The production-derived championship will begin in a matter of days, with round one set to play out on 25 February in Australia, and following on from the BMW presentation, today was the turn of Honda, as it unveils the Fireblade that will compete during the 2023 season.

Ready for battle

The team will focus on improving the bike beneath the fairings this year, while respecting the regulation restrictions. The bike now offers better performance at low revs, with more drive, and there is also talk of modifications to the frame, which has been slightly elongated and made less stiff.

The bike flaunts the traditional Honda colour scheme, blue and red with a dash of white, with little change to last year’s version. The blue stripe now spans the entire length of the bike, while the “RR” graphic on the fairing is also new.

And there is a new sponsor, with PT Astra Honda Motor coming aboard to join the HRC family.

Vierge and Lecuona the riders

The line-up we will see at Phillip Island remains unchanged from last season, with riders Xavi Vierge and Iker Lecuona continuing to put their faith in HRC.

Last season, the two Spaniards placed tenth and ninth respectively in the standings. Now it’s time to score some real results for the Japanese team headed up by Leon Camier.