The Honda CBR900RR , or FireBlade in some countries, is a 900 cc (55 cu in) sport bike , part of the CBR series introduced in 1992 by Honda . It was the first of a series of large-displacement Honda models to carry the RR suffix. The development of the first generation CBR900RR was led by Tadao Baba .
62-496: The first generation CBR900RR was introduced in 1992 with an 893 cc (54.5 cu in) inline-four engine . It set a precedent for lightweight in the superbike class, being much lighter than other large-displacement bikes of the time. The CBR900RR was based on an advanced research stage model known within Honda as the "CBR750RR". With the objective of equaling the acceleration of competitors’ flagship sport bikes, Honda increased
124-435: A V4 engine or a flat-four engine , a straight-four engine only has one cylinder head , which reduces complexity and production cost. Petrol straight-four engines used in modern production cars typically have a displacement of 1.3–2.5 L (79–153 cu in), but larger engines have been used in the past, for example the 1927–1931 Bentley 4½ Litre . Diesel engines have been produced in larger displacements, such as
186-400: A secondary imbalance . This is caused by the acceleration/deceleration of the pistons during the top half of the crankshaft rotation being greater than that of the pistons in the bottom half of the crankshaft rotation (because the connecting rods are not infinitely long). As a result, two pistons are always accelerating faster in one direction, while the other two are accelerating more slowly in
248-477: A slant-four . Between 2005 and 2008, the proportion of new vehicles sold in the United States with four-cylinder engines rose from 30% to 47%. By the 2020 model year, the share for light-duty vehicles had risen to 59%. A four-stroke straight-four engine always has a cylinder on its power stroke, unlike engines with fewer cylinders where there is no power stroke occurring at certain times. Compared with
310-631: A 3.2 L turbocharged Mitsubishi engine (used the Pajero/Shogun/Montero SUV) and a 3.0 L Toyota engine. European and Asian trucks with a gross vehicle weight rating between 7.5 and 18 tonnes typically use inline four-cylinder diesel engines with displacements around 5 litres. Larger displacements are found in locomotive, marine and stationary engines. Displacement can also be very small, as found in kei cars sold in Japan. Several of these engines had four cylinders at
372-543: A 600 cc (36.6 cu in) inline-four engine made by Honda based on the CBR600RR with a maximum power output of 110 kW (150 hp). Starting in 2019 , the engines were replaced by a Triumph 765 cc (46.7 cu in) triple engine . Inline-four engines are also used in light duty commercial vehicles such as Karsan Jest and Mercedes-Benz Sprinter . John McGuinness (motorcycle racer) John Warren McGuinness MBE (16 April 1972 )
434-715: A TT rider, but had not sufficiently recovered to compete, and in April announced that a setback had prevented any competitive riding. He was able to complete a Parade lap of the TT circuit on a Norton SG4 during the June 2018 event, but returned in August to win the 2018 Classic TT on the 500 cc Paton. In May/June 2019 McGuinness returned to the TT races, riding a large capacity Norton without success, but again renewed his association with smaller-capacity Hondas, finishing in places 15 and 17 in
496-536: A battered McGuinness who suffered a motocross accident weeks before the start of the Road Racing season, injuring his right wrist badly, and also suffered liver and other minor injuries. John struggled at his first international road racing meeting of the year the North West 200 and also posted disappointing results at the 2014 Isle of Man TT . On 4 June, John and Padgetts Racing announced he had withdrawn from
558-600: A displacement of 1.5–2.5 L (92–153 cu in). The smallest automotive straight-four engine was used in the 1963–1967 Honda T360 kei truck and has a displacement of 356 cc (21.7 cu in), while the largest mass-produced straight-four car engine is the 1999–2019 Mitsubishi 4M41 diesel engine which was used in the Mitsubishi Pajero and has a displacement of 3.2 L (195 cu in). Significant straight-four car engines include: Many early racing cars used straight-four engines, however
620-486: A larger radiator and a new exhaust header in stainless steel. The fifth-generation CBR900RR, or CBR929RR in North America, was introduced in 2000. It has a completely new 929 cc (56.7 cu in) engine, more oversquare with lighter internals. The engine also featured fuel injection and larger valves set at a narrower angle. A new all-titanium exhaust system equipped with HTEV was incorporated. The swingarm
