Honda CBR900RR Fireblade 1998?

[Bad Biker]

looking for opinions from all the experts out there!

I am currently giving thout to getting one of the above bikes?

what are the thoughts on this bike?

[Fast Eddie]

yea I love them but not the 1998 ones.. 1992-1997 the RRV model was the last decent one.. 98 onward with the 17" front rim and the revised styling they just don't do it for me.
I like to think my fireblade was the last of the best. after that they got fat/lost their good looks and got a bit shite.

chicks dig fire(blades)

263246263242263243263244263245

as for riding them they are ok.. mines no where near what it was like out of the factory. you can do heaps to improve them and get good grunt out of them. I like mine. even factory ones are very nice to ride, nice bikes - still grunty even standard :D

obviously I love em lol..

[hayd3n]

chicks dig fire(blades)



obviously I love em lol..

2nd pic needs to be clearer unless its you in a bikini

[tigertim20]

there are some very cheap R1s on trademe at the moment . . .

[tigertim20]

yea I love them but not the 1998 ones.. 1992-1997 the RRV model was the last decent one.. 98 onward with the 17" front rim and the revised styling they just don't do it for me.
I like to think my fireblade was the last of the best. after that they got fat/lost their good looks and got a bit shite.

chicks dig fire(blades)

Quoted Embedded Images Removed

as for riding them they are ok.. mines no where near what it was like out of the factory. you can do heaps to improve them and get good grunt out of them. I like mine. even factory ones are very nice to ride, nice bikes - still grunty even standard :D

obviously I love em lol..

looks aside (seeing as they are a matter of preference)
from what I can see, the 98 blade is actually 3kg lighter than the 97.
(referencing bikez.com dry weights)

[Fast Eddie]

yea they look fatter and bigger tho which is what I meant. and physically the fairings and shape they are bigger.

get rid of the stock muffler and ur already lighter than the 98 anyway haha.. heaps to get rid of on the blade. mine should be a diet cola

[Fast Eddie]

2nd pic needs to be clearer unless its you in a bikini

its like a still shot from a video actually.. lol

could be me - I wasn't sober at that time..

[actungbaby]

looking for opinions from all the experts out there!

I am currently giving thout to getting one of the above bikes?

what are the thoughts on this bike?

My thoughts as not ever owning one are love too esp the orginal model

apprently thet better with 17 inch front wheel some people fit these to first model

They went to 17 inch later, there good video on utube where guy compares orginal

blade to latest one , he loved the engine on orginal 900cc version said had loads

Of charcter

I love my vfr 750 and did before i even rode one so thoughts are the same with cbr 900

I think if you got this feeling you want the bike at least ride one or just go for it

Mind you nothing wrong with r1 or gsx either all nice and light

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7omyUFdnveE

here,s that review

[Fast Eddie]

My thoughts as not ever owning one are love too esp the orginal model

apprently thet better with 17 inch front wheel some people fit these to first model

They went to 17 inch later, there good video on utube where guy compares orginal

blade to latest one , he loved the engine on orginal 900cc version said had loads

Of charcter

:D character is what its all about..

I like the 16" front, it runs a big 130 wide front tyre and they feel great. I think people just wanted 17" for tyre choice mainly and that myth about the 16" being twitchy which I've never found a real problem. the new 1000cc bikes can be just as nervous my 2 cents anyways

[Muppet]

Here's my opinion, buy it! Especially if you find a mint one.

[Marmoot]

98 onward with the 17" front rim and the revised styling they just don't do it for me.
I like to think my fireblade was the last of the best. after that they got fat/lost their good looks and got a bit shite.

Correction, 900RR 98-99 still has 16 inch front.

Feeling-wise it is very similar to the 96-97 version. The total revolution only started from 2000+ with 929, then 954, then 100rr.

I kept my '99 one for almost 7 years, doing 70k+ kilometres on it.
Couldn't fault it if you like cuddly old-timer superbike.
I had a VTR1000SP1, a Hayabusa, a CBR1000RR, and now on a Ducati, but I still miss my 99 Fireblade.

