[Webike Featured Model] Lightweight Motorcycles: The Appeal of the CBR954RR

Motorcycle

A remarkable achievement that overcomes all the challenges posed by the CBR900RR!

In the 1980s, Honda's fastest 750cc was the V4 engine that took the world by storm.
The traditional straight-4 engine, known as the CBR, was in charge of the sport-touring genre, but permission was granted to compete with the V4, and although the company aimed to create the CBR750RR (pseudonym), which would win the Suzuka 8 Hours endurance race, the overall strategy was not to bring it to market.

On the other hand, however, liter-class flagships are becoming larger as they become hyper and are given sufficient body rigidity to withstand them, resulting in a lineup of monsters that are beyond the rider's control.
So, believing that a supersport motorcycle was needed that would allow riders to enjoy the "joy of controlling" a large bike in everyday situations, the inline-4 development team, led by a riding expert, restarted the stalled inline-4 model. They came up with a new concept of a compact and lightweight motorcycle comparable to a 600cc class bike with a weight of less than 750cc, and released the CBR900RR in 1992.
The world was astonished and delighted by the overwhelming ease of handling and rider-satisfying character of this motorcycle, and it was so beloved that it was nicknamed the FireBlade, rather than the 900 in its name, which included its displacement.

Of course, rivals followed suit. Kawasaki, unable to remain silent at the mention of a 900 cc model, introduced the ZX-9R, and Yamaha followed with the 1,000 cc YZF-R1.
In terms of engine power, the first generation CBR900RR was 893 cc with 124 PS, and the second generation was 918.5 cc with 128 PS. As the name suggests, it had a displacement of 929 cc and 150 PS, and had acquired a potential that could not be overtaken by the liter-class machines.
The CBR954RR was released in 2002 to clearly win this competition.

The 954cc engine with a bore x stroke of 75mm x 54mm has been boosted to 152 PS at 11,250 rpm, and the use of PGM-FI (electronically controlled fuel injection system) has resulted in an agile response and wide range of characteristics. The chassis was the same as that used in the 929RR.
The chassis, which was pivotless as in the 929RR, was further simplified based on the know-how gained through practical application, and the weight, which had increased in proportion to the rigidity of the pivot area, was reduced.

The domestic version was detuned to the fullest extent with 91 PS at 10,500 rpm, and its speed on public roads was well known due to its enhanced characteristics in the low to mid-range.
However, when the displacement setting for Superbike races was changed to the full 1,000 cc scale, the positioning required changed, and the lightweight and compact concept that began with the CBR900RR was finally replaced by the 954RR, and from 2004, the CBR1000RR, a fully full-scale design, took over the mantle. In 2004, the baton was passed on to the CBR1000RR, which was designed to be completely full-scale.

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