A 1994 Honda CBR900RR Fireblade is now part of a special exhibition associated with this year’s Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductees. Queen Latifah provided the motorcycle, which is the same Fireblade seen in the video for U.N.I.T.Y. Its presence gives the display a strong motorcycle connection as well as a deeply personal story.

The video pays tribute to Latifah’s brother Lance, who was killed in a motorcycle crash in 1992. The key visible in the sequence belonged to the ignition of Lance’s Kawasaki. Latifah has continued to wear it around her neck frequently, keeping a tangible link to her brother decades after his death.

Latifah has described music and motorcycles as two constant loves in her life, while also crediting both with helping her through difficult periods. She has said that sharing the Fireblade from the U.N.I.T.Y. video with the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Museum is especially meaningful as she celebrates her own induction.

The original Fireblade

The exhibited motorcycle is the original SC28 version of the CBR900RR, powered by an 893cc engine. SC28 stayed in production for four years before giving way to the SC33. Its influence lasted considerably longer: Honda paired the low-weight thinking associated with 750cc motorcycles with the output of litre-class machines, helping to redirect the superbike category.

Early Fireblades without a celebrity history are still described as relatively affordable, with prices beginning at a few thousand pounds. The earliest twin-headlamp models attract a premium. Latifah’s motorcycle is being shown before the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony, scheduled for 14 November at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles.