Honda CBR900RR Review

Well its been a while since I grabbed the wallet by the strings and purchased another bike. After spending a long happy time with my trusty CBR -6 I thought a change was in order. So after wanting one for a number of years, I bit the bullet as they say and got myself a 96 ¡V 97 Fire Blade.

So what¡¦s it like to drive? Well after getting of my rather rapid CBR 600 it was a little strange. The bike seems to be a hell of a lot lighter and the sitting position is up there with the best of them..(Mind you im 5 ft 12).

I was impressed with the amount of space that appeared on this bike. And was really impressed with the way Honda can make a 918cc bike weigh the same as its younger brother¡K.?

All seems a tad peculiar to me. Oh well. So I took a nervous ride on this so called ¡§Mad machine¡¨ and all was well in the world¡KThe lights are amazing¡Kthe switch gear seemed to be made from heaven and the engine purred so much I thought I had replaced it with a large feline..

Then the acceleration - Well that¡¦s the bit I don¡¦t quite get. You see, below seven grand the machine ¡V well its ok I guess, just seems a little uninterested. Sure it accelerates rather quickly. But its nothing ¡§fierce¡¨ or ¡§Mad¡¨
In fact I would say that in town or below the 7000 rpm mark the blade really is a kitten.. So much so that I would think it¡¦s a bit tame¡K
However, get the beast above the seven thou rev range and the think shows you why is so addictive to ride.. It has one hell of a rush about it¡K I mean in 3rd gear going from 7 ¡V 12,000 rpm the blade just literally fuggs off. So I think I will keep this bike¡Kit has great road manners¡Ka seemingly bottomless pit of desire to blow away any other vehicle on the road. Oh and really looks the business.

To be honest I love this bike. its great to ride and I would buy another one tomorrow.

If you get to try one then you will love it¡K

Oh one last thing¡Kthe 97 blade will rattle at a certain rev range¡K.don¡¦t worry its normal.

Several years on, and the 'Blade can`t claim top honours in the performance stakes any more; several bikes have surpassed the Honda on top speed and absolute power - so is the 1996 incarnation still a force to be reckoned with?

Well the UK public clearly think so; in fact the Fireblade has been the runaway success of 1996, becoming top selling bike in ANY category this year so far.

In 1996 Honda have re-vamped the Fireblade in a major way, although you wouldn't notice it to look at it. Power has been increased to 128PS (4 more), torque increased to 9.3kg/m (9), capacity is up to 918cc, it has a more rigid crank, different gearing, gear change (not that you'd notice...), new clutch cover, frame, swinging arm, fairing, tank etc. etc.

So what's the fuss all about?

Initial encounter with the bike isn't favourable - it looks big and bulky, with the wide, flat tank making the bike seem huge. However as soon as you swing a leg over the seat and lift the bike off the sidestand, the picture changes dramatically - you immediately wonder where all the weight is - how come something this big weighs nothing?

The next surprise comes as soon as you fire up the engine and pull away; no lurches, strains, screams or uncontrollable wheelies; in fact it's really easy to ride - a real pussycat!

The silky smooth engine has plenty of low-down power - it positively encourages you to change up early and take advantage of the grunt that's available. The only fly in the ointment is a gearbox of typical Honda style; clunky and slow to change. Throughout the test period this remained, while I never actually missed a gear, it was common to turn heads when selecting first from a standstill with a crash.

That wasn't the only time the bike turned heads though - despite the somewhat subdued grey colour scheme, it attracted comment wherever it was parked up - and from adults too, not just the "whatllitdomister" kids!

A close look around the bike reveals typical Honda quality finish, from the nicely polished top yoke to the (for a Jap bike) very neatly welded frame and swinging arm. The clocks are simple and easy to read, the brake lever span-adjustable, switchgear typical Honda, the paint thick and smooth. Even the obligatory nasty dark green paint that goes gunky and pale was noticeably lacking from the minor cycle parts. The only really duff looking bit is the top fairing bracket - it's a really grotty bit of bent mild steel with lousy welds and painted with thin black paint; and you end up staring at it all the time.

