Sp flop?

Does anyone else think that the SP has been a flop for Honda?
When they were released it was being touted as a must have, limited edition which would be snapped up by collectors lucky enough to buy one.
I looked through auto trader and there are several for sale which have been there a while.
What's your thoughts?

 

Don't get me wrong,I do like them but just glad I didn't spend my hard earned buying into the hype!
Maybe it's the price that puts people off, when you can buy another super bike with all the toys for similar money.

I know people like the fact that the Blade lets the rider do all the thinking but if, like me you're getting on a bit with slower reactions, and feel that a little extra help from TC etc will help you, then I can understand why it's being overlooked.
I don't want to be burned at the stake, I'm just curious if other folk are in the same camp as me.

 

Agreed - a lot of the dealers in the North still seem to have at least one left. It must only be a matter of time before they start discounting to move them on. I'd be tempted if a nearly new one came up at the right price.

 

Who do you want to take home at the end of the night, the porn star or the girl next door who scrubs up OK?.......decent bike with some nice branded kit on it, but there's better out there fighting for peoples dosh.

 

at least with the girl next door you not dipping in someone else cold porridge...

sorry had to be done

 

Good points and quite possibly over hyped but what an amazing machine. I think, if you have the chance to stop looking at the specs on paper and get out and ride an SP it does change the opinion. If you were to spread the cost by upgrading a standard blade over time with the same trinkets you would lose a lot more money and would anyone spend out to blueprint the engine, change the pistons etc ? Can you buy the Ohlins suspension that is specific to the SP?

"Not a bad offering at all but what you have to really squeeze Honda for is the fact that the Öhlins suspension - while it is labelled at NIX30 and TTX36 - both of which are available off the shelf, have been heavily re-worked and are unique to the SP.

The front NIX30 forks feature an outer tube 1mm larger than standard to help give the SP more stability under braking. The front axle shaft is lighter while the steering stem is made from steel not aluminium as the development team felt it offered better feedback. The top yoke has been revised too and is now forged for greater rigidity. The bolts used in the bars, yokes and front axle are lighter than standard too. At the rear, the TTX36 rear shock has been modified to suit the SP; the preload adjuster has been moved to make it easier to reach on the SP. The connecting-rod has been lengthened and the swinging-arm pivot point changed too, giving the rear slightly more flex with the aim of giving the rider more feel.

That, I think you’ll agree, is more than just bolting on top quality suspension.
The wheels remain the same as the standard 2014 Fireblade but the Brembo M4 monobloc front brakes are different. Such is Honda’s attention to detail that the Brembo calipers on the SP were developed for that model. Instead of featuring two pistons of the same diameter in each caliper, the SP’s calipers feature a 30mm piston and 32mm piston, as this was the combination the SP test team felt worked the best. Would you and I notice the difference? I dare say, we wouldn’t but this level of detail is what makes the SP special. Sintered pads are the icing on the cake


Can you tell I have one? Don't ruin it for me, I need this bike to have a good resale value when I get fed up with not being able to afford to eat!!!

I have also thought the SP may not have been welcomed as much as Honda wanted and this has to be down to the fact that every other manufacturer is plastering bikes with electronic aids, for example look at the BMW S1000rr success (or as it appears, I haven't checked). As stated, traction control is missing but the grip is incredible and this isn't a commuter bike and the majority will be fair weather use only. Still I cant argue the fact that traction would be nice and the majority of us would be slower [and less safe] in tricky conditions against a bike with traction.

However, its a lot of money for a machine that you don't really want to track in case you destroy it! I got an incredible deal that allowed me to get hold of an SP and my plan is to sell it, buy a track bike and a bike I can stick good miles on touring Europe. My biggest problem is that now Ive ridden an SP, I have fallen in love with the bloody thing, its awesome!!!

 

I tend to agree, its a case of the emperor's new clothes. A number of the other makers are ensuring their bikes have some genuinely interesting and forward thinking changes put into the new bikes they bring out, Honda are sometimes sticking with the same old song but with a new chirpy intro ! Although not the blade the bike i have (Honda CB1000R) has not changed a jot since it was first introduced back at the end of 2007..... the new 2015 model is just the same.... Honda need to up their game, reputation only gets you some sales and after that the new money starts to go elsewhere.

 

Interesting comment about rider aids and reactions and speed.

A lot of us have grown up initially with bikes that had jelly like frames, tyres that offered as much grip as a banana skin, and brakes that slowed you at the rate akin to a supertanker.

You hone your skills subject to what's underneath you and desire to live long enough to see your pension.

Now we are in an era of road bikes performing like WSB did 10 years ago or less, where people see electronic features as the only way to ride these bikes, personally IMO it's complete BS, you can ride any of these machines without rider aids just using your melon and right hand,.

