Will The USA Get The Updated Honda CBR600RR In 2026?

If you aren’t aware, Honda introduced an impressive new CBR600RR in September of 2020. What started as a Japan-exclusive 2021 model quickly began to spread around the rest of the world. It entered the European market last year, and when that happened, many riders in North America started getting their hopes up – including myself. However, it seems that we have yet another year of the same CBR600RR we’ve had since 2013. Honda Powersports of North America has updated its page for the 2025 CBR600RR with one minor change: “2025” now reads “2026”.

That’s right – it’s not even a new color. It’s the same “Deep Pearl Gray” scheme we had in 2025, which I’ve heard looks good in person, but on the screen, it just looks like they ran out of red paint. So here we are, in the middle of Summer 2025, and we already know the depressing news that we aren’t getting the updated CBR600RR anytime in 2026. I wish I had different news for riders, but North American Honda seems to have their reasons. Whether or not those could be justified by poor sales figures – or the poor sales figures are a result of an outdated lineup remains to be revealed – but I have my own opinions on that, and the success of the updated ZX-6R should tell you everything you need to know.

Image credit: Honda Powersports North America

For now, all we can do is show you some of the sick photos and videos that discuss the updated model. For those new to the topic, Honda stated that their HRC division went over every component on the new bike to make revisions for improved performance and weight reduction. It meets stricter Euro 5 emission rules while increasing the motor output and delivering a full suite of modern motorcycle upgrades, including a TFT display, rider modes, the same 6-axis IMU found in the CBR1000RR-R, cornering ABS, torque control, wheelie control, rear lift control, slipper clutch, and an up/down quickshifter complete with auto-blip. The updated bodywork not only looks amazing, but according to Honda, it also provides the lowest drag coefficient of any middleweight bike on the market, coming in at just 0.555 with a rider in a full tuck position. The controversial winglets may seem trivial for a 600cc bike, but when a bike can effectively reach 130+ MPH, any bit helps. Honda claims the winglets aren’t only aimed at generating downforce, but also provide additional stability at higher speeds – something I personally don’t think the CBR600RR ever performed poorly at, but hey – I’m all for improvements.

Image credit: Honda Motor Europe Limited

With all of the updates that Honda put into the CBR600RR, it’s easy to understand why one would be left scratching their head and wondering why it’s been left off the North American market for the last 5 years…but I guess our only option is to wait and see. For now, just look at the pictures and maybe let Honda know you want the CBR600RR on American soil in 2027.

About Robert Callahan

I ride a 2013 Honda CBR600RR and 2022 Honda Grom...oh and I do some marketing stuff, too.