And yes I never had problem with the 16" front.

Get the '99 model blue/red/orange/black colour if you can. I think that's the prettiest of them all.

http://motoprofi.com/imgs/a/a/a/c/p/honda_cbr_900_rr_fireblade_2000_7_lgw.jpg

http://motoprofi.com/imgs/a/a/a/c/p/honda_cbr_900_rr_fireblade_2000_8_lgw.jpg

[hayd3n]

16 inch front is all good ive never had a problem with the hornet
the bt016 is a fantastic tyre

[hayd3n]

its like a still shot from a video actually.. lol

could be me - I wasn't sober at that time..

wheres the video??

[Fast Eddie]

haha guess I could upload it.. doin a uni assignment at the moment. its shit quality like the still photo above eh.. just a drunken afternoon in the sun.

and true about the 98/99, I was fairly sure they changed to 17" as well as made styling revisions after my blade. learn somethin everyday - I'v got a tonne of magazines about all the blades some good readin' with the 98/99 next vers they went more aerodynamic and I think changed the frame and geometry too? anyway not to my taste. they just don't quite look right with the slight shape changes - I'v ridden one in the colors marmoot showed. tis a nice bike, one floats round in dunners. It did feel diff to mine IMO tho but could just be the individual bikes

92/93 blue n white ones are the ones I like best although I do prefer the foxeye headlamps 95+ I think.

[theseekerfinds]

I love my 98 RRW.. it's fast, it eats curves, is mint on the road and the track as well as trips over 1000kms and whilst it is a 98 model so doesn't have all the modern day electronics that boost owners egos rather than their skill bases, it is still an awesome ride.
I run Metzeler tyres and have no problems with them though I am looking at the 016s as my next full set replacement. any one who says buy an R1 or that sort of crap is a magazine reading anorak.. Nothing against the R1 at all. The 1998 RRW weighs less than the 1997 model, puts out stronger power and is more sorted chassis wise including the aforementioned geometry changes which kept steering speedy but aided stability.. some people (including the mag testers) seemed to think that meant it was a soft bike, no FireBlade is a soft bike.
buy the bike, you won't be disappointed nor will you feel ripped off in any department. mine is the candy orange blaze model and while I do like the blue/orange/black one I prefer the candy orange blaze model (there are some choice colour schemes available on the US CBR919 models)
buy an R1 indeed :bleh:

[Madness]

haha guess I could upload it.. doin a uni assignment at the moment.

Fucking younger generation, no priorities! :facepalm:

[Bad Biker]

There is some really good feed back on this and gives me a bit to think about.

next steep is to go for a test ride and that will assist witj making my mind up. :drinknsin

Yer I want to see the video as well!!!!!!! :corn:

[tigertim20]

I love my 98 RRW.. it's fast, it eats curves, is mint on the road and the track as well as trips over 1000kms and whilst it is a 98 model so doesn't have all the modern day electronics that boost owners egos rather than their skill bases, it is still an awesome ride.
I run Metzeler tyres and have no problems with them though I am looking at the 016s as my next full set replacement. any one who says buy an R1 or that sort of crap is a magazine reading anorak.. Nothing against the R1 at all. The 1998 RRW weighs less than the 1997 model, puts out stronger power and is more sorted chassis wise including the aforementioned geometry changes which kept steering speedy but aided stability.. some people (including the mag testers) seemed to think that meant it was a soft bike, no FireBlade is a soft bike.
buy the bike, you won't be disappointed nor will you feel ripped off in any department. mine is the candy orange blaze model and while I do like the blue/orange/black one I prefer the candy orange blaze model (there are some choice colour schemes available on the US CBR919 models)
buy an R1 indeed :bleh:

Actually, you might find that people who suggest an R1 are people who have done quite a few KMs on both, and are speaking from personal preference.
The blades are a nice ride, but look to me like a girl who would be hot if she'd just lose a couple kilos.
all just opinion.

