How do you make a sportbike go faster? Just add another R to it’s name.

Okay, it may be a bit more complicated than Photoshopping an extra R onto the graphics like we did above, but generally speaking, motorcycle manufacturers tend to use the letter R to denote its sportiest models. The latest example may be Honda, which has recently filed a trademark application for the name “CBR1000RR-R“.

The CBR1000RR-R trademark application was filed today with the European Union Intellectual Property Office (a week before EICMA, which seems significant) for use on “automobiles and their parts and fittings; motorcycles and their parts and fittings; bicycles and their parts and fittings.” Unless Honda does plan to surprise with a CBR1000RR-R car or bicycle, we must assume the name is intended for Honda’s next superbike.

There seems to be rumors of a new Honda literbike every year, either of a new CBR or a V-Four, but there is some evidence to support the rumors are true this year. For one thing, the official World Superbike Championship website is openly discussing a new Honda race bike. Meanwhile, Asphalt and Rubber has spy photos and video of a camouflaged CBR undergoing track testing.

The new name with the extra R suggests that there will be a lower-spec “base model” CBR1000RR, but we’ll have to wait and see how much will differ between the two models. The new name may also mean Honda will drop the CBR1000RR SP variant.

EICMA is just around the corner, so we won’t have long to wait to see the 2020 Honda CBR1000RR-R.