682-474: A more powerful ECU were added. The restyled bodywork and fairings gave a sleeker look. The frame as well as the swingarm were strengthened, and the footpegs raised to allow for greater lean angles. Front disc size increased to 330 mm. Dry weight was reduced to 168 kg (370 lb) and the wet weight to 195 kg (430 lb). Power at the rear wheel is 135.8 hp (101.3 kW) and 70.9 lb⋅ft (96.1 N⋅m) torque. John McGuinness won
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#1732793605556744-733: A racing lap) and then blitzed the course in 17:29.26, 10.69 seconds faster than his opening lap and at an average speed of 129.451 mph. TT 2007 was also a great year with McGuinness taking wins in the Superbike TT and the Senior TT with lap and race records in both, the Senior lap record of 17:21.99 averaging 130.354 mph not only the outright lap record but the first to break the 130 mph barrier. The 2008 Isle of Man TT saw McGuinness struggle with reliability problems with his bikes, but did manage to pick up his 14th career win on
806-451: A setback that prevented any competitive riding. He was able to complete a Parade lap of the TT circuit on a Norton SG4 during the June 2018 event, but returned in August to win the 2018 Classic TT on the 500 cc Paton. In May/June 2019, McGuinness made a return to the TT races, riding Nortons in both Junior and large capacity races without success, but again renewed his association with Padgetts Hondas finishing in places 15 and 17 for
868-563: A spanner to regularly adjust the cage, creating a 1 millimetre gap across which the new bone growth occurs. In July 2017, Honda Racing, a British business based in Louth , Lincolnshire which provided the new model Honda Fireblade under early development, confirmed the accident was caused by an electronics fault in the special race-kit when the engine unexpectedly accelerated. During an interview in late August 2017, McGuinness confirmed his treatment would be ongoing until early 2018, and that he
930-634: A stiffer frame more like the original, offset on the triple clamp reduced by 5 mm (0.2 in). It received a redesigned fairing, a new dual-reflector headlight design, new windscreen, mirrors, and rear cowl. The brakes got larger rotors on the front and new calipers and ergonomics were revised with raised footpegs. The engine got revised with 80 percent new internals in an effort to reduce friction and weight. Cylinders bore got an aluminum composites treatment and new pistons. A new instrument cluster includes an LCD tachometer and speedometer, and LCD readouts for temperature, odometer and two tripmeters. It also got
992-406: A straight-four layout (with the exceptions of the flat-four engines produced by Subaru and Porsche) and the layout is also very common in motorcycles and other machinery. Therefore the term "four-cylinder engine" is usually synonymous with straight-four engines. When a straight-four engine is installed at an inclined angle (instead of with the cylinders oriented vertically), it is sometimes called
1054-401: A time when regulations dictated a maximum displacement of 550 cc; the maximum size is currently at 660 cc. Straight-four engines with the preferred crankshaft configuration have perfect primary balance . This is because the pistons are moving in pairs, and one pair of pistons is always moving up at the same time as the other pair is moving down. However, straight-four engines have
1116-501: Is an English motorcycle road racer, best known as a specialist at the Isle of Man TT , where he has won 23 races and sits 3rd in the all-time win list behind Michael Dunlop and Joey Dunlop . He and Mike Hailwood hold the record for the most Senior TT wins: 7. Until early 2017 he had a long association with Honda machines , having factory support in road races like the Isle of Man TT,
1178-549: Is mounted to the engine with bracing under the engine. Larger front disk rotors 330 mm mounted were also fitted and the wheel diameter was increased from 16 inches to 17 inches. The new front fork now used upside-down construction. The sixth generation CBR900RR, or CBR954RR in North America and Japan, was introduced in 2002. The cylinder bore was enlarged from 74 to 75 mm (2.9 to 3.0 in), increasing capacity to 954 cc (58.2 cu in). Larger fuel injectors, larger radiator, re-mapped electronic fuel injection, and
1240-517: Is particularly beneficial in the higher rpm range, and " big-bang firing order " theory says the irregular delivery of torque to the rear tire makes sliding in the corners at racing speeds easier to control. Inline-four engines are also used in MotoGP by the Suzuki (since 2015 ) and Yamaha (since 2002 ) teams. In 2010 , when the four-stroke Moto2 class was introduced, the engines for the class were
