From the classifieds: 2008 Honda CBR1000RR
Of the 14,000-plus classifieds currently on bikesales there lurks an International Bike of the Year winner…Honda’s 2008 CBR1000RR Fireblade launched the Japanese giant back to the sharp end of the sportsbike arena.
Not only did the ninth-generation Fireblade introduce myriad updates including a shorter stroke, slipper clutch, underslung exhaust, aerodynamic gains, ram-air intake, monobloc brakes and a more compact and slimmer design, but the in-line four-cylinder machine also won the coveted International Bike of the Year (IBOTY) crown.
At the time, IBOTY was a massive deal, with 13 magazines from around the glove nominating their top three bikes for each calendar year.
The numbers were then crunched to declare a winner, and in 2008 it was the Honda CBR1000RR – Big Red’s first IBOTY gong since the original Honda CBR900RR Fireblade got the chocolates in 1992.
Eight of the magazines put the CBR1000RR in their top three, which saw it romp to victory with 33pts, 13 clear of its nakedbike sibling, the CB1000R.
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2008 Honda CBR1000RR Fireblade
Bi-weekly magazine Australian Motorcycle News was part of the IBOTY judging panel when the bike was launched; here’s what then editor Matt Shields had to say about the 2008 Honda CBR1000RR…
"For a machine to be a clear winner in every respect in the superbike class is something that doesn't happen often,” he said.
“This is the most hotly contested market segment in motorcycling – on both the road and track – one that lists keystone models like the K5 Suzuki GSX-R1000, 1998-model Yamaha YZF-R1, Ducati 916, original Fireblade, 1989 Yamaha FZR1000 EXUP, Honda RC30 and Yamaha FZ750 as the defining and redefining models of this class.
“The 2008 Fireblade stands to be one of these keystone models and, perhaps, go bar-to-bar with Ducati's 916 and Honda's RC30 as the ultimate sportsbike of its time.
Effusive praise indeed, and there’s a 2008 Honda CBR1000RR Fireblade available on Bikesales right now (2009 model year), complete with 43,000km on the clock and priced at $8990. It also has an aftermarket Yoshimura exhaust.
Click here to view current bikesales listings of all Honda CBR1000RR Fireblade models.
On the racing front, the 2008 Honda CBR1000RR Fireblade also met with some success, with Glenn Allerton winning the Australian Superbike Championship on one, while Spaniard Carlos Checa was fourth in the World Superbike Championship that year, behind Troy Bayliss (Ducati), Troy Corser (Yamaha) and Noriyuki Haga (Yamaha).
The first IBOTY award was won in 1985 by the Yamaha FZ750, with sporting fare dominating the award until BMW’s R 1200 GS adventure heavyweight got the gong in 2004.
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