No Reserve – 1998 Honda CBR900RR

Description

Additional photos of this 1998 Honda CBR900RR are available here for your perusal.

In the early 1990s, Honda turned the motorcycling world on its head when it released the CBR900RR Fireblade. The ‘Blade’s designer, Tadao Baba, primarily focused on keeping weight down above all else — a must considering his brief was to deliver a modern superbike with open-class power, weighing no more than your average 600 of the day. The “Fireblade” name is actually the result of a mistranslation of the word “lightning”, and it didn’t fit squarely into any of the existing major classes. Rather, Honda’s goal was to create the best possible road-going superbike, and the eventual result was the 900RR.

At the heart of the original Fireblade — which didn’t come to US shores until ’93 — was a 893cc in-line four which was essentially a stroked three-quarter liter mill with a 70mm bore. Though it wasn’t the most powerful engine of its day, the RR’s 124 hp, 65 ft-lbs of torque, and 160 mph top speed were nothing to scoff at, especially with its svelte weight. A number of measures were taken by Baba and his team to ensure the Fireblade would hit its target weight. This included using a highly-developed lightweight frame, 16” front wheel, conventional forks instead of heavier inverted units (though the 900RR’s front-end was designed to look like an upside down fork) and even the Swiss cheesed-nose.

In the end, Baba-san came through, delivering a 900 that tipped the scales at around 450lbs wet. It was less than 10 lbs heavier than the CBR600, and a whopping 100lbs lighter than most of the open-class competition of the day. In ’94, the groundbreaking model had its steel upper cowl stay replaced with an aluminum piece, while a magnesium cylinder head cover took the place of the outgoing model’s aluminum unit. 1994 also saw a slight bump in engine efficiency, amongst other changes.

The bike got some styling updates throughout the years, but for 1998 Honda made a concerted effort to stiffen up the chassis (17% less flex in the frame, 40% less flex in the swingarm) and add a little more trail to give the bike more of a planted feeling. Despite the stiffer chassis, Honda was able to save seven pounds overall from the year before. Other upgrades included solid-lubed pistons, a larger radiator, and new front brakes. As Motorcycle.com put it in their review, “All we can say is that with the 1998 CBR900RR, a little bit goes a long way. Congratulations Honda, but what took so long?”

This example is VIN: JH2SC33A7WM203692.

The odometer shows 13,373 kilometers (8,309 miles).

Maintenance:
This bike came to us from a collection in Japan – prior maintenance history is not known. In preparation for the listing, the seller had us clean/sync the carbs, change the engine oil/filter, flush the coolant, clean/adjust the chain, flush the front/rear brake fluid, replace the spark plugs, and install a new battery. We also replaced the tires, flushed the brakes, serviced the chain, send the tank out to be lined, and install Bridgestone Battlax SP21 tires with date codes of 2421 and 3821.

Modifications:
Lockhart Phillips windscreen.

Coerce carbon fiber rear hugger.

Tail tidy.

“Sugar Loaf Taichou” sticker.

Under-tail sticker.

Cosmetic Blemishes: please see the album up top for all known cosmetic blemishes. Here is a selection:

Inside of the tank:

The sale includes three keys.

Currently located at our facility in Santa Monica, California (please make an appointment for an inspection), this Honda is offered on a clean Oregon title. Have any CBR900RR stories or questions about this listing? Let us know in the “Comments” tab!