SP came second in the Superstock yesterday at Oulton Park after the race was stopped, however he was catching the Kawa but whether he'd of done it in the remaining laps we'll never know.
So that people don't think I'm Honda hating here taking aside the points that the SP would send my arms to sleep on the road here is how I got to my decision regarding the best course to take for me going forward - Fireblade SP - Pros - Looks gorgeous, Handles like a wet dream, gives excellent feedback during cornering, smooth power curve even if the throttle is banged open, excellent brakes well front ones anyway the back one felt like it had gone AWOL most times. Slipper clutch great fun for banging down through the gears but can no longer blip throttle through down shifts. Cons - So much as run over an ant and it will shake your fillings loose, little to no exhausts available that are reasonably priced after all not all of us are millionaires who can afford to drop 2-3k on a WSB system and neither am I any good at welding so couldn't make my own even if I wanted to, Mods to invalidate warranty (Other counties may vary) but Belle Vue, Johns and Chelmsford all said NO end of discussion. Poor build quality for standard to tail unit to fall apart and paint to run in the rain. Low residual value after 3 years just 4995 with 24k on the clock according to Honda and I have that in black and white if anybody wants to see it. 2014 BMW S1000RR - Pros - Comes with slip on, rear sets, quickshifter, levers all as standard completely FOC, engine is smooth and progressive through all modes, Has launch mode, has rain mode (very important if you actually want to ride a bike in the UK for longer than a week at a time.) Sounds fantastic even with a stocker can it's much louder than the SP which, comes in handy when commuting. Will have a higher residual value than the Blade in 3 years time even with higher mileage count. Cons - Looks like an Alien that's suffered some sort of stroke. Has AIDS...(Not the STI kind but still these can inspire false hope in your actual abilities with the computer correcting your silly mistakes lulling you into a false sense of thinking you are a riding god.) Parts can corrode (Nothing that ACF 50 won't fix) So there you go I weighed up the pros and cons before making the final decision to move forward with my purchase and I have to say I don't regret it. Sure I will miss the SP it's a great bit of kit but for me the S1 simply does the better job for my everyday requirements. At the end of the day I don't really give a s**t what is the better bike on paper in the magazines blah blah blah none of them are paying for my finance whereas I am and like my previous blade and the SP and the S1 they all give me the grin factor to ride and that is what matters most to me...
Can't beat a good honest appraisal, yes they both have pros and cons, you obviously didn't get on with the SP and now you have found a bike that suits you Hope you enjoy her and your SP goes to a loved home
All the get it mate..if I chsnge the sp it will be for a hp4.. On my bucket list just don't Kniw if I could part with the sp.. Looking forward to my first trackday on it when I've sorted fairings ... Csn you message me the price for the s1 with all the extras.. Pre finance?
We are all very different and what may suit one will not another, I see your points and tbh you have to go with what makes you happy, I love them all and can pick bad points in them all too, plus I see the failures too more so than the good points so makes it even harder for me, I have a selection of bikes and after the weekend would still say my Ducati is the sharpest road bike ever BUT I'd not want to use it daily! Like you money is always a factor and we have to find something that fits our needs in one budget or just get one of each, guess I am lucky in that I have a daily bike (TDM900) that I use rather than suffer the downsides of the others, the TDM does nothing overly well but it does nothing bad, an understated way of saying how brilliant it is....lol
PM Sent Daz. I really hope the SP goes to somebody on here. She has been treated well by me, full autoglym detailing every weekend yes she did see one day of rain but can't be avoided on daily runs. I think that is what makes bikers such a great bunch we like a little bit of everything a bit different. For example I cannot understand why people dress up like the YMCA and ride Harley's but then I suppose they can't understand why we like to dress as power rangers it is all down to personal taste at the end of the day. Fortunately my late old man was a Rocker not a Mod so at least I had proper bikes in my heritage lol... Plus I'm marrying into a family of bikers and the Wife's Grandad never had a car until he was into his late 40's I believe he rode all year round on the old school bikes where the gear shift was on the right. I hope that the SP proves to be the pinnacle of quite frankly what I believe to be one of the best Superbikes ever produced of all time and the Blade started the superbike legacy and for that I will always be thankful and forever grateful.
Quote Low residual value after 3 years just 4995 with 24k on the clock according to Honda and I have that in black and white if anybody wants to see it. This is just the Guaranteed Future Value figure for PCP finance. It could be worth much more than that.
Good luck on the Beamer Nick, always a PITA when something new just don't work out for you, so what colour Beamer am I looking out for? PS Shame you did not take up on my offer of a short bike swap, I am sure the SP would have felt a little different to you after a weeks worth of commuting Kentblade style matey, and might just have swayed your mind.
Went for the White Black and Red colours buddy. Looks absolutely mint up close with the sparkles in the paint. Lol I am sure it would buddy. I've been using my old R6 this week that I sold to a mate of mine last year it's the old carb edition old girl has done 24k and still going strong and pulls like a train hard to keep the front wheel down although might have to exchange it for a submarine for the ride home tonight....
Nice one Nick, will be on the look out. Was a rather damp ride home, fine rain just clinging to the visor, worst type.
Hi Sinewave, did you have any problems fitting, and how much of a difference do you feel it made? Cheers in advance.
