When I first saw the Blue Wing blurb for the new Fireblade I was somewhat skeptical. Their enthusiasm seemed a bit over the top.
When BIKE first got their hands on one for a test (at Losail) though, the rider was suitably impressed. The latest issue of that magazine here, however, contains their litre sprotbike shootout.
BIKE rated last years Honda as the pick of the crop. Honda might have been forgiven for resting on their laurels for a year or so. But no, the 2008 model is a complete redesign, new engine, new frame, new nearly everything.
Briefly, according to BIKE:
The CBR1000RR is the lightest in the class. Fully fuelled it weighs less than the current Kawasaki ZX6R in a similar state.
It is the fastest accelerating, has the best mid-range, and the best roll on figure.
It has the best brakes.
It “arguably” has the best suspension.
It has the best riding position.
It has the best instrumentation.
It has the best mirrors.
It has the best finish.
And to add insult to injury it had the best fuel consumption figures.
BIKE says that in comparison “the GSXR feels saggy, overweight, and vague".
In their roll on test by the time the Kawasaki is doing 90mph the Honda has hit 110. (Children can do their own arithmetic.)
Part of this mid range performance advantage may be explained by mentioning that at 7000RPM the Yamaha R1 is making 60bhp, at the same engine speed the Honda is making 90bhp.
So when Craig at Energy Honda offered me a ride I thought I should at least give his offer serious consideration. Not that I could extend the bike to anywhere near its limits, but then likely neither could you.
I arranged for a days leave from work (weather permitting) and today was the day. Cool but clear, not a cloud in the sky. After giving the roads time to dry a bit I fronted Energy Honda about morning tea time and after signing my life away I headed off.
The look of that fairing is a bit radical. Over the weeks though it has grown on me and normally I'm in favour of form following function anyway so no problem there.
First impressions were that the suspension was less harsh than I would have expected, surprisingly compliant around town in fact.
I had been warned about a change in the exhaust note at about 4000 RPM. This was mildly interesting although riding a VFR I'm used to pronounced changes in the exhaust note.
On the CBR this change is caused by an exhaust “flapper” valve. There are two pipes exiting the muffler, at low revs only the small (lower) pipe is operating. At higher revs a valve opens, the other pipe comes into use and the exhaust adopts a deeper, more masculine, tone. Interestingly on the example I was riding this occurred at about 4000RPM. BIKE experienced this at 6400RPM which makes more sense as that would be after the usual emissions testing range. Anyway, it sounded good whenever.
I headed off to a road less travelled. Not very busy, but probably in consequence, not *that* well maintained either. Despite considerable provocation the Honda tracked true and went where ever it was pointed. Very flickable, but very stable.
It had been my intention to try for some warp speeds. Unfortunately that minimalist screen doesn't do too much for the rider. At not much above Warp Factor One the cold draughts inside my helmet caused tears to obstruct my vision. Pushing on in search higher numbers with severely impaired vision didn't seem a particularly bright idea.
Riding on a fair mix of country roads from “goat track” on up showed the bike to be stable and surprisingly supple. The grunt when the power is dialled in from even quite low revs was startling. I was constantly aware, however, that I didn't have my little electronic helper.
Even at (more or less) legal speeds on SH3 on the way home the bike was still fun to ride. That seat looks fairly basic, but at no time did I give it a thought. Always a good sign.
At afternoon tea time when I took the bike back I had enjoyed a really good day. The “Hondas are gay” types briefly came to mind. This bike “rendering the opposition obsolete at a single stroke” as BIKE puts it, could cause them psychological damage.
They might have to take their ritalin, or take counselling...
Or they could take a test ride.
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Originally Posted by pritch008
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