In conjunction with the worldwide debut of the 2008 Honda CBR1000RR by Honda Europe this morning at the Paris Motorcycle Show, American Honda unveiled the new machine to selected representatives of the motorcycling media today at its headquarters in Torrance, California. The newest CBR is all-new from the ground up, including new styling that will set it apart from previous 1000RRs and the new CBR600RR. At the center of the new model is an engine “redesigned from the ground up.” The liquid-cooled, DOHC, 999cc Inline Four now has a shorter stroke (55.1 vs. 56.5mm) and a larger bore (76.0 vs. 75.0mm), which makes room for larger (30.5 vs. 29.0mm) titanium intake valves. Exhaust valves remain 24.0mm in diameter and are still made out of steel. Forged pistons have thinner walls but are stronger, and travel in Nikasil-coated cylinders; the cylinder bore centers are closer together, allowing the engine to be more compact. The Dual Stage Fuel Injection (DSFI) system still includes two, multi-hole injectors per cylinder, but throttle bodies have grown in size from 44 to 46mm. Like the 2007 CBR600RR, the new 1000RR gets Idle-Air Control Valve (IACV) to smooth off/on throttle response, but the bigger CBR also gets a new Ignition Interrupt Control System (IICS), which works with IACV and multiple 3-D fuel injection maps for enhanced driveability. The new engine is complemented by a six-speed transmission, which finally gets a slipper-style clutch with a unique design that minimizes rear wheel hop under deceleration, improves power delivery under acceleration and reduces clutch lever effort. Feeding the engine is a twin-intake ram-air system that is equipped with butterfly valves that interact with the smaller and lighter Engine Control Unit (ECU) to provide “optimum performance.” Exhaust is via a “mid-muffler” that utilizes a butterfly valve in the single, shorty-style, dual-outlet muffler to control noise and enhance driveability. The relocated exhaust is part of Honda’s effort to centralize mass on the machine. Honda did not release any horsepower or torque claims for the new engine, but the indicated redline on the analog tachometer on its more compact instrument cluster is 13,000 rpm. The engine is carried in a new, four-piece, twin-spar aluminum frame that is lighter than the previous model thanks to thinner walls allowed by a Hollow Fine Die-Casting manufacturing technique. The braced aluminum swingarm is constructed in a similar fashion and is asymmetrical to provide room for the exhaust canister to tuck in on the right side. The 43mm Honda Multi-Action System (HMAS)/Showa forks are still three-way-adjustable, as is the HMAS/Showa rear shock, which still works in a MotoGP-derived Unit Pro Link set-up. Rake is 23.3° (same as last year), while trail has decreased from 3.94 inches (100mm) to 3.8 inches (96mm). Claimed wheelbase is 55.4 inches (up 0.1 inch from 2007), but claimed dry weight was not released. Lighter cast aluminum wheels measure 3.50 x 17.0 inches front and 6.00 x 17.0 inches rear and will come wearing Bridgestone BT015 sport radials. The dual front brake rotors still measure 320mm (12.5 inches) but have been lightened with extra ventilation holes. The front rotors are grabbed by new, radial-mounted, monoblock, four-piston Tokico calipers plumbed with a radial master cylinder and lighter brake lines. A new aluminum subframe, a smaller and lighter Honda Electronic Steering Damper (HESD), a 2.2-pound-lighter battery, turn signals integrated into the mirrors and a revised riding position complete the package. The 2008 CBR1000RR will come in four color combinations (Red/Black, Black/Metallic Silver, Pearl Yello/Black, Candy Dark Red/Metallic Silver) for $11,599 ($100 more than the 2007 model); 500 limited edition models in Black/Metallic Grey will sell for $11,799. Honda will also develop and sell racing kit parts for the 2008 CBR1000RR, through its dealer network. Look for more on the new CBR1000RR in an upcoming issue of Roadracing World and for the new model to start arriving in dealerships in the spring.