Our test bike was supplied with Michelin Hi-Sports, and suffice to say they suit the bike well though it's unlikely you'll see more than 3000 miles out of a set - small price to pay for stupendous grip as far as I'm concerned.

On the move
The return journey from Honda's Chiswick HQ took me right through Central London and back out the other side again; solid commuter traffic for over 10 miles. Not ideal Fireblade conditions. Nevertheless, with the torquey engine obviating the need to change gear and the light steering the journey was not as traumatic as it could have been.

But the riding position could have been better - the seat's wide and flat (nice and comfy) and the seat height's not too high, but the clip-on bars are a long stretch around that big tank! It's not that their too low per se, but with the tank having an abrupt rear end, and the rider having a few too many beers and kebabs over the years, it's not all that comfortable at stop/start commuting. Furthermore larger riders (over 6 feet) had trouble tucking their knees in the tank cutaways - so best to try it out and see how it suits.

Of course commuting is not what the 'Blade is made for - and as soon as you hit the open road the riding position suddenly makes great sense (or at least above 80mph it does). At higher speeds, the wind takes some of the weight off your wrists, and the bike feels supremely comfortable. There's a muted, deep growl as you wind up the wick, and after a minor rough patch at 6,000 the bike picks up and from 7,000 to the redline at 11 it really takes off.

Redlining really is unnecessary, but if you do then it's easy to do over a ton in second, and 130 comes up in third, with three gears to go...

The bike feels remarkably poised at higher speeds, the fairing doing a good job of keeping the worst ravages of the wind away from the rider. Top speed is academic; there aren't too many roads in the UK where it's safe to do 160+, and anyway there are just too many damn cars around. Naturally for the record I held it flat as a strap for as long as possible (just for the sake of the readers, honest!) - but had to back off when I ran out of road at an indicated 165.

Slowing down is a little more strenuous than ideal; the Nissin brakes work OK, but lack the bite of the six-pot versions on bikes like the latest GSX-R or ZXR. And lever travel's a bit long, which can be a worry, though they never actually faded on the road.

Long distance
For such a sports-oriented bike, the 'Blade is surprisingly practical as a tourer - the flat tank is perfect for a tank bag, and lifting up the ejector seat reveals slide-out bungy hooks and space for a u-lock.

For the annual pilgrimage to Le Mans, I fitted throwovers and bungyed tent, camera gear etc. on top; sweet as a nut. The luggage was barely noticeable on the move; perhaps the bike was a little slower to flick from side to side, but as the Blade is so responsive anyway this was no loss.

The run to Le Mans wasn't a tremendous length, but after 350 miles in a day I felt as fresh as a daisy; with ear plugs in the bike floated like a magic carpet over the road, smoothly, quietly, any speed you care to mention, effortlessly. Truly excellent - for a fast long distance dash I can't think of a bike I'd rather use.

One minor complaint was the set-up of the headlamps - on dip they were as good as most bike's main beams, but on main they made good aircraft landing lights, but not a lot more - my apologies to all those French drivers who continually flashed back all the way through Normandy!

Handling and Suspension
First off, let's just say that the Fireblade is a great handling bike. In most situations the bike lets you get away with things you wouldn't try on lesser machines - and the engine helps a lot here. Get it wrong going in to a corner, and just lay it down a bit further - the bike'll turn in and that mid-range poke lets you pull a gear higher without fuss.

Having said that, low-speed handling is not what it could be - there is a definite tendency to drop into corners below 50mph, almost as though the front tyre pressure was too high. No doubt this is due to the 16 inch front wheel which requires a higher profile tyre than a 17 incher would - and the evidence showed on the front tyre where, even after "spirited" riding which scraped the rear right up to the edge, a clear half-inch or more tread was completely untouched.

The forks themselves are OK; not brilliant, but by taking the damping up a couple of notches they performed adequately in most conditions. Can't quite get rid of the vagueness caused by that front wheel though...

