996 is the engine CC's, and Firestorm is the UK version. Superhawk is kind of the "slang" name, while VTR1000F is the "technical" model name that you'd see on your insurance card/title/etc.
Sorry if any of that is something you already knew.

 

Not sure but I thought it stands for V Twin Race or Racing. RVT is Racing V Twin...Don't quote me tho.

 

V Twin Road (as it's not a race bike and was never ment to be) but who really knows.....

 

Whatever the marketing dept thinks sounds cool at the moment.

Since we all know that it's not really a racer nor ever even marketed that way, it probably should have been labeled as a VT1000F. The F series has always been a sport bike but not necessarily a race replica (R series) but in 1986 Honda went from the VF series to the VFR moniker and everything sporty since has had the R in the first set of letters even if a bike like the VFR turned towards sport-touring.

 

VTR = Very Tough & Reliable

Like come ON!

 

See now I always thought the F in VFR stood for V Four R, or R Four V....

 

In Hondaspeak, VT prefix = V twin; R suffix = any road sports bike.

Model word names are a whole new artform. I particularly like the thinking behind the Isuzu Bighorn Plaisir.