Even during spirited canyon riding, there really isn't anything out of the ordinary that occurs when braking--except that the C-ABS bike remains impressively stable during situations where the standard bike might get a little out of shape. There is less front-end dive when braking on the C-ABS model, and this is because of the C-ABS' actuation of both front and rear brakes, with the rear brake acting to settle the chassis down on its suspension instead of letting the rear end jack up to full extension and cause excessive weight transfer to the front tire. Even more advanced riding techniques like trail-braking into corners were accomplished easily and comfortably with little fanfare and no weird issues. We also found that using the rear brake by itself in cornering situations worked very well without the annoying front brake application that would occur with the old LBS-equipped Hondas; this is because the C-ABS rear brake does not immediately activate the front brake unless rear wheel lockup is detected.The C-ABS' braking behavior is so seamless and its ABS threshold so high that it can be difficult to tell when the ABS is actually engaged. Even over rough pavement, braking action was just as smooth as any standard brake system, with none of the "free-wheeling" cycling tendencies common to more primitive ABS setups. The only time we were able to really notice the C-ABS activation was during very aggressive braking on the racetrack, or simulated panic stops on the street.
On racetrack pavement, the ABS actuation would be perceived as a slight numbness through the lever once past a certain braking threshold; even though you're asking for more braking power at the lever, the rate of deceleration remains the same (note that this is only at expert-level braking on a racetrack; most riders will probably never notice it). Think about that--this is an electronic braking system, yet feedback is good enough up to that point that any change in the brake behavior is only a slight numbness at the lever. Amazing.
We conducted some simulated comparison panic stops on dry pavement, and again, the ABS engagement is so smooth that the only way to tell it was activated was a numbness at the lever. It took us a couple of tries before we were able to better the C-ABS' rate of deceleration, and note again that this was with an expert rider at the controls who is comfortable with the massive weight transfer that occurs on a standard bike and can use it to his advantage. Meanwhile, the more level chassis attitude and stable feel of the C-ABS bike will surely help the majority of riders stop more quickly and comfortably. And in the wet? Forget it. Even a pro-level rider wouldn't be able to reach the first-time stopping distances or deceleration rates of the C-ABS bike, because it is able to react to the changing grip levels of the wet brakes and tires far quicker than any human.
The only real drawbacks to the C-ABS are the additional $1000 on the sticker price, and the 24 pounds extra weight. To tell you the truth, even on a 600 like the Honda where that much weight would sound like a lot, we barely noticed it. Honda wisely positioned the C-ABS components as close to the engine as possible for mass centralization.
Oh right, the bike. Since most of the CBR is unchanged from the previous model, we found the '09 CBR600RR C-ABS bike to possess the same sharp handling and impressive performance of its predecessor. We felt like there might be a slight bump in midrange power around 9000 rpm, but nothing earth-shattering. Otherwise, the CBR is the same great bike that has won our last two middleweight shootouts.
Which One, C-ABS Or Standard?
Honda has made a quantum leap forward in anti-lock brake systems with the Combined ABS. That it works so transparently and superbly on a high-performance machine like the CBR is a testament to its well-thought-out design. But the big question is, would we buy the C-ABS version over the standard model? We figure that would depend on where you intend to ride most of the time, and your riding skill level (and you'd better be honest with yourself). If you do a lot of track days and are an intermediate to expert level rider, you'd probably prefer the standard CBR. But for everyone else, there's no doubt in our minds that the extra $1000 would be money well spent.<
| HONDA CBR600RR C-ABS |
| TEST NOTES |
| + |
C-ABS brake-by-wire system works superbly |
| + |
Same excellent CBR handling |
| + |
Definitely will help most riders |
| - |
Adds 24 pounds of weight |
| - |
Adds $1000 to price |
| - |
Down on horsepower |
| + |
Definitely the best ABS we've tested by far |
SUGGESTED SUSPENSION SETTINGS
|
| FRONT |
Spring preload: 10 turns out from
full stiff; rebound damping—2 turns
out from full stiff; compression
damping—2 turns out from full stiff |
| REAR |
Spring preload: position 5 of 9;
rebound damping—2 turns out from
full stiff; compression damping—14
clicks out from full stiff |