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The original FireBlade of 1992 changed superbikes forever. This latest version- Honda CBR1000RR - is back on top with an incomparable yet mouth-watering mix of potency and aplomb.

There are few names in motorcycling as well recognized, long lived and revered as the single word "FireBlade" superbike.  Fourteen years after the original Blade astonished the motorcycling world Honda's very latest 2006 version is back where it belongs: right at the very top of the superbike class.

The first Honda CBR1000RR produced around 110bhp at the rear wheel, enough to propel it to some 150mph. Its latest descendent has nearer 60 and 180 respectively, to say nothing of the awesome ease with which it despatches corners.

The new 2006 CBR1000RR superbike is Honda's most complete road-going sport-bike package since producing the original Blade way back in 1992. And Honda has achieved all this by weaving together fun, reliability, racetrack ability and style.

But what truly sets this latest Honda CBR1000RR Fireblade apart is its sheer, polished refinement and ease of use. It may sound absurd but this road-going motorcycle - whose performance is closer to that of an F1 car than a conventional motorcycle - is civilized and so easy to ride it's almost novice friendly.

The new Honda CBR1000RR is ridiculously easy to just jump on and ride fast. It wheelies everywhere if the mood should take you (requiring only the merest dip of the clutch and twist of the right wrist in the first four gears), is stable mid-corner, turns easily, is simplicity itself to ride around town and has excellent brakes.

To be strictly accurate, the latest Blade doesn't share the name of the original CBR of 1992. That bike was called the FireBlade, the latest is simply the Honda CBR1000RR Fireblade, with no upper case "B" in the middle.

The HESD, which stand for Honda Electronic Steering Damper, is a first on any superbike; replacing the hydraulic items was commonplace until now. It works by being constantly variable with damping force rising and lowering according to road speed. Clever or what?

If you're unfamiliar with road machines but think you've seen those lines somewhere before, you're probably right: the Blade's styling mimics that of Honda's phenomenal V5-powered RC211V MotoGP machine.

Not all Fireblades superbike have been 1,000cc. The first, 14 years ago, was nominally 900 but was actually 893cc. Over successive model this grew first to 918cc, then to 954 and , finally, to today's 998. The quest for performance allows for no waste.