2024 Honda CBR600RR review | It’s the mad, bad supersport weapon it always was, but now comes with extra refinement

You can trace the CBR600RR supersport model’s journey from its launch in 2003. It oozed quality, looked like Rossi’s then new RC211V MotoGP and carried on all the way to 2017 when it disappeared from Honda’s UK line-up. Tempted by retros, funky nakeds, adventure bikes and everything in between, we simply fell out of love with supersports bikes and it wasn’t worth Honda updating it for the Euro 4 emissions regulations of the time (like the Yamaha R1 with Euro 5+ now).

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But that wasn’t the end of the story. Honda refreshed and restyled it in 2021 to create a very similar version of the CBR600RR you see here. It was sold in Japan, Australia and some other Asian countries and proved to be so popular that Honda decided to give it the Euro 5+ treatment and bring it back into their UK range. It sits nicely between the softer CBR650R and the CBR1000RR-R Fireblade and comes in HRC colours or matt black.

The eagle-eyed would’ve also seen this latest CBR600RR incarnation used by supersport and TT race teams over the past couple of years. It will race in the UK in ‘24 with the full backing of Honda Racing in the hands of supersport maestro Jack Kennedy. And talking of racing, the RR has topped just about every podium and championship in the world in its time, as well being an MCN supersport shootout winner and the darling of the sadly departed Ron Haslam Race School. We ran the original in MCN’s ’03 long term test fleet and loved every mile.

We’re not going to pretend the new Honda CBR600RR is the second coming. The truth is despite the raft of changes it’s still the supersports weapon it always was: light, agile, revvy and compact. That said the addition of electronic rider aids make it more appealing than before.

They’re reassuring when it’s wet and the slightly lower tank makes it easier to get tucked under the bubble, but it would be easier still if the screen wasn’t so tiny. It's a lovely machine to ride on track, even a wet one here at its world launch in Portimao, thanks to its friendly power, plush suspension, accurate steering, strong brakes and crisp new up and down quickshifter.

If you loved the Honda the first time around, you still will and if you didn’t you won’t. But while the CBR600RR hasn’t really changed, the biking landscape has. Honda used to be the mainstream, but now it’s niche it’s taken on a certain charm and all-round specialness.

Strip the CBR6000RR of its new bodywork and it’ll look the spitting image of the 21-year-old original. It may have been refined along the way, but Honda have never strayed too far from its magic formula. It’s well balanced, agile in corners and has plush, controlled suspension. There’s nothing quite like taking a corner at full pelt on a supersport bike and knowing you’re not even scratching the surface of what it’s capable of. Brakes are powerful but have a slightly spongy feel at the lever.

As well as its engine upgrades, Blade-esque design (it’s hard to tell the difference between supersport and full-blown superbike at a glance now) and a 3kg reduction in weight, the 2024 CBR6000RR gets new wings. Honda says they’re more to add stability coming off the brakes than for any assistance keeping the front wheel down. They may make a modicum of difference, but you’d be pushed to tell in isolation. That said the CBR600RR always was and still is incredibly stable and never a natural born wheelie merchant. Honda says this is the slipperiest supersport machine and has a drag coefficient of 0.555 with the rider tucked in.

Compared to the 2017 model the weight-centralised RCV-inspired hollow die-cast aluminium is basically the same, but the aluminium swingarm us 150g lighter. It has a shorter wheelbase, slightly lazier steering geometry and it still sits on fully adjustable Showa suspension. The forks are 15mm longer than before. They protrude above the top yoke and can be dropped to raise the front ride height.

The fuel tank is reshaped and 10mm lower to help the rider get tucked in more along the straights. It’s still a small bike, though, but not as tiny as some would have you believe, though. As a six-footer it’s relatively roomy, but my left size 10 sometimes nudges the gear lever by accident and the tiny screen and frontal area makes it tiring to hang on at sustained high speed.

So why would you buy a new CBR600RR when you could have an almost identical old one for less money? New electronics play an important part in its appeal. You could argue you don’t need lean sensitive traction control on a 600 and that maybe true, in the dry, at least. But romping through the sweeping fourth gear right-hander leading on to Portimao’s start/finish straight in the wet or accelerating hard at an angle over its roller-coaster whoops, it’s reassuring to know electronics are there, just in case.

