Honda CBR 1100 XX Super Blackbird 2003 — Specifications

What machine could, in the late 1990s, claim to carry its rider to 300 km/h with the docility of a well-mannered tourer? Honda answered that question in 1996 with the CBR 1100 XX Super Blackbird, a four-cylinder missile that literally invented the hyper-touring category. This 2003 version, the culmination of several years of evolution, packs an inline-four displacing 1137 cc that develops 164 horsepower at 9500 rpm and 119 Nm of torque at 7250 rpm. Numbers that speak for themselves, but that only tell part of the story.

Because the real feat of this Honda is its civility. The engine, fuel-injected since 1999 and equipped with a ram-air induction system, delivers its power with an almost disconcerting smoothness. No parasitic vibrations, no kick in the kidneys at mid-range. Some will fault it precisely for this overly smooth temperament, this lack of raw character that sends shivers down your spine on a Hayabusa or a ZX-12R. The Japanese four-pot spins like a turbine, with a compression ratio of 11:1 and bore-and-stroke dimensions of 79 x 58 mm that betray an oversquare engine, built to climb through the revs effortlessly. The six-speed gearbox and chain final drive do their job without drawing attention to themselves.

The twin-spar aluminum frame houses a 43 mm inverted fork and a single rear shock, both offering 120 mm of travel. The package provides surprisingly agile handling for a machine that tips the scales at 255 kg wet. With its 23-liter tank, the Blackbird can devour highway miles without flinching, and its 1490 mm wheelbase gives it reassuring stability at high speed. The braking system, built around dual front discs and a single rear disc with Honda's signature CBS linked braking system, proves powerful and progressive. The seat, set at 810 mm, remains accessible to most riders, and the 130 mm of ground clearance is enough to have fun on twisty roads without scraping the footpegs at the first corner.

Against the Suzuki Hayabusa 1300 and the Kawasaki ZX-12R, the CBR 1100 XX gives away a few horsepower on paper. The Hamamatsu-built machine boasts superior output, and the Kawasaki plays the aggression card. But neither can claim the overall balance of the Super Blackbird. Its riding position, slightly sporty, remains livable over long distances, even if the pillion won't be the best accommodated in the segment and the wind protection could have used a bit more generosity for intensive highway use. These concessions to sportiness remind us that Honda designed this machine as a compromise, not as a pure GT.

At 13,600 euros in 2003, the CBR 1100 XX Super Blackbird was aimed at experienced riders looking for a Swiss army knife capable of crossing France in one go in the morning and stringing together Alpine passes in the afternoon. Not the most exciting of its generation, nor the fastest on pure numbers alone. But probably the most well-rounded, the most reassuring, the one that turns every ride into a smooth journey at 1137 cc. A motorcycle that ages well, the way good Honda engineering knows how.