And the best thing about the iconic bike is that the ride's been tirelessly improved upon since its introduction: as well as trimming weight off the chassis, the brains at Honda have also managed to add in electronically-controlled ABS – and conoisseurs will know that's no mean feat for a bike in this class. Priced at £11,999, its heart is a liquid-cooled, four-cylinder engine which packs in a whopping 200bhp.
Regrettably, Honda has withdrawn from the 2014 MCE British Superbike Championship, but you can still watch the magnificent beast in action this year – it's performing at plenty of other events during the racing season.
John McGuinness and Conor Cummins will be racing aboard the bike at the Isle of Man TT (May 24-June 6), the North West 200 (May 10-17) and the Ulster Grand Prix (August 11-16). Freddy Foray, Sebastian Gimbert and Julian Da Costa, meanwhile, will be using it as they compete for the Endurance World Championship. The two French 24-Hour races will again frame the season, with the Bol d’Or raising the curtain (April 26-27) and the Le Mans 24 Hours closing the competition (September 20-21).
For more information, go to honda.co.uk. The Fireblade is stocked in the UK by Kestrel Honda.
