SportBiKeZ

The XESS (eXtreme European Streetfighter Styling) version of the CB1000R draws on the most extreme potential of this new Naked streetfighter’s intensely aggressive power. It focuses the customer’s attention on the eventual possibilities for modifying the production model to make it even more stunning.

The original CB1000R was intended to stimulate Honda Emotion; to be number one in the Sports-Naked category and the ultimate bike for two-wheel enthusiasts. This was achieved through its innovative and challenging design and through such impressive technology as the ex-Fireblade inline-4 engine, the long-and-low underslung exhaust and the hybrid aluminium swingarm. Incorporating impressive handling and a sporty nature, our plan for this model is to become the big Naked queen of the long and winding roads.

Our goal with the XESS is to allow CB1000R customers to shine out in the crowd (even more!) and give them really breathtaking added value. It is similar to our much-appreciated initiative with the Hornet 600 in early 2006. It’s clear that Naked customers like to customise their bikes, so we decided to sow the seeds of imagination with a reality model.

The XESS represents the most radical and extreme styling of the new Italian-designed CB1000R. Just as Honda represents “The Power of Dreams,” the CB1000R should be considered “The Model of Dreams” in the Naked category – a dream bike starting with a unique Honda basis and cutomised with the most impressively designed accessories.*

If the CB1000R is a spectacularly emotional bike, the velvet-red XESS builds even more on that emotion - aggressive as a panther and ready to holeshot with a premium motorcycle image. That’s why the tank is graced with the new Honda Wing emblem that only decorates top-end models like the RC212V, the Fireblade and the DN-01.

This impressive customization of a brand-new motorcycle model with quality custom parts is yet another unique and visionary initiative from Honda.

*The names of the after-market providers can be obtained on request from your local Honda sales company.

The XESS project was carried out by a local workgroup in Italy. Vito Cicchetti (General Manager, Honda Italy) proposed the initial concept and positioning, while Fausto Giancristofaro sought out suppliers of the most passionate parts and coordinated the realisation of the special model’s.

The many parts that have been added or changed include: a special Showa-signed and anodized massive front fork, Hanabira front discs with radial-mounted front callipers, a titanium twin-exhaust, lighter and race-ready footpegs, an aggressive red transmission chain, reversed levers, a velvet seat and several carbon fibre elements (such as the front mudguard, front light cowl, rear hugger, side covers and rear seat cowl).

The concept, drawings and development of the mass production model were established by R&D headquarters in Roma with the support of the Italian Sales Division. With its already sensational design, it provided an ideal basis from which to develop such an impressive and aggressive prototype. The result is a model that celebrates traditional Honda quality with 100% Italian design.

Now in its fifth year of production, the CBR600RR has firmly established itself as both a winner on the streets and a dominating force on the racetracks of the world. A mid-displacement Super Sports favourite renowned for its peerless combination of aggressive performance and comfortable riding ease, the CBR600RR and its immediate predecessor, the CBR600F Sport, have together garnered an astounding six consecutive World Supersport championships in the capable of hands of privateer team Ten Kate Racing and its extraordinary riders.

Over the years, the Ten Kate Racing team has enjoyed phenomenal success attained through hard work and steadfast determination, culminating this year in new rider Kenan Sofuoglu’s record-setting capture of the 2007 World Supersport crown at Brands Hatch circuit with three more races left in the season. This impressive victory has been especially significant as it was accomplished aboard the totally new third-generation CBR600RR, proving its dominating performance potential right out of the box.

Over the last six years and four generations of Honda CBR600 supremacy, the following Ten Kate riders have ridden to victory in the World Supersport championship for complete domination of the series:

1. 2002 — Fabien Foret (CBR600F Sport)


2. 2003 — Chris Vermeulen (CBR600RR)


3. 2004 — Karl Muggeridge (CBR600RR)


4. 2005 — Sébastien Charpentier (CBR600RR)


5. 2006 — Sébastian Charpentier (CBR600RR)


6. 2007 — Kenan Sofuoglu (CBR600RR)

• HANNspree Ten Kate Honda Racing colours: Pearl Sunbeam White (with Graphite Black & Digital Silver Metallic)

• HANNspree Honda Ten Kate Honda racing replica colours, graphics and decals


• Distinctive green stripe on black wheel rims.

