Fireblade SP

[mckeann]

rat840771 said:

I would go for the 'budget' GSXR and save 5k ( if i had the money)

It was interesting as last week i was at BSD in Peterborough and they have had 9 of the new GSXR's in as they are not producing the claimed power and Suzuki GB are a bit baffled by it from what i understand, they are giving BSD a bike to play with and see what they can do. I'm sure once all that euro 6 gubbins is removed and will be amazing and fully unleash it's potential.

They will probably have to map with all euro 6 in place but i am sure they will also map without euro 6!

Its euro 4 still on bikes

[Ho Lee Kau]

cmaguire said:

Shadow R1 said:

R1 Dave said:

The reviews above are interesting but they're all driven by advertising revenues, none of them are impartial and they'll all try and tell you the bike they waxed lyrical over 12 months ago is now a decrepit POS because if the manufacturers don't sell new bikes, they don't buy advertising or loan bikes and eventually the mags go out of business. You can't trust any of them. Ride all the bikes in your budget and buy the one you like. Simples.

That's the one.

Usually evidenced when you get to the end of said review and find the 'best' bike is less than 0.1s quicker round whatever track they are using than the next bike and perhaps less than a second quicker than the slowest. This obviously matters not a jot in reality to most buyers if they are honest, any more than them noticing any differerence in braking between the Brembo 4.32's on their current bike and the M50's on the new one.
However, maybe this time there is something that matters. Electronic suspension, which now appears to be becoming the must-have feature, and if Honda have cracked this with a system that genuinely gives non-racers a bike that works on the road and on a trackday then maybe it really does deserve some accolades.

Why is it "must have"? I am happy to live without this potentially expensive problem, and replacing it, well, good luck.

[Ho Lee Kau]

R1 Dave said:

cmaguire said:

Shadow R1 said:

R1 Dave said:

The reviews above are interesting but they're all driven by advertising revenues, none of them are impartial and they'll all try and tell you the bike they waxed lyrical over 12 months ago is now a decrepit POS because if the manufacturers don't sell new bikes, they don't buy advertising or loan bikes and eventually the mags go out of business. You can't trust any of them. Ride all the bikes in your budget and buy the one you like. Simples.

That's the one.

Usually evidenced when you get to the end of said review and find the 'best' bike is less than 0.1s quicker round whatever track they are using than the next bike and perhaps less than a second quicker than the slowest. This obviously matters not a jot in reality to most buyers if they are honest, any more than them noticing any differerence in braking between the Brembo 4.32's on their current bike and the M50's on the new one.
However, maybe this time there is something that matters. Electronic suspension, which now appears to be becoming the must-have feature, and if Honda have cracked this with a system that genuinely gives non-racers a bike that works on the road and on a trackday then maybe it really does deserve some accolades.

It's a fair point re the active suspension and you may well be right. I'd still be dubious as to whether those small gains are actually accessible to the average rider. Many riders will be roughly the same speed through a set of bends regardless of what bike they're on (similar power assumed) as the limiting factor is them, not their machinery.

I've tried Mode 1 and Mode 3 on Fireblade SP, I noticed no difference in damping, and if there was difference it was minuscule and not really noticeable on the street.

For me the ONLY advantage of electronic suspension (because I personally noticed it braking heavily downhill on S1000R roadster last year) is that it does not let the bike dive which means rear wheels stays connected to the ground.

Other than that I much rather prefer an easy to service/replace and always predictable analogue suspension.

[Ho Lee Kau]

rat840771 said:

I would go for the 'budget' GSXR and save 5k ( if i had the money)

It was interesting as last week i was at BSD in Peterborough and they have had 9 of the new GSXR's in as they are not producing the claimed power and Suzuki GB are a bit baffled by it from what i understand, they are giving BSD a bike to play with and see what they can do. I'm sure once all that euro 6 gubbins is removed and will be amazing and fully unleash it's potential.

They will probably have to map with all euro 6 in place but i am sure they will also map without euro 6!

The stock GSXR1000R already aced all acceleration comparisons in MCN test, even with the second lowest power it had on their stand. The new Gixxer does not have power problem.

[Ho Lee Kau]

This guy says EXACTLY what I said, but everyone hates me here...and all I was doing was stating the facts.

https://youtu.be/iPizGcPM4fw

[PTF]

Out of all of these new litre bikes the one that excites me most is the RSV RF. Looks bonkers and sounds amazing. Bags of character. Wheels in Peterborough are doing them for £15k (£3k off list) too.

Second is the GSXR, but with an aftermarket can (obv).

The blade just doesn't excite me. My 2014 model just felt a little too polished and from a distance looked like a CBR250.

Not ridden either the RSV or GSXR though. Just gut feelings so far.

[trickywoo]

PTF said:

Out of all of these new litre bikes the one that excites me most is the RSV RF.

Trouble with the RSV is dealer support (lack of it).

I like it but for me it would need to be a second or third bike (and you need to be loaded to do that) so that when its waiting for parts you still have something to ride.

[Rawwr]

SOON.



Just got back from seeing it wrapped in plastic, whilst my current bike was inspected for px. I was supposed to get it on Tuesday but they're working really hard to get it prepared today for collection first thing on Saturday, which is nice.

[Biker's Nemesis]

Rawwr said:

SOON.



Just got back from seeing it wrapped in plastic, whilst my current bike was inspected for px. I was supposed to get it on Tuesday but they're working really hard to get it prepared today for collection first thing on Saturday, which is nice.

That's good news, fingers crossed you get it Saturday, I enjoy that excited feeling that lasts at least 30 minutes when you pick a new bike up.

Ya bender.

[Ho Lee Kau]

Rawwr said:

SOON.