[Fast Eddie]

I love my 98 RRW.. it's fast, it eats curves, is mint on the road and the track as well as trips over 1000kms and whilst it is a 98 model so doesn't have all the modern day electronics that boost owners egos rather than their skill bases, it is still an awesome ride.
I run Metzeler tyres and have no problems with them though I am looking at the 016s as my next full set replacement. any one who says buy an R1 or that sort of crap is a magazine reading anorak.. Nothing against the R1 at all. The 1998 RRW weighs less than the 1997 model, puts out stronger power and is more sorted chassis wise including the aforementioned geometry changes which kept steering speedy but aided stability.. some people (including the mag testers) seemed to think that meant it was a soft bike, no FireBlade is a soft bike.
buy the bike, you won't be disappointed nor will you feel ripped off in any department. mine is the candy orange blaze model and while I do like the blue/orange/black one I prefer the candy orange blaze model (there are some choice colour schemes available on the US CBR919 models)
buy an R1 indeed :bleh:

my 97 might make more power than your 98 :bleh: hehe.. and is probably lighter too! gotta pay and tune it up tho! not sure if you've done anything to yours

gotta love the blades! suspension has plenty of potential too if you care to tune and upgrade it a bit.

[Fast Eddie]

Actually, you might find that people who suggest an R1 are people who have done quite a few KMs on both, and are speaking from personal preference.
The blades are a nice ride, but look to me like a girl who would be hot if she'd just lose a couple kilos.
all just opinion.

yea tis all personal opinion, I've borrowed an 04 R1 for the day. epic epic epic..

but its like you say you felt with the s1000rr tim.. i dunno.. it just felt like it was too good, too refined. I rode faster and better cause the bike covered up the mistakes.

the old blade still takes a bit of tongue in cheek at times to get it moving. I have a blast on mine.

but I will get an R1 sooner or later, I really like the new shape ones, like 2009/2010 the new front head lights n shit.. it'll be added to the collection - wouldn't give up the blade to get one put it that way :D hehe

[Damantis]

Great fun, tho if you wanna spend a whole day on it, you may find it uncomfortable. ( Maybe I'm just feeling my age though ) Great bang for your buck as it's a lot of bike for around 5k. A well priced R1 would be worth a look too as it was the bike that knocked the fireblade off the top in the power to weight ratio department. I suspect the ergonomics are pretty similar. I went from a VTR1000 to my 97 Blade and sometimes miss the V Twin grunt tho it's a different feel / delivery of power.

The 16 inch front wheel does limit your tyre choice to only about three tyres but they're not shit tyre tho. Have got a BT016 on at the mo and feels better than the Metzler that was on it. Just scrubbed in a BT023 on the rear and gotta say I hope it lasts as well as it sticks.

[Fast Eddie]

Fucking younger generation, no priorities! :facepalm:

lol whats worse I don't know how to upload a video here.. how do you do it or do I have to do it on youtube first.. cause I can't be fucked signing up etc..

[Fast Eddie]

Great fun, tho if you wanna spend a whole day on it, you may find it uncomfortable. ( Maybe I'm just feeling my age though ) Great bang for your buck as it's a lot of bike for around 5k. A well priced R1 would be worth a look too as it was the bike that knocked the fireblade off the top in the power to weight ratio department. I suspect the ergonomics are pretty similar. I went from a VTR1000 to my 97 Blade and sometimes miss the V Twin grunt tho it's a different feel / delivery of power.

The 16 inch front wheel does limit your tyre choice to only about three tyres but they're not shit tyre tho. Have got a BT016 on at the mo and feels better than the Metzler that was on it. Just scrubbed in a BT023 on the rear and gotta say I hope it lasts as well as it sticks.

blade forum! finally KB has my interest haha.. the BT016 is mint, liked it on the track and road.

I found the R1 more comfortable than the blade I'm 6 foot 2 I think.. 189cm? r1 was comfy but the seat is firmer.

