10 Ways The Honda CBR900RR Fireblade Set New Standards For Liter-Class Sportbikes

Summary

• The Honda CBR900RR Fireblade revolutionized sports bike design with its combination of lightness and speed.
• It made a mark in racing history, winning championships and outperforming smaller supersports.
• The Fireblade’s engine was fast and reliable, and its lightweight design set a new standard for liter-class sportbikes.

The Honda Fireblade needs no introduction. Come what may, the M 1000 RR, the YZF-R1, or the Panigale V4 R, no other superbike offers what the Fireblade offers today. It is one of the most nimble superbikes with crazy horsepower figures and is shockingly easy to live with. The 2024 CBR1000RR Fireblade didn’t come out of nowhere; its roots lie in the 1992 Honda CBR900RR — the first ever Fireblade and also the first Honda to wear the RR suffix. Along with the current-gen CBR1000RR, every other superbike sold today owes to the original Fireblade.

On the surface, the Fireblade may not look so special, but it was a revolutionary bike when it came out. This motorcycle changed how sports bikes were made, and it set the stage for superbikes that followed it. At the time, sports bikes were either light or fast, but the Fireblade was both. In many ways, the CBR900RR set new standards for liter-class sportbikes.

Tadao Baba Addressing The Fireblade Test Riders In 1989

“Gentlemen, today you are going to ride a bike that will change the face of supersports.”

In order to give you the most up-to-date and accurate information possible, the data used to compile this article was sourced from Honda and other authoritative sources, including Motorcyclenews.com, Cycle World, and Motorcyclespecs.co.za.

10 A Beautiful Design That Aged Well

There wasn’t anything particularly groundbreaking about the Honda CBR900RR Fireblade’s design, but it looked well put together. Like its rivals at the time, the Fireblade was boxy and sported colors that we now call the vaporwave esthetic. But it looked special nonetheless, thanks to its twin round headlights, a 16” wheel, and beefy telescopic forks that were made to look like USDs. It set the stage for the Fireblade design philosophy that gradually got more aggressive but never lost its curves and flowing lines.

9 An Accomplished Racing Specimen

The Fireblade didn’t fit right in any segment since it was the first of its kind. At the time, top-level racing superbikes were limited to 750cc and even the Honda RC models were homologation specials that most privateer race teams couldn’t afford. Also, the Fireblade was made as a street bike, not a race bike.

The Honda CBR900RR Was A Championship Winning Sportbike

That didn’t stop the Fireblade from making a mark on racing history, albeit a small one. This was an accessible sports bike that could keep up with smaller supersports in the corners and leave them behind on the straightway. As a result, it won three GTO Endurance championships and the Formula Xtreme championships between 1997 and 1999. It was also quite prominent in the Formula USA series and various other open-class races around the world.

8 Development Led By Tadao Baba, The Father Of The Fireblade

If you don’t know who Tadao Baba is, you ought to. Baba-san was the Large Project Leader for Honda, but he began his career at Honda in a machine shop, followed by a rest rider and an R&D engineer before reaching this position. But he was a racer at heart and had raced many bikes during the sports bike peak in the 80s.

Tadao-San had understood what a sports bike rider needed, and he didn’t like the way large-displacement bikes performed in the corners — they were bulky and heavy to lean. His focus with the Fireblade was Total Control, a principle that prioritized handling over all-out performance. He described the CBR900RR as “my ideal bike” and the Fireblade remains true to the formula.

Tadao Baba

It was my first project, but I was also confident too. I love riding sportbikes and I love the feeling of satisfaction when I can control it as I want. The brief was to create a sportbike with total control that was easy to ride. This was my world, my ideal bike.

7 The Engine Was Fast And Usable

Max Power Output: 122 Horsepower @ 10,500 RPM

The CBR900RR began its prototype life as the CBR750F — in fact, it was still known as the CBR750RR during its advanced research stage. However, Baba felt the motorcycle didn’t have enough poke to keep up with its competitors’ flagship sport bikes. So, the cylinder stroke was increased, and the displacement was boosted to 893cc.

The result was an inline-four engine that had excellent mid-range grunt for corner exits and more push at the top end compared to the CBR750F’s original engine. The Fireblade wasn’t anywhere close to the fastest bike in the world, but it still had respectable power figures and top speed, especially considering its lightweight. The engine was a hoot to rev out and the CBR900RR was one of the best bikes that came out of the 1990s.

Engine Specifications

(Specifications sourced from Motorcyclenews.com and Motorcyclespecs.co.za)

6 And It Was As Reliable As Any Other Honda

A performance-focused engine often pays the reliability price, but Honda was smart enough to not overstress the engine. As a result, the Fireblade’s inline-four engine was smooth and as reliable as any other Honda at the time. The brand didn’t cut any corners.

