Honda

Where to start? Well, let’s look at the facts first – or at least a very quick paraphrase of Honda’s lengthy NC700X mission statement. There’s a lot going on here – so much so that Honda officials felt the need to show us a ‘word cloud’ to help explain the bike’s positioning. I hope I never hear that phrase ever again.

Pointy-nosed, aggressive and ultra-compact, the 2012 Fireblade CBR1000RR looks gorgeous in the flesh.

I waited until the afternoon sessions before taking to the track again. Firstly I thought a bit of sun might warm the track up and news filtering through that the Honda mechanics were fitting Bridgestone R10 race tyres during the lunch break sealed the deal. 

I swap my GSX-R600 for Honda's toddler-class sportsbike