Though it was first introduced in 1991 as the CBR900RR, Honda is celebrating 20 years of its Fireblade supersports bike with two launches in Europe.

The 2012 CBR1000RR Fireblade was revealed simultaneously at two world-class racing events: the Le Mans World championship in France and the 11th round of the 2011 World Superbike championship in Italy.

ADVANCED READ SHOCK

The bike has a new nose, layered main fairing and a tail section and looks more assertive than that of the outgoing model.

There's also an advanced new rear shock-absorber that uses a double-tube design to ensure smoother and more accurate responses, superior damping and improved traction. An inverted 43mm telescopic front fork with Showa’s Big Piston technology aids in increased front tyre grip and better stability under braking.

New fuel injection settings for the 999cc inline-four engine allow for an even smoother ride, particularly at smaller throttle openings.

The instrumentation has been enchanced with a new multi-function LCD panel that has a lap timer, gear position indicator and a tachometer with with several display modes.

Speaking at the launch of the bike were Honda riders John McGuinness (at Le Mans) and Jonathan Rea (at the World Superbike championships).

'PRETTY EXCITING'

McGuinness, winner of 17 races at the Isle of Man TT, commented: "I have a real soft spot for the Fireblade. I've ridden it in many events over the years with a lot of success. In fact some of the most memorable moments of my career have been on a Fireblade - from TT wins to 2011 in the World Endurance championship.

"Unveiling the new model here at Le Mans is pretty exciting and I'm honoured that I was chosen to do it. It's great that all the thousands of racing and Fireblade fans around the world will now have the chance to see it for real."

Rea, who rides for the Honda World Superbike team, said: "I feel like I've grown up with the Fireblade. It’s such an iconic machine and it’s an unbelievable feeling being the man to reveal the latest version. It really looks fantastic and I can’t wait to get my hands on it."