In 1992, Honda kicked off the CBR®-RR series of open-class motorcycles with the 1993 CBR900RR, much to the delight of big-bore sportbike aficionados. Since those early days, we’ve traveled 20 years down the road, and the latest generation CBR1000RR demonstrates that a concept that was once breathtakingly innovative and impressive has only grown more so over the ensuing decades.

Actually, “reinvents” probably is an overstatement; 95 percent of this motorcycle, the new-for-2013 F6B, has been in existence for well over a decade. “Redefines” might be a better word. That’s because the 5 percent that’s no longer there has made a world of difference, and not just in the bike’s name or intentions; the effect on its performance is a few clicks short of remarkable.

When Mitsuyoshi Kohama was designated Chief Designer of what would eventually become the new Honda CB1100, he set out to create a motorcycle in a very different way than most of us could imagine. For starters, this bike didn’t fit into any existing category. This was not to be a new generation of supersport bike or a more comfortable touring machine or a way-out cruiser. Instead, this would be something very different.

The 2002 debut of the Honda CRF450R heralded a sea change in the motocross world, as top pro competitors and then amateur racers transitioned from two-stroke single-cylinder race bikes to four-stokes. In terms of engine design, in order to extract maximum, race-ready performance from a four-stoke single, a liquid-cooled powerplant with a four-valve head was a foregone conclusion. Why so? With four valves instead of only two, engine breathing increases significantly, opening the way to more power and higher rev limits.

Reflecting decades of advancement and refinement, the newest CBR600RR has been substantially redesigned for 2013. Major changes include a redesigned, centrally mounted ram-air system and other enhancements to produce stronger mid-range engine output for an elevated level of street performance, a brand-new front suspension featuring Honda’s 41mm Big Piston Fork for exceptional handling and supple action, plus all-new MotoGP-inspired bodywork that’s a product of race-tested aerodynamic design. Such improvements are very much in keeping with a decades-long legacy of ongoing evolution of the t