Just got back from seeing it wrapped in plastic, whilst my current bike was inspected for px. I was supposed to get it on Tuesday but they're working really hard to get it prepared today for collection first thing on Saturday, which is nice.

Looks sweet!
I bet you can't wait to take it for a proper spin!

I like how they put the mirrors, it looks like a snail with the antennas. :-)

[Ho Lee Kau]

Friendly and easy to ride Fireblade SP at Aragon:




https://youtu.be/fffedyW9V-U



BTW, Motorrad brought R1M and RSV4RF to finish on the first place (similar time)

[Rawwr]

Biker's Nemesis said:

That's good news, fingers crossed you get it Saturday, I enjoy that excited feeling that lasts at least 30 minutes when you pick a new bike up.

Ya bender.

Now confirmed for Saturday morning

Ya giant fruit.

[cmaguire]

Ho Lee Kau said:

Friendly and easy to ride Fireblade SP at Aragon:




https://youtu.be/fffedyW9V-U



BTW, Motorrad brought R1M and RSV4RF to finish on the first place (similar time)

That looks like somebody that isn't as handy as they think they are turning off the traction control because that is what all handy people (and real men) do when they go on track.

[spareparts]

Rawwr said:

SOON.



Just got back from seeing it wrapped in plastic, whilst my current bike was inspected for px. I was supposed to get it on Tuesday but they're working really hard to get it prepared today for collection first thing on Saturday, which is nice.

The quality choice! The new Blade is a very fine thing. Build quality is better than the others. It is superlative in it's power delivery and chassis. And in extremis it is clearly as fast as bikes with more power. It takes intelligence and kudos to Honda for having the balls to fine tune and evolve the best road chassis previously out there (just ask McPint!) and make it even better to still be class leading, 9 years later. All those crying out that it isn't 'new', they're just ignorant. The Blade is the best superbike road chassis available. The electronics are really top drawer. I was flabergasted at how smooth and easy Honda have made it to ride hard and extract as much of the power and performance, so often, with such confidence to the rider. My tuned 1098R has more power and torque everywhere and is lighter, but deploying its performance on the road is a magnitude harder and more difficult than the Blade. The BladeSP proves that it's not what you got, it's what you do with it!

Good luck with the collection and wishing you many (s)miles

[Ho Lee Kau]

spareparts said:

Rawwr said:

SOON.



Just got back from seeing it wrapped in plastic, whilst my current bike was inspected for px. I was supposed to get it on Tuesday but they're working really hard to get it prepared today for collection first thing on Saturday, which is nice.

The quality choice! The new Blade is a very fine thing. Build quality is better than the others. It is superlative in it's power delivery and chassis. And in extremis it is clearly as fast as bikes with more power. It takes intelligence and kudos to Honda for having the balls to fine tune and evolve the best road chassis previously out there (just ask McPint!) and make it even better to still be class leading, 9 years later. All those crying out that it isn't 'new', they're just ignorant. The Blade is the best superbike road chassis available. The electronics are really top drawer. I was flabergasted at how smooth and easy Honda have made it to ride hard and extract as much of the power and performance, so often, with such confidence to the rider. My tuned 1098R has more power and torque everywhere and is lighter, but deploying its performance on the road is a magnitude harder and more difficult than the Blade. The BladeSP proves that it's not what you got, it's what you do with it!

Good luck with the collection and wishing you many (s)miles

Yep, just ignorant.... you are hilarious
I see you just don't like FACTS that Honda itself puts out.

[spareparts]

Ho Lee Kau said:

Yep, just ignorant.... you are hilarious
I see you just don't like FACTS that Honda itself puts out.

Quit your moaning. For the past 9 years, the Blade has consistently had the best and most usable superbike chassis for the road. Plenty of experienced riders will attest that it has a superlative chassis that doesn't need electronics to keep it in check. We get that you don't like the Blade, but don't piss on Rawwr's chips. The BladeSP is a fine machine, and the FACT is that professional journos and bike testers rated it #1 and better than your beloved Gixxer. In FACT, they rated the S1000RR and 1299s better too Maybe you like alt-facts?

[3DP]

spareparts said:

Rawwr said:

SOON.



Just got back from seeing it wrapped in plastic, whilst my current bike was inspected for px. I was supposed to get it on Tuesday but they're working really hard to get it prepared today for collection first thing on Saturday, which is nice.

The quality choice! The new Blade is a very fine thing. Build quality is better than the others. It is superlative in it's power delivery and chassis. And in extremis it is clearly as fast as bikes with more power. It takes intelligence and kudos to Honda for having the balls to fine tune and evolve the best road chassis previously out there (just ask McPint!) and make it even better to still be class leading, 9 years later. All those crying out that it isn't 'new', they're just ignorant. The Blade is the best superbike road chassis available. The electronics are really top drawer. I was flabergasted at how smooth and easy Honda have made it to ride hard and extract as much of the power and performance, so often, with such confidence to the rider. My tuned 1098R has more power and torque everywhere and is lighter, but deploying its performance on the road is a magnitude harder and more difficult than the Blade. The BladeSP proves that it's not what you got, it's what you do with it!

Good luck with the collection and wishing you many (s)miles

Congrats Rawwr. Lovely litre bike - enjoy it. The SP is worth more for the gold wheels alone!

[Rawwr]

I did miss the gold wheels

[cmaguire]

Rawwr said:

I did miss the gold wheels

And they're not Comstars either.

[Andybow]

Got to say, I had to go down to the dealers the other day and they had a Sp ready for collection, looked beautiful, I would truly love one, but I'm afarid my knees are past sportsbikes, Good luck with your purchase, and have many happy miles!