HONDA
CBR900RR
In
retrospect, it all seemed so simple. The key to HONDA CBR900RR was that it packed a powerful, open-class four- cylinder
engine in a chassis small and light enough to belong to a 600cc
middleweight. The result was dynamite. When the bike they named the
FireBlade was launched in 1992, it was the hardest-charging,
sharpest-handling, shortest-stopping big-bore sports machine ever
seen.
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| HONDA CBR900RR YELLOW BODY PAINT |
Of
course, Honda's task had in reality been far from easy. To create
such a powerful yet compact and reliable engine was very difficult;
to package it in an ultra-light chassis that was both agile and
stable even harder. Yet the team led by Tadao Baba succeeded, and in
the process created the legend of the FireBlade and began a new era
of two-wheeled high performance.
The
CBR relied on the conventional technology of a twin-cam,
liquid-cooled, 16-valve straight four. The 893cc motor was physically
barely larger than Honda's CBR600 engine. It was very light, too, despite the absenFce of expensive titanium. There was nothing radical about
the design, it was just that nobody before had put together such a
refined and compact package that approached the Blade's peak output
of 124bhp at 10.500rpni.
The same
was true of the chassis, which added a few twists to the familiar
twin-spar alloy design to produce a bike whose 4071b (185kg) weight
figure
belonged in the middleweight class. The thick conventional forks held
a 16-inch front wheel; four-piston front brake calipers bit on
drilled discs. Steering geometry was remarkable at the time; closer
to grand prix racebike figures than to those of the Honda's roadster
rivals.
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| HONDA CBR900RR SILVER/ORANGE BODY PAINT |
More
to the point, the RR performed like a purpose-built racebike too.
Engine performance combined instant throttle response, minimal
vibration and adequate low-rev power, before the serious urge arrived
at 6000rpm. At 9000rpm the RR shifted into hyperdrive, screaming to
the 11 .OOOrpm redline with renewed thrust. Top speed was around
160mph (257km/h), slightly down on larger-engined rivals from Suzuki
and Yamaha. The smaller engine also lacked a little mid-range by
comparison, encouraging frequent use of its six- speed gearbox. But
the lightweight Honda was a match for anything on acceleration.
It
was in corners that the FireBlade's lack of size and weight made most
difference, for no other open-class Japanese sportster provided
agility in the same league. Steering was stunningly light and quick,
bordering on the nervous yet responding to every command with
pinpoint accuracy. The CBR's cornering ability was also partly due to
its firm and well-damped suspension.
A
combination of efficient fairing, wide seat and generous leg-room
made the FireBlade reasonably comfortable. This was no sports-tourer,
however, but a brilliant, purpose-built sportster; the quickest,
nimblest superbike ever to come out of Japan. Honda claimed that in
developing the FireBlade, they had set out to rewrite the rules of
motorcycle design. For once, what sounded like a typical piece of
advertising hype rang true.
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