Party poppers at the ready – the Honda CBR600RR will return to European dealers in 2024 for the first time since 2017 next year, complete with MotoGP technology.

Alongside a number of other high-profile announcements from Honda – including a refreshed and revised Honda CBR1000RR-R Fireblade SP and two new models in the Hornet range – the return of the CBR600RR to European showrooms is surely one of the most significant of this year’s EICMA show.

The bike itself is as you’d expect recognisable against its 2017 European predecessor. Even though Honda says that “Every aspect of intake, combustion and exhaust has been through development since the CBR600RR was last on sale in Europe,” the four-cylinder DOHC’s 119bhp (89kW) is rather comparable to the 118bhp of seven years ago. That said, the bike has a 44mm throttle body to try to smooth the delivery out, and a reworked butterfly valve port to reduce intake pressure drop.

The inlet ports are also reshaped, which Honda says has increased flow capacity by 2.2 per cent, and valve timing has been adjusted to increase intake efficiency. A larger catalyser has also been included to allow Euro5 homologation.

Additionally, the four-piston radial callipers on the front are retained from 2017, as are the dual 310mm discs, as is the single-piston calliper on the 220mm disc at the rear. Showa’s 41mm Big Piston front fork is also the same, and there’s a Showa monoshock at the back with a Unit Pro-Link. The swingarm is still aluminium as you’d expect, but it saves 150g compared to the previous model. Best keep your pre-ride snack light to avoid undoing all that hard-fought weight reduction.

The 2024 CBR600RR is not just a 2017 carryover with some engine adjustments and small aerodynamic wings stuck on the front, because it also brings a number of electronic updates.

This isn’t a particularly major feat, because the 2017 CBR600RR was old enough (its generation began in 2009 with an update in 2013) to have preceded traction control on 600s. In any case, the electronic package that comes with the 2024 CBR600RR is fairly extensive.

Operation of the engine is where the electronics begin, with a throttle-by-wire system connecting the rider to the motor. The ECU also houses five total riding modes, three of which are default while the other two are for the rider to customise themselves, with adjustments available for Engine Power, Engine Braking, Wheelie Control, as well as nine levels of Honda Selectable Torque Control (HSTC) adjustment. The electronics package also includes Cornering ABS and Rear Lift Control. The Honda Electronic Steering Damper (HESD) was “designed exclusively for the CBR600RR,” and is operated by the ECU to essentially try to maximise steering stability at high speeds while optimising comfort and ease of turning at low speeds.

Honda says the bike is “destined for road and track action,” and certainly the latter can be accounted for with such a detailed electronics suite.

The maps and settings are managed via a full-colour TFT display which utilises the ‘Street’, ‘Circuit’ and ‘Mechanic’ modes, while the Honda Ignition Security System (HISS) is also used, meaning there is now a way to start the bike without the key. Elsewhere, the lighting is LED, and the bodywork design was guided by lessons learned from the Honda CBR1000RR-R Fireblade and Honda RC213V-S regarding mass centralisation.

Honda has also put together a ‘racing kit’ of accessories for the 2024 CBR600RR, which is a track-use-only kit that improves all-round performance, removes road safety items and adds HRC kit parts, including an ECU, wiring harness, cylinder head gasket, big radiator, racing exhaust, front/rear suspension and brake discs plug straight in.

There is also a ‘comfort pack’ for road use, which adds a rear seat bag (15 litres as standard, can be expanded to 22 litres) that is specifically designed to the shape of the CBR600RR’s rear seat, as well as a USB-C socket and heated grips that are adjustable in five stages.

The 2024 Honda CBR600RR will be available in two colours – ‘Matt Ballistic Black Metallic’, and ‘Grand Prix Red HRC TriColour’. Pricing and availability information is not yet available.

2024 Honda CBR600RR specifications