Introduced in 2003, this middleweight supersport nameplate was created as Honda’s sharper, more track-focused 600cc machine, drawing on ideas and styling cues from the company’s RC211V MotoGP program. It arrived as the sportier successor to Honda’s long-running CBR600F lineage, shifting the emphasis from all-round street use toward more aggressive supersport performance and race-bred handling. From the beginning, it became closely associated with production racing and international Supersport competition, helping establish the model as one of Honda’s most recognizable 600-class sport bikes.
Over the years, the model evolved through several significant updates rather than being replaced. Honda gave it a major revision in the mid-2000s, followed by further chassis and styling changes later in the decade. A notable milestone came with the addition of ABS on certain versions, reflecting the company’s effort to blend supersport character with greater everyday control. Another substantial redesign arrived in the early 2010s, bringing updated bodywork and chassis refinements while preserving the model’s compact, race-oriented identity.
Honda later introduced an all-new version in 2020, again using lessons from its top-level racing program to modernize the platform while keeping the bike firmly in the supersport category. In 2024, the model also returned to the European lineup after a multi-year absence there, underscoring its continued importance to Honda’s sportbike heritage.