’00 CBR900RR-Y

IF Honda was ever to regain top-dog status, its 2000 Blade had to really count.

Matching the Yamaha wasn’t enough – the CBR had to move the goalposts once again.

A slight shift was all that was needed and Baba and his engineers believed they’d achieved it.

A lavish press launch was organised at Estoril, Portugal. The circuit had been rebuilt and was so new it was still being swept as the first group of journalists took to its surface on the new bikes.

The updated Blade oozed confidence and matched the R1 in its own way. It was more sanitised than the Yamaha, less flappy, better composed.

It wasn’t as wild to ride and didn’t give the same adrenalin rush as before, but it was remarkably competent.

In eight years of the Blade, the bike had steadily become more sedate. This was the most pipe-and-slippers of the lot. You could almost say – and many did – that the machine which had effectively created the modern sports bike eight years previously was now no longer a member of the same class as the R1. Instead it was (gasp) a sports tourer.

The top-end bang of the early bikes was gone, as was the slightly flighty handling of the late ’90s machines.

The new Blade was finally given what it had needed all along, too – a 17in front wheel.

This calmed the front end down, as well as the rear that followed, and enabled owners to ride the Blade harder.

But, by removing the feeling of risk, the larger wheel also stole a bit of the excitement.

The package was a decent one and could have been good enough to pip the R1, but for one factor – Yamaha had been busy as well.

The R1 lost 2kg (4.4lb), gained a titanium end can, as well as numerous engine and chassis updates, and continued to kick arse – but not as comprehensively as before.

The Blade was back and there was no longer a clear winner in the class, thanks to its new engine upping capacity from 1999’s 918cc to 929cc, as well as a massive weight reduction to just 170kg (374lb).

Power rose, too. Honda claimed a monstrous 152bhp, but this was to prove optimistic – dynos showed a more realistic figure of around 135bhp.

Shawn Chambers, 33, bought a 2000 model. The automotive engineer says: ” I bought it mostly to do track days on. I do six or seven a year. It’s a competent all-rounder, but is the kind of bike that excels on a circuit. I also do 6000 miles a year on the road and love it to bits.

” My best memory is a recent MCN FireBlade owners’ day at Bruntingthorpe, when I got up to 165mph and overtook one of MCN’s testers, who was busy doing a 150mph wheelie at the time.

” I might sell it, but only to buy a 2002 model. Blades are infectious. ”

If he does sell it, he’ll be looking at getting between £4700 and £5000 for it. Dealers are asking up to £5450 in MCN Bikemart