Beyond the Blade Season 4 Episode 1 ‘Unboxing”
The 24-year model Fireblade CBR 1000RR-R SP starts life in its production at Kumamoto factory probably 6,000 miles away from us here in Honda Racing in Louth. Straight into packaging, from packaging to road transportation
to Tokyo airport, Tokyo airport into Heathrow Heathrow airport via road to Louth in Lincolnshire, thus delivery of 12 24-year model Fireblades. The hard work starts for sure,
not only just unpacking the 12 machines but all the work that we have for engine development and chassis development. With the changes and the updates that we have on the 24-year model Fireblade versus the 23,
so we have the aerodynamics, we have the upgrade on the engine specification, we’ve got a two-motor throttle by wire. All of these areas have been designed, aerodynamics for top speed the drivability from the engine,
the split fly by wire throttle body system for not only for corner entry but for corner exit, drivability and control. My name is Chris Pike and I’m the senior development engineer for Honda Racing BSB.
Hopefully that doesn’t refer to my age. The stiffness of the chassis is the main difference. Geometrically it’s the same but around this area it’s been changed to help the bike change direction better and turn better hopefully.
Each bike is having its engine stripped as we’ve got the priority of our engine work to do first. So for the 2024 the engine is a different specification as well. It’s moved on quite a lot
from where it was in 2023. The engine in its standard form would appear to be very powerful to the point that we don’t really need to do too much to it at all to make it into a decent race engine.
The camshaft spec has changed, the crankshaft specification has changed so it should be better in the engine braking department and it should be better in the acceleration as well. The aero is the easy
bit to see isn’t it! That is to help stabilize the bike accelerating out of the corner. The idea is it keeps more pressure on the front tyre at that point. The split throttle body I guess you
should be able to hear. So now the throttle’s operate independently. You can deliver your initial torque through two cylinders instead of four cylinders which is easier on the tyre because the power pulses are further apart.
You’re only using half the engine to open the throttle. So it gives you a lot more torque delivery control. For peak power it doesn’t make any difference. So we are returning to SuperSport with the next generation
Super Sport specification machine It’s a long time since we’ve been back in that championship, 2013 the last time Honda competed, we competed in it. Honda’s re-released the CBR 600 as a new model.
So, Honda UK we’re trying to showcase the bike this year and show its potential and what better way than on the racetrack. There’s obviously a lot we can do with the chassis now which is new for this year.
But the main focus for us at the moment is horsepower. There’s been a heavy involvement with HRC in Japan to build a kit to make the bike competitive to run with the new generation rules in Super Sport.
It’s something that’s been important if we were going to race the bike. It needs to be competitive. We’re always going to have high expectations being a manufacturer funded team. There’s always high expectations so for
sure we’ll be trying our best to do the best job we can do. We’ve signed Jack Kennedy, he’s the most successful British Super Sport rider so we’ve ticked that box.
So for 2024 I’ve got a big team, understatement really, from Jack Kennedy, a four time Super Sport champion for sure class act and really hoping that he can help us develop and move on with this machine.
We’ve got Dean Harrison that’s adopting us with the Superbike and on the roads for Superbike, Superstock and Super Sport. Continuing our relationship with Nathan Harrison again in Super Sport, Superstock, Superbike for the roads.
Alongside that we have our famous John McGuinness which will be on the Superstock, Superbike. We’ve got work pending there and we’ve got some other ideas of what we’re actually going
to do with him the rest of the year but for sure John is going to be spending a lot of time with us. Then signing Tommy Bridewell, 2023 Superbike champion. For sure it’s a different dynamic in
there, team mate with Andrew Irwin and just showing that we mean business this year. We are chasing the podium, we need those results and we believe that we’ve got the right equipment and we’ve got great riders within the
categories to help us achieve that.
Beyond the Blade is back for another season, documenting the action of the Honda Racing UK team as it embarks on the 2024 season racing in British Superbikes, British Supersport and tackling the NW200 & Isle of Man TT road races.
2024 promises to be a big year for Honda, with both new and familiar faces joining the team. But it is not just some of the people that are new for this year. Honda Racing UK has taken delivery of a fleet of all-new machinery that will be campaigned throughout the season ahead.
Join us in this first episode of the season as we ‘unbox’ our new motorcycles and begin the process of transforming these road-going production machines into racing thoroughbreds.
The hard work starts now.
#BeyondTheBlade
#HondaRacingUK
#Fireblade
#CBR600RR