In contrast, the rear suspension is sublime; soft initial travel gives good comfort, but as the going gets heavier it just seems to soak up the bumps in a smooth, well damped flow - superb. Didn't even bother to play with it with all the luggage on!

On smooth roads, fast sweepers, roundabouts, twisties or whatever, the 'Blade is terrific fun - you can turn in quickly and fire out using the grunty engine to it's best. The light weight helps here too; allowing you to change direction rapidly as you want.

On bumpier roads it's a slightly different story, however. There the light weight, punchy engine and slight vagueness from the front end can make things well, exciting. Nothing major, but sometimes you feel like the bike has more control than you do, and you have to back off - maybe it's just psychological, but around familiar roads I found I have travelled faster on other bikes.

On unfamilar roads, the 'Blade is the one to be on, though - you tend to go just that little bit slower when you don't know the territory, and use the engine power to pull you through and out of corners rather than going in hard initially.

Living with the bike
As with most Hondas, the bike really is easy to live with. Fuel consumption (unleaded) dropped from a best of nearly 52mph while touring to a worst of 44 while around town, which is remarkably good, and indicates how the engine encourages the rider to use the bottom end poke rather than rev the nuts off the engine to get around.

It started readily and easily with a sniff of choke in any weather, and maintenance is relatively easy - the fairing and seat are simple to remove and get access to the major components.

The only major expense is going to be insurance and tyres, with the 'Blade being emminently nickable, and the need for Hi-Sports or similar to get the most out of the bike; anything less would be criminal.

The bottom line
All those buyers are not wrong. The 1996 Fireblade is a superb bike. In comparison with the latest Suzuki GSX-R (look for a BikeNet test soon) some might say it's gone a bit soft, while others will say that by not using ram-air induction Honda have lost out at the top end - but in the real world the 'Blade is a better bike for being easier to live with, and the engine's mid-range is it's best feature, not a top-end which few people will really use anyway. The finish is excellent; it's classy, looks like it'll last a long time and is amazing for the money.

Engine: Liquid-cooled 16-valve DOHC in-line 4
Bore & stroke: 71 x 58mm
Displacement: 918cc
Compression ratio: 11.1:1
Carburettor: 38mm slanted flat-slide CV type x 4
Max power: 128PS @ 10,5OORPM
Max torque: 67ft-lbs @ 8,750RPM (DIN)
Ignition: Computer-controlled digital transistorized with electronic advance
Starter: Electric
Transmission: Six-speed
Wheelbase: 1405mm
Seat height: 805mm
Ground clearance: 130mm
Fuel capacity: 18 litres
Wheels: Front/rearU-section six-spoke aluminium cast

Tyres:

Front - 130/70 x ZRl6
Rear - 180/55 x ZR17
Suspension:
Front - 45mm stepless preload, compression and rebound adjustable cartridge-type fork 120mm axle travel
Rear - pro-link with 7-step preload, stepless rebound and compression adjustable CIVS lV damper, 125mm axle travel
Brakes:
Front - 296mm dual disc with 4-piston calipers and sintered metal pads
Rear - 220mm single-piston caliper disc with sintered metal pads
Dry weight: 183.5kg

Of course 1998 was going to be a tough year for Honda, especially with the launch of Yamaha's R1 and the new Kawasaki ZX-9R, both of which are bound to give the old "king hooligan" a run for its money. We'll be doing a longer term test later in the year, but for now here are our first impressions of what Honda reckon is the best 'Blade ever made...

As I collected the CBR from Honda's Chiswick HQ, the Honda mechanic asked if I'd ridden last year's model; I answered affirmatively. "In that case I won't bother to show you around - it's pretty much the same, only much better," he said. And he was right - it did look pretty much the same as last year's model - despite almost 80% of the bike being completely new, Honda appear to have hidden the changes well.

Most obvious is the change to the shape of the fairing and headlamp area, to match the "corporate look" started by the Firestorm last year, and inherited by the CBR900, 600 and VFR800 for 1998. The fairing is actually slightly wider than the previous model, which gives more protection to the hands, while the screen looks slightly lower than before (giving less wind protection!). Also immediately apparent is the change to the clocks and the fairing bracket as soon as you get on the bike - the clocks are a third of the weight and less than half the thickness, while the fairing bracket is alloy (hurray!) and much prettier for it.

Other changes which start to appear as you look around the bike include the bigger exhaust can and the tapered swinging arm - with strange V-shaped welds near the pivot point. The brake carriers have fewer spokes, the brake rotors themselves are larger (by 14mm) and the brake calipers are different - outwardly they're silver in colour, but the real change comes when you use them - much more feel (more of that later).

Less visible unless you're really looking for them are the changes to the frame and geometry. The clue comes when you compare old with new - the distance between the fork tube centres and the headstock bolt (fork offset) has been reduced by 5mm, which has increased the trail by a similar amount. In order to maintain the same wheelbase, Honda have revamped the frame, making it 5mm longer. The plan with all these changes was to make the front end more predictable - extra trail helps to maintain stability and the self-centering effect that a bike naturally has. Other changes to the front-en include spacing the the forks 10mm further apart, and the bottom yoke is now cast from alloy, rather than the nasty steel job of last year.

Disappointingly there seemed to be more of those nasty grey/green bolts hanging around the bike than the last one we played with, and there was a suspicious growth of rust around the exhaust pipe flange where it joined the silencer (despite it being stainless!), which on a bike showing 800 miles on the clock wasn't too good. But everything else was of true Honda quality - especially the paint and the frame, which look really classy.

The rear end of the bike has been tidied up and restyled in line with the new look - but fortunately it still has a useful storage space under the pop-up pillion seat unit, which also contains swing-out bungey hooks and a space for a U-lock. So the 'Blade is still a practical machine for the everyday rider too.

Turn on the ignition, and the first thing you notice are the new clocks, which include a digital temperature display and dual trips (a la Suzuki GSX-R). The engine fires up with a quiet purr - unfortunately even quieter with the latest exhaust. Selecting first comes without the crunch of old - it's the best 'Blade gearbox yet, and in fact throughout the test the 'box was remarkable for being unremarkable, if you know what we mean.

Of course the timing of the test (being February in the UK) meant that the roads are at their greasiest, so the main performance testing and limit finding will have to wait until our summer blast. However as always, the Honda trademark ease of riding was obvious. The 'Blade is simply one of the simplest sport bikes to ride anywhere, anytime. The riding position is easy to live with, the light weight really shows, and the smooth engine has plenty of bottom end to make progress rapid with a whiff of throttle and at low revs.

Changes for this year have made little or no difference to the power output, but an overall weight and friction reduction programme has made the engine smoother and slightly quicker to rev than before - but our test bike had only 800 miles on the clock when we picked it up so there was a lot of breaking in to do. By the end of the test the whole machine was noticeably more spritely and smoother; in fact 'Blade engines are reputed to put out their best power at around 15,000 miles - Phil McCallen's bike was more powerful after the TT than before the race! The engine changes amount to around 80% of the components being new - but the feel is very similar to the older models.

Carburation is clean as a whistle, with just a hint of hesitation when the throttle was wound full on at about 5 grand. Low and mid-range grunt is strong, if not dramatic, allowing you to make a mistake and pull through a corner in a higher gear than ideal, or to change up early and avoid wheelspin on wet roads. But to get the best from the bike it needs a good revving - real power is made at between 8 and 11,000.

The first corner you meet shows exactly what Honda have been working on - front end feedback. While the old bike was a fine handler, there was always a slightly remote feeling about the front forks which meant your confidence was lacking when really pushing the bike hard. This has been vastly improved on the 1998 bike - you can tip the bike into corners with confidence and feel the front end working, which in turn encourages you to push the front even harder. Honda seemed to have achieved this without sacrificing speed of steering - if anything the bike feels even faster turning than before - but the better feedback allows you to make much more use of the Michelin Hi-Sports than previously.