A well-maintained Fireblade could easily run 100,000 miles with routine maintenance. And even today, if you purchase a used CBR900RR, most of the damage will come from a crash or neglect, not age. Get a Fireblade, service it, and it will run almost like a Toyota engine for years to come.

5 The Lightest Liter-Class Sportbike Of The Time

Weight: 454 Pounds (Wet)

The highlight of the CBR900RR was its super light design, and Baba and his team had to make many tough decisions to accomplish these goals. To hit the target weight, the frame was made as light as possible for the time, 16-inch wheels were used when its competitors had moved to 17-inch, and lightweight conventional forks were used instead of inverted forks. The CBR900RR didn’t need to have the most powerful engine of the time because it compensated for it with light weight. In the weight department, the Fireblade was almost as light as a 600 supersport motorcycle, but it performed like a liter bike.

One Of The Biggest Advantages Of The Fireblade Was Its Light Weight

To give you some perspective, the CBR900RR weighed only 397 pounds (dry) when its rivals weighed over 440 pounds easily. The Fireblade was only 4 pounds heavier than the CBR600 F2, and its closest rival, the Yamaha FZR1000, was 76 pounds heavier! The Suzuki GSX-R1100 and Kawasaki ZX-11 were 114 pounds and 144 pounds heavier! The CBR900RR was so ahead of its time, that even the 2012 BMW S 1000 RR was heavier.

Chassis And Handling Specifications

(Specifications sourced from Motorcyclespecs.co.za)

4 As Sharp As The Wakizashi Sword

Thanks to its lightweight design, smaller wheels, and excellent suspension setup, the Fireblade tipped into corners almost instantly. Many experts even labeled the motorcycle as being dangerously fast steering. It was truly as sharp as the Wakizashi sword, which is smaller but sharper than a typical Katana — pun intended. And despite its smaller wheels and frantic chassis, the motorcycle was fairly stable at high speeds and could hold a line without much persuasion.

• Fun fact: Honda named this bike Fireblade after lightning, but the word lightning roughly translates to a blade of fire in Japanese. Fortunately, the name stuck and somehow managed to capture the bike’s essence of being lightning-quick and razor-sharp.

3 And As Practical As A Commuter — Almost

More than enough power for the streets? Check. A telepathic handling dynamic? Check. Practicality? Also, check.

The CBR900RR was surprisingly practical despite its sporty character. Remember, Baba wanted an everyday superbike, not a race bike. As a result, the bike was comfortable to ride, thanks to its large tank that you could grip, and spacious seats. Even your pillion would be comfortable, thanks to the peg position and grab rails. Heck, it even had a decent boot luggage space to stow away your papers and wallet! Commuter bikes have come a long way since, but the CBR900RR showed that a sports bike could have everyday usability.

Comfort And Usability Specifications

(Specifications sourced from Motorcyclespecs.co.za)

2 Birth Of The Fireblade Legacy

Production Years: 1992 to 1999

The original CBR900RR was only the beginning of the Fireblade era. The first-gen model remained largely unchanged for eight years but still got many improvements along the line.

CBR900RR Updates

• 1994: Foxy eyes, RR logo on the tail unit, minor gearbox updates, and an electric speedo
• 1996: Displacement bumped to 918.5cc, dual slits on the tail unit, power increased to 126 horsepower, and weight reduced by 4.4 pounds
• 1998: New fairings, power bumped to 128 horsepower, weight reduced by 6.6 pounds, and it was more comfortable

The Next Iterations Kept Getting Lighter And More Powerful

The original CBR900RR model was then replaced by the 929 and 954 Fireblades, which kept getting lighter and more powerful. Since Baba was no longer in charge, the Fireblade did lose its way in 2004 as ‘Total Control’ made way for MotoGP tech and mass centralization; now, the Fireblade is a full-blown 1000cc superbike. Fortunately, it returned to being lightweight and practical back in 2008, and the 2024 Honda CBR1000RR Fireblade still retains the Total Control charm.

1 The Fireblade Set The Superbike Template

The CBR900RR influenced the legendary Fireblade line that still dominates racetracks, but that wasn’t all. The Fireblade is easily one of the most influential sports bikes ever built. Back in the day, liter bikes focused on straight-line speed, but Honda proved that a liter bike could be almost as nimble as a supersport without sacrificing its top speed. Since then, every superbike has followed the tracks of the original Fireblade.

It was quick on its feet, architecturally innovative, and sharp without losing any of its reliability or everyday usability. So, if you ever think about how we came to the likes of the fantastic Ducati Superleggera V4 or the mighty Kawasaki ZX-10RR, you have the Honda CBR900RR to thank for setting the template for such gorgeous machines that exist today.

Tadao Baba

I told people at the time this new bike would change the thinking of sports bike design, and that it would be fun both in corners and in a straight line.