Read all About it !!!!
So, enter the 2002 FireBlade - the sixth model to bear the name - with a package of modificatons so comprehensive that it might justifiably be called a new bike. Most obvious is the revised styling, fronted by a far sharper and more aggressive fairing and headlight design than the previous blunted visage, although the bike still lacks the integrity of line that identifies machines such as Ducati's 998 and Yamaha's reshaped R1.
The four-cylinder engine is fitted with 1mm larger pistons, taking the capacity out by 25cc to 954cc, yet despite this the cylinders are spaced more closely and the pistons themselves are lighter: technology continues to advance. The fuel injection is uprated and with this and other changes, Honda has squeezed another 3bhp from the motor. More importantly, it has produced a substantial increase in mid-range power to back up the 148bhp maximum.
Detail changes to the frame and a new, massive aluminium-alloy swingarm have resulted in improved rigidity, with a total weight reduction of 4.4lb, giving the FireBlade a class-leading mass of 370lb - lighter than most 600s, too.
Whether you regard all this as impressive or plain intimidating (in keeping with the FireBlade's original concept), Honda's concentration on improving rider control means it's not quite as mad as it sounds. The overriding impression from the bike's press launch at the technical Estoril circuit in Portugal is one of controllability, which is just as well with a bike boasting a power-to-weight ratio approaching that of a Saturn V rocket. It is indeed fabulously quick - Honda doesn't specify a top speed figure but it's certainly around the 175mph mark, with the sort of low-gear acceleration a fighter pilot would recognise.
But the performance is unquestionably easier to use than it was on old 'Blades, particularly because of that medium-range torque boost. A circuit outing used to mean spinning the engine at or near its red line to make the most of the performance, but with the new version it's often a cannier move to change up early and use the torque to pull you through a corner. The throttle control becomes more forgiving, traction increases and the chances of inadvertently spinning the back tyre through a momentary twitch of the right hand are reduced.
As with the outgoing FireBlade there is still a question mark over the fuel injection, which is intolerant of hamfistedness below 3,000rpm, but otherwise the delivery has lost the difficult sharpness it once had and generally behaves extremely well; beyond 3,000rpm, it's flawless.
Satisfyingly - if you like this sort of thing - the chassis once again hints at the first FireBlade's wilder character. Power out of a corner (power is something you're never short of) and the front wheel eagerly heads skywards as the bars flap and shake from side to side, although it drops down again easily and wobble-free, ready to be flung into the next turn, where the bike leans with delightful speed and changes direction with enough force to squeeze you down on to the fuel tank, the beautifully damped suspension offering huge grip in combination with the Bridgestone tyres.
Taming the motor is a ferocious pair of four-piston Nissin brake calipers. If there is still an area where the bike's usability could be improved it's here, as the brake action isn't entirely linear. With the first squeeze of the lever the deceleration is immense and fierce - fine on a track but maybe a liability on a wet and greasy winter road - yet serious track-day riders will find the increase in retardation after this first pull doesn't continue at the same rate. Add more pressure to the lever and there's not as much more to come as you might expect. For road riders this is an irrelevance (as, indeed, is much of the FireBlade's performance) but like all of the current big sports bikes, it's still an enormously satisfying ride at normal, everyday speeds because of the sheer tactile pleasure that comes with such high-quality componentry.
So, the big question: is it better than an R1 or GSX-R1000? Without a stopwatch and side-by-side testing that's very difficult to say for sure. On the basis of seat-of-the pants feel, I have some doubt that the FireBlade could better the Suzuki in the hands of an experienced racer. But for the occasional track-day rider, and on the road, its outstandingly forgiving nature and ease of use will likely set the Honda in front.
It doesn't match the great leap forward of the original, and that shouldn't be expected, as it's still an incremental improvement, not a conceptual change. But it's right on the (very hot) pace, and in the hands of the majority of riders it will be setting that pace. The new FireBlade is a gorgeous bike that will continue to hit the highs in the sales charts. Just as it deserves.
2002 Honda FireBlade
Price/availability: ?9,045 on the road. On sale January.
Engine/transmission: 954cc, liquid-cooled, fuel-injected, transverse four-cylinder with four valves per cylinder; 148bhp at 11,250rpm, 77lb ft of torque at 9,500rpm. Six-speed gearbox, chain final drive.
Performance: (estimated) top speed 175mph, average fuel consumption n/a.
this from a "non" rider!! 
