear shock is very well controlled and responsive to set-up changes. The single seat and those initials suggest the SP is intended for the track, but in some ways that’s misleading. It’s arguably at its best as a roadburner with a finish and ride quality that few sports bikes can match.

Passion

The Fireblade SP’s appeal runs deeper than bhp figures or lap times. This is a bike for purists who want power with the emphasis on the way it’s delivered, and a chassis whose main aim is to help the rider use brain and right wrist, not software, to go fast. Rival superbikes’ systems (including those of Honda’s own RC213V-S MotoGP replica) undoubtedly work well, but the SP’s controllability and chassis quality mean it’s rapid as well as rewarding to ride.

Honda’s hotshot might be short of electronic gizmos despite its high price, but with Öhlins and Brembo on board as well as its blueprinted engine (and that classy, Honda Racing Corporation inspired paintwork) it has plenty of glitz. There’s also the option of an even more lavishly equipped version, the TT Edition, featuring racing levers and guard, wavy brake discs and an Akrapovic slip-on silencer. That man McGuinness would surely approve.

Price tag of our bike: £14,499 (TT Special Edition £16,999)

Photography by Zep Gori, Francesc Montero & Ula Serra