BYE-BYE-BABY…

In the space of just 10 years from 2O03 to 2013, the supersport class went from red-hot property to effectively obsolete, resulting in the state we are now at where there are no new supersport bikes at all for sale. When you look at it in this way, the rapid boom and bust of the 599cc inline four race rep has been nothing short of staggering. There again, it was to be expected and the writing was always on the wall…

A class built on the basis of offering cheap speed in a package that was also useable on the road, 2003 saw the stalwart of the supersport world switch its focus as the CBR600F became the CBR600RR. Gone (after dragging its heels for a few years) was the chilled-out but still remarkably potent when tuned F model, replaced by a racing whippet of a bike that forgot all about things such as a centre stand, pillion provisions or mid-range. True,