Imagine you have around $12,000 to splurge, and you’re looking for a middleweight sports bike that’s powerful and reliable. This is a combination Japanese bikemakers particularly nail, and out of them, Honda is generally one of the most reliable options. If you agree, you’ll end up with two middleweight sports bike options from the CBR-maker. Both sit in the 600-650cc range and have inline-four engines. But that’s where the similarities end. They serve entirely different purposes, and if power is what you want, there is one clear winner.
To give you the most up-to-date and accurate information possible, the data used to compile this article was sourced from Honda Powersports and other authoritative sources.
The CBR600RR Is The Most Powerful Honda Middleweight Sports Bike In 2025
Price: $11,499
Like most Japanese bikemakers, Honda has a couple of middleweight sports bikes on sale today. The CBR650R belongs to the new breed of mid-capacity sports bikes. It’s aimed at the new sports bike fanatic who wants upright ergonomics and daily usability with a pinch of oomph when they do decide to send it on the weekends.
It doesn’t skimp on performance with a large-capacity parallel-twin engine, though. You get a four-pot engine instead that screams to well over 12,000 RPM with ease. While at it, you get an impressive 94 horsepower and 46 pound-feet. That’s close to its new-age rivals.
The other middleweight Honda, however, is what you need for peak performance. We’re talking about the well-proven CBR600RR. It doesn’t care about comfort, instead focusing on cutting-edge riding dynamics and unfiltered performance. Credit for the latter goes to the 599cc, four-cylinder engine that screams to around 15,000 RPM.
At around 13,500 RPM is where you get the peak power, rated at just under 120 horsepower. The torque is rated at 48 pound-feet, but it kicks in over 11,000 RPM. Compiling the two things, the 600RR is the most powerful middleweight Honda sports bike in 2025. Just keep in mind, these are UK numbers, since Honda doesn’t tell us the figures in the US.
Middleweight Honda Sports Bikes In 2025
The CBR600RR’s Four-Cylinder Engine Is Reliable Yet Mighty
Peak Power: ~118 HP
The CBR600RR belongs to the OG supersport class. Yes, the one that favored screaming inline-four engines over punchy parallel-twin mills. Accordingly, you get a 599cc, inline-four engine that has a 67 mm bore and 42.5 mm stroke. This, along with the 12.2:1 compression ratio, enables an output of 118 horsepower and 48 pound-feet as mentioned above.
You will have to rev the engine hard to enjoy all that, though, since both figures kick in over 10,000 RPM. In fact, having ridden a 600cc supersport, you shouldn’t expect any kick below halfway point in the rev range. That also explains why Honda claims an efficiency figure of just around 40 miles per gallon. This isn’t far from the 215-HP CBR1000RR-R SP with a claimed 35 miles per gallon. Nevertheless, the mill is uber reliable overall, so low maintenance costs will balance out the extra fuel spends.
Honda CBR600RR Key Engine Specifications
|
Capacity |
599cc |
|
Layout |
Inline-four |
|
Bore X Stroke |
67 mm X 42.5 mm |
|
Power |
~118 HP (UK) |
|
Torque |
~48 LB-FT (UK) |
|
Transmission |
Six-speed |
|
Claimed efficiency |
~40 MPG |
A Proven Perimeter Chassis Underpins The Honda CBR600RR
The Suspension Is From Showa
Under the skin, the CBR600RR keeps the racetrack vibes going. It’s built around an aluminum perimeter chassis, coupled with an aluminum swingarm. This ties together with Showa Big Piston forks and monoshock, both offering preload, rebound, and compression adjustment. So when you chase tenths around a track, you can fine-tune the suspension for your riding style. Speaking of which, the RR seats you in an aggressive position, too. The seat is 32.4 inches high, the pegs are set rearwards, and the clip-ons are below the triple-tree.
What about the brakes, you ask? Well, this is where things seem basic. You get 310 mm dual calipers up top and a 220 mm disc at the rear, all three being smaller than your usual crop of new-age middleweights. The calipers are basic, too, and you neither a fancy master-cylinder nor steel braided lines are standard. These are cheap aftermarket fixes, though.
Honda CBR600RR Underpinnings And Dimensions
|
Chassis |
Aluminum perimeter |
|
Front suspension |
Showa USD forks (adjustable) |
|
Rear suspension |
Showa monoshock (adjustable) |
|
Wheels |
17/17-inch alloys |
|
Brakes |
2x 310 mm front/ 220 mm rear disc |
|
Weight |
419 pounds |
|
Seat height |
32.4 inches |
Lack Of Basic Features Hurts The Honda CBR600RR’s Prospects
But The Design Is Still Impressive
The chassis and engine might be aged. But they are quite proven over the years, so we can’t really complain. The features, however, are a different tale altogether. The CBR600RR is rather ancient in this context, without any modern-day aids. Yes, you neither get traction control, engine brake control, and ride modes, nor do you get a quickshifter. The most modern element is the dual-channel ABS, and even that is an optional extra.
Then, there’s the instrument cluster, which has analog needle with an orange backlit LCD. That’s how ancient this is! What does still hit the mark, though, is the design. The nose-heavy shape, underseat exhaust, and edgy fairings all make this a beautiful sports bike, even by 2025 standards. In fact, we think it’s sexier than any modern-day middleweight sports bike, especially the rather simple CBR650R.