The RCV styled CBR-600RR was destined to sell in the kind of quantities normally reserved for the government buildings overspend figures. This is, in no small way thanks to the success of the Valentino Rossi in the MotoGP astride the bike on which this was inspired. The Unit Pro-Link suspension and the biggest swinging arm since Frank Bruno was sane enough to enter the ring, is a descendant of the GP bike. The under-seat exhaust is said to aid aerodynamics and lean angle, but obviously adds quasi GP trickness too, which is never a bad thing. The all new slimmer engine won't be punching out anywhere near the 240bhp that Rossi had at the command of his right hand, but you might get half that. At the crank. On a good day. Which, lets face it, is still quick for a 600.
Despite the high expectations for this bike, Honda's RR was a surprising disappointment. The previous model was acclaimed for its grunty motor and broad spread of power. But in an attempt to chase lofty peak power figures a big chunk of mid-range ability was sadly sacrificed, and that's not so good. Nothing really happens before 10,000rpm as torque picks up a little and carries you towards the real power. To stay in touch with the other 2003 600's you really needed to use most of the 15,000rpm as peak power is close to the redline. This wasn't just a track trait either.
On the road you can't always plan as far ahead as you can on track and you need power on demand. On a spirited road ride it's likely you'll spend a great deal of the time at around 8-9000rpm, and the CBR simply hasn't enough serious power to dip into there. For comparison the ZX-636R makes18bhp more at nine grand than the CBR, and utterly blows the CBR away. On the road the CBR felt more like a 400 at times with wheelies requiring an almighty dump of the clutch in first. It's not all doom and gloom however. On the plus side the fuel injection is as slick as a London estate agent and the overall feeling of smoothness is largely down to this lack of power.

In typical Honda fashion neutrality and confidence are placed before lean angle and turn-in speed. Rarely has there been a Honda of any size that doesn't steer entirely naturally and the 600RR is no exception. With warm scrubbed-in tyres the CBR could be toyed with and committed to bends with total confidence on track and felt even better on the road, allowing the rider to switch sides like an Italian army with a fluid ease that allows the rider to relax. The set up is harder than on any other Honda but retains enough complicity to accurately track bumpy corners, which is a major bonus for UK riders.
As with the Blade, Honda has shrunk the 600 to accommodate the rider closer to the bars and more over the front wheel. This is obviously a big hit with munchkin riders, but the six footers had no complaints either. The bike barely makes its presence known while being ridden, much less so that the GSXR or Ducati 749, which is an impressive design feat to pull off. Braking is also up there with the best, giving more feel than either the 749 or 636R, but still able to allow one finger stoppies or scrub off plenty of speed without upsetting the bike on the road. Despite the narrower engine and higher pegs the CBR still to decks out early when flat out, although not as bad as its F Sport older brother.

Mark Davies, Supersport racer, gave his opinion of the CBR-600RR. “If Valentino is your hero, then this is the bike for you. It's a lovely looking bike and the swingarm is just pure sex. It's the usual build quality you'd expect form a Honda – top notch. The first thing you notice when you ride the Honda is how quickly it changes direction through the fast chicanes. The engine pulls real nice from surprisingly low revs. The front brakes are like someone gas just rammed a fire poker in the front wheel, there's not much feel to them. On-off switch anybody? The front forks dive a lot under heavy braking and the standard suspension is very road orientated but after a bit of revalving on the front and a race shock on the rear, this bike will be a force to be reckoned with. It will take some beating on the track in 2003.”