'Blading saddles

Walking admiringly around Honda's latest incarnation of their best- selling CBR900RR reveals a beauty of a bike. From the angular triple unit headlights to its monstrous back tyre and braced swingarm, the lines are futuristic but not outlandish, and the usual Honda build quality can be seen through the understated paint job.

Climbing on reveals a slightly unusual position, but even medium- height riders should be able to plant both feet quite firmly on the ground. Turning the key in the HISS immobiliser-enabled ignition brings the engine from a gruff bark to an impatient idle (no choke, take note).

You do have to be a bit of a contortionist at first to engage gear, but it is a sportsbike after all. A shorter colleague also had a similar experience, but adapted quickly to it. There is quite a reach to the clutch lever, with no way of adjusting it, which is quite tiring after a while, but the action itself is not too stiff, and the clutch engages evenly and smoothly.

Riding off through town, you are immediately impressed with the civility of this big bad 'Blade. The handling is less twitchy than might be expected at low speeds, and it makes surprisingly easy work of congested, potholed roads and all the other delights we pay our fuel revenue for. It will ride all day in either 3rd or 4th gear, as the engine has buckets of low-down pull and the bike overall is light and manouverable.

On the open road, however, the CBR shows its true colours. It takes off like a true TT road-rocket when the gears are used to their fullest, and even when pushed from a high gear low in the rev range, power arrives exponentially, after a sluggish start. It does take more than a little self-control to keep the front end planted squarely on the tar and it would be all too easy to make full use of the three digit digital speedo, in either kph or mph mode, but only on your Grand German Tour of course.

When the weather turns nasty, as it undoubtedly will, it takes more than a little confidence to throw this CBR around, but after a few tentative starts, the bike soon inspires you to push harder and harder. Quick, safe overtaking becomes a formality, and twisty B- roads are almost made for this bike, which rapidly slows and accelerates over them with little effort. The mirrors are a little blurry at speed, but luckily, you do not need to be too concerned with what is fast disappearing behind you.

Surprisingly, a bike like this - with its #9000 price tag - can also be practical. Enough comfort for my 50-mile-round commute every day, a large space under the spring-hinged pillion seat for stuff, good headlights, well appointed clocks (odo, trip, time, temp, oil warning, low fuel warning and speed - all digital), and an almost acceptable 130-mile tank range. I'm no Sunday racer, but I could trade off the extreme performance and limited motorway comfort for those nice touches. Go try it for yourself. Now, all I need is a small lottery win to insure it.

Can Honda's Fireblade be the lost link between speed and practicality? Richard McManus finds out

Copyright 2000
Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning Company. All rights Reserved.