Honda CBR 1000RR

Overview

Brand new bike had a new motor with titanium valves and forged pistons helping it make a claimed 175bhp. The chassis featured monoblock brakes and a new stubby, side-mounted exhaust.
• The 2008 Blade’s back torque limiter was the first slipper clutch to be used on a Honda production bike since the RC45.
 

 In 2008 Honda reinforces a long-standing legacy of creating breathtaking breakthroughs in the liter bike class. The all-new CBR1000RR establishes a higher standard for weight reduction and compact, centralized mass to produce the pinnacle of sportbike performance and rideability.

New for 2008

All-new 999cc inline four-cylinder engine.
Lightweight titanium intake valves.
New thinner high-strength pistons featuring molybdenum coating.
New removable cylinder block with Nikasil-coated cylinders.
Idle-Air Control Valve (IACV) and Ignition Interrupt Control for idle stability and smoother on/off throttle response.

Unique slipper clutch features cam mechanism to reduce clutch lever pull.
New low mount exhaust system design incorporates exhaust valve and catalyst.
New-generation Honda Electronic Steering Damper (HESD) (see Technology Section).
New lighter-weight front brake hoses with lighter front brake rotors.
New monoblock front brake calipers with chromium-plated aluminum pistons.
New lightweight aluminum sidestand.
New four-piece Hollow Fine Die-Cast Frame (see Technology Section).
New aluminum swingarm design.
New twin-tunnel ram-air induction.
New line-beam headlights.
New front turn signals integrated into mirrors.
New compact instrumentation.
New lighter-weight wheels.
New lightweight compact battery.
New improved ergonomics.
Iconic new Honda Wing tank badge.
Exciting new colors include Red/Black, Black/Metallic Silver, Pearl Yellow/Black, Candy Dark Red/Metallic Silver.
Black/Metallic Grey (2008 special color†).
Unique Features

Exclusive, MotoGP-derived Unit Pro-Link® Rear Suspension (see Technology Section).
Low Mount exhaust system design.

Specially designed slipper clutch.
Dual Stage Fuel Injection (DSFI) system features two injectors per cylinder (see Technology Section).
Centrally located fuel tank increases mass centralization and allows more compact frame design.
Line-beam headlights feature two-piece reflector design.
Engine/Drivetrain

Liquid-cooled DOHC 16-valve 999cc four-stroke inline four-cylinder engine features bore and stroke dimensions of 76mm x 55.1mm.
Sixteen-valve cylinder head features 30.5mm intake and 24mm exhaust valves with a 12.3:1 compression ratio for efficient combustion and high horsepower.

Larger titanium intake valves create a lighter valve train for higher rpm.
Intake valves feature double-spring design for optimum performance at high rpm.
Intake ports use new shot-peening technology that improves power and torque characteristics.
Cam-pulser location between the middle cylinders allows a narrower cylinder head and frame.
Direct shim-under-bucket valve actuation system ensures high-rpm durability and allows 16,000-mile valve maintenance intervals.
Forged-aluminum pistons with molybdenum coating for reduced friction.
Lightweight nutless connecting rods.
Iridium-tip spark plugs improve fuel combustion and performance.
Dual Stage Fuel Injection (DSFI) (see Technology Section).
46mm throttle bodies feature Denso injectors with lightweight valving for faster reaction time and 12 holes per injector to optimize mixture atomization, combustion efficiency and power.
Auto-enriching system is integrated into Programmed Fuel Injection (PGM-FI) module, eliminating the need for a manual choke.
New Idle-Air Control Valve (IACV) minimizes torque reaction and smoothes response to small throttle changes through gradual reductions of air and fuel intake when the throttle is opened and closed.
New Ignition Interrupt Control system works with IACV and FI mapping to enhance driveability.

Smaller and lighter ECU provides two 3-D fuel-injection maps for each cylinder and two 3-D ignition maps for cylinder pairs, creating ideal fuel-mixture and spark-advance settings for superb rideability.
MotoGP-derived twin ram-air system allows a high volume of cooler air to the 9.7-liter airbox for linear power delivery and incredible engine performance.
Butterfly valves inside the ram-air ducts open and close depending on throttle opening and engine rpm for optimum performance.
High-capacity radiator incorporates twin cooling fans and allows a more compact cowl for reduced drag coefficient.
Maintenance-free automatic cam-chain tensioner.
Starter gears located on the right side to produce narrow engine that allows for increased lean angle.
Unique slipper-clutch design uses a center-cam-assist mechanism for easier actuation. Unlike an ordinary slipper clutch where the pressure plate moves side to side, the Honda clutch moves both the center cam assist and the pressure plate to provide additional slipper effect.
Nine-plate clutch is compact and tough, featuring durable friction- plate material.
New extremely compact exhaust system incorporates a catalyzer and control valve in low mount design that reduces rear bodywork size and significantly improves mass centralization, reducing roll and yaw inertia.
Durable #530 O-ring - sealed drive chain.
SUSPENSION