1302-549: The Macau Grand Prix in 2001 riding a CBR954RR. The CBR900RR was replaced by the CBR1000RR in 2004. All specifications are manufacturer claimed unless specified. Inline-four engine A straight-four engine (also referred to as an inline-four engine ) is a four-cylinder piston engine where cylinders are arranged in a line along a common crankshaft. The majority of automotive four-cylinder engines use
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#17327936055561364-470: The Maserati 4CL and various English Racing Automobiles (ERA) models. These were resurrected after the war, and formed the foundation of what was later to become Formula One , although the straight-eight supercharged Alfettas would dominate the early years of F1. Another engine that played an important role in racing history is the straight-four Ferrari engine designed by Aurelio Lampredi . This engine
1426-540: The North West 200 and Isle of Man TT events, also he is confirmed with Padgetts Motorcycles (Padgetts Grand Prix). Entered in the British superstock championship alongside new team mate's Glen Richards and Ian Hutchinson (road racing events). At the 2010 North West 200 meeting, McGuinness took his fifth win around the 8.9-mile circuit when he took victory in the Superbike race and he followed this up with third in
1488-542: The North West 200 and the Macau Grand Prix , and also on the short tracks in the British Superstock and Supersport series. In May 2017 McGuinness suffered serious injuries during practice for a race in Northern Ireland, ending his race participation for the remainder of the season. The accident occurred shortly after the release of his book. In January 2018 he announced his intended return as
1550-618: The TT Zero class. The involvement of McGuinness, together with that of Mugen was seen as a clear indication of the rising profile of a class of racing still in its infancy. Riding the Mugen Motorsports experimental machine, McGuinness recorded a second place behind Michael Rutter on the MotoCzysz . 2013 again saw the same race result, with McGuinness second to winner Rutter, both riding similar machines to previously. 2014,
1612-503: The Yamaha FZR1000 , was heavier by 34 kg (76 lb). Changes for the 1994 model comprise a new shift-drum to improve notchy gear shifts. The second-generation CBR900RR, which debuted in 1995, incorporated changes in damping rates and spring rates. The front fork was upgraded with a compression adjuster. The upper cowl stay went from steel to aluminum, and the cylinder head cover went from aluminum to magnesium. The styling of
1674-533: The 1920s and early 1930s. The Miller engine evolved into the Offenhauser engine which had a highly successful spanning from the 1933 until 1981, including five straight victories at the Indianapolis 500 from 1971 to 1976. Many cars produced for the pre-WWII voiturette Grand Prix motor racing category used inline-four engine designs. 1.5 L supercharged engines found their way into cars such as
1736-441: The 1970s. Since then, the inline-four has become one of the most common engine configurations in street bikes. Outside of the cruiser category, the inline-four is the most common configuration because of its relatively high performance-to-cost ratio. All major Japanese motorcycle manufacturers offer motorcycles with inline-four engines, as do MV Agusta and BMW . BMW's earlier inline-four motorcycles were mounted horizontally along
1798-469: The 2.4 litre Citroën DS engine, the 2.6 litre Austin-Healey 100 engine, the 3.3 L Ford Model A (1927) engine and the 2.5 L GM Iron Duke engine . Soviet/Russian GAZ Volga and UAZ engines with displacements of up to 2.9 litres were produced without balance shafts from the 1950s to the 1990s, however these were relatively low-revving engines which reduces the need for a balance shaft system. Most modern straight-four engines used in cars have
1860-459: The 2012 TT. During the practice week, times were close between the various favoured entrants, but McGuinness topped the practice leader board in the Superbike class. Initially lying second behind Cameron Donald by 2/10ths of a second at the end of the opening lap in the Superbike race, McGuinness brought all his experience to bear over the second lap to lead the race by 2.16 seconds following
