There's not much I can add as there are some very good points. All I can say is to compare your situation with where I was. I didn't start riding until mid 30's. The Blade was my 2nd bike and I'm still on it after riding a ZX6R for a year or two. I did do a couple of courses after I started though.
My daughter has one in pink. I've hurt myself twice scooting to pick her up from school, oops. I blame it for being pink, not Repsol colours!! I have a big boy's mountain bike too but that maxes out at about 35 unless i'm feeling very brave or its very steep!
My return to bikes after 20 years was a 918 FireBlade , frikin brilliant, ,,,,, previous bike was a DT125 do it Your in control
If you have set your heart on a big bike then go for it, life's too short to worry about whether you will kill yourself!! As others have said..... Its all in the right hand wrist. You can potter about all day long on it in complete safety, it's going round corners where most inexperienced riders get it wrong. Get your head round target fixation and counter steering and you'll have a lot of fun on it!! Good luck with your test
I say go for it; you sound grown up enough to know your limits. That’s what you need to stick too. I started my on road riding career with a TL1000R when I did my DAS at 21 years old. That bike taught me a hell of a lot in regards to respecting it. I’d be lying if I said I didn’t ride like a tw@ for the first year. But it taught me so much, taught me how to handle the beast and how to respect it. My advice is to start slow, ride your own ride and as your confidence and skills grow, you will be more comfortable and faster on it. Just don’t try to run before you can walk! I had a 2007 blade and hands down the best bike I’ve had (excluding my 2011 as I haven’t ridden it yet ) Everyone on here is friendly and there is a LOT of experience and help offered, don’t be afraid to ask! Have fun and let us know how you get on!
If you do get the bike may I suggest taking it to Santa Pod Raceway, the 1/4 Mile Drag Strip in Northamptonshire - one of their open to all sessions. Once you have got the hang of it - then the drag strip is an ideal place to see what the bike can do. There are no corners, braking zones, other riders - none of that to worry about. Just point the bike in a straight line and give it the beans and hang on You will see how the bike changes as you go through the rev range. You will be amazed !
Yeah, totally agree, the 05 was the most forgiving bike I have ever ridden. Got myself into one or two "situations" and the bike just took it in her stride. The power delivery was almost boring, which is a ridiculous thing to say, but it just did everything with no hassle, no complaints and never got out of shape. Made it a great bike as my daily transport and would defo have another.
One thing to point out about getting your dream bike as your first bike is that you will almost certainly drop it. It might be in a petrol station, it might be a side stand fail on some loose gravel, it might be whilst trying to do a u-turn on a narrow road. But it's a rite of passage and will happen. And the odds of that happening with a 200kg superbike with no turning circle get higher again. Not a problem, just give yourself a gold star when it happens and a pat on the back for unlocking the achievement, rather than berating yourself for the next week.
This is not a 'first bike' scenario though. That period passed long ago. This is a return to riding and as such the perils of balance and understanding a bike's characteristics will be well imprinted on the OP's brain.
It wasn't entirely clear what the OP's previous riding experience was - whatever it was, it wasn't on the road and it doesn't sound like it was racing. So I've assumed dirt bikes, which tend to be light and don't matter if you drop them. It's what I spent a bunch of my teenage years doing and it didn't stop me having the side stand gravel fail last year Anyway, not saying I'm right Nigel - let's get the OP to weigh in and educate us!
Go for it mate, get the bike!!! I'm just back on to road bikes and although it was nearly 20 years since I owned one (GPZ 500S), i have had a few drives from other people being trusting enough to give me a shot. The last one I rode prior to getting my blade was the R6 and to be honest the saying of 'it's like riding a bike' is so true. 500 miles on and it really is like I've never been away from them. I did keep my hand in with a few off-road ones through the years but there is nothing like the feeling of freedom from a proper sport bike. PS, don't be fooled into thinking you have became sensible enough, the bikes handling will make you want to try it out and then you will feel the love ....I thought that too, but first gear will break every speed limit hmmmmm