It’s equally comforting to have the safety net of cornering ABS as you trail brake into slow corners, too. And then there’s the colour dash, that’s just nice to look at, handy riding modes, adjustable engine braking control, anti-wheelie, an up/quickshifter that works with seamless precision and powerful LED headlights.

These modern-day niceties add to the Honda’s already sparkling, confidence-inspiring performance on track and will be even more of a benefit on the road. But the CBR600RR has another trick up its sleeve: the simple fact it exists. Compared to the latest sporty parallel mid-capacity twins, it has an edge about it, genuine racing heritage, more drama and it’s better finished.

The Honda used to swim in a sea of supersport competition, but now there’s only one: the Kawasaki ZX-6R. It too has been revived for 2024 and costs 100 quid more.

We’ve ridden it against an Aprilia RS660 and Triumph Street Triple 765 RS. The Kawasaki is just as nicely made, every bit as quick and handles just as beautifully, but is a more archetypal, single-minded supersport weapon. It’s ultra-cramped and so short geared you can pull away in top gear. The Honda is just as yobbish when it wants to be but does it with more sophistication.

Honda’s bulletproof 599cc inline four-cylinder CBR600RR engine has been there and done that. It’s won supersport races and championships the world over and powered the Moto2 grid from 2010 to 2018, until Triumph took over with their 765cc triple. Revived for 2024 it gets a host of upgrades to get it through Euro 5+, including 100g lighter new cams, thinner valve springs, a new crankshaft and revised valve timing.

Throttle bodies are 4mm bigger (up to 44mm) and while the iconic undersesat exhaust design looks the same, the system has been reworked with new pipework, silencer and does away with the old butterfly valve, saving 400g. A new slip and assist clutch lightens the lever action by 32% and smooths out engine braking during rapid downshifts. Honda claim 52mpg and a theoretical 203-mile range. The whole engine weighs 57.9kg, which is lighter than the inline four powering Honda’s CBR650R.

The new RR is also garnished with the kind of electronic rider aids the original ‘03 model could have only dreamed of. It has ride by wire throttle system and a Bosch six-axis IMU facilitating a host of electronic rider aids. It has three preset riding modes and two customisable that let you adjust power maps, traction and wheelie control and engine braking. Its new cornering ABS module is 2.5kg lighter than the old C-ABS unit and features rear wheel lift control. A three-way adjustable up/down quick shifter also comes as standard.

An HRC Race Kit is also available, featuring ECU, wiring loom, head gasket, big radiator, race exhaust, front and rear suspension and brake discs.

The joy off slicing through the gears and revving a 599cc inline four to the moon and back brings back memories of when supersport race reps ruled the roost. The RR’s shrill exhaust note and deep airbox roar send shivers down your spine. With a claimed 119bhp pushing 193kg of red, white and blue along it’s not slow and a talented rider could easily hang with a superbike at smaller tracks.

The Honda is faster and more exciting than the new breed of sporty, mid-capacity parallel twins, too, but its power is never over the top, hard to manage or downright scary as a 200bhp superbike, either. The CBR600RR sits nicely in the centre of the sportsbike landscape.

Fit and finish is superb and everything you expect from an old-school Honda. Our online Owners’ Reviews highlight the occasional issue, which isn’t bad for a machine sold in such huge quantities over the years. Overall, the CBR600RR has proved to be ultra-reliable and using the same basic engine and chassis as before, plus tried and tested electronics from other models, the 2024 model should be more of the same.

Gone are the days where the supersport class was vibrant. Now the CBR600RR’s only rival is Kawasaki’s ZX-6R, which was also revived in 2024 and the Honda undercuts it by 100 quid. The new generation of parallel-twin cylinder sports middleweights - such as the Yamaha R7 or the incoming Triumph Daytona 660 triple - are all cheaper, but don’t have the performance of the inline four-cylinder screamers.

You can still technically buy a Yamaha R6 but these days it's a non-homologated track-only model called the Race.

All the bells and whistles are covered, from fully adjustable suspension, radial brakes, a raft of electronics and a 4.2in multi-function colour dash. Lots of accessories are available, including two packs: Racing Pack, with cosmetic goodies and seat hump. Comfort Pack: 15-22-litre tail pack, five-stage heated grips, USB-C charger.