Just wondering if you could give me a run down on what you think.. How it handles? Comparison to other bikes Any niggles or watch outs? I'm considering buying a 08- blade for racing 1000cc endurance next year. I did own a 2010 model for a year on the road and it was fantastic. Cheers guys
It lacks power mate, can be frustrating getting held up in a series of corner for them to hook up and pull away again on the straights... all my crashes this year have been in anger getting frustrated going to hot on the brakes into hairpins etc where i'm conscious i'm loosing time on the pack in front so it's all out to get past and has gone wrong a couple of times Handling is superb and I would say I carry way more corner speed on mine than the guys i'm around in a race, brakes are ok, but my stock front end struggles at times when proper on the brakes. its so smooth you get great feel to put the power down, but ive seen kwaks get round this issue using the gizmos so they can really get the power down compared to you, sure this is more my fear of high siding though but I can sometimes lose a bit of drive out the corners.... As Sinewave didn't say , there are noises the gearboxes can be weak and mine and jase's have gone but know plenty that haven't had an issue.... three lads racing zx10's in my class - 1 has blown a box so they are hardly bullet proof as suggested. my bike has a ttx shock, master cylinder, hell lines and quick shifter and I know the bike is still better than me. Current top 5 in my class I think is : blade zx10 blade zx10 zx10 all blades are pre 2012 although are fairly tricked up but at this level in the right hands still a very good usable bike IMO. I think what it lacks in a bit of power it makes up for in usability and just how good it is out of the crate, and for value for money, you cant go wrong as far as im concerned. I would say the kwak can make a decent rider look very good and hard to beat, but at nearly twice the price it should do! certainly not twice the bike though.
Johnathon lodge 3x gearboxes on zx10r this year tyke I know Jase and JImbo done there blade boxes aswell I was told they were updated for 12 here's hoping . Every race bike on pace is gonna get problems front of end of the pack this week was 675r at oulton 1:31
yours has been im told also. the selectors have been changed I think? 1.31 at oulon? brookes done a 1.35.9 I think mate! lol
Well in that case mate its the worst possible update, my 2013 Blades gear box was the worst I've ever had on any bike, and after 2000 miles was well on its way out. Jay was having problems with the gearbox on his 2013 Blade so to was Daz on his 2014 SP. Not saying the zx10 gearbox is any better though. That guy parked in front of you in garage 13 doing the endurance on the 2011 zx10 had gone through 3 gearboxes in 5000 track miles, so not good....
I do know what Jimbo means if you have that extra bit of power to nip past then it takes you 2-3 corners to get past only to be past again on a bit of a straight like me racing with 750 and 1000 then I start making mistakes . But I'm using my blade as it's sitting there all dolled up n race fairings ready to go
You punish them any make they gotta go somewhere someday all bikes have there weaknesses and being raced even more so I'll worry about it next year ha ha
As an all round package I think you cant go wrong! just some tracks it struggles, others it plays into your hands... the times that the lads at the front in my class are doing on them suggest they are still more than capable bikes.... I just fall into that fairly decent rider that wants to be made to look good on a kwak bracket! ha ha
pmsl Jimbo if i match your times on the blade ill be bloody happy id love a kwak or a beemer but love my blade so its staying for a while ha ha
So basically the blade is a better all rounder and lacks power (only 15bhp ish). An 08-11 model would still be more than enough and cheaper than a 12-. The kwak has more power and is obviously the favoured bike but I've heard that the pre 2011 kwaks are "shit". I cant really afford a 2011- zx10r they are mega money
There's your boy yt Stock motor producing 179 and 84lbs of torque.. It was awesome at croft yesterday. Started off doing 142s as I've been there and finished up at 135 so not so bad for a fat lad ha
