SportBiKeZ

All right, so the speculation has come to an end - what you see here isn't some computer-generated rendering, but the real deal, the brand-new, 2008 Honda CBR1000RR. Wet weight is 199 kilos, while power output is 178bhp at 12,000rpm. As you can see, the bike has been heavily restyled - the fairing is all new, as is the MotoGP-inspired rear end and the stubby exhaust system. The wheels are new, the chassis and swingarm have been redesigned, turn-signals at the front have been integrated into the rear-view mirrors, and the air-intakes ducts have been reworked and repositioned. The 2008 Fireblade also gets a slipper clutch (finally...!) and a new, sophisticated steering damper. This is a big, big makeover for the CBR1000RR, and Honda must be hoping the new Fireblade will not only be able to take on the R1, GSX-R1000 and ZX-10R but also beat those bikes in sheer performance terms.

Honda have also shown their 2008 VFR800, and surprisingly, it carries on unchanged from the 2007 model. We had earlier reported that Honda are likely to replace the VFR800 with a brand-new, high-tech VFR1000. However, that may indeed still happen. Honda might have two sports-tourers in their range and the VFR1000 may be the range-topper. It's also almost 100% certain that the inline-four-powered 2008 Fireblade will be the last of its ilk. Honda are expected to replace the CBR1000RR with an all-new, V4-powered 1000cc superbike in 2009, which will also be their WSBK contender.