If you could get an R1 for 5k you'd be onto a winner.. I'v seen blades as low as 3,500-4k

[Fast Eddie]

There is some really good feed back on this and gives me a bit to think about.

next steep is to go for a test ride and that will assist witj making my mind up. :drinknsin

Yer I want to see the video as well!!!!!!! :corn:

I think you'll find it hilarious if you haven't ridden anything other than your GN250 ;)

let us know when u go for a test ride and what you think - how much are they asking for the one your looking at?

[bsasuper]

yea I love them but not the 1998 ones.. 1992-1997 the RRV model was the last decent one.. 98 onward with the 17" front rim and the revised styling they just don't do it for me.
I like to think my fireblade was the last of the best. after that they got fat/lost their good looks and got a bit shite.

chicks dig fire(blades)

Quoted Embedded Media Removed

as for riding them they are ok.. mines no where near what it was like out of the factory. you can do heaps to improve them and get good grunt out of them. I like mine. even factory ones are very nice to ride, nice bikes - still grunty even standard :D

obviously I love em lol..

You're joking, the 97 wasnt the last of the best, they were all good, with the 954 being the last one designed from the master.

[Fast Eddie]

old Tadao Baba or whatever his name was good man.

nah just the last of the best in MY opinion. no doubt they kept evolving and improving - I like the shape of the 92/93 ones though.. the update to the headlight isn't all badfrom 95 on.

I just don't like what they did from 98 onward.. not my taste. from 98 on I'd prefer an R1 or a Ninja or something.

just personal taste.

[Madness]

lol whats worse I don't know how to upload a video here.. how do you do it or do I have to do it on youtube first.. cause I can't be fucked signing up etc..

http://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/vbtube_add.php?do=add&pt=0

:corn:

[Fast Eddie]

http://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/vbtube_add.php?do=add&pt=0

:corn:

chur, but it has to be on youtube first eh? fuck it.. ill have to sign up to that

[Madness]

chur, but it has to be on youtube first eh? fuck it.. ill have to sign up to that

That, or Dailymotion, MetaCafe, Veoh, Google Video, MySpace, MyVideo, Liveleak, Clipfish, Sevenload, Livevideo, Vidmax, Revver, Vimeo, Veoh, Megavideo, Blip.tv, Funnyordie.com, Travelistic, Viddler

:corn:

[Marmoot]

Oh and have I mentioned it wheelies and stoppies very well?
No? OK, now I have.

It wheelies (both by power or off the clutch) and stoppies (rolling) very very well.
Off the other bikes I have, the only thing close to wheeliability was my CBR1000RR, but it was harder to pull good stoppies on that one (I suspect mostly due to the wheelbase length). In fact, the ducati 848 was the closest to the stoppiability (it has the shortest wheelbase of the lot) but it is by no means close to the CBR900RRX at all.

And, no, for me the fireblade is much easier to live with than R1. R1 feels twitchy and abrupt, while the Blade is very controllable both on street as well as track.
It's a bit fat compared to today's bike, though. But so is R1 from the same generation.

People that knows only call this Blade as "soft" because it is very controllable, not because it is incapable of being beasty. It is almost......err...learner friendly (as long as you can watch your right hand).
Whack the throttle open and keep it above 6000 rpm, though, and you'll be flying. Back when I was young and stupid, I raced R1s and Triumph (they should stick to making bras and panties) and the Blade was efficient and effortless.
To me, CBR900RRX is probably the ultimate in Tadao Baba's philosophy of total control, although he did designed the 929 and 954 uglies after that.

By the way,

And those holes you drilled into the upper fairing - they didn’t really do anything, did they?
Of course they did, haha! At the time Honda NSR race machines had holes in their fairings. Some say they worked and helped the machine turn quickly. On my Fireblade it just looked right. The holes that did work were on the front fender on later models. We made holes there for air to pass through and almost ‘suck’ the front wheel to the ground.

