Honda CBR series

Honda CBR1100XX Blackbird was the world's fastest production motorcycle when launched in the summer of 1996, ripping the title away from the legendary Kawasaki ZX-11. Two years later the title had passed to the Suzuki Hayabusa. Nonetheless the Blackbird has earned a solid reputation as a powerful, fast, smooth and very reliable sport-touring motorcycle. As an example of its reliability, Dale Wilson rode a Blackbird 1500+ miles/day for seven consecutive days in late spring of 2007, setting a motorcycle endurance record. The Blackbird name is an obvious nod to the Lockheed SR-71 aircraft.

The Blackbird was a founding bike in the hyper sport touring niche market. The Kawasaki ZX11 or Honda ST1100 may have been the first. This market has since expanded to include the Suzuki Hayabusa, Kawasaki ZZR1200, Yamaha FJR1300, Kawasaki ZX14 and the redesigned Kawasaki Concours. In the US the CBR1100XX never sold as well as the Suzuki Hayabusa, though its owners all appreciate the smooth elegant lines of the bike and its dual counter balancer shafts which give the Blackbird its exceptional smoothness.

Information from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Honda_CBR1100XX