30 YEARS OF THE HONDA FIREBLADE

The 1980s was an era of huge progress in the world of sports bikes – not least for Honda and its CBR series, which launched in 1983. Led by the Honda Racing Corporation (HRC) team, the manufacturer had pushed the envelope with a series of exhilarating, affordable models that grew in popularity throughout the decade. 

Nine years after the first CBR400s hit the streets, a new series of sharper, larger displacement CBRs would disrupt the market once more: enter, the FireBlade. 

First introduced in 1992, the original FireBlade was labelled as ‘ground-breaking’ and ‘a game-changer in its class’. It immediately set a new standard, as well as starting the battle for supremacy amongst Honda’s other three Japanese rival manufacturers in the following years. 

The development of the 1992 Honda CBR900RR FireBlade was thanks to Honda engineer and former racer Tadao Baba and project leader Baba-san. With their involvement and direction, the HRC team was able to construct the best sports bike for its time; a bike that could turn quickly, accelerate rapidly and brake flawlessly.  

The original FireBlade’s performance was partially due to an enlarged, 983cc in-line four-cylinder 16-valve that was loosely based on the CBR750 unit, producing 120bhp at 10,500rpm. The bike’s success was also owed to its 185kg weight, which was around 15kg lighter than competitors. The HRC used mass centralisation to make each component as light as possible and to place the weight close to the centre of the Fireblade’s mass. 

The FireBlade’s competitive performance was matched by a bargain price of just £7,390 when launched in the Spring of 1992. It was available in a red, white and blue colour scheme, as well as a more sinister black and gunmetal appearance. 

Not long after, a period of fierce competition among rival motorcycle manufacturers commenced. Honda updated the FireBlade almost every two years, with the 1994 RR/RR-S model losing the twin headlights, replaced by a ‘Foxeye’ units, along with other new aesthetics, revised suspension and improved gear-change.  

Towards the late ‘90s, the FireBlade increased in engine capacity to 918.5cc, with further improvements to the suspension and ergonomics. By now, despite regular enhancements, the Fireblade was beginning to lose out to the new kids on the block - not least the 150bhp Yamaha R1 of 1998. 

The year 2000 saw a new millennium and with it, a 150bhp 929cc, fuel-injected second generation FireBlade, known as the CBR929RR. Tadao Baba’s final involvement with the FireBlade was the 2002/03 954cc model, which again saw further improvements in its suspension, chassis and fuel-injection system. In honour of Baba’s work on the project, Honda chose to remove the capital ‘B’ from all Fireblade designations from this point on. 

The CBR1000RR was the next all-new Fireblade, released in 2004, which was a 998cc, full capacity litre-class sports bike. This time, the Fireblade had 170bhp and was inspired by Honda’s successful RCV211V MotoGP bikes. The model’s potency meant Honda kept it in production until 2019, giving it further power increases, improved braking and weight reducing components. 

The latest version of the Fireblade, the CBR1000RR-R, was launched in 2020. By this stage, Honda was dominating the MotoGP and the Fireblade now had 215bhp at 14,500rpm – almost 100bhp more than the 1992 original. 

This year, Honda celebrated 30 years of Fireblade with a limited-edition Fireblade SP 30th Anniversary, wearing the same red, white and blue colour scheme as the original. The anniversary was also marked during round three of the 2022 Bennetts British Superbike Championship at Donington Park back in May. 

Which generation of Honda Fireblade is your favourite? Let us know if you have one as your pride and joy! We'd love to hear it in the comments below.

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