CBR or no CBR

So my unfortunate ownership of my black and white 2010 ABS Blade is over. This experience left me somewhat confused. I used to have a good old 600f and it was a juggernaut. Virtually indestructible. Before buying the Blade i was counting on similar Honda quality. I was slightly disappointed.
The bike was a bit dodgy from the start - first registered in Ireland then brought to UK and registered here this year with a slightly lower price tag for an ABS machine. a few scuff marks but nothing major - I needed an everyday commuter so i thought whatever.
Before that i was a proud owner of 2010 Hayabusa so I can compare top of the line models. Honda slightly disappointed - very basic equipment (no fuel gauge, no gear indicator, dash is a bit .. less ergonomic, levers are a bit tight to squeeze - i was a bit spoiled by the big bird). But i could've lived with that - in the end it's the rideability that really sells this bike. well not exactly.. don't get me wrong - the handling was perfect, bike looked nice but.. my front brake kept failing. It has to be a problem of that particular bike.. but 3 times... 3 near misses. Brake just failed completely. I blame the fecking ABS system - after reading forums i believe it's the earlier bikes' abs design that is at fault. But what i don't understand is how come the mighty Honda did not acknowledged the fault and did not recall/fix the flagship model..?
After the 3rd time i just took it back to the dealer and asked for the money. That's just not something you'd expect from a 2yo Honda. to be fair Marshall motorcycles in Peterborough tried their best to rectify the problem and agreed to take back the bike without hassle - well done on customer service.
I am left with a mixed emotion though - should i try my luck with a Blade again or maybe it's just not my bike?
P.s. no negativity intended and i respect the fact that 99.9% of people here probably love the bike - but that's why i'd appreciate your opinion guys. Have anyone had a similar experience? I can't afford a 12 model so it'll have to be 09-11(08 model i heard was also troublesome..?).
Thanks

 

Personally I think the pre 08 models build quality is far better.
Even my often slagged Ducati was better put together and didn't
Have the cheap plastic feel that my 09 has.I can't comment on the
Abs as I had a few run ins with a bmw doing the no brakes trick on
Me so I opted for the non abs model. ..glad I did.
I'm happy enough with my bike atm but to be honest it doesn't
Give me the same fire in my belly that my RR5 or duke gave me.
But it is cheaper to run so I'll have to keep it

 

Thanks for your opinion. I kinda felt similar comparing Blade to a Busa... and same as you - have chosen Blade for reliability and costs (running a Busa everyday is a good support of Britains petrol market). However am still not entirely convinced on pros and cons.

 

Thanks. Maybe it's worth a second try then. definitely no ABS this time tho

 

I am on my 5th Fireblade, so you could call me bias, but I have also had 2 CBR 600's a Yamaha R1, Kawasaki ZX636 and Ducati 748R but I keep coming back to the Blade for the sheer pleasure it gives me. I am a road rider with maybe one or two track days per year so not your seasoned all year round rider and I have found them faultless and of great build quality. My current bike is non ABS so cannot comment on the issues raised, it is also brand new so if there were any niggles it will be back to the dealer.
I guess it is like anything in life, it comes down to personal choice and brand loyalty and if you have a bad experience it can put you off.
I cannot wait for the better weather to get out and give my blade some stick.
John

 

My 2010 non abs blade has not given me any issues at all. I think you have just been unlucky with that one!

 

The ABS system is known to be dodgy and unreliable (in some instances).
Everything else about the bike is great.

 

There are many different bikes, cars and washing machines on the market to give the consumer a choice, one negative experience can contribute to ones opinion. I too think my previous RR1 and RR5 were far better made than my 12-11 bike I now have, however, you make your judgement like for like, or indeed year of manufacturer and in my opinion though the build quality has been compromised to keep the price competitive, Honda are still top of the Japanese bikes!

 

I've owned quite a few different models of Fireblade and don't see any evidence of the build quality going downhill. Can anyone elaborate? What exactly has got worse in terms of build quality?

 

First of all don't get me wrong, I love my blade and would have nothing else! If you run your hands around the frame inside and out, the sharp edges are more apparent then I remember, the plastics feel flimsy and I already have one or two bolts showing corrosion. It is also noteworthy that the oil usage was never a factor on the previous models? My repsol wheels leave colour on the polish rag. My 05 was in better condition than my current new 12-11 with 1400 miles on the clock? Having said that I love the bike!

 

mine was got purely on running costs so I could do all my own work.
the duke just took too much time,effort and cost to do anything with
unless you have shelled out for all the special tools needed.I have
been really thinking about an 09 onward R1 but thats because I love
the note of them,need to test ride one first.another thing is I think
the duke spoilt me with the handling,first time out on the blade I was
very surprised how slow and cumbersome it felt on the slower tighter
corners,front end gave me no confidence.

 

Thanks Carl. Interesting views.
I've not noticed any of those differences between the models (RRT, RRW, RRX, RR2, RR6, RR8).
Believe it or not, I lucnhed my RR6 motor by running it low on oil - no warning light, no sudden oil loss, must have been burning. I didn't check the level for months!

 

dont talk about plastics, I need a new nose cone after I cracked mine
and the local honda dealer said they have broke the tabs on a few
nose cones getting the screens changed.
I hadn't put hardly any pressure on mine and it broke,
my xmas tree bobbles have more strength to them lol

 

I wonder if there is some variation in the quality of the plastics or something. I've changed my 08 screen and had no probs at all with the tabs. Also polish that area with quite a lot pressure and had no hint of cracking or anything like that. It could just be that bolts are too tight and stressing the plastic.

 

I had a Busa before my two blades.
The bikes are just too different to compare, but I do agree about the disappointment in problems with the blade.
I had the same ABS issues with my first 2010 blade as well as the oil burning issue.
I chopped It in for a brand new Repsol blade (non ABS) and had no issues.
As a generalisation, and in my opinion, the Busa is more bike for the money and it is bullet proof.
Having said that, I loved my blade.

 

I've owned fireblades for 19 1/2 years and never had any serious problems, just a couple of dead batteries. A mate has had rear wheel bearings go, a radiator fail, the alternator fault and a couple of batteries in 15 years. The older blades were better built with thicker paint, stronger plastics and didn't use any oil but progress and EU regs have conspired to leave the blade as we now find it.

 

Has anyone seen the pic of the 954 with the snapped swingarm? It was in a bike mag and the geezer reckoned he hadn't done anything to cause it?

 

I've got a 2011 abs repsol I've had from new and never had a problem with braking. Agree about the difficulties with the plastics though. Need gentle hands not to snap the tabs off. I've had few occasions where I thought I'd got them in without a drama, only to find the tab snapped off on the floor. Doh!

 

The fuel gauge is excellent on your model bike, shipmate! I have the 2009 ABS model and the fuel gauge very useful. A press of a button to access it. My ABS has never failed me. It's better than the ABS on the VTEC I had before it.My Fireblade does not burn oil. The finish could be better though. The metal seems to degrade quicker. The exhaust cover is spotted with rust blisters. Some will say that's an excuse to get a new exhaust but for a halo model...not good enough. I would definitely get another Fireblade, especially if it came with the option of having a 25L tank.