' Introduced in 1992, the CBR900RR FireBlade has come to dominate the litre-class Super Sports category with a heady combination of hard-charging engine performance and smooth, responsive handling, all in the remarkably compact weight and proportions of a 600cc-class machine. Originally introduced as a ‘no-holds-barred’ high-performance Super Sports machine meant to appeal to a relatively small segment of the motorcycle riding public, the FireBlade soon gained an astounding level of world-wide popularity, becoming a highly-regarded best seller that played a central part in reviving the 900cc Super Sports category.

One man with a vision for the future, first started his quest in 1989. Being disillusioned with the then, current crop of 'sports bikes' he set out to design a new breed, one which was light in weight, had the power to thrill and yet, which was easy to control by the rider.

Honda chiefs had originally wanted the bike to be a sports 750 and only became the bike we now know and love because of Baba's insistence in a big bore sports bike, Babasan won out and the term 'TOTAL CONTROL' was born. somewhere in the bike's early development the name FIREBLADE came along, through a misinterpreted translation from French to English for the Japanese word for lightening.

In March 1992 the bike that was to change the face of sports bikes forever was released on an unsuspecting public, The Honda FIREBLADE was here and was a name that was to become permanently etched on the mind's of motorcycle riders for years to come. Happily for Tadao Baba and Honda motorcycles the FireBlade was set to dominate not only the hearts of riders but also the sales charts for the next decade and then some.

The first 893cc Blade, sold like hot cakes, even at the list price of £7390, and demand soon out stripped supply, as riders could not believe just how fast, light weight, a class breaking 185kg and easy to ride this new bike was, but in the hands of riders more used to the heavy weight bikes of the time; like the Kawasaki ZX10, Suzuki GSX-R1100, and Honda's own CBR 1000F, this new FireBlade soon found itself with a fearsome reputation.'

This is a photograph of the print on the front of the t-shirt.

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