I love the fireblade , pound for pound I think it's great value for money. Bought it after an r6 which I had nearly 2 years . Was a lot of fun and reminded me of my 2 stroke hooligan days on Lc's a long time ago. Only had it since March but feel like it is being well left behind with the competition. Plus points Great looking machine Anybody can ride one well , even me !! Honda reliability Mpg good compared to other litre bikes Best riding position on a sports bike , for when yer over 45 yrs old lmfao Bad points Hate the feel of the clutch, notchy and they are all like that cos of some rubber block within the clutch, so I'm told of honda. Fucking annoying No quick shifter , can buy for £400 but told blade gearboxes ain't any good for quick shifters Bmw is gunna have quick shift ont way down as well as ont way up for 2015 !! No traction control Has abs option but slated by most users, due to lever to the bar problems Build quality , reckon the yam was far better Power: getting left behind with 2015 seeming to be 200bhp for litre sport bikes Predictions for most popular in 2015 1299 panigale S1000rr R1 Blade , with no changes !! Zx10 Hyabusa monstrosity Comments guys , have I missed anything ? Opinions ?
tbh,the power for a road bike shouldn't be a problem. most popular,i'd go with the kwak. but your right,it is getting left behind regarding rider aids etc,and regardless of wether "you want be in control,not the bike"* it sells bikes,and does help. *that not aimed at you,just a general point
oh and gear boxes,all bikes suffer to a point,blades seem to be a bit more fragile especially on track.i think it's something all manufacturers should be looking at,but 180-200HP is going to put a strain on anything mechanical and to make one able to withstand the constant abuse would add at least 2k on the price of a new bike.
Just my general opinion mate , I'm not slating it it's great as I say but the competition is moving forward far quicker than honda. Forgot about the zx10 lol
I'm sure by tomorrow there will be lots of comments on this post. Maybe slating me for all I know Like to hear others opinions tho
Mine comment is quite simple, if you love riding your bike keep it, if not sell it, simple as that for me I never get the newest things because I feel mine are outdated (never been a follower of fashion), but once i fall out of love with something, its gone for my new love... at the Moment I'm still having great fun on roads and track with my 2005 modded model and have no intention of selling it
I've had an RR6, RR8, RRC and just bought an RRE. A few comments :- * Clutch - never noticed a problem on any of the blades. I've not ridden any other bike with a gearbox as smooth. I've not heard of the rubber block issue. * I've never had a quick shift on a bike so don't really miss it. * The only build quality issue I had was on the RR6 where there was bad corrosion on the radiator. All the others have been fine - and I ride most of the year. * 170 BHP is enough for anyone on the road! I don't feel like I want any more power.
Gearbox is smooth, clutch is like there's a notch innit, took a 14 plate blade home when mine was in for service. The 14 plate was exactly the same . Too honda dealer who said they are all like that
Quick shifter is fine on mine and to be honest the shifter on my mates 2013 bm is shite he's currently looking at a hm one, power wise he's just had it dyno'd at 197bhp at the rear wheel which is really impressive but to be honest when we are both on the road yes it is quicker than me (only an RR5 by the way) it doesn't seem 50bhp quicker he only just has the edge. I think 200bhp is great but can you really get that power down on the road? For myself I think the 150-160 I have is more than I need lol Are you sure your not missing less power of the R6? I think I found 600's in some ways more fun as I was up and down the box a lot more and was using all the power and felt like I was using the whole bike if that makes sense.
My 2008 blade, 9,400 miles, clutch felt tight, hard to operate n not nice too. Fitted a new standard genuine cable, tried to fit a HRC but too short. Now it's so much better lost it's horrible feel. Heard myself that the snap and click through the clutch lever as it's released is common. Change it, try it, maybe a cheap fix like mine !! As for lower power, try a sprocket change for better acceleration is another cheap fix. One thing I'm going to do. All bikes and make have faults, but my Repsol fireblade makes me look a better rider for sure as easy to ride and comfortable too, You pay your money, you take your choice !!
