I'm still learning more and more about my 954... But I was wondering what kinda reputation does the 954rr have compared to the rest of the world of sportsbike? What is it's pedigree? What is it's place among other bikes, or even just Honda's? Opinion's welcome... What do you think?

 

its a unique bike. people say its the last "real" fireblade.


but after that, it makes about the same hp as a gixxer 750. and thats about it. they're odd - honda was running the rc51 as a racebike, so there wasnt as much emphasis on capacity (hence 929cc, then 954cc as opposed to 1000cc), or max hp. they handle great, and they're really comfy.

sportrider said it was a 600 with the ***** of a 1000

i like the stressed member design. i think they're easier to work on as far as motor work. 5 bolts and you can take the frame off to access the motor.


they're light and small. the '04 1000rr was huge and heavy compared.

 

And the trunk is pretty cool too! Have you seen the trunk on a 1000rr? It hasn't either. There is something to be said for not having to use a backpack for anything more than your registration.

The design is a lot sleeker than the 900, but not as wirey as a 1000rr or 600rr.

 

that is true! those undertail exhaust required a lot of heat shielding - and then there's the actual exhaust.



i took a weekend trip without a backpack one time. i used travel sized toilet-trees - but i had enough room for an extra pair of shorts and a t-shirt and sandals.


it's also nice being able to make a subway run without need a backpack too.



and don't forget, some bikes don't have trunks. f3's and f2's don't have trunks at all. not even for registration. THAT sucks...

 

What's a trunk?!?

 

954 was actually pretty successful in 2002-03 in AMA Formula extreme. Those bikes were putting down serious HP numbers and always finished in top 3. At the hands of Jake Zemke, Kurtis Roberts and the like.

 

The 954 (02-03) was the last Fireblade generation designed by the original father of the Fireblade, Tadeo Baba. This makes it special, in my opinion, because Mr. Baba was the man who basically created the first sportbike that emphasised handling instead of just straight line speed......because of his ingenuity and vision, the whole world of sportbikes changed. They got WAY lighter, they had great brakes, and they handled like they were on rails. All of the other Japanese manufacturers jumped on the band wagon and followed his lead to create their own versions.

As far as the power is concerned......its true that the max hp numbers on the 954 are about equal to the newest generation of GSXR-750 (130 hp to the rear wheel on average) but the torque on the 954 is a lot higher. The midrange on the 954 is also very strong. The 60-80 mph top gear roll on matches the newest litre bikes at 2.7 seconds......a 130 hp bike matching the top gear roll on of 180 hp bikes? Impressive, I'd say.

 

I can vouch for this. Did a roll on with my buddy on his 05 ZX10 about a week ago. from 50 mph - 110 mph we were exactly side by side. 110+ he started to edge me.

 

Mine holds a special place in my heart and my Garage! Does that count?

 

As maverick said it was Tadeo Baba's last one, and he still owns one in Japan now. The midrange is bloody strong and it is lighter than the 02 CBR600 and the new FireBlade. They only made them for 2yrs and people are becoming aware of these facts now, worth hanging on to if you've got one, they're a bit of a rarity and I reckon they'll be a classic one day soon. I'm in love with mine