Rake and trail are terms often used when discussing sportbike handling. Manufacturers sometimes highly tout these numbers in their brochures, and we often refer to them in testing. Trail especially affects how a bike feels, and can determine its stability, steering quickness, and in general, a large portion of the bike's handling characteristics.

Rake is defined as the angle of the steering head with respect to a line drawn perpendicular to the ground (left). A smaller angle, or less rake, is sometimes referred to as being steeper, and production sportbikes are currently in the neighborhood of 23 degrees of rake. Trail is the horizontal measurement from the front axle to the point at which a line drawn through the steering head intersects the ground (figure 1). Current sportbikes have 90-95mm of trail. While the two dimensions are interrelated, trail is the number that mostly changes the steering feel of a motorcycle. Trail gives a motorcycle stability because of the self-centering effect caused by the front wheel being behind (or trailing) the steering axis. Too little trail, and this self-centering effect is decreased to the point of instability. Too much trail, and the effect is so great that steering becomes heavy. There is a lot more to trail than this (and for more detail, you can refer to the resources listed here), but these are the basics for the purposes of this discussion. At first glance, most sportbikes appear to have a set rake and trail that cannot be changed, but that is not necessarily the case. Given a motorcycle's basic dimensions, we can calculate trail as follows (right): (equation 1) Trail=RSinø-0/cosø R=tire radius 0=triple-clamp offset ø=rake

As an example, a bike with a front tire having a circumference of 1890mm, a 23-degree rake and 27mm of offset will have 98.5mm of trail. Note that in the range of variables we are dealing with, using a tire with a smaller radius, increasing offset or decreasing rake can decrease trail. On most stock sportbikes, you cannot change two of the three variables (tire diameter and offset) without resorting to modifications, but the third variable, rake, we can change slightly by raising or lowering the fork tubes in the triple clamps.

An expert-level roadracer can notice a change in the order of 1mm in trail, and working equation 1 backward, we can calculate the change in rake required as just less than 0.2 degrees. Using an approximation based on the arc length from the rear axle to the steering head, we can further calculate that a fork-height change of just 4mm is enough to effect this angle change.

Many riders refer to fork height or rear-ride height change as "putting more (or less) weight on the front end," but we can calculate the change in weight bias brought about by this 4mm change. A typical sportbike and rider combination weighing 600 pounds has approximately a 50/50 weight bias, with its center of gravity (CG) at a height 1_2 of its 1400mm wheelbase (figure 3). Front-end weight is calculated as: Wf=Wt(L-x)/L Wf=front-end weight Wt=total weight x=distance from front axle to CG L=wheelbase

In this case, the bike's weight is evenly distributed, with 300 pounds on each wheel. Raising the fork tubes in the triple clamp and changing rake by 0.2 degrees will move the CG forward by approximately 3.5mm (you can use trigonometry to calculate this), resulting in a front-end weight of 301.5 pounds. This is practically insignificant compared to the change in trail resulting from the adjustment-you would have far more of an effect on weight bias by simply moving your body a little bit forward. Raising or lowering the front end of your bike changes much more than just rake and trail, however. It also changes the angle of the swingarm, which can play a big part in handling, especially on more powerful bikes. We will cover more rear-end geometry in a later issue, but you should know that adjustments in trail are by far the most apparent change a rider will feel when raising/lowering the bike's front end.

Tire diameter is one of the other variables affecting geometry, and we can calculate the change in trail resulting in a switch between two brands of tires. In our last tire test ("DOT Race Tire Test," Feb. '03), the tallest front tire was the Michelin Pilot Race 2, at 1910mm in circumference. The smallest tire was the Metzeler Rennsport/Pirelli Supercorsa, at 1878mm. We always measure tire circumference and change ride heights to make the overall chassis attitude (and rake) the same (see Ask the Geek, Feb. '02), and in this case, the fork tube height would need to be changed by 5mm just to level the chassis. Even taking that into account, however, the change in trail due only to the change in tire size is 2mm. Add in the different tire's profile (that changes trail at various lean angles), and you can see why adjusting only to keep the bike's attitude the same when changing tire brands is sometimes not enough. The last way we can adjust trail is by changing the triple-clamp offset, and you will see that racebikes often have this adjustment. In this case, a 1mm change makes approximately the same change in trail (but opposite-more offset gives less trail, and vice versa) with very little effect on ride height and rake angle.