I will be finding out in 3 weeks at Cartagena but just wondered from those who've played with one on track. What's it like for handling? Also some of the other litre sportsbike have traction control have you ever felt the need for it on track? Really looking forward to having a go!!!
Jimbo I'm sure will fill you in on this. Though to be honest handling wise it is meant to be up there with the best, and tends to be a favourite with some even though it may not have the outmost power. The useable power of the blade makes it more forgiving than some I'm sure. I've yet to try mine on track. So I may be talking rubbish. Just what I've heard.
I done a little bit. Ul love it. Iv not used traction but would like it as safety net but oh well. Get ur setup right and Ul feel confident. U will loose out down snets back straight to Bmw Zx. Should be good mid corner. Some people last year in nl put some crackin times in on blades. So they can do it still. I wouldn't wanna ride a Zx10 cause I'd want one but I'm happy with mine and it feels fun to ride. If I could fit traction to it and it was good I'd feel it was almost there to be up the top even if I wasn't
Well here's my take on it... From a half season in newcomer so no seasoned pro! They are bloody awesome. Of the top three in newcomers 2 blades, 1 kwak and the winner was a blade - your bike!! so at our level more than good enough if you have the skill to use it.... Little way to go before I can say I'm getting the most out of it tbh..... Not so many in the classes above (more I think to do with bigger budgets and folk having newer machinery) but still plenty up there in the mix doing über quick times. Which is testimant to how bloody good that bike was when released IMO. I think you will do really well with it tyke, your light so will help in the power and IMO you do have to ride them like big six's against the kwaks and bmw's so take that corner speed to the blade and you will be hard to beat. Mines got a pipe (standard headers) on it. A qat (needs to be shorter), mc, ttx and qs.... That's it! My front was to soft on rebound and compression so firmed up its better on the brakes and less effort in arms under heavy stoppage and hold a way better line out of corners as front not trying to rise which important for the thing everyone will talk about the blade these days - POWER. Lol firmer front end allowed me to get on it sooner and harder!! Everyone says its down on power and yes it is.... But it's usable and the torque can be used to a huge advantage. Ill take most people through the corners through its great handling and short straights or direction changes - (left to right into clearways at brands for example) decent corner speed allowing me to run right up them.... Get in the right gear and quick squirt using the torque and your through! It's exactly how you'd use a 600 against a bigger foe I tend to lose out on braking into a corner to the quick boys but think that's just me needing to man up and wait longer tbh.... That or you just get stood up by ya team mate lol Everyone says you'll get out gunned on the big straights, but I found two huge things that help on this - gearing and fresh tyres!!! The tyres give you the confidence to really pin it out the corner, on really used rubbe my rear will move a lot which survival kicks in you back off.... The kwaks and bm's go pop pop pop a computer uses its skill and they will gap you.... Fresh rubber and right gearing (sprockets and being in the right one!!!! - get it wrong ya fecked) will see you pass a few because of the corner speed you are carrying.... On the big big straights they won't destroy you but you should keep up. I've got it on vid pulling jase's pants down on the back straight at silverstone on his 195bhp bm on the td but ill let him tell you his excuses for that It can make it frustrating when someone is holding you up in corners then your taking huge risks at end of the straights so try to keep patient - trust me its expensive. So in summary, awesome handling, great front end, easy to go quick on out the box, use it to its advantages and its still a decent track weapon, you might just might have to try a little harder than the rest but then your young and crazy so it'll be fine Jase will give you a good low down as he raced the blade (well took it to some meets ) and the BMW so has a good comparison. Me ill go kwak next, not that I think it's massively better, but plenty about now at decent prices and I wanna see what all the fuss is about.... Maybe Matt will let me race his??
Ps - don't let the fresh tyre thing freak you out! I've down well on fecked tyres.... Just my best results have come on new rubber and feeling confident Oh and I pushed way way way too hard on a track day on a three day rear and it bit me hard so I'm still bitter and twisted lol
Thanks for that buddy really really good write up. Cant wait to have a go on the bike now! Does it bite that hard? I used shit tyres on r6 and had a big moments! Going with dunlop slicks this year so should be ok.
Will make a huge difference.... bit me hard at Donny! still feeling it and not recovered ha ha... without the traction control you will feel much more confident on fresh rubber. Dunlop slicks will be perfect!
