Just picked up this weeks MCN and there’s a 2 page Q&A feature on the new SP. Neeve has been testing it on the road. Next week there’s a test against the Panigale and R1.
Don't really see how a £20k price tag and large depreciation is an issue if you are PCPing. All you're doing with your payments is paying for the depreciation. If you're willing to pay £300+ a month for cars and bikes then the list price is irrelevant because you'll probably never own these vehicles. A £20k Fireblade isn't for me though because I don't like PCPing.
True but i intend to pay my SP off and keep it, certainly wont be trading it in against another new one, i suppose thats a good thing. The 0% in some ways makes up for any depreciation and what could you buy for that final payment of with that sort of specification. Its the price of a new VFR. See half glass full mode now
Your logic is true but only in isolation. If the PCPer had invested the otherwise sunk cost of owning the bike for cash, in an appreciating asset, then he'd have had the new bike experience, having rented it on a PCP, and the investment growth from his appreciating asset to cover the PCP charges. A typically performing asset over the last few years would be Bitcoin, gold or silver. It's really about hedging the costs of ownership against your understanding of other assets. However, I'd still rather have a RR7!
Yes that would be a nice situation to be in, you'd need a very large portfolio to yield enough money to PCP a 2020 fireblade though
But you were suggesting the investment return would cover the PCP cost if I read your post correct. Reality is that you might end up with a double whammy, particularly with the investments you suggested. In your defence, when I PCP'd my current blade at 0%, I invested the balloon payment. I've made a bit. But not much.
I said to invest in an appreciating asset and gave three assets I have successfully used as hedges for many years. Obviously, if you are not familiar with investing or confident in the outcome, then it is best to avoid the risk. I do not want my comments to derail this thread, I posted my thoughts innocently, but if anyone seriously thinks the assets I mentioned are not profitable, then I'd suggest studying the price charts of each.
We could start a new thread - Investments Top Tips - and be an important resource for City traders Top tip No. 1 - don't by Virgin Atlantic shares (I might be a bit late with that one but keen on the scent ) Sorry.
In the end the only value that matters is the ownership Experience, wether it costs a few grand or 20 grand is up to oneself, like every thing in life it is what you do with it that matters.
I paid more than £4k deposit Charlie, but whatever you buy new you lose £'s has soon as it leaves the showroom.
Buying the depreciation on a Honda Fireblade seems to have become a very expensive game in the last 3 years and its about to get a whole lot worse. I'm all for it if its going to be bought at the end, I just think it would be a mugs game giving Honda £15k over 3 years to rent this new one and then give it back at the end.
I didn't manage to test the bike on Friday as the weather was poor but I did manage at demo ride yesterday, Monday. So in short what did I think? I have a 2018 SP1 and I think the 2020 is in a different league. I had the bike for 5 hours and completed 200 miles. I picked it up at 11am and returned it at 16:00. No rain. After sitting on the bike at the NEC I was convinced it was going to feel cramped but I never once felt cramped. I missed hitting the gear lever to start with because the lever is tucked right in. I believe this was the reason I managed to accidentally put it into neutral when going for second on a roundabout. The indicator switch is a bit wooly, putting the indicators on is easy but cancelling them is a bit vague, it is no longer a definite action pressing the switch in. That said I never failed to cancel them. Throttle operation is superior to my bike's, the slightly hesitant nature from a standing (gentle) start of my bike certainly doesn't surface on the new bike. Alway crisp, willing and predictable. I didn't notice a fuel gauge but I did notice the low fuel warning graphic when there was 0.5 gallon left and a predicted 26 miles remaining. The exhaust flap opens at around 4000rpm and if you're just pootling along when it opens it sounds like another bike is approaching from behind. You soon get used to this and learn to stop checking your mirrors for a ghost bike. But what is its USP? The amazing power delivery opening the throttle hard in 3rd gear at 7000rpm is addictive, just about any opportunity you get, you just have to do it again and again and again...Warp Speed sums it up perfectly. I never realised the world could fly by so quickly, vision blurring. A few journalist tests mention the lack of midrange power but I'm not convinced they are correct. It felt fine to me for road use. Handling is sharp and it is eager to turn in. It felt like it had a shorter wheelbase but according to the spec sheets it's actually 50mm longer. One thing I did noticed was a very slight tendency for the bike to roll side to side at 30mph, to start with I lead myself to believe it was the wind but I now don't believe that to be the case, as it could be felt several times. If anyone has ridden with the steering head bearing slightly over tight you'll know the rolling feeling I mean. Maybe it is something to do with the relocation of the electronic steering damper. It is now located by the lower fork yolk. My jury is still out on this one. Strangely, the bike now has a steel sub frame with a few welds on it, doesn't look anywhere near as good as the 2018 SP alloy subframe, but it now means you can take a passenger, why the hell anyone would want to perch their arse on the back of one these missiles is beyond me. I didn't faff about with any of the setting, the dealer explained them but I just left it P1 and whatever the rest of that stuff did. I didn't detect any noticeable difference between my bike and this bike on the suspension front. There are a few sets of speed bars near where I live and they all felt the same on either bike. I didn't notice any difference with normal road riding. I tested the bike on roads that i knew and everything on the suspension front, felt the same which is firm but good. Front brakes were 1st class, having good solid predictable bite. Back brake had a bit too much lever travel and didn't really produce much braking effect. I'm not so keen on the left hand switchgear. It looks a bit too busy and tacky for me, I never even touched it. I really like keyless ignition but it obviously has its problems in the real world, the dealership was keen to point out I must return it at the end of the demo ride. It would be all too easy to forget and walk away with it in your pocket. The key is still required to open the fuel and the small under seat storage. I'm not sure how the steering lock works on a keyless ignition. So, what do I think? If you can afford it buy it. It really is an amazing bike with an amazing engine. Is it a road bike? Yes, easy to ride on the road, but you aren't ever gonna get your money's worth on the road.
This is barmy. Triumph have done it on their Speed Triple aswell. Having to use the key for the fuel cap undoes all the benefit of having it keyless. You have to muck about getting the key out of your pocket when you fuel up instead of having it right there infront of you in the ignition barrel. You can forgive Honda a little because its gone keyless for performance solutions. Think I'd still put a racing fuel cap on though if I bought one.
