I did ride the 2009 Honda CBR600RR ABS, but only for an hour...in the rain. Hardly enough seat time or suitable conditions to evaluate a sportbike’s capabilities. But it was a perfect opportunity to test the CBR’s stand-out, optional feature for 2009: Combined ABS.
Before we get to that, there are several other updates on the 2009 CBR600RR (for our evaluation of the 2007 model, see Rider, May 2007). New exhaust crossover balance tubes and an exhaust pressure valve in the silencer boost midrange. Intake ports get state-of-the-art shot-peening to further enhance horsepower and torque. Front binders are now radial-mounted monoblock four-piston calipers. And cosmetically, bodywork is more sleek, turn signals are lightweight and color schemes are new.
But the big news is that an extra $1,000 gets you Combined ABS (C-ABS) on either the 2009 CBR600RR or CBR1000RR. Why did Honda develop ABS for its sportbikes? We asked Doug Toland, former pro racer and Honda test rider who helped develop C-ABS: “First of all, because nobody’s done it before. Secondly, Combined ABS gives supersport riders an extra cushion of safety when faced with the unexpected.”
Read the full road test, including detailed specs and more photos, in the June issue of Rider, which is on newsstands now or available to subscribers.
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