Nice idea Matt, good thread. Could it be that all the things that have made the FireBlade the icon it is, the benchmark by which all sport bikes are measured by leave people with a sense of 'is that all there is?' Does the aplomb with which the FireBlade tours, races, commutes, remains in one piece....leave people with a sense of the grass must be greener on the other side of the fence. If this minimally developed, twenty year old machine is still this good, what must these other, cutting edge state of the art weapons be like? Perhaps so, but I put it to you, the community of 1000rr.co.uk, that the main reason grass is greener on the other side of the fence is the amount of bullshit that goes into it's growing. David, Mike, Steve, Jaimie...don't hate me, I'm only pulling your pissers. (Guys, guys, I'm not really. They're a bunch of slack jawed, turncoat faggots, the lot of them)
personnaly,i've had a fireblade on track for 6 yrs,1st was an rr5 ex TT/BSB bike with everything barr the frame fabricated or modfied in some way,so it's hard to compare to standard bikes,i then after breaking the engine fo rthe 3rd time sold it in parts and made the same money as i paid for it 4 yrs on . then onto the 09,love/d it,very easy to ride,very compliant and could get away with things on it on track that would have you on your arse on other bikes. however,as i ride 99% of the time on track,i wanted a change,and something that could poossibly make me quicker,just take a look at the s/stock grid in any club race and the BSB line up,apart from a few it's mainly beemers+kwaks,and theres a reason for it,they are ultimatley quicker in the right hands.now wether my hands are the "right" hands or not remains to be seen,i dont for 1 minute think i got everything i could out of my bike,as i know lads that are far quicker then me on the same bike,and some far far quicker lads on 600's.but again thats not really the point,there always will be regardless. i'm quicker on my stock 09 blade,than i was on my 80 grand super bike (although it wasn't at the same spec as a full on s/bike when i had it),but i think when i get used to the beemer i will be quicker again,but if not,or if i dont like it for whatever reeason then i'll simply swap back,but until you try you'll never know. As foir the road,i have a 05 zx10r,which is an animal,but wouldn't have it any other way,love the looks of it,the sound and the feel. so in summary,yep blades are awesome bikes,but variety an all that
Just got mine recently and seem to have a love/hate relationship...love the speed, hate the position due to wrist and back pain, but overall positive
Agreed, top bikes! I've had 3 Blades, 07 Reg RR6, 10 Reg RR8 and 13 Reg RR12 - still got the last 2 Can't fault 'em - and cheap enough these days compared with the competition Just wish they would fit a decent exhaust that doesn't rust!
I don't understand why people have back and wrist problems... Are you not sitting right? Not using your legs to grip? H
I have my blade as a trackbike and love the bike and for now wouldn't want to swop it for anything as I found my move from enduro to sports bike an easy one and I put this down to the blade and how it does as you ask ,the only reason I got my BMW 1000rr was I wanted something different and I am really enjoying this bike and i love its looks as well. But I do feel as the blade does need to move with the times which include brembo brakes for a starter as the different between these 2 bikes when it comes to the brakes is night and day , and with all the electronic gizmos on the bmw it is an attraction for a lot of people can't say it was the main reason for me I do like a good looking machine and for me the bmw ticked the boxes .
It is a historical fact that euro bikes outsource their braking to brembo as a rule, whilst jap bikes either use in house or tokico. I do like Brembo as my dukes have them and they are good. In the past you could offset this with the difference in price, but that gap is less now. You still get your blade for a good few grand cheaper though. It's the old jap vs euro argument. It's just BMW are in the frame now and add to the reliability factor. When it was just Ducati and Aprilia, nobody gave a damn lol. I find the brakes pretty good on the blade. If i needed more i'd drop the money on the brembo's and be done with it The BMW is a bit like Jamie lee curtis, it has a great body and is a bit of a go-er, but I couldn't wake up to that face every morning!
Great thread! I'm one of the worst offenders for talking / wanting to try other bikes.... Doesn't detract away from the fact that I love my blade, it's now in track trim and sits patiently in the corner waiting for the next time it's carted to the track, and puts a huge smile on my face every time!! Great bike, no fuss, does exactly what it says on the tin.... If I was buying new again, would it be a blade, maybe - as it can't be overlooked, it's an awesome bit of kit for the money and the thinking mans superbike.... But you got to have a look around. Variety is the spice of life and all that... Do think the forum has become more than just a dedicated fireblade forum, and tbh I think it's great.... Would soon see me turn off if we had more flapper mod threads lol
has your bike got the earlier clip on bars that come straight out ? or has it got the later type that have an inbuilt rise to them like the very last ones have fitted ? (the 2008 onward blades also have the riser type fitted) as these make a massive difference to riding comfort.
I agree with jimbo even if i buy a different bike to the blade forum ill still be on here just as much. The people are what make this forum, not the bike. Although it does reflect that the blade is more often than not purchased by decent folk.
Yep totally agree. I loved my RR4 when I had and spent quite a few quid on it too. My dream bike was the new blade in the red, white and blue scheme (Sort of TT legends scheme this year). I was so chuffed when I found myself lucky enough to be in a position to afford and buy one quicker than I thought. NOw I have it she is everything I could want and she is defo here to stay Everytime I go out to the garage I have to sit for 10 mins just admiring her and thanking my lucky stars that shes actually mine !!!. Most of my mates are envious of it and would love to be able to afford one.
Great thread Mr B! I specifically chose to buy a Fireblade because of exactly what it is...Reliable, well built, relatively comfortable and bloody good looking. I wanted a bike with no frills or gimmicks, magical engine, sharp handling and wouldn't let me down. I've just got back from a 3,800 mile blast around the Alps, the Blade did'nt skip a beat, it was fantastic. And on my travels I saw every other make and model of bike under the sun, and not once did I think i'd rather have any one of them (apart from a mint SP2 i saw, but that would be in addition to, not in place of) Love my Honda Fireblade.
