The Honda CBR1100XX Super Blackbird was a part of CBR lineup which was produced from 1996 to 2007. Honda developed this bike to challenge the Kawasaki Ninja ZX-11 as it was the world’s fastest production bike at that time.
During the mid-90s, Honda wanted to produce a bike that could defeat the Kawasaki Ninja ZX11. The ZX11 was the world’s fastest production bike at that time with a top speed of 175 mph (281.6 km/h). Aside from Honda, the other Japanese manufacturers were also obsessing over manufacturing record-breaking bikes.
Honda’s answer to the Ninja ZX11 is the CBR1000XX Super Blackbird. The name “Blackbird” attributes to the world’s fastest production aircraft at that time, which was the Lockheed SR-71. In February 1997, Honda succeeded their mission with the Blackbird having a top speed of 178.5 mph (287.3 km/h). Later after two years, Suzuki Hayabusa took over the title with the top speed of 194 mph (312 km/h).
The Blackbird featured a smooth yet powerful 1137cc in-line four engine. The liquid-cooled in-line four engine was coupled with a six-speed gearbox and chain final drive. The bike was able to produce 162hp at 10,000rpm and 92lb-ft of peak torque at 7250rpm.
As for the chassis and suspension, the bike featured an alloy beam frame with 43mm telescopic forks with preload adjustment at the front. As for the rear, the Honda CBR1100XX Super Blackbird featured mono-shock adjustable for preload and rebound damping. With the wheelbase of 1490mm, ride height of 810mm and weighing only 223Kg, the bike was excellent for highspeed highway runs.
For the brakes, the Honda CBR1100XX Super Blackbird rolled out with Twin 310mm discs with three-piston callipers at the front and 256mm disc with a three-piston calliper at the rear. One of the widely praised performance features of the Blackbird is the linked-brake system which demonstrated engineering advancement from Honda.
On top of this, the bodywork of the Blackbird was out of ordinary, with streamlines and smooth curves to reduce as much air resistance as possible to slingshot the bike to 300kmph.
The first generation Honda CBR1100XX Super Blackbird came out with carburettor-engine which was later replaced with Honda’s fuel injection in 1999 for the second generation.
Additionally, for the second generation, ram-air ducts were a new feature. They were designed to force more air into the intake of the engine. This increased the power output of the Honda CBR1100XX Super Blackbird, making it the fastest generation.
Later in 2001, the Ultimate version rolled out of the production line. Due to higher emission regulations, a catalytic converter set-up was incorporated, sacrificing some of the insane top-end power.
The production of the Honda CBR1100XX Blackbird sadly ended in 2007. However, there are rumours that Honda is working on a newer Blackbird, so let’s see if the Blackbird makes a return.