2012 Honda CBR600RR Project Bike Photo Gallery

The addition of a solo race-style tail section with foam pad pays big dividends in terms of feel on the racetrack.

Take a peek at photos of our CBR600RR middleweight as we convert it from a street-legal road bike to a racebike in this 2012 Honda CBR600RR Project Bike 1 feature report.

Before - This was our 2012 Honda CBR600RR street bike before Jett Tuning started the race conversion.

After - Waheed crashed the CBR during a SoCal Trackdays ride day at Chuckwalla Valley Raceway. Instead of returning it to street duty, he decided on converting it to a full-on road racer.

Despite no internal engine upgrades with the fitment of a Yoshimura RS-5 exhaust, Dynojet Power Commander V and VP Racing Fuels MR12 race gas our CBR saw an almost 16 horsepower increase over stock.

Jett Tuning handled the conversion of our CBR600RR from a bent up street bike into a dedicated road racer.

With the fitment of a Yoshimura RS-5 exhaust system and VP Racing Fuels MR12 race gas our CBR600RR produced almost 14% more horsepower compared to stock.

Dirt Digits made a custom set of backgrounds for our CBR600RR project bike. Now that it has the template you too can order a set for your Honda.

Traxxion Dynamics fitted heavier fork springs as well as its gas-charged cartridge fork kit designed for racing.

We sourced LighTech controls mated to Renthal grips and CRG brake and clutch levers.

The LighTech rearsets offer lots of adjustment in terms of footpeg position and shift and brake pedal length.

We had Escondido, California’s MC Pro Designs paint our racebike in the same color scheme as a 2012 production bike at a cost of $750, without the fuel tank.

The Yoshimura RS-5 exhaust added power, reduced weight and helped make the bike faster on the dyno.

Zero Gravity’s double bubble-style windscreen deflects air up and over the rider which improves aerodynamics and makes for less windblast when riding.

Jett Tuning had our Honda CBR600RR project bike dialed-in right from the get-go.

The road grip and handling afforded by the Pirelli Diablo Supercorsa tires is second to none.

Jett Tuning turned our banged up street bike into a turn-key racer that was friendly to race.

The LighTech frame sliders saved our bacon quite literally preventing a crash when Waheed ran a little too close on an inside curb.

There’s nothing like a motorcycle road race to get the blood pumping and make you feel alive!

The latest Pirelli Diablo Supercorsa racing tires offer tremendous side and drive grip and are the best commercial-grade road race tires available.

The Traxxion Dynamics modified fork allowed the rider to be very aggressive during corner entry.

Much to our surprise the Honda’s balanced and well-mannered handling manners were retained with the racetrack settings, a testament to the high-level of balance offered by the standard street bike.

Even with the stock clutch the Honda proved to be easy to launch. The clutch is also durable with it lasting in excess of six race starts.

The final drive gearing was reduced slightly for better acceleration.

Stability at lean was one of the greatest features of the Honda’s chassis.

Motorcycle road racing is one of the rawest and most adrenaline packed sports you can participate in according to the author.

The Renthal handlebars and LighTech foot controls made the Honda more friendly to control at race pace.

Yoshimura’s RS-5 exhaust system offers excellent craftsmanship and power at a reasonable price.

LighTech chain adjusters are more accurate than the stock set-up when it comes to making sure the chain is properly adjusted.

Southern California motorcycle tuning shop, Jett Tuning handled the conversion of our 2012 Honda CBR600RR.

A gearing change up one tooth on the rear sprocket allowed us to pull fifth gear through Vegas’ fastest corner, Turn 6.

The stock clutch components work great and make the CBR easier to launch helping the rider get out front early in the race.

The CBR600RR’s riding position is neutral and well suited to riders of all sizes. The Zero Gravity double bubble style windshield also makes the cockpit more accommodating.

At a track like Vegas, handling is a more important attribute than outright engine power. Still the Honda CBR is no slouch even with production engine internals.

Pirelli’s Diablo Supercorsa racing tires are the finest DOT-labeled road racing tires money can buy. The product range in terms of fitment in compounds is equally superior.

Body position, quick clutch work and launching the bike at the right RPM are critical in trying to get a good start at the beginning of a race.

Suspension is one of the areas that can make the biggest gains in terms of both performance and safety. The Traxxion Dynamics AK-GAS fork offered excellent and offered precision adjustment. On the other hand the JRi shock was harder to adjust due to packaging constraints. Its damping range was also more limited.

Galfer braking hardware increased the stopping performance of the CBR600RR. It is crazy how much of an improvement it was over stock.