This in another guest post from our man Claudio in Switzerland. Enjoy! -dc
Here’s a model that I have been searching for the last six months…the challenge is the find one in good conditions. The Honda CBR 900 RR…you might say mark 1.
This is the original super light Fireblade launched in 1992 in its best color scheme. Below a couple of images from a German brochure of the SC28 model:
On the sample on sale the wheels have been chromed and the spokes painted in white. What is peculiar about this bike though, is the mileage of just 36.000km and the fact that it has its original muffler in pristine conditions. Most of the Blades of this time have been abused and about 99.9% fitted with some after-market muffler.
This was one of my youth’s dream bikes. The concept was as simple as extreme for the time. Take out as much weight as possible! Even the fairing was drilled…proper racing style.
Baba san was the author and he became famous. In 2012 lots of articles have been published to celebrate the 20 years anniversary of the Honda RR.Originally a 750 cc model was studied and that would have been in line with the relatively affordable race replica Kawasaki ZXR 750RR and the ultra rare Suzuki GSXR 750 RK.
But Honda then decided to increase the capacity of the engine to 900cc and keep the weight low. How low? …Lower than the competitor’s 750s…and so, while this was a capacity not suited for World SBK competitions, it became the fastest most extreme road going bike. With a 16inch front wheel it was fast turning-in and a bit lively under stress 🙂 The clocks used simple foam around the dials just like the RC30s and the choke plug was conveniently moved on top of the handlebar
Quality was top. I have heard of racing bikes (used only on race tracks) that drove for 80.000km! Probably the sport bike with the most reliable engine ever made.
The bike is on auction, starting price is 3000 CHF equivalent to about 3600 $ and it would be yours with a stretch to 4.8 k$. One might think that it’s not the best price but after having searched for 6 months and having looked at probably 20 supposed good samples (that turned out not that good), this seems worth the mention. The bike is in top order and was technically checked by the authorities in March 2012. The only thing you might want to change are those foam grips…old school but un-cool!
On auction in Switzerland now with 2 day remaining. (Original Link)
[…] Originally conceived as a 750 – before being punched up to a 900 – the CBR900RR redefined size and weight. Tipping the scales on par with a contemporary 600 class machine, the Fireblade was a manic exercise of minimalization, centralization and diet. What rolled out of the Honda shops was a razor-sharp monster, and still very relevant today. We don’t see many RR bikes in this condition on RSBFS, and you can view Claudio’s post on a Swiss-based ‘Blade here. […]