Well guys you'll be glad to hear I've just ordered my 2020 Fireblade SP (HRC Colours), deposit put down today, just didn't want @nigelrb to be alone on this forum with his purchase and also wanted to first to get on the Welsh roads around me before @Beckers :-D
Rich and Nige, good effort lads and if I was in the market for a new bike, right now it would be the 2020 SP. The riding position would not be a problem for me as I only need to stick it out for 12 miles (distance from my house is to Willingham woods biker meet on a Wednesday night), then home again. I must admit it looks amazing on the YouTube footage posted on here from the NEC. I am Still lying down with a damp cloth on my forehead from when Nige said he may be interested in an R1M? Explain yourself Nige. What the H were you thinking.
Nige I accept your explanation. Thank you. It is just I have two major problems with the R1 (R1M). A, It’s not a Honda. B, It is horrible. That is one ugly motorcycle. It is a matter of each to their own and if you have one and you like it. Fair play.
Again each to there own but in the flesh it looks great however I'm not now looking for one will ride the new blade and new v4s.....but I think going Italian as blade to small....and I don't like the fact standard one comes in same paint job....R1m even has bad brakes that can fade on track according to my mate who had last model and these have not been improved as he had a go on the lastest at silverstone as ordered new one real one brand chap where me I have no brand loyalty ...
The MT10 brakes were sh!t but a better pad compound resolved this and I now have an R1 radial master here to upgrade this winter. I went with SBS Sintered but Brembo SC’s or SA’s are an agreed solution but the SBS cost me less than £30 for the full front end and not £85!
The new Fireblade has upped the game for sportbikes. But it is still untested, either by the the German Bauer Media Group (owners of MCN and others titles) or has it been tested on the track. I suspect the Bauer Media Group will find a way to introduce some doubt into it - like comfort or that it is only a track bike and not usable for the road (unlike of course the BMW !) - I am sure that kind of thing will happen (like MCN did with the R1), so be prepared for that. The only other way the bike will be able to prove itself is in the big race series like BSB, WSBK and maybe the TT. That will not be up to some media Johny's opinion. The story of the VTR SP would not be the same if it had taken on the Ducati and lost all the time and been a failure - (or Ford with their GT40 and Ferrari). I think this new Blade has moved the game on from the R1 M - the R1 is currently a great package - cross plane crank motor is something else - price performance - looks - proven electronics package - as much performance as a somebody without sponsorship on their leathers could possibly use. If the new Blade looses every race, comes last in every series, crashes all the time and becomes a joke - they have not got a hope in hell of selling me one - but if it takes on the Ducatis and BMWs (and their Bauer Media Group) and rubs their noses in it - then they got a much better chance of selling me one ! Let the battle commence !
You must really like something to pay 24k and not ridden it ,,,,not even a real world review you wouldn't even buy a car without a spin....wait till you pull off the drive onto the road and think what have I done....or could be wow good choice but a massive gamble...
You are right, I do like that R1. You wait until you try your new CBR ! ......recommend using the most sensitive throttle map - a bit of brain recalibration will likely be required ! It is going to be an amazing bike. Good on you for sticking with your Honda loyalty - you will have to get a Honda tattoo done Personally, life is too short to wait for Honda to pull their finger out - I cannot be waiting around for two-three years for them to get their thing together when there is so much else around to try.
I’m working on my brand loyalty by having a stencil CNC cut so I can daub Yamaha Racing in white on the blue band I’ve painted around my garage
You could have both Yamaha Factory Racing and the common old Yamaha Racing that covers the other racing involvements. I am sure I have T-Shirts jackets etc with both of these terms used.
I once kept a ZX9r in my front room, manage to catch a bit of skirt one drunken night.. she took me by surprise sat on the f**kin bike and set the alarm off.. could I find the frigginn key
Any more news on the price of the new Blade int he UK? It seems a post from a Belguim dealer suggesting price is as low as 23,000 euros for the SP, that's about 20,000 of the Queens money. Is Honda getting cold feet about their pricing?
How has pricing normally been? Does the sterling price match the euro price or was the price the same by exchange rate?
So just got a call from the dealership, Honda have now finalised the pricing which is also confirmed on their website: 1000RR-R base model: £19,999 1000RR-R SP: £23,499
I will enjoy my R1 even more with the blade at those prices so not anytime soon will I be buying a new blade
