Buyer Guide: Honda Fireblade Series

1992 Original model launched: And it’s a cracker. 185kg while the opposition were all 210kg+. It out-handled the lot and sports bike design was never the same again. Upgraded for 1994 with suspension and gearbox tweaks, a magnesium cam cover, revised front faring with glassed-in headlights and more. Serious overhaul for 1996 included larger bores, taking capacity up to 918ccs, a stainless steel exhaust, a modified riding position with higher bars and all-new bodywork. Modified again in 1998, including tapered swingarm, a more compact clutch and a new top faring and screen. Early bikes are becoming sought after, especially the original 1992 and 1993 versions.

Click to view: Honda Fireblade Series owners reviews, specs and image galleries.

The Fireblade is a bike with such presence, influence and sales success that it has become one of very few machines great swathes of the great unwashed non-biking public have heard of. And with good reason, since it’s one of the best and most important bikes to have emerged in the past two decades.

First and foremost, it fundamentally changed the way sports bikes are made when it appeared in 1992, by showing that light was right. It comprehensively outperformed heavier, more powerful rivals thanks to weighing about 20% less. Ever since it’s either been top dog in the unlimited sports bike class or, if it didn’t hold the top spot, a worthy contender at the very least.

What’s more, it’s a reliable machine too. When it first appeared in 1992 there were sharp intakes of breath and more than a few pub experts who reckoned a machine so pared down couldn’t last. “Like sandpapering condoms”, they said. But the cynics were proved wrong. The original, and every Fireblade since, have all been near faultless and capable of clocking up 100,000 miles plus.

But let’s not get too hung up on history and reliability. The FireBlade (or Fireblade as it was called from 2004 onwards) was and still is an awesome sports bike – a real high-velocity precision instrument. Ok, the remorseless march of progress has relegated earlier bikes to a near sports tourer role, but they’re still an exceedingly rapid, exciting ride and they’re even becoming collectible too. As for the latest 2008 and 2009 models, they’re currently keeping the legend very much alive as they’re the fastest and best-built Japanese litre-class sports bikes you can buy. What are you waiting for?

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