That's not to say that certain features can make a bike safer, but we are going to see an element who ride bikes to the limit of the electronics believing that they have a safety valve, when in fact you cannot beat the laws of physics.

Makes me wonder how I complete every streaming wet, cold commute without crashing after reading some opinions on rider aids, in fact it makes the Blade more appealing to me that's it's the last Superbike where it's just man and machine.

 

I suppose the real reason I'm asking is that deep down I want one! I think I'm trying to make my mind up to go for a new bike with no electronic aids which includes ditching the ABS that I have, for a standard model.
The alternative is to go for a singing dancing bike with electronic aids which I've never had, but for the same money as an SP.
We've all had moments where our arse has twitched on a bike and If I can buy another bike for the same money which may reduce those moments then it's a consideration for me.
But then again maybe I'll lose the fear factor if it's all taken care of

 

Living so far north,it's a 4-5 hour round trip to my nearest dealer for any bike. I bought my blade and my previous bike by reading comments from people who had them. I never rode them and only sat on a blade after someone I knew bought one.
That's a lot of faith to put into a new purchase and is the reason I'm so undecided, the guys on here with various dealerships not far away don't know how lucky they are.
The fantastic roads up here make up for that, I just have to buy a bike blind first!

 

I own a SP and love it to bits but to be honest if your not going to take it on a track to use all those extra nice add-ons you might as well stick with the standard Blade which is just as much fun on the road. However for pose factor at meet ups and cafés the SP look the dogs, just make sure there aren't any chicken strips on the rear tyre to make you look like a pussy

 

Haha yep it does look very nice, a run down Ft. Augustus will soon take the chicken strips off no bother

 

The key is, don't overthink it !

I bought an SP, because it's a very pretty bike, and the extras made it look like sensible value for money.

I like Honda's and that played a big part in the decision process, all of the gadgets and gizmos's on other bikes didn't. I'm 45 and have been riding bikes since I started at 6 in motocross on an RM50. I don't believe for one minute the extra electronic toys would benefit me. ABS yes, as it's real world practical. Traction control ?, on the road ?, really ?.

I have fitted toys like a quick shifter etc, not because I believe I need them, but as an engineer I just can't resist buggering about with my toys.

On the subject of collect ability, who knows ? In five to ten years you might wish you had bought one and kept it, you might be glad you swerved it !

I remember a couple of bikes from my youth that I have those feelings about, some of you may remember them. There was an RD500LC in the window of a dealer on Winwick road in Warrington. It was brand new, and the ticket was at £2,995. It must have sat there for 18 months !. Similarly there was a new OWO1 Yam in Fiveways Hull, that was for what seems like forever. The price seemed to have dropped every time I went in.

Desirable bikes, not selling, being discounted as there was perhaps something better available ( RG500, RC30 ) does it mean they are not super collectable and stupidly priced now ?

 

Cannot comment on the riding experience of an SP as I do not own one, but on my 5th blade in 14 years and the only one I had with any assistance was the last ABS, my views are coloured badly due to the issues I suffered, but now on a non ABS 14 year bike, and it's the best Blade they have ever made,
Engine fuelling is bang on at last, weight distribution makes it feel like a 600, mid corner balance is superb, feedback from the front end is superb, making riding in challenging conditions a breeze, as a bike that's used every day, it's bang on useable.

So for the extra bucks, I would hope an SP would improve somewhere, and if anywhere could improve for road riding it must be the brakes, every Brembo bike I have ridden has better feedback and modulation, plus ultimate power over the Tokicos, not sure how much value would be gained on the Ohlins in daily grunt riding, but I am sure they must feel plush.

Tried several litre bikes again before plumping for yet another Blade, and part of the thinking was the lack of potentially expensive electronics that won't go wrong in 12 month a year commuting over several years and 40/45k miles.

 

Its nice to hear from SP owners, and you're right, I'm over thinking.
It does look very cool the more I look at it.
I guess the original question of it being a flop, based on some owners getting rid of them quickly and several remaining unsold only means that most people aren't prepared to pay the asking price.
If a new version in Repsol colours comes out next year and priced higher, then the original ones might be snapped up?

 

Thanks for the input.
So, in a nutshell the current blade is all I ever need, but if I want some more goodies and the pose factor I'll need to throw another couple of grand into the pot

 

I absolutely love my new blade, but in hindsight I really wish I'd payed the extra and got all the goodies the SP comes with!

 

It did cross my mind when it was announced that the 'SP', good as it is, was just another example of the marketing ploys manufacturers use when they need to clear the parts bin to make room for a new model.