Tadao Baba: Father of the Blade

TADAO Baba is one of the few men in the world that knows the direction the FireBlade will go in the next few years.

The softly-spoken Honda chief engineer is rumoured to already have dozens of even more evolved FireBlades built and undergoing testing.

We caught him during a relaxed moment at Estoril and coaxed him into spilling a few beans.

MCN: Is Honda committed to developing the FireBlade further, or are we likely to see a new model in a few years to replace it? How much more can the bike evolve?

Baba-san: As long as I’m at Honda, the FireBlade will evolve each year. That’s because, even though it has been around for 10 years, it has been widely accepted, and its basic concept of " total control " is very much appreciated. But from my point of view it is not perfect, and there are many more things I want to do on the bike, which means that there’s more to develop.

MCN: What are you likely to do next?

Baba-san: The basic question is how do we balance it? Do we go for road use or track use? On the one hand, we hear that the next superbike racing regulations will allow 1000cc fours. So, maybe in the near future, we may have to consider this. On the other hand, is 1000cc the best capacity for the bike’s concept, for our road-going customers, who make up

90 per cent of buyers?

MCN: The bike is only 168kg (370lb), the lightest in its class. Is it possible to go lighter?

Baba-san: There’s a trade-off between practicality and affordability. Of course we can build lighter bikes, but they’ll get more expensive. It may not be reasonable at the moment.

MCN: If you do decide to increase the capacity, will you do this with a bigger

bore or stroke?

Baba-san: We don’t design the powerplant in isolation. It needs to fit perfectly with the whole bike. It depends on what we feel is needed. If we increase the bore, it would widen the engine and it would maybe affect the layout of the bike. With a change in stroke, there’ll be a change in the centre of gravity, so we’d need to ensure that it didn’t affect the whole package.

MCN: How has the 10mm shift forward in riding position had such a dramatic effect on the new FireBlade’s cornering capabilities?

Baba-san: Because the rider is now sitting exactly on the centre of gravity. And we have tried to ensure the bike is perfectly balanced with the rider onboard. We have designed the rider into the equation, too.

MCN: Isn’t putting a titanium can on the bike a bit pointless as many owners fit aftermarket ones anyway?

Baba-san: Changing the exhaust might affect the bike’s overall balance. It can affect the centre of gravity. And the engine is matched to the exhaust, too.

MCN: Aside from the revised riding position, what else is making the bike corner faster? It seems to be 10mph up on the entry to the start/finish straight on the previous model.

Baba-san: You, being heavy, will notice this more than others. The ground clearance is improved, thanks to slimmer engine casings. That, combined with the bike’s better overall balance for 2002, means greater lean angles and higher corner speeds.