Honda’s seminal CBR900RR remains a desirable 90s sportbike, and remains one of the most collectible motorcycles of the period. Subsequent versions of the “Fireblade” were always incredibly polished and competent motorcycles, but somehow failed to capture the original’s lightning in a bottle. So what made the original so special?
Most importantly, the CBR900RR was designed by Tadao Baba to be the ultimate roadgoing sportbike. That meant it didn’t bother trying to fit into any established production racing class, freeing Honda up to make a light, agile motorcycle with a much bigger engine. Without the need to maximize high-rev power, they stroked a 750cc engine to 893cc to keep the powerplant as compact as possible, then slotted it into a package that weighed just a few pounds more than their CBR600. The long-stroke engine could still rev but, more importantly, had an incredible midrange that spoke to the bike’s roadgoing intent.
The entire package prioritized rider feel and engagement over outright performance, but that didn’t mean the bike wasn’t blisteringly fast: 111hp meant it was plenty quick in a straight line. The 900cc engine combined with the light weight to leave it in a class of just one, since the big-bore superbikes from the other Japanese manufacturers were all 1000cc or more, and much heavier. The GSX-R1100 and YZF1000 were fast motorcycles, but compared to the CBR, they were more GT than pure sportbike.
From the original eBay listing: 1993 Honda CBR900RR for Sale
Re-listing because previous buyer’s check was fraudulent. priced to sell
I’m selling my 1993 CBR900RR restomod. I have invested over $10k in this bike.
List of mods:
Rebuilt motor bored out to 998cc. Done by professional race mechanics. Less than 600 miles on the motor. Odo reads 30k.
Front end from a CBR929, completely redone. Valves, spring and internals.
17 inch front wheel from an RC51
Brembo adjustable master cylinder
Galfer Rotors
Nitron 3 way rear shock
Carbs tuned by Erion Racing
Almost every bolt is titanium
Comes with a set of Flatslides
And moreThe bike is beautiful and priced to sell. Don’t have time to ride it anymore. If you’ve ever wanted one, this is the perfect rider.
This example replaces the original RWU fork with more modern USD component from a later CBR, along with much more modern brakes. Significantly, it also ditches the ’93 model’s 16″ wheel that made for slightly twitchy handling then, and severely limits tire choice now. Miles are a bit high and the bike isn’t completely original, but this thing should be an awesome rider for anyone looking to recapture the experience of Honda’s famous Fireblade at the rock-bottom Buy It Now Price of just $3,500!
-tad
What a perfect upgrade! This turns into a must buy and use regularly bike
Seller mentions RC51 front wheel but wheel shown is a 3 spoke cbr929 one?
One thing that I noticed that seems a little strange is in his ad it states “Re-listing because previous buyer’s check was fraudulent. priced to sell”. However, when he previously listed the bike it bid up to $2917 and did not meet reserve. So, that would imply that it did not sell. I just wanted to point this out so potential buyers were aware of this and could ask questions as they felt necessary.
Yikes…maybe we should be running from this bike
“Restomod” or Bitsa from a salvage yard?
Fair question, although I think plenty of people contact sellers directly and negotiate a sale, especially after auctions end. Not a red flag necessarily, but something to ask the seller about.
The only thing I see with real value here is the oem fuel tank. I’d like to know exactly how he’s invested $10,000. It’ll make a nice rider for someone glws
Has it had a respray with wrong colors? Colors are not correct for a USA ’93 900rr.
Anyone else more interested in that RC30 in the background?
Saw that too, perhaps an NC30? But still compelling.
obviously a puzzle of scrap parts…nothing is stock on this
Are there a bunch of collector-purists here or what?
If you actually want to RIDE an SC28 series cbr, I think this is a good buy. Clearly the photography does not present the bike well, and I am skeptical about the rotors. But assuming the engine rebuild was done in a verifiable workman like fashion, and the bike is in good condition on inspection, this thing is easily worth the modest $3500 ask.
OEM plastics are overrated, and and almost too valuable to ride on (especially RWB ones).
A Nitron shock would run you $600 min, and is a necessary upgrade for a bike this age.
The USD fork upgrade is a reasonable choice for a bike that will see real use.
The engine refresh will help you keep up with your buddies on the road, and you’ll bee more comfortable than them to boot!
I don’t think you can buy more speed for $3500. Find a crashed and cartwheeled anything on CL and then restore it until you feel confident going more than 100 miles from your house and you’re at $3500. That you get to ride an RWB old school CBR is just gravy.
I agree with Riot. After looking looking at an $11,500 RD 400 on Ebay, this thing looks like a screaming deal. You can ride it all day long without concentrating on the depreciation of your investment. They are made to be ridden!
Amen Ian???? People like to bash while having no intention of purchasing
I saw this a couple months back on Bring A Trailer and it certainly can apply here as well.
dc
Personally, I think those on this site who “bash with no intent of purchasing” are what make it so great. There are a lot of people on here who have a damn good eye for the smallest detail and know exactly what they are talking about. I personally think it’s good for the faults to get pointed out so that those who indeed are looking at purchasing know exactly what they’re getting into. I know that there were some bikes that had faults pointed out on here that my semi-trained eye never would have noticed.
I absolutely agree, his comment just sounded so familiar. The RSBFS comment community is the most valuable part of the site ????
dc
I thought one of the key functions of RSBFS was to show motorcycles for sale and have knowledgeable members of the community critique those motorcycles and their descriptions and separate fact from fiction. Saying “people like to bash while having no intention of purchasing” on a site that solicits comments meant to expose the truth is a little pointless. As long as sellers keep misrepresenting what they have on offer, a site like this will be needed to keep them honest.
We always appreciate insightful comments, but “It’s not what you say, it’s how you say it.” See: the commenter on the Japanese-market GSX-R750LE who pointed out that the NEAS stickers are on backwards. And we definitely appreciate it when experts point out when a bike may not be what it seems. But how is the person in this case misrepresenting the bike? He says he has $10k into it, but he’s also not expecting to get much of that money back. He calls it “a rider” and is asking $3,500, which is pretty low for a first-generation CBR900RR. I think he’s just suggesting that it’s been properly cared for, not that you should pay more for it.