Setup is always key, gearing effects squat, squat effects geometry, susspention, gearing and geometry is a hard act to balance. And it's all dynamic so always changining under acceleration and braking. Not easy, a good rider is able to pin point and put into words what's hapening, sounds easy but I know riders who just can not explaine what they feel. With bike setup and geometry I like to say, the more you learn the less you seem to know. Some great books on track geom and setup, but MAN they get complex, lots of math.
I suppose just pay someone to set it up? Its got ktec forks and maxton gp10 shock but i think the guy before me was heavier? Jimbo can you confirm?
Dave Hall is a big lad mate so defo need a set up to your weight.... tbh it'll be fine but might want to look at re spring and service at some point?
Haha when they ask me what's goin on so can change my setup I have no idea at all. I can't expalin it cause I just don't know. It's either goood or bad or I'm pickin the rear wheel up more than before ! I did get pulled on down the straights but will prove if it's a power thing this year but ul prob come flying past me and that will cock it up I crashed on a mix of used tyres and fresh so yea keep them fresh as possible. Ul know when the grips goin off Has it been tuned ? That was good times it did ! Just talking to my mate who's in Spain. First real ride on his Zx. Mostly all he said was wow what a bike anti wheelie is excellent and traction is awesome u can really pin it and the tyres knackered ! Buuuuut he said yea still miss the blade got a soft spot for it. I reckon hel take off 2 seconds every track this year. He's done 3 secs in his first day at cartegena
New bike or just an improving rider? Sometimes hard to tell IMO...... Guess guys who've been doing a long time and are maxed out on lap times then yeah, but for us mere mortals on the learning curve... If I don't take off two secs a track this year on the same bike ill be gutted
I'm not certain cause I know what ur saying. Get on something new and u got a new found excitement confidence. But hopefully we'll find out. His corner exit was pants on the blade.did 2:00 at snet but didn't get out like he should have. Il follow him 'if I can' and then il be able to tell if its the bike etc
2min is going well so will do to drop 2 secs straight off that... especially with the ZX being a tad fickle at the sharper end so i'm told.... is it your mate Fozzy?
Top bikes, handle a dream. Easy to go fast on quite quickly cause its not a rude animal. Torque is top job and only lacks top end vs the 200hp machines. Tyre wear is really good on mine compared to other superbikes doing the same lap times but could be riding style or bike? Hard to go wrong with a blade
interesting comment... mine is awesome now ttx is dialled in... the kwaks and BM's tend to tear, maybe the TC cutting in and "pulsing" the power?
I think key for you Mark coming from a 600 will be throttle control and just take your time getting used to the extra power as you have the balls and youth on your side and you are a very good rider just take it easy when your in Spain as you will have so much more power and you do like to get on it A good set up is key as I really struggled this year with the Bmw and my times showed that compared to the blade it's only when I went to Jerez in Novemeber with a good set up that I was 4 seconds quicker than the blade there. Also a good set up will save you a fortune on tyres Jimbo at Snetterton in March was destroying tyres but as soon as he got a good set up his tyre wear was perfect that's something I am still struggling with is bad tyre wear which I hope to get sorted by a suspension company spending the day with me . Regarding TC it didn't save me with my crash at brands and I certainly don't rely on it when coming out of corners . Good luck for the year and I look forward to me and Jimbo getting it on with you and wedgie 3 blades v 1 bmw .
Not being bias coz I own a blade but they are one of the best handling bikes going mine has k tec 9.5s fitted ohlins rear and the thing handles like its on rails pops and bangs a lot coz of the full akrapovic and seton interceptor but it's sings down almeria bk straight lol I love it I would like a zx10 but I think I'd miss my blade I'm no top ten finish racer but Steve players words the blades is the best handling bike money can buy can't be too wrong he's won a few tt races that's why I think honda have kept producing these bikes they will be hard to beat but as jase and jimbo said at the race meetings it's all winabagos zx10s and beamers unfortunately my pockets aren't that deep or I'd have all 3 good luck with it u will love it no doubt
I do actully tear tures and had about 100 setups. They just say it's me I'm a freak. Yea that is Fozzy. And he's gonna smash 2:00 if the times he's doin now are anything to go by. On worn tyres too. I hate to think yhat I won't be able to sticker him with willys if I don't keep infront of him
I do think that part of my bad tyre wear is down to my riding style as I would say I am a aggressive rider especially at Jerez as I had changed my gearing -1/+2 and the drive out of the corners was insane so I probably was enjoying that a bit to much I did try to smooth out my riding in Jerez which slowed me down but did help tyre wear but I guess that was because I was going slower and the minute someone gets up your chuff Mr smooth is gone and Mr Aggresive is back.
