Sanx
15th April 2007, 06:27
Sometimes I hate being easy to predictable. She-who-must-be-obeyed can read me like a book; I can’t keep anything to myself. However, it shows just how easy I am to read when my local Honda dealer can do it too.
After a couple of years with a baby XR250ES and a few months with a VTR1000F, I decided that another new bike was on the cards. I wanted something that I could throw around on track days without grinding the pegs on the tarmac and would keep up with the majority of the competition. The bike also had to be reliable, relatively comfortable and tame enough to use for commuting through heavy traffic each morning.
Having got used to the VTR, I also wanted low down grunt. This ruled almost all the 600s out immediately. So I drew up my shortlist: GSX-R1000, R1, ZX-10, RSV-R, Daytona 675 and the venerable Fireblade.
In short, I found the R1 gutless below 7000rpm and staggeringly quick above it. And it fried the bottom of my legs. The Daytona was a hoot, but the riding position meant that my wrists were badly hurting inside of ten minutes in town riding. The GSX-R1000 was eye-poppingly fast with brutal acceleration from 2500rpm but I think urban riding would have been tiring and difficult. It also gave the impression of being cheaply made and having a poor finish. I also thought it supremely ugly. The RSV-R was the biggest disappointment, mainly because I had been lusting after one for months. It was fast, it handled brilliantly and it was great for wheelies. However, the rear cylinder gave off a tremendous amount of heat, it made a really annoying high-pitch noise under engine braking, the seat was a little too high, first gear was too tall, the stand was worryingly short and I couldn’t find the indicator switch with my thumb. As for the ZX-10 – well, I never got the chance to try one.
My test ride on the Fireblade involved a good mixture of riding styles. Some twisties, some heavy urban traffic and regular motorway cruising. After I got back, there was only one slight concern about the bike. The VTR had a set of Scorpion race cans fitted; they weren’t exactly quiet. In comparison, the Fireblade was virtually silent. In ten minutes on the motorway, three people changed lanes right in front me without seeing me. One driver, to give him credit, checked his mirror twice without realising I was there. Loud pipes certainly do save lives!
On my return to the dealer, my easy-to-read grin was stretched from ear to ear. I walked to the sales guy, handed over the keys and he simply gave me the forms to sign. A few signatures later and my VTR was traded in. The dealer even threw in a Scorpion can to make the bike and little bit louder; purely for safety, of course.
So after a few weeks of ownership and 2300kms, these are my impressions:
Look and feel
The Fireblade, in my opinion, is definitely one of the better looking bikes on the market. The 2007 model has a black swingarm and on a black bike, it gives the bike a sense of visual cohesion. Call me shallow, but if I’m going to spend a lot of money on a motorcycle, I want one which looks the part as well. The bike feels well screwed together and there isn’t a component that looks or feels cheap. If this bike is anything to go by, Honda’s reputation for build quality and finish is not under threat.
One small gripe would be that the fitment of the aftermarket Scorpion can does seem to have made the bike a little more hesitant at very low revs and made idling a little erratic. The idle’s set at 1250rpm, but quite regularly goes up on its own and sits at about 1750. At that speed the engine is oddly reminiscent of the barp-barp-barp sound of a Mazda 12A Bridgeport Rotary block. Fitting a Power Commander would no doubt dial the hesitancy out and even out idling speed.
Urban Riding
Provided one is sensible, the Fireblade can be ridden round town all day without the slightest hint of trouble. Throttle-response at lower revs is relatively tame (unlike the GSX-R) but still provides brisk acceleration (unlike the R1). You can bimble about at 50kph in fourth all day if necessary without any jerkiness or snatching (unlike the RSV-R). Even in the hottest weather, it doesn’t give off a lot of heat though when the fan comes on, you can feel the air coming up through the right-hand side fairing. The ride is comfortable; small surface irregularities are absorbed well without the suspension being too soft for more spirited riding. The riding position, whilst not suited for urban riding, is comfortable enough for an hour or so of stop-start traffic.
One point to note: the bike comes with peculiarly long hero-blobs bolted to the bottom of the footpegs. They’re about five centimetres long. When pulling away from junctions, I got these blobs caught in the top of my boots a number of times which can be a little unnerving.
Back roads and twisties
Out of the city, and the Fireblade comes alive. The engine pulls like a train until 12,200rpm, though it’s most comfortable to use between 4000 and 10,000rpm. The gearing is not too tall; redline in second gear is about 160kph. This, combined with a slick close-ratio gearbox means that getting the right gear for a corner isn’t quite as important as on other machines. The suspension works just as well out of town as in it. Small corrugations in corners are handled without incident. Not once has the bike given the impression of instability.
Under hard acceleration in the first three gears, the front will get light. For the most part, the trick Honda Electronic Steering Damper stops the front shaking about, but the odd twitch still occurs. Ground clearance is more than adequate for all but the most extreme of road riders. A fuel gauge rather than a fuel light would have been preferred.