Read more: http://www.visordown.com/interviews/tadao-baba---father-of-the-fireblade/6428.html#ixzz1u4cWjEKl

[Fast Eddie]

Nicely put Marmoot. They are everything I want from a bike. They can sound quite different from each other too with different cans on. tried a few out.
i like the holes, I thought it was just to save some more weight haha. my blade only has the ones in the front fairing and front fender, they ditched the ones at the bottom of the sidefairings

I'v only ridden a 2004 R1.. felt bigger and more stable to me. Dunno bout the earlier ones.

I like the fatness of the blade, I'm a pretty tall fella so I always feel comfortable on it. They are quite high off the ground/seat height at least mine is.

[Fast Eddie]

haha that would be quite cool on the wall..

"I had a big farewell party and Honda gave me a piston from every model of FireBlade mounted on a wooden plaque."

Read more: http://www.visordown.com/interviews/tadao-baba---father-of-the-fireblade/6428.html#ixzz1u4k6NiYH

[spanner spinner]

use to own a 98 blade and they are a great bike, from a pracatical point of view they have only one weak point the reg/rec charging system. Check the connector in the stator wiring under the seat as these can burn the contacts and in the worse case set fire to the seat foam, they are a easy fix thought just replace with better connector. Reg/rec is weak and usually fail at about 50,000 km, once again easy fix just replace it with a Shindengen MOSFET FH012AA regulator/rectifier. I did 80000km on mine and apart from normal servicing only work done to it was new cam chain and tensior at 50000km and a new reg/rec. I did fit vtr1000 wheels to mine to get the 17 inch front wheel option as you get to fit modern sport tyres, easy swap rear wheel bolts straight in front just needs new axle spaces and the disk mounting faces skimmed and engineer should be able to do this in about a hour. My advice is take it for a test ride and if you like it buy it you won't regret it.

[actungbaby]

I love my 98 RRW.. it's fast, it eats curves, is mint on the road and the track as well as trips over 1000kms and whilst it is a 98 model so doesn't have all the modern day electronics that boost owners egos rather than their skill bases, it is still an awesome ride.
I run Metzeler tyres and have no problems with them though I am looking at the 016s as my next full set replacement. any one who says buy an R1 or that sort of crap is a magazine reading anorak.. Nothing against the R1 at all. The 1998 RRW weighs less than the 1997 model, puts out stronger power and is more sorted chassis wise including the aforementioned geometry changes which kept steering speedy but aided stability.. some people (including the mag testers) seemed to think that meant it was a soft bike, no FireBlade is a soft bike.
buy the bike, you won't be disappointed nor will you feel ripped off in any department. mine is the candy orange blaze model and while I do like the blue/orange/black one I prefer the candy orange blaze model (there are some choice colour schemes available on the US CBR919 models)

yes i guess if you saying i want r1 and people said the oppisite its like why u just made a choice

I like the orginal 92 model and its got carbs i thought was downside as everthing going away from it

But my vfr runs fine even when cold well you got let warm up but its not a chore

What milage do you get am thinking being light they whould be really bad, my vfr bit thirsty 45 mpg

[Timber020]

Rectifiiers are a problem but really easy to diagnose and fix, I have had my blade for a few years now although its currently having a "rest" while I deal with having kids (its actually got a minor aftermarket ignition problem, but its conveniant to stay off it at the mo)

Great bike, its faster than I am and has GREAT storage under the rear seat. carries gear well and its kind to pillions. not great on long trips, but my butt was never tough enough.
Limited choice of front tires which isnt a problem as they are good ones.
Good range on a tank and generally a good bike to own, I rate them highly.

[Fast Eddie]

oh yea forgot about the underseat storage its mint! can fit heaps in there, bread and 2litre milk etc they double pretty good as a touring bike aswell imo.. I use mine everyday to commute rain ice snow shine, one of the weekend toys and I go dunedin to chch at least once a month and plenty of rallies or tours over the years..

could always throw a sheepskin over the seat on long hauls makes a diff

[Fast Eddie]

I have had my blade for a few years now although its currently having a "rest" while I deal with having kids (its actually got a minor aftermarket ignition problem..

what sort of ignition do you have on yours? I was looking at a dynatec for mine, next on the list.

