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| CBR series | |
|---|---|
| Name | CBR series |
| Manufacturer | Honda Motor Company |
| Production | 1980s–present |
| Class | Sport bike |
| Engine | Four-stroke, DOHC |
| Transmission | 6-speed |
| Related | CBR600RR, CBR1000RR |
CBR series is a line of sport motorcycles produced by Honda Motor Company that has influenced production racing, street performance, and motorcycle engineering worldwide. Introduced in the 1980s, the series intersected with developments in aerodynamics, chassis design, and electronic control systems across decades of competition and retail markets. Riders, engineers, and teams from circuits such as Isle of Man TT, MotoGP, World Superbike Championship, and national series adopted CBR platforms for development and competition.
The CBR series emerged amid technological shifts driven by manufacturers including Yamaha Motor Company, Suzuki Motor Corporation, Kawasaki Heavy Industries, Ducati Motor Holding, and BMW Motorrad, responding to demands from events like Suzuka 8 Hours, Daytona 200, Bol d'Or, TT Zero and regulatory arenas such as FIM rules and homologation requirements. Early CBR models paralleled developments by teams and institutions like Repsol Honda Team, Team HRC, Castrol, NGK Spark Plugs, Dunlop Tire Corporation, and Bridgestone Corporation. Influences trace to designers who worked with firms such as Honda Racing Corporation and suppliers including Brembo S.p.A., Öhlins, Showa Corporation, and AKM.
Honda engineers integrated lessons from projects with entities such as NASCAR aerodynamicists, labs at MIT, and wind tunnel testing platforms used by McLaren and Ferrari. Chassis evolution shows cross-pollination with prototypes used by HRC, Aprilia Racing, Suzuki ECSTAR, Repsol Honda Team, and research from University of Tokyo and Imperial College London. Engine developments referenced technologies present in machines from Honda CBX, VF750F, and partnerships with component makers like Keihin Corporation, Nissin Kogyo, Denso Corporation, and Showa Corporation. Electronic advances paralleled systems developed by Bosch, Magneti Marelli, Continental AG, and collaborations with racing teams at Suzuka Circuit, Assen Circuit, Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, and Silverstone Circuit.
Well-known entries include models positioned alongside rivals such as Yamaha YZF-R1, Suzuki GSX-R1000, Kawasaki Ninja ZX-10R, Ducati Panigale V4, BMW S1000RR, and Triumph Daytona 675. The range spanned small-displacement machines comparable to Kawasaki Ninja 250R, Yamaha YZF-R3, and Suzuki GSX-R600 up to liter-class competitors seen at Imola and Monza. Technical specifications evolved with inputs from suppliers like Brembo S.p.A., Akrapovič, Öhlins, Showa, Dunlop, Bridgestone, Michelin, and electronics developed with semiconductor firms akin to Texas Instruments, NXP Semiconductors, and Bosch. Trim levels and special editions referenced partnerships and commemorations similar to releases tied to Repsol, HRC, 50th anniversary editions, and works associated with riders such as Mick Doohan, Valentino Rossi, Casey Stoner, Jorge Lorenzo, Marc Márquez, and Nicky Hayden.
CBR-based machines competed in series including World Superbike Championship, MotoGP, Moto2, Supersport World Championship, British Superbike Championship, AMA Superbike Championship, All-Japan Road Race Championship, and endurance events like Suzuka 8 Hours and the Bol d'Or. Teams such as Repsol Honda Team, Team HRC, Castrol Honda, Yamaha Factory Racing, Ducati Team, Kawasaki Racing Team, and privateer outfits used CBR platforms for development. Notable circuits that saw CBR competition include Isle of Man TT, Sachsenring, Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit, Motegi, Laguna Seca, Donington Park, Le Mans Bugatti Circuit, and Spa-Francorchamps. Riders and engineers affiliated in events included figures from Mick Doohan, Loris Capirossi, Alex Barros, Eddie Lawson, Wayne Gardner, John Kocinski, Troy Bayliss, Jonathan Rea, Cal Crutchlow, and Joey Dunlop.
Market response connected the CBR series to competitive and retail narratives involving dealers, importers, and media outlets such as Cycle World, Motorcyclist (magazine), Motorsport Magazine, Top Gear, and regional distributors in United States, United Kingdom, Japan, Australia, Germany, Italy, Spain, and France. Collectors and museums like Honda Collection Hall, National Motorcycle Museum (UK), AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame, The Barber Vintage Motorsports Museum, and auction houses referenced preserved examples alongside displays of homologation specials and championship machines. The series influenced subsequent model programs from Honda Motor Company and spurred aftermarket ecosystems featuring firms such as Akrapovič, Yoshimura, Two Brothers Racing, Puig, and Rizoma S.r.l.. Its cultural impact appears in media connections to events and personalities tied to MotoGP, World Superbike Championship, Isle of Man TT, and manufacturers like Yamaha Motor Company, Suzuki Motor Corporation, and Kawasaki Heavy Industries.
Category:Motorcycles