Hooning about
This is probably more down to this rider’s lack of skill and testicles more than anything, but I find the Fireblade much harder to wheelie than the VTR. The front will come up using the throttle alone in first and second but it doesn’t feel progressive and controllable like the VTR did. Due to the much beter front suspension, stoppies are much easier and powerful progressive brakes mean you can roll them quite easily.
On the track
This rider is not experienced enough at track riding to give a thorough critique of handling and performance. However, it’s immediately clear the bike’s capabilities far outstrip mine as a rider. Despite not having touched the suspension settings, the bike seems to handle very well. Bumpy corners and full lean can upset the bike’s balance somewhat, though this can probably be dialled out. The rear feels planted even under full throttle coming out of tight corners.
It’s clear the Fireblade loses out, slightly, in acceleration compared to the R1 and GSX-R1000 in a straight line. The top speed would also appear to be fractionally slower. However, I did see 290kph on the back straight at Pukekohe and the bike was still pulling when I ran out of road. Maybe going down a tooth on the front sprocket would even things out a little, albeit at the expense of top speed. I didn’t buy the bike for the track, so for the vast majority of riding, a small decrease in top speed is not going to make the slightest difference to me. A gear indicator would have been nice. The bike doesn’t have a slipper clutch, but I’m not sure it needs one. Certainly clutchless downchanges don’t seem to upset the bike at all, even accidental changes into first at 110kph.
Other nice-to-haves for the track include mirrors which can be removed with a single allen bolt, foot-peg hero blobs which simply unscrew, and a programmable shift light on the rev counter. It would be nice to have adjustable rearsets, but aftermarket parts can obtained relatively easily. There was quite a lot of buffeting at very high speeds and I found it difficult to tuck down behind the screen (not really a bike design fault –more to do with the size of my gut). However, fitting a Puig double bubble screen fixed in that short order.
The bike came fitted with Bridgestone Battlax BT015 tyres and these haven’t lasted all that well. After 2300kms - about half of which has been urban and motorway riding – and two track days, one side of the tyre is practically at its wear mark. The Bridgestones seems to cut up very badly on the track, especially compared with Michelin and Pirelli counterparts. Even after the first session of the day, taken relatively easily, the edges of the tyres looked like they’d been given a going over with a blow torch. I intend fitting a set of Michelin Pilot Power CTs next and see how they go.
Conclusion
Basically, I am totally happy with the bike. I can ride it to work through traffic in the wet without feeling intimidated by the machine. I can have enormous amounts of fun on back roads, even at (semi) legal speeds. On the track, its capabilities far outstrip my own.
Fuel economy seems reasonable. It’s comfortable. It’s fast and it handles well.
After a couple of years with a baby XR250ES and a few months with a VTR1000F, I decided that another new bike was on the cards. I wanted something that I could throw around on track days without grinding the pegs on the tarmac and would keep up with the majority of the competition. The bike also had to be reliable, relatively comfortable and tame enough to use for commuting through heavy traffic each morning.
Having got used to the VTR, I also wanted low down grunt. This ruled almost all the 600s out immediately. So I drew up my shortlist: GSX-R1000, R1, ZX-10, RSV-R, Daytona 675 and the venerable Fireblade.
In short, I found the R1 gutless below 7000rpm and staggeringly quick above it. And it fried the bottom of my legs. The Daytona was a hoot, but the riding position meant that my wrists were badly hurting inside of ten minutes in town riding. The GSX-R1000 was eye-poppingly fast with brutal acceleration from 2500rpm but I think urban riding would have been tiring and difficult. It also gave the impression of being cheaply made and having a poor finish. I also thought it supremely ugly. The RSV-R was the biggest disappointment, mainly because I had been lusting after one for months. It was fast, it handled brilliantly and it was great for wheelies. However, the rear cylinder gave off a tremendous amount of heat, it made a really annoying high-pitch noise under engine braking, the seat was a little too high, first gear was too tall, the stand was worryingly short and I couldn’t find the indicator switch with my thumb. As for the ZX-10 – well, I never got the chance to try one.
My test ride on the Fireblade involved a good mixture of riding styles. Some twisties, some heavy urban traffic and regular motorway cruising. After I got back, there was only one slight concern about the bike. The VTR had a set of Scorpion race cans fitted; they weren’t exactly quiet. In comparison, the Fireblade was virtually silent. In ten minutes on the motorway, three people changed lanes right in front me without seeing me. One driver, to give him credit, checked his mirror twice without realising I was there. Loud pipes certainly do save lives!
On my return to the dealer, my easy-to-read grin was stretched from ear to ear. I walked to the sales guy, handed over the keys and he simply gave me the forms to sign. A few signatures later and my VTR was traded in. The dealer even threw in a Scorpion can to make the bike and little bit louder; purely for safety, of course.
