Or what Honda do with the blade and sp just with updated model Seems to works for other manufacturers and gives them different options for stock racing etc.... And gives us the choice. Not everyone wants (or needs) to spend £18k plus on a road bike. All the club boys buy standard r1's and mod to suit, don't buy m's. Says it all really.
Old boat anchor didn't do too bad to get second in sstk!! Farmer is riding the wheels off it though. Both bikes was doing well til the restart in BSB.
you do realise that the BSB have engine mods and produce more power than your road bikes take standard blade and race against std BMW, R1, Zx10r, duke, Aprilia and it will be left behind, you really shouldn't compare road to track. you only have to look at the Rutter Mallory times in PB to see. the sp was 11th fastest time and the standard was 18th, 3s a lap slower than BMW s1000rr S and mallory is a short track. however for just road use, all litre bikes are more than good enough after all we can only go 70mph max I am looking forward to seeing the reading the specs of the new blade though, roll on 2017
What ?? The're not std? Yes, I'm not deluded, just nice to see a underdog do well and show that everything can be improved, even if it took Cosworth to develop the engine. I Spend quite a few weekends at BSB as friends son does superstock 600 and spanner a bit, so not completely green with bike racing. I rode my bike down to Thruxton and is plenty fast enough, just be nice to have something different.
Its only when you look at sales figures / travel round Europe that you realise the market focus has moved so far away from sports bikes - it appears to be either 'Adventure' bikes with panniers etc. or nakeds like the Z1000, S1000r etc. I'd love to see the sales figures but sure I read the MT-09 was biggest selling bike in Europe ? The new one will go well, cost more and for loads of folk they will go no faster on the road or track than they do on the current one. Will be interesting just how much tech it has on it when goes on sale, but loads will be standard, and the zorst WILL be huge as it will be Euro whatever compliant which the current one is not (hence the bargains starting to appear as I think all 2016 bikes MUST be registered by end of year)
I know they are not dead - just that as a market segment they are not where they were % of sales like a few years ago , really feels like market has changed - more so in Europe was what I spotted last month.
If you go to a race meeting, like a MotoGP, you will see lots of sportsbikes. The first time I went to Assen last year - I had never seen so many sportsbikes at one time, in all my life. More one-piece leathers with knee sliders, than Heine Gericke and flip-up lids !
This is good timing, when 2015 sales figures just released and combined by visor down into real world figures : http://www.visordown.com/node/24689
Yeah but look at the old cbr600 was very simalar to the Fireblade.. Wouldn't be surprised if that's it, they will share styling clues for sure