1922-515: The Padgett's Honda Fireblade , McGuinness rode what was widely regarded as an imperious performance to clinch his initial win in the class, and to raise his overall tally to 19 wins. McGuinness then recorded a respectable 4th place in the first Supersport race, which he then followed up with 5th place in the second race in the Supersport class. In 2013, McGuinness won the 6-lap Senior TT,
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1984-515: The Peugeot engine which won the 1913 Indianapolis 500 was a highly influential engine. Designed by Ernest Henry , this engine had double overhead camshafts (DOHC) with four valves per cylinder, a layout that would become the standard until today for racing inline-four engines. Amongst the engines inspired by the Peugeot design was the Miller engine , which was a successful racing engine through
2046-594: The United States, Nimbus in Denmark, Windhoff in Germany, and Wilkinson in the United Kingdom. The first across-the-frame 4-cylinder motorcycle was the 1939 racer Gilera 500 Rondine , it also had double-over-head camshafts, forced-inducting supercharger and was liquid-cooled . Modern inline-four motorcycle engines first became popular with Honda 's SOHC CB750 introduced in 1969, and others followed in
2108-517: The bike also became more aggressive: The independent dual lights became irregular-shaped multi-reflector lights known as "fox eyes" set further back and covered to improve aerodynamics, and the bike had fewer of the RR's unique fairing "speed" holes. The footpegs were firmer and slimmer like that of the RC45 and the reversed pedal on the original was replaced with a shift linkage. Instead of measuring speed from
2170-496: The feature race behind Alastair Seeley and Stuart Easton . He also took fifth and sixth in the two Supersport races and ninth in the Superstock. John McGuinness secured his 16th TT success by winning the six-lap Superbike TT in perfect conditions. The Honda rider from England came home 56 seconds ahead of runner-up Cameron Donald , with Gary Johnson third. Keith Amor, Ballymoney's Michael Dunlop and Dan Stewart completed
2232-524: The final race of the event. It was his sixth victory in the Senior TT, one short of the record of seven victories held by Mike Hailwood . He also set the outright one lap record for the Mountain Course , 131.671 mph, in the final lap of the Superbike race in which he finished third during a week dominated by Ulsterman Michael Dunlop 's four wins, reminiscent of Ian Hutchinson 's five wins of 2010. 2012 also saw McGuinness make his debut in
2294-471: The frame, but all current four-cylinder BMW motorcycles have transverse engines . The modern Triumph company has offered inline-four-powered motorcycles, though they were discontinued in favour of triples . The 2009 Yamaha R1 has an inline-four engine that does not fire at even intervals of 180°. Instead, it uses a crossplane crankshaft that prevents the pistons from simultaneously reaching top dead centre. This results in better secondary balance , which
2356-583: The front wheel, the speed is measured from the countershaft sprocket with an electronic speedometer. 1996 brought major changes to the CBR900RR with the third generation CBR900RR. To optimize rigidity Honda revised the suspension and chassis. Larger thinner-walled extrusions for more torsional rigidity were used in the swingarm and frame, revised shock and fork internals, and 5 mm (0.2 in) raised swingarm pivot. The handlebars were raised by 10 mm (0.4 in) and swept back by five degrees to improve
2418-458: The island, in the Senior TT . This win moved him alongside Mike Hailwood as the joint second-placed rider with most wins. McGuinness surpassed Hailwood's mark during the rain-delayed opening race of the 2009 Isle of Man TT on 8 June 2009. After Cameron Donald unofficially lapped the course at over 131 mph during practice, McGuinness broke the outright lap record by 0.7 seconds, taking
2480-473: The lap record to 17:21.29 or 130.442 mph. McGuinness held off team-mate Steve Plater by 18.11 seconds to record victory number fifteen. That was his only win and podium of the week; however, he did finish the week with a new outright lap record, and the fastest lap ever recorded with a 17:12.30 or 131.578 mph lap on the second lap of the Senior TT. A broken chain cost him a runaway victory, as Plater took his second career TT win. He has also finished on
2542-567: The large 2,495 cc FPF that won the Formula One championship in Cooper 's chassis in 1959 and 1960. In Formula One, the 1980s were dominated by the 1,500 cc turbocharged cars. The BMW M12/13 engine was notable for the era for its high boost pressures and performance. The cast iron block was based on a standard road car block and powered the F1 cars of Brabham, Arrows and Benetton and won