Lightweight Hollow Fine Die-Cast twin-spar aluminum frame utilizes MotoGP technology (see Technology Section).
New aluminum subframe is lightweight and easily removed for ease of maintenance.
MotoGP-derived Honda Electronic Steering Damper (HESD) (see Technology Section).
43mm inverted aluminum-slider Honda Multi-Action System (HMAS) cartridge front fork features spring preload and rebound and compression damping adjustability, and offers precise action and unparalleled rigidity (see Technology Section).
Exclusive, MotoGP-derived Unit Pro-Link Rear Suspension (see Technology Section).
Front brake system features radial-mounted four-piston calipers and 320mm floating discs, and rear brake system uses a 220mm disc with a single-piston caliper for exceptional stopping power.
Front discs with 72 holes of four different diameters for lighter weight and improved feel.
Super-light aluminum-alloy hollow-spoke wheels feature race-spec 3.5 x 17-inch front and 6.0 x 17-inch rear dimensions.
Centrally mounted 4.7-gallon fuel tank is positioned low in the frame, increasing mass centralization and allowing a more compact design. This design positions the rider farther forward for optimum handling.
Additional Features

Handlebars are 6.5mm higher and 2mm forward for improved ergonomics.
High-capacity 400-watt AC generator.

High-tech instrument display features tachometer, plus LCD readouts for speedometer, coolant temperature, odometer, two tripmeters and a clock, mpg and average fuel consumption. A low-fuel LED light and shift-indicator light are located above the LCD.
Line-beam headlight features two-piece reflector design utilizing two H7 bulbs for optimum light distribution and unique compact design.

LED taillights for lighter weight and improved appearance.
Plastic tank shell cover protects tank and airbox.
Convenient ignition switch/fork lock for added security.
Folding aerodynamic mirrors.
Convenient push-to-cancel turn-signal switch.
New maintenance-free battery is 2.2 pounds lighter.

History

With the 2008 Honda CBR1000RR, the Fireblade has completed 15 years, and still continues to evolve and improve. The first FireBlade came out in 1992, and as the lore goes, the bike was an absolute revelation for its time. The earlier Honda CBR1000F weighed 235kg and had about 130bhp. The CBR900RR weighed only 185 kilos dry, and its 892cc inline-four made 124bhp at 10,500rpm. The tone was set for a lighter, sportier and better handling machine.

Created by Tadao Baba, then a ‘Large Project Leader’ at Honda, the first FireBlade followed his ‘Total Control’ ethos. Rather than just brute force, the first CBR900RR was designed to work as a cohesive whole, and it did. Compared with bikes like the Yamaha FZR1000 and YZF1000R, Kawasaki ZX-11 and ZX-9R, and Suzuki GSX-R750 and GSX-R1100, the FireBlade was lighter, sharper, often quicker, and definitely more responsive. The first FireBlade did the standing quarter-mile (400m) in 10.8 seconds, hit a top speed of about 245km/h, and right away made everything else look and feel old and ponderous.

Between 1996 and 2002, the FireBlade got various updates, with engine capacity going from 893cc to 918cc to 929cc and finally 954cc. Power went up from the original 128bhp to 155bhp, weight dropped from 185 kilos to 168kg, and top speed went from 245km/h to 270km/h. Over the years, the ’Blade also got bits like a USD front fork, 17-inch front wheel (in place of the 16-inch original, which apparently caused problems with high speed stability), new bodywork, and fuel-injection.

The 900-series FireBlade was discontinued after 2003, with Honda launching the CBR1000RR in 2004. But we’ll fast forward to 2008, when Honda again introduced the most radically redesigned Fireblade in years. The 2008 CBR1000RR looks completely different from its immediate predecessor, and while we still think the new styling looks awkWard from some angles, there is apparently substance below the skin.

The 2008 Fireblade’s all-new 999cc inline-four features dual-stage fuel-injection, controlled by an ECU that provides two separate fuel-injection and ignition maps for each of the engine’s four cylinders. The engine makes 178 horsepower at 12,000rpm – not too bad for a motorcycle that weighs 199 kilos. No wonder then that the current ’Blade’s top speed is in the region of 290km/h, and it’ll do the standing quarter-mile (400m) in just 10.2 seconds.

As you’d expect, the 2008 Fireblade has all the correct bits and pieces – slipper clutch, close-ratio six-speed gearbox, twin-spar aluminum chassis, aluminum-alloy hollow-spoke wheels, monobloc radial-mount four-piston front brake calipers, 43mm USD front fork, Unit Pro-Link rear suspension, and Honda’s latest HESD electronic steering damper.

The engine has titanium intake valves, the pistons get molybdenum coating and the cylinders are Nikasil-coated. The stubby little exhaust is tucked down low, MotoGP-style, and signals the end of the underseat exhaust era.

The one on the left looks completely over the top, the 2008 model is more subdued

Compare the 1992 original with the 2008 Fireblade, and you have to admit that the current model isn’t nearly as radical, as pathbreaking as the first CBR900RR was in its time. The new bike has an engine that 100cc larger and 54bhp more powerful. It’s also packed with cutting-edge electronics and the suspension and brakes are in a different league altogether.

On the other hand, the new Fireblade is also about 15kg heavier than the 1992 CBR900RR, and while hugely competent, it didn’t make everything else look completely outdated when it was launched. So, we’d say that in terms of being radical and breaking new ground in sportsbike tech, the 1992 FireBlade probably has the latest one beaten by some margin. Now, Honda, next year how about an 800cc V4-powered 200bhp Fireblade, that weighs 170kg and doe 320km/h…

Source Faster & Faster