Similar mate RRY, 954, RR6, RRA-A now RRE, the only one that was real shite was the RRA in terms of poor fuelling, notchy clutch even with a new cable, and the ABS, be we wont go there. The RRE has addressed most Blade issues, no notchy clutch, fuelling is bang on, mid mid range and better pick up, 12 plate on, better dash, better sussies, the handling is bang on when you get the suspenders setup correctly, CoG means stable mid corner, the front end gives truckloads of confidence, and you can abuse the throttle on these things and unless you are a complete twat of a rider you will not come to much harm. As far as build quality goes, I have had Kwaks, Suzies, Yams, Triumph (1), 30+ years of real life, 12 months a year, close up data to draw on when it comes to build quality and after a few winters and salty roads.......I will still go with the Honda, just look at anyone who commutes on a Beamer the state they get into. The only thing Honda have fecked up with the 08 on, is in the plastics dept is the stupidity of design in making them so fiddly, which is the typical Honda philosophy of we have to be different, and a few suspect stickers that lift, that's a symptom of having to be built down to a price like most of these bikes. As far as toys go, its evolution just like smartphones, and as most owners see their pride and joy as a toy, then they want it loaded, who would not?, and once you are on track, with the power the litre bikes are offering, most owners need aids as they do not have the skills to ride without them if we are really being honest. My QS is my right foot, don't often use the clutch up the box, sure I aint as smooth but I am a tight twat. But as a road bike, if you are grunting the thing day in day out 12 months a year, then the RRE is just about as good as a road bike gets in all weathers. I doubt if Honda have ever made a finer commuter bike. On another note, no matter how much power I have had in cars and bikes, and some stretch over 400HP, its never enough as some fecker will always cruise up beside you with more, that's the life of a petrol head. No dig Steveie, you raise valid points mate. It all depends what type of use you first buy the bike for.
Sprocket change will transform it Steve, -1 at front is all you need much quicker pickup. And I agree with the comments 170 - 180 hp on the road is enough for anyone.. No way you can use all that anyway and when you do its for a very short time! Looks like the rcv road bike will be launched at Milan but they say supercar money or small house so not for us mortals
I have to admit Steve I felt exactly the same so went for the ZX10 and then realised the grass isn't always greener (the bike was) so quickly reverted back to the Blade, got to say though never had a problem with the clutch on any of the blades I've had RR9 and RRa.
I would wait and see what next year offers as the new R1 is looking like a monster. I do agree with most of what your saying Stevie, mine had the notchy clutch also had the poor gear box and always felt like it was lacking a little in power. The build quality wasn't the best either imo compared to the Yamaha which comes out on top in world surveys as having the best build quality That said i do agree the Blade is still a great machine and by far the very easiest to ride and ride fast and riding position was fantastic, the Repsol colours make it a stunning looking bike. But as someone has said, if your not in love with it then maybe its time to change....
Keeping it another 2 years , will assess what to buy next then. Hoping Honda keep up with the rest. A few toys on it won't go a miss
I have had Hondas for 38 years and feel I am missing out, so keep trying to move to something else but after each test ride I get back on the Honda and it just feels right. I just wish I could afford say six bikes but would I be happy.
I've just come from a 2004 (underseat exhausts) Yamaha R1 ... and pretty much echo what has been said... - Clutch lever is poor ... slipper clutch or not - no excuse - Fueling is dire... not what I expected from a Honda - Build quality ... not as good as Yamaha... I'd say it's somewhere in the middle between Yamaha and Suzuki - Riding position ... needs the rear sets to go back a bit However, I think the gearbox is fine... very smooth and slick, not sure if makes any difference but I'm running mine on this stuff: ESTER TECH SYNTEC 4+ 10W-40 - Putoline But they are my only complaints ... it's a good bike but it could be made 'great' by a few small changes... I've had Yamahas for nearly seven years. This is my first Honda and I really like it ... if gives you so much confidence on the road and I can't wait to try it out on track.
