Honda officially unveiled the 2012 CBR1000RR Firebladethis week, celebrating 20 years since it was first launched as the CBR900RR in 1991.

The new machine was revealed simultaneously at two world class racing events: the Le Mans 24 hours round of the Endurance World Championship in France, and the eleventh round of the 2011 World Superbike Championship in Imola, Italy.

On hand to unveil the new machine to race fans were John McGuinness, racing at Le Mans for the Honda TT Legends Team, and Jonathan Rea, rider for the Castrol Honda Team in the World Superbike Championship.

"I've got a real soft spot for the Fireblade. I've ridden it in many different racing events over the years and had a lot of success with it. In fact, some of the most memorable moments of my career have been on the Fireblade - from TT wins to this year in the World Endurance Championship,”said  John McGuinness, winner of 17 races at the Isle of Man TT.

“Unveiling the new model here at Le Mans is pretty exciting and I'm honored that I was chosen to do it,” McGuinness said about the choice of location for the riding out the new model, “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."

The 2012 CBR1000RR enjoys a new styling package featuring a new nose, layered main fairing and a tail section bring a more aggressive and a dynamic look to the motorcycle.

Introduced for the first time on a production motorcycle, an advanced new rear shock uses a double-tube design to ensure smoother and more accurate response, superior damping and improved traction..

"I feel like I have grown up with the Fireblade. It's such an iconic machine and it's an unbelievable feeling being the man to actually reveal the latest version. It really looks fantastic and I can't wait to get my hands on it," Jonathan Rea, rider for the Castrol Honda World Superbike team said at the unveiling.

The 2012 CBR1000RR also features inverted 43mm telescopic front forks with Showa's Big Piston technology, offering improved damping, increased front tire grip and better stability under braking.

According to reports, the new fuel injection settings for the 999cc inline-4 engine will make it even smoother and easier to use, particularly at smaller throttle openings.

From top to bottom, thought seems to have been put into the new CBR1000RR Fireblade. It uses a multi-function LCD instrument panel now with lap timer, gear position indicator, plus tachometer with 4 modes of display. Stunning 12-spoke cast aluminum wheels provide more consistent rigidity to work with the new forks to deliver improved handling.

"This is a model allowing all super sports bike lovers, including the most experienced, to savour the joy of owning the CBR1000RR Fireblade, while at the same time feeling more fun in sporty riding and more joy of riding than ever before, whether it be on winding roads or at a circuit," Hirofumi Fukunaga, Large Project Leader and leader of model development said.