[Timber020]

what sort of ignition do you have on yours? I was looking at a dynatec for mine, next on the list.

The same. Great unit. One of the coil pick up sensors has a fault, it absolutely randomly stops telling one of the coils to spark so Im stuck with 2 cylinders. Im not sure but I think the rectifier was puting to much voltage through the system and damaged the sensor. Randomly would cut out and fix itself, made for differcult diagnosis to say the least. Dynatec USA have been really helpful but the local agent was less so.

I have a standard brand new computer for a 98 blade if anyone wants one!

[Marmoot]

Since we're talking about bad points
- Regulator/rectifier is always a bad point in most pre-2000 Hondas, particularly CBR900s, CBR250s, and CBR400s.
- Cam chain tensioner is a weak point for 98/99 Blade.
- Don't be alarmed by rattling clutch. It can be quite scary for normal people, but trust me the Blade's clutch is supposed to rattle at Neutral.

And for 17 inch wheels, apparently you can also use CBR600F4's wheel as a direct bolt on.

[Fast Eddie]

yip to all of the above. iv replaced cam chain and a couple of tensioners and a reg/rec unit. gonna go to a MOSFET one very soon they're avail on ebay and cheaper than replacement honda ones I think, do it probably same time I go for the ignition kit.

[Bad Biker]

I think you'll find it hilarious if you haven't ridden anything other than your GN250 ;)

let us know when u go for a test ride and what you think - how much are they asking for the one your looking at?

Will update my thoughts following a test ride. i have riden other bike other than a GN250 but nothing bigger than a 600cc.

current asking price is $6995 on TM.

[Marmoot]

Which one?
The red (http://www.trademe.co.nz/motors/motorbikes/motorbikes/sports/auction-422107751.htm)one or the black (http://www.trademe.co.nz/motors/motorbikes/motorbikes/sports/auction-438574421.htm)one?

The red one is very nice since it has the original colour (I assume it is original fairing), Ohlins rear suspension and Hot Grips. I can't fault it (but yes I might be biased).

[theseekerfinds]

[R RATED][/R RATED]
Which one?
The red (http://www.trademe.co.nz/motors/motorbikes/motorbikes/sports/auction-422107751.htm)one or the black (http://www.trademe.co.nz/motors/motorbikes/motorbikes/sports/auction-438574421.htm)one?

The red one is very nice since it has the original colour (I assume it is original fairing), Ohlins rear suspension and Hot Grips. I can't fault it (but yes I might be biased).

the black one looks pretty trick..
the red one isn't red it's Candy Orange Blaze <_<

both would be good buys though

[tigertim20]

7k seems a bit steep.

[blackdog]

Did you ride it into WMC today? If so I saw yaz, nice looking bike but not sure it's 6 grands werf.

[Marmoot]

Candy Orange Blaze

Yes. sorry. Feeling a bit lazy.
Was gonna say bronze, actually :laugh:

[Timber020]

They are easy to make a pretty good system to make it possible to clean the underside of your license plate at the pull of a lever if needed to

[Fast Eddie]

yea 7k is pretty high.. saw a red/silver scheme one on trademe for under 5k not long ago, pretty sure he went as low as 4k cause he couldnt get rid of it..

[theseekerfinds]

the value that you or I put on things isn't necessarily the value the OP will be putting on things.. if he like the bike, it ticks all the boxes and he's happy to pay then who are we to tell him it's too much, especially if we know nothing of the bike in question or the OP's spending habits..

bronze is cool, that's what I called it before I knew the factory name..

[tigertim20]

the value that you or I put on things isn't necessarily the value the OP will be putting on things.. if he like the bike, it ticks all the boxes and he's happy to pay then who are we to tell him it's too much, especially if we know nothing of the bike in question or the OP's spending habits..

bronze is cool, that's what I called it before I knew the factory name..

conversely, the value of things is not always the sale price attached to it.
lots of blades advertised at 7k, but fuckall of them are actually selling at 7k.

quite a few being advertised, and sold, at around the 4500-6k mark though.

