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Our CBR900RR 954 Honda FireBlade

...used for testing everything we supply to you

Fast Bikes journalist and racer, Al Fagan, tested our 954 in the August 2007 issue on sale now and said "arguably the best FireBlade I have ever ridden...this is how a 'Blade should be."

Download the PDF and read the full article now.

At HPS most of our customers are Sportsbike Owning, Track-Day Focused, Adventure-Touring Riders. And, because we need to be sure we are always giving the best advice about the solutions for your needs, we test as many of the key products we supply as we can.

Download a PDF of the article

This testing takes several forms, but there's no real substitute for getting on and using stuff - so that's what we do - using a variety of our own bikes - on the road, on race circuits and at the Nürburgring too.

One of the bikes used for this is an '02 Honda CBR900RR 954 FireBlade, which has almost all of the parts we import or retail, fitted to it.

This bike's not just a track-focussed tool though, but a true user-friendly, multi-purpose mount which is just as happy being used as a track day instructor's mount at Donington Park, while also still being comfortable when used for week's 1,700 mile round trip into Europe visiting some of our primary suppliers - and at the same time testing suspension and braking components on the Nürburgring Nordschleife.

The inspiration for this came from us asking ourselves how could we create a bike, which combines the favourable attributes of two of arguably the best bikes ever produced at opposing ends of the motorcycling spectrum. We wanted to combine the lightness, flickability and excellent feel on the brakes of a Honda NSR250R and at the same time incorporate the comfort, practicality and relaxed feel of a VFR750F.

The 2002 CBR900RR 954 was chosen as the basis for this as it was the lightest of the litre class fours when it came out, and is a fair bit lighter (11kg) than the first 1,000cc Blade, making it easy to manhandle and manoeuvre.

The 954 is by no means a bad bike out of the box but it has a fairly crude fuel-injection system compared to the latest bikes with dual throttle butterflies and one of the main objectives was to eliminate the snatchiness some fuel injected bikes have when coming back on the gas from a closed throttle - which can really spoil how a bike rides on, for example mountainside hairpin-bends where throttle adjustability is so important. After over 100 dyno runs throughout its development we think we got it about as good as any bike with this type of fuel injection can be.

It's not just about power, although we have got some…
The winner of many magazine group sportsbike tests - based on its all-round abilities - and subsequent recommended used bike articles, we've continued with the 954 as it highlights our belief that you can take a good all-round bike and continually improve it further, without just following blind alley of 'power at the cost of all else'.

The common thread to the changes we've made to our 954 is that they had to improve its functionality or usability without adding complication and with full reversibility - where appropriate. But, in addition, virtually all of the parts fitted, or modifications made, we have made sure could be done by the average user.

We were happy with 148 rear wheel horsepower its engine was making after the few small mods of disabled Airbox flapper valve, Akrapovic full exhaust system, Factory Velocity Stacks, Power Commander III USB, combined with lots of dyno runs, but after a gearbox fault developed - meaning a strip down was required - the engine was blueprinted and gas flowed by 2KTT and is now making a respectable 159.7 rear-wheel BHP.

Underseat exhausts – or underseat storage?
After having seen so many riders stranded at track days or at the roadside miles from home for the want of a simple part - such as a levers or a footpeg after a small off - we tend to carry all sorts of spares and tools in the bike. This goes back to being taught to give a full service to the unreliable road bikes of our teens at the roadside when miles from home – using only the tools we carried with us – as a way of ensuring we could pretty much cope with most breakdowns. You don’t want to carry all this stuff in your luggage, though, as it’s quite heavy so decent size underseat storage space is needed which is another reason why we’ve been less tempted to buy a newer bike with underseat exhausts.

Parts/Modifications

Abus Granit City Compact Thatcham-Approved Security Chain (easily fits under pillion seat) (1)

If you want to find you bike where you left it nowadays – you need to chain it to something solid. But the security you gain from this is only as strong as the weakest link – so don’t be fooled into thinking a cheap chain will do the job. The ABUS City chain offers, in our opinion, just about the perfect combination of strength (ABUS maximum level 15 strength & Thatcham approved) and portability as the fabric cover allow is to be easily coiled up under the seat of many bikes.

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