Hi guys. Am looking at getting a Fireblade 2007 model because I like the style and the underseat exhaust. Bike will just be a toy for fast commuting, tours with lighter luggage and ocassionally carrying a pillion. I guess many of you have driven various fireblades. I have decided I prefer the looks of the 2007 fireblade to the R1 with the underseat exhaust. I am not a fan of the front end styling of later Fireblades. Older commercial reviews appear positive. Will likely upgrade the headlights, seats and already have decided on a Marlboro racing colour scheme, even though it is decades since I smoked)) A whim. There are newer models of Fireblade available for similar prices. What are your opinions on this motor, performance, braking, around town etc, and is it bearable for a pillion. All my previous bikes were more comfortable but also heavier. Is a low mileage 2007 model worth it?
I've got a 2007 Blade, having come from a 2017 CBR650F before that. The Blade is less good than the 650 for commuting and town riding - simply due to riding position and stiffness of ride. But it's perfectly capable, perfectly smooth on throttle trickling at low speeds, and I'd still take the Blade for most commutes, simply because it makes me *feel* more special. It really depends on what your alternatives are you're looking at - if you want a 1000cc sports bike for between £4-5k then I would say that a 2006/7 Blade is a very, very good choice - especially for the range of riding you're looking at (vs a contemporary R1 or Gixxer). Would a VFR800 (or even BMW GS) actually be more practical for most of that, and pretty much as fast A-B in the real world? Sure But if we wanted VFR or GSs we'd all be on different forums right now...
I would jump at the right 2007. It and the 06 are the cream of the underseat exhaust models with many revisions over its earlier brothers. See: https://www.motorcyclespecs.co.za/model/Honda/honda_cbr1000rr_07.htm I have a 2004 and can agree that the front end looks much sharper than the 08 - 11 series. You should find a good low mileage in the 4K to high fours range. I cant advise about pillion comfort, but I can say rider comfort is (for me) better than the later models.
This ones low mileage and in the best colours as everyone else will naturally agree https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Honda-CB...353113?hash=item3b30d542d9:g:riMAAOSwlddc0FJq
The bike's nice, but I'd want to remove that seat or carry a few of those airline chuck bags with me.
I'm sure Craig's Honda could throw in an original seat as part of the sale. In my looking for my bike I never found an RR7 in Repsol with that low miles for that price plus the benefit of being sold by a dealership with service thrown in too. Both the HRC 07's I looked at were higher mileage than that and one was £4500 and one £5000 and both private sellers. I think that bikes a good price for the condition/miles/owners.
You can't go wrong with a decent 2007. I have a 2005 & a 2006. The brakes on the 2005 are ok with decent pads, but I upgraded to a Brembo master cylinder on the 2006 as it's a track bike, this improved them a lot. Both motors have plenty of low down power and are an animal at high revs. Plus they take luggage well as I've done plenty of touring on mine, but have never pillioned on the Blade.
Thanks for the great replies guys. So it seems is generally a thumbs up for the 06/07 model. Any of you upgraded the headlights for both to work symmetrical and for brighter night-time driving. What was the cost of the Brembo cylinder, seems you consider it a worthwhile upgrade. The Repsol orange colours are nice, as is the white/red/black colour scheme. Any pillion feedback. I assume you all use soft luggage options for touring?
I think the Brembo M/C is around £250. It basically gives the lever a much more solid feel, so less effort is needed to make the brakes work well, although decent pads are a must too. I've just changed the ones on the road bike to EBC FA390HH for around £40. Luggage wise, soft luggage is pretty much the only option. I use Kreiga bags, but have a Rentec rack on stand by in case I need to get the big guns out. These are my 20 + 10 litre bags. I have a 30 litre which I use on the rack.
I have a 2015SP and will likely be swapping that for a 2007 in the very near future, I just preferred that version of the bike in every way, (edit, except the look of the wheels, prefer the newer ones of those )
You have driven the 2007 edition previously? I take it the older version loses nothing in handling & performance if you prefer it in every way? Have you taken pillion?
I can't speak to the handling as I've not ridden a 2015 Blade, but I can't imagine actually needing more power than the 2007 has got for road riding. What were your previous bikes Colum?
My first bike was a BMW R1200ST) Bought on a whim following a divorce I had GS of various sized, VFR, and got another ST. Is ok but heavy on the bends. I have decided for something lighter. Most of my driving now is 20 miles or so to the gym in nearby town after work and back, and weekend spins along the coastline.
Ha, 1 divorce almost finished me)) She went for maximum damage) At least I learned how to drive a motorbike out of it))
Friggin' 8 bikes, not 8 divorces you pack of friggin' nutcases. But then again . . . it does give me some potential!
After divorce #1 I bought a brand new ZX6R from Carnells for £4995 (wish bikes cost that now) and a Subaru Impreza
I got cleaned out too much to be that extravagant. Had to date a bevy of cougars (not all at the same time) to rebuild my financial reserves.
I've got three RR7s, two Racing Reds and a Repsol. I bought all mine from private owners and two bought just on pictures and a chat, low miles and mint nick will be gone by the time you've travelled, imo. Mine have Ktech front and back, and a Dynobike ECU remap. I've found them bullet proof with old school build quality of fairings and fasteners. I don't carry pillions so can't comment. Coincidentally I paid exactly £5k for each with 3-5000 miles but obviously as time goes on they are getting rare. Just a tale, but a few years ago I asked John McGuinness which Blade he'd part with his own money for. He said, the 954 was 'a bit shit' and though the last version before the one that nearly killed him and Martin was a little quicker, he felt the 06/07 was the 'most stable'. If you find a Repsol make sure it's real, there's a lot of copies. The paint code will give it away.