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2604-615: The lead again and then Anstey retired his Padgetts Honda at Quarry Bends. Morecambe -man McGuinness led Martin by 19 seconds after lap three and lap four. He then went on to finish 5th in the Supersport TT Race 1 and scored 2nd places in both the Supersport TT Race 2 and Superstock TT Race before claiming his 17th TT win in the Senior TT John McGuinness was again representing the Honda spear-head at
2666-420: The other direction, which leads to a secondary dynamic imbalance that causes an up-and-down vibration at twice crankshaft speed. This imbalance is common among all piston engines, but the effect is particularly strong on four-stroke inline-four because of the two pistons always moving together. The strength of this imbalance is determined by the reciprocating mass, the ratio of connecting rod length to stroke, and
2728-611: The other three in the 500 cc class, between 1997 and 2000 with a best result of 12th. Last updated in June 2024 McGuinness and wife Becky have two children. They have been together since John was 16. Living in Morecambe, he was given the Freedom of the Town in 2007. His first book, an autobiography entitled Built for Speed , was released in May 2017. In July 2017 McGuinness
2790-555: The outright lap record four times during the festival. This all started in the TT Superbike race on 3 June, recording 17:42.53 from a standing start, then 17:41.71 on the second lap. His record lap stood at 127.933 mph to take in the 37.73 miles of the Mountain course , before another record-breaking performance in the Senior TT race on 9 June. John set a time of 17:39.95 from a standing start (already 1.76 seconds faster than
2852-405: The peak piston velocity. Therefore, small displacement engines with light pistons show little effect, and racing engines use long connecting rods. However, the effect grows quadratically with engine speed (rpm). Four-stroke engines with five or more cylinders are able to have at least one cylinder performing its power stroke at any given point in time. However, four-cylinder engines have gaps in
2914-450: The pit stop at the end of lap two. By the end of the third lap, the lead had increased to 6.30 seconds. McGuinness continued his commanding performance throughout the remainder of the race, to clinch victory by 14.86 seconds by the end of the six laps. John was congratulated on his Superbike triumph by his close friend, Mark Webber . The Superstock TT had been until 2012, one of the few classes which had eluded McGuinness. However, aboard
2976-551: The podium at the Macau Grand Prix . McGuinness also contested the British Superstock championship, taking victory at Croft after his team-mate Steve Brogan and champion Alastair Seeley tangled in the final corner. This was his first short-circuit race win since 2001 in the British Supersport series, which he finished in third place overall. McGuinness was confirmed as part of the HM Plant Honda team for
3038-399: The power delivery, since each cylinder completes its power stroke before the next piston starts a new power stroke. This pulsating delivery of power results in more vibrations than engines with more than four cylinders. A balance shaft system is sometimes used to reduce the vibrations created by a straight-four engine, most often in engines with larger displacements. The balance shaft system
3100-437: The riding position. A 1 mm (0.04 in) bore increase raised the engine displacement to 919 cc (56.1 cu in). Other revisions included a smaller alternator , the addition of a throttle position sensor, extra clutch plates, and a larger exhaust. The only changes for the 1997 model were graphics and colour options. In 1998, Honda continued subtle refinements in the fourth generation CBR900RR's chassis. It got
3162-612: The second Supersport race, but still raced the TT Zero class, and won it with an enormous lap record, 117.366 MP/H, beating the current Sidecar lap record, and came only 1.8 seconds shy to the current Lightweight 650cc Supertwin one lap record. Portugal In May 2017 McGuinness suffered serious injuries during practice for the Superbike race at the North West 200 event in Northern Ireland, causing broken vertebrae, ribs and compound fractures to his right lower leg bones, requiring surgeons to remove 50 mm (2.0 in) and needing an external fixator cage to 'grow' new bone. McGuinness used
