Powered by a revolutionary engine that was far more compact than ever seen before thanks to a stacked gearbox arrangement, the inline-four engine claimed 150 hp at the crank, 72.7 lb-ft of torque at 8,250 rpm, that propelled the original Yamaha R1 top speed of 168 mph. This was at a time when 140 hp was considered insane, and we might laugh at that now, but very few of us have ever put a crotch rocket through its paces properly, and 140 hp was more than enough for the average rider then, as it still is now. Though it was considered a hard beast to tame, the early Yamaha R1s were easy to ride, comfortable, vibration-free, and just as good in traffic as they were knee-down mid-corner. For a motorcycle built at the tail end of the nineties, you can still take one to the track and put the fear of god into motorcycle riders showing off on newer models. It was powerful, it was beautiful, it was a force to be reckoned with, and it was almost impossible to find a review of it that didn’t contain the words “madness” and “pure insanity” or something to that effect. ![]() The first iteration of the Yamaha YZF-R1 took the world by storm when it first rolled onto the scene in 1998. While some people attribute the success of the 916’s design to the Honda NR750, we disagree and say that the Ducati 916 is one of the most influential crotch rockets ever designed – and in its own right too. A success in the design department, a success on the road, and an absolute demon on the track too, with the Ducati 916 winning 4 Superbike World Championships. While the engine is easily the most important feature of the Ducati 916, let’s not forget its other exquisite features, such as its slim line profile, aggressive headlights, and single-sided swingarm. In fact, it was the most powerful twin-cylinder engine in its day, producing a mammoth 108 hp at 9,000 rpm, with the 916cc desmodromic twin taking advantage of liquid-cooling, ram-air induction and electronic fuel injection. This beautiful motorcycle from Italy was powered by a stunning masterpiece of an engine engineered by Massimo Tamburini himself. If you thought sports bikes were all about inline-four engines and Japanese engineering, think again. To some, the Ducati 916 was the most influential crotch rocket of the early 90s – and that’s a fair point. ![]() It’s one of the most badass motorcycles in history. The first, and certainly not the last, but without the CBR900RR, modern crotch rockets may have evolved differently. Weighing in at just over 400 lbs dry, the CBR900RR was the first motorcycle to offer the kind of power you’d expect from a 1000cc motorcycle, but equipped with the agility and responsive handling of a 600cc machine. What really made it special was its 893cc inline-four engine – not particularly groundbreaking, sure – but when combined with a lightweight chassis that was focused on agile, nimble handling, a new breed of crotch rocket was born. This particular model was revolutionary because it wasn’t developed for racing and watered down for public consumption – it was built purely for the road. ![]() Designed by Honda’s incredibly talented Tadao Baba, the CBR900RR was developed simultaneously with the RC30 and NR750, and originally was planned to be a 750 – but Baba had other plans and upped the displacement, and Honda’s first ever “RR” CBR model was born. If you ask anyone to name an iconic crotch rocket from the 1990s, you can bet that they’ll name the 1992 Honda CBR900RR. ![]() It’s no wonder that the legendary Suzuki GSX-R750 has been in constant production since 1985 to the present day. However, it’s the powerful performance, the lightweight chassis, and race-ready technology, wrapped in an affordable, road legal package, that makes the GSX-R750 a revolutionary crotch rocket. Even compared to today’s crotch rockets, the original GSX-R750 is still pretty light on the scales. Race aerodynamics, an aluminum frame, lightweight 18 inch wheels, and an engine that could make grown men weep – boasting 106 hp from its oil-cooled 747cc inline-four engine, a top speed of around 160 mph, all wrapped into a very svelte and nimble package. Weighing in at a mere 385 lbs, dressed to impress with aerodynamic fairings and a race-inspired livery from Suzuki’s XR41 endurance machine, this truly was a race-ready but road legal crotch rocket. Unlike other sports machines of the early-80s, the GSX-R750 was light, agile, handled exceptionally well, had huge power, but with brakes that were actually useful. We started with the first Ninja, but what about the first Suzuki GSX-R750? The 1985 GSX-R750 is arguably one of the most important motorcycles in the evolution of the crotch rocket.
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