[Ender EnZed]

Which one?
The red (http://www.trademe.co.nz/motors/motorbikes/motorbikes/sports/auction-422107751.htm)one or the black (http://www.trademe.co.nz/motors/motorbikes/motorbikes/sports/auction-438574421.htm)one?

The red one is very nice since it has the original colour (I assume it is original fairing), Ohlins rear suspension and Hot Grips. I can't fault it (but yes I might be biased).

I rode that red one last spring so they've had it quite a while. It looks like it could have half the kays and I thought it was shit tonnes of fun to ride, but then I bought a DR650 instead so what the fuck would I know?

[Bad Biker]

I think you'll find it hilarious if you haven't ridden anything other than your GN250 ;)

let us know when u go for a test ride and what you think - how much are they asking for the one your looking at?

Decisions, Decisions I hate decisions!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I now have my full licence and time to find a new bike and get rid of my GN250 (toy).
Today was a day of test riding to assist with decisions????

When I left home this morning I was leaning towards a Honda CBR 900 fireblade, now at the end of the day I have no idea and got to work through a process of elimination.

Honda CBR900 Fireblade (1998) 65,000km

I took this for a test ride and confirmed that I liked the look of it, liked the size of the bike and felt comfortable on it. I could tell that before I even started it.

Got out on the road and again confirmed the above and found that I loved the power and response of the throttle and the way it handled.

The gear box felt a little ‘clunky’ but it is 14 year old.

Over all I liked the bike and could see myself owning this and having some great fun and enjoyable rides. :2thumbsup

Honda VFR800 (2007) 33,500km

I got shown this bike and thought I would take it for a test ride (give me some comparison). Like the way it felt good size comfortable to sit on.

Started it up and first thing noticed was – lot quieter than the fireblade.

Went for a ride and the response through the throttle was a lot different than the fireblade especially in the lower revs but she did have some ‘get up and go’ in the higher revs and performed a lot better in the higher speeds.

Much smoother gear change and handled well, I did feel like it wanted to pull the front wheel under me when corning to the right but fine when going left? Never noticed this problem on any other bike so could just be my riding style, tyre or imagination (buggered if I know).

Over all I liked the bike and could see myself owning this and having some great fun and enjoyable rides. :2thumbsup

Cruiser NEW

Wanted to take a cruiser for a ride just to check I didn’t want to go that way rather than a sports or sports/cruiser.

Final decision – Would borrow or rent one for a day to go for a ride with a group, don’t want to own one!!!!!!!!!! :yawn: :yawn: :no:

Honda CBR1100 (1999) 26,000 miles

While I was out test riding this bike had just been traded, so it was suggested I took this for a test ride.
Bike was a good size, felt comfortable, and looked good. European import therefore speedo in miles and km is smaller (no major I can get use to that)

Started it up, sounded good nice feel on the throttle. Went for a ride felt really good very good response to throttle handled nicely and plenty ‘get up and go’ Had to remind myself on a couple of occasions that when the speedo said 100 that was miles and not km. (could be big ticket).

Felt comfortable on it and happy with the power and response.

Over all I liked the bike and could see myself owning this and having some great fun and enjoyable rides. :2thumbsup

Decisions, Decisions I hate decisions!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Now I know what I don’t want but no idea what I do what. I liked all 3 bikes and liked things about all 3 and as it would be impossible to find the perfect bike all 3 had some aspects I didn’t like so much but could live with. :facepalm: :confused: :confused:

[Fast Eddie]

yea.. choices suck, having to choose a new motorbike really sucks man,

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if only we lived in a world without decisions - but for me its no brainer.

blade all the way lol.. but a 93 one.

[baffa]

Ride more bikes. You dont appreciate how awesome the blade is til u compare it to others. Ive been on holiday for the last 3.5 weeks and im badly missing mine. Keep In mind tho, even bullet proof bikes need a fair whack of maintenance