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#17327936055563224-457: The start, due to anxiety. His first experience of motorcycle road racing was in 1982, at age 10, with his father, who was competing in the Jurby races, in the Isle of Man. His father owned a motorcycle repair shop but advised John to train as a bricklayer . Graduating in 1990, the resultant recession forced him into cockle fishing with his future father-in-law. McGuinness’ first race on tarmac
3286-481: The stroke of its inline 4-cylinder 750 cc engine and thus raised displacement to 893cc. Complementing its power performance was the bike's dry weight of just 185 kg, wheelbase of 1,405 mm, and a body almost identical to that of the advanced research stage model. At 205 kg (453 lb) wet weight, it was by just 1.8 kg (4 lb) heavier than the CBR600F2 , while the next-lightest over-750cc machine,
3348-473: The top six leaderboard in the TT opener. New Zealander Bruce Anstey led for part of the race but retired on lap three after setting the fastest lap of the race at 131.05 mph. At the end of lap one McGuinness led by 0.5 seconds from Anstey, with Johnson third and Guy Martin fourth. Anstey assumed the lead after the second circuit, thanks to his lap at over 131 mph, with Martin up to third and Johnson fourth. A quick pitstop by McGuinness saw him move into
3410-681: The two Supersport 600 races, and second place in the TT Zero electric race with a Honda/Mugen. In August, he won the Classic TT on a Paton. After the cancellation of the 2020 and 2021 events due to the COVID-19 pandemic , McGuinness next competed at the TT in 2022. He made his 100th TT start in the Superbike race, finishing 5th. McGuinness entered four rounds of the MotoGP World Championship, one in 250 cc class and
3472-598: The two Supersport 600 races, second place in the TT Zero electric race, and another win in August's Classic TT, part of the Manx Grand Prix race weeks. In 2013, a left-hand bend on the Snaefell Mountain Course used for the TT races before the top of Barregarrow on the main A3 road was named McGuinness's in recognition of his wins, together with Dave Molyneux who was similarly honoured. He
3534-484: The world championship in 1983. The 1986 version of the engine was said to produce about 1,300 hp (969 kW) in qualifying trim. Belgian arms manufacturer FN Herstal , which had been making motorcycles since 1901, began producing the first motorcycles with inline-fours in 1905. The FN Four had its engine mounted upright with the crankshaft longitudinal . Other manufacturers that used this layout included Pierce , Henderson , Ace , Cleveland , and Indian in
3596-476: Was a club road race at Aintree in 1990, at age 18. He finished in last position. McGuinness’ first Isle of Man TT race was in 1996 on a Honda RS250R , finishing 15th. He took his first win in the Lightweight 250cc race three years later, the year he also became British 250 Champion. TT 2006 proved to be the best ever for McGuinness. He won three races (Senior, Superbike and Supersport) and he lowered
3658-437: Was invented in 1911 and consists of two shafts carrying identical eccentric weights that rotate in opposite directions at twice the crankshaft's speed. This system was patented by Mitsubishi Motors in the 1970s and has since been used under licence by several other companies. Not all large displacement straight-four engines have used balance shafts, however. Examples of relatively large engines without balance shafts include
3720-570: Was originally designed as a 2 L Formula 2 engine for the Ferrari 500, but evolved to 2.5 L to compete in Formula One in the Ferrari 625. For sports car racing, capacity was increased up to 3.4 L for the Ferrari 860 Monza. The Coventry Climax straight-four engine was also a very successful racing engine, which began life as a 1.5 litre Formula 2 engine. Enlarged to 2.0 litres for Formula One in 1958, it evolved into
3782-573: Was part of a multi-rider motorcycle endurance-racing team called Honda TT Legends . In April 2016, the RAC announced McGuinness as recipient of the Segrave Trophy for 2015. McGuinness was born and raised in Morecambe , Lancashire . He started competing in motocross at around seven, and continued until his teens. He withdrew from what was supposed to be his first race a few seconds before
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#17327936055563844-437: Was unsure if he would have the physical capability or confidence to race 1000 cc Superbikes again, but he did not discount the possibility of riding in the smaller Supertwin , electric and classic categories. In January 2018 he announced his intended-return as a TT rider with Norton Motorcycles as team-mate to Josh Brookes , but his recovery was not complete and in April announced via social media that he had suffered
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