One of the great pleasures of riding a 'Blade is the speed of turn-in, which was clearly demonstrated at one point during the test when out on a blast with a fellow rider on a Suzuki TL1000S (with factory fitted steering damper). The roads were cold, greasy and often muddy as we blasted down a series of narrow country B-roads, and at one point the road straightened out enough to wind the wick up to around 90mph before suddenly turning off at right-angles with virtually no warning. Braking as heavily as I dared given the road conditions, I kept the bike upright for as long as possible before turning in really late. The 'Blade made the corner comfortably, with enough time to see the TL rider disappear up a conveniently placed slip road! Now I'm not saying that other bikes couldn't do this, but the extra margin the Honda gives you can really help in tricky conditions.

Talking of braking, the 1998 model has the best Honda brakes yet. Loads of bite and feel, they really pulled the bike down from high speed with just two-finger pressure, and were progressive enough to put the 'Blade firmly into the easy-stoppie league.

Suspension all round has been firmed up for 1998, and it makes sense when really going for it. However in general conditions at less than high speed it means that the ride comfort has been compromised somewhat. We didn't really get much opportunity to play with the suspension settings, but with adjustment for preload, compression and rebound damping all round we suspect that we could probably have tuned things for more comfort. As it was, the standard settings did mean that hitting a rough patch of road often launched the rider out of the saddle, and hitting a similar bump while cranked over sometimes caused a warning twitch of the bars - nothing dramatic, but enough to make you think...

A Fireblade is a comfortable bike to live with. The riding position is sporty, yet not as extreme as many other sports bikes, and the stretch to the bars seemed less than the old model (or at least the tank didn't seem to get in the way as much). The seat is pretty sparse, but the width offers support good enough for 300 miles in a day without problems.

The best we saw so far as fuel consumption was concerned was 43mpg of BP's finest unleaded, giving a range of around 130 miles or so before reserve (nice to have an easily-turned, accessible tap with a real reserve too). Compared with both modern V-twins (VTR and TL) then, the Fireblade is a tourer. Bear in mind that we were pretty hard on the bike and it was still running in - an owner could probably see even better - but hard use saw it drop to 37mpg or less quite easily.

The Michelin Hi-sports seemed to be wearing well and certainly gave no dramas, but the conditions on the roads were hardly the grippiest around. Oil consumption was nil, the clutch worked, the gearbox seemed to get slicker with use - in fact the bike gave an air of unbreakability throughout - as Honda are keen to point out, 'Blades just don't go wrong.

Conclusion
Testing in isolation (as we always do) the 1998 Fireblade is a very fine motorcycle. The firmer suspension is an attempt to impart a more "sporty" attitude to a bike which is likely to be overshadowed by Kawasaki's ZX-9R and Yamaha's R1 this year. But the improvements for 1998 have made it even better than before, with a wonderfully secure feeling to the front end which had previously been missing and great brakes - there's really not a lot left to do with the bike after 6 years of development.

Funny how last year's extreme sports bike has become the "softest" option this year! But that doesn't mean you can discount the Honda as last year's news; the Fireblade is still a great sports bike.

Engine: Liquid-cooled 16-valve DOHC in-line-4
Bore & stroke: 71 x 58mm
Displacement: 918.5cc
Compression ratio: 11.1:1
Carburettor: 38mm slanted flat-slide CV type x 4
Max power: 130PS @ 10,5OORPM
Max torque: 9.5Kg-m @ 8,500RPM (DIN)
Ignition: Computer-controlled digital transistorized with electronic advance
Starter: Electric
Transmission: Six-speed
Wheelbase: 1405mm
Seat height: 810mm
Ground clearance: 140mm
Fuel capacity: 18 litres
Wheels: Front/rearU-section six-spoke aluminium cast

Tyres:

Front - 130/70 x ZRl6
Rear - 180/55 x ZR17
Suspension:
Front - 45mm stepless preload, compression and rebound adjustable cartridge-type fork 120mm axle travel
Rear - pro-link with 7-step preload, stepless rebound and compression adjustment damper, 125mm axle travel
Brakes:
Front - 310mm dual disc with piston calipersand sintered metal pads
Rear - 220mm single-piston caliper disc with sintered metal pads
Dry weight: 180kg