So after a few weeks of ownership and 2300kms, these are my impressions:
Look and feel
The Fireblade, in my opinion, is definitely one of the better looking bikes on the market. The 2007 model has a black swingarm and on a black bike, it gives the bike a sense of visual cohesion. Call me shallow, but if I’m going to spend a lot of money on a motorcycle, I want one which looks the part as well. The bike feels well screwed together and there isn’t a component that looks or feels cheap. If this bike is anything to go by, Honda’s reputation for build quality and finish is not under threat.
One small gripe would be that the fitment of the aftermarket Scorpion can does seem to have made the bike a little more hesitant at very low revs and made idling a little erratic. The idle’s set at 1250rpm, but quite regularly goes up on its own and sits at about 1750. At that speed the engine is oddly reminiscent of the barp-barp-barp sound of a Mazda 12A Bridgeport Rotary block. Fitting a Power Commander would no doubt dial the hesitancy out and even out idling speed.
Urban Riding
Provided one is sensible, the Fireblade can be ridden round town all day without the slightest hint of trouble. Throttle-response at lower revs is relatively tame (unlike the GSX-R) but still provides brisk acceleration (unlike the R1). You can bimble about at 50kph in fourth all day if necessary without any jerkiness or snatching (unlike the RSV-R). Even in the hottest weather, it doesn’t give off a lot of heat though when the fan comes on, you can feel the air coming up through the right-hand side fairing. The ride is comfortable; small surface irregularities are absorbed well without the suspension being too soft for more spirited riding. The riding position, whilst not suited for urban riding, is comfortable enough for an hour or so of stop-start traffic.
One point to note: the bike comes with peculiarly long hero-blobs bolted to the bottom of the footpegs. They’re about five centimetres long. When pulling away from junctions, I got these blobs caught in the top of my boots a number of times which can be a little unnerving.
Back roads and twisties
Out of the city, and the Fireblade comes alive. The engine pulls like a train until 12,200rpm, though it’s most comfortable to use between 4000 and 10,000rpm. The gearing is not too tall; redline in second gear is about 160kph. This, combined with a slick close-ratio gearbox means that getting the right gear for a corner isn’t quite as important as on other machines. The suspension works just as well out of town as in it. Small corrugations in corners are handled without incident. Not once has the bike given the impression of instability.
Under hard acceleration in the first three gears, the front will get light. For the most part, the trick Honda Electronic Steering Damper stops the front shaking about, but the odd twitch still occurs. Ground clearance is more than adequate for all but the most extreme of road riders. A fuel gauge rather than a fuel light would have been preferred.
Hooning about
This is probably more down to this rider’s lack of skill and testicles more than anything, but I find the Fireblade much harder to wheelie than the VTR. The front will come up using the throttle alone in first and second but it doesn’t feel progressive and controllable like the VTR did. Due to the much beter front suspension, stoppies are much easier and powerful progressive brakes mean you can roll them quite easily.
On the track
This rider is not experienced enough at track riding to give a thorough critique of handling and performance. However, it’s immediately clear the bike’s capabilities far outstrip mine as a rider. Despite not having touched the suspension settings, the bike seems to handle very well. Bumpy corners and full lean can upset the bike’s balance somewhat, though this can probably be dialled out. The rear feels planted even under full throttle coming out of tight corners.
It’s clear the Fireblade loses out, slightly, in acceleration compared to the R1 and GSX-R1000 in a straight line. The top speed would also appear to be fractionally slower. However, I did see 290kph on the back straight at Pukekohe and the bike was still pulling when I ran out of road. Maybe going down a tooth on the front sprocket would even things out a little, albeit at the expense of top speed. I didn’t buy the bike for the track, so for the vast majority of riding, a small decrease in top speed is not going to make the slightest difference to me. A gear indicator would have been nice. The bike doesn’t have a slipper clutch, but I’m not sure it needs one. Certainly clutchless downchanges don’t seem to upset the bike at all, even accidental changes into first at 110kph.
Other nice-to-haves for the track include mirrors which can be removed with a single allen bolt, foot-peg hero blobs which simply unscrew, and a programmable shift light on the rev counter. It would be nice to have adjustable rearsets, but aftermarket parts can obtained relatively easily. There was quite a lot of buffeting at very high speeds and I found it difficult to tuck down behind the screen (not really a bike design fault –more to do with the size of my gut). However, fitting a Puig double bubble screen fixed in that short order.
The bike came fitted with Bridgestone Battlax BT015 tyres and these haven’t lasted all that well. After 2300kms - about half of which has been urban and motorway riding – and two track days, one side of the tyre is practically at its wear mark. The Bridgestones seems to cut up very badly on the track, especially compared with Michelin and Pirelli counterparts. Even after the first session of the day, taken relatively easily, the edges of the tyres looked like they’d been given a going over with a blow torch. I intend fitting a set of Michelin Pilot Power CTs next and see how they go.
Conclusion
Basically, I am totally happy with the bike. I can ride it to work through traffic in the wet without feeling intimidated by the machine. I can have enormous amounts of fun on back roads, even at (semi) legal speeds. On the track, its capabilities far outstrip my own.
Fuel economy seems reasonable. It’s comfortable. It’s fast and it handles well.