Opinions on 2010+ Honda Fireblade
Discussion
Mr OCD said:
Honda philosophy ...
'Design the bike, then look at how it can be packaged as cheap as possible without affecting the initial design concept.'
This is sort of how they ended up with a 16" front wheel in the original blade. It was originally designed as a 750 then someone decided it should be a 900 which didn't leave enough room for a 17" wheel without a major redesign.'Design the bike, then look at how it can be packaged as cheap as possible without affecting the initial design concept.'
I have a 2015 Blade. It's very cool on here to slate them, mainly as most of the guys are old duffers with Yamaha Speed Blocks tattooed down their ball bags. 
I've owned a lot of bikes and absolutely love mine. They are not as extreme as the current batch of track refugee litre bikes, but as a fast road bike that can tour comfortably they are hard to beat. The pinnacle of analogue superbikes in my view.
Anyhoo - get one - you'll love it, but don't get an ABS model. The ABS is problematic, expensive and weighs 10kg. They don't need it wet or dry as they have fantastic front end feel and will stoppy in the wet.
My advice, get a 2012 onwards one and ideally a 2014 onwards one as there are a host of decent updates that year which not much fanfair was made of as all of the magazines were frothing at the mouth for the other thousands and their electronic packages updates...
I've owned a lot of bikes and absolutely love mine. They are not as extreme as the current batch of track refugee litre bikes, but as a fast road bike that can tour comfortably they are hard to beat. The pinnacle of analogue superbikes in my view.
Anyhoo - get one - you'll love it, but don't get an ABS model. The ABS is problematic, expensive and weighs 10kg. They don't need it wet or dry as they have fantastic front end feel and will stoppy in the wet.
My advice, get a 2012 onwards one and ideally a 2014 onwards one as there are a host of decent updates that year which not much fanfair was made of as all of the magazines were frothing at the mouth for the other thousands and their electronic packages updates...
Mr OCD said:
If you can afford it go for a 2012 > which has the better suspension (it makes a BIG difference) as well as the updated cosmetics... fuelling is better on them as well.
The 2012 bikes seem to command quite bit more £ over the 2008-11 ones. Edited by Mr OCD on Wednesday 24th August 11:46
Are they worth this? Or would replacing the rear shock be a better option, if suspension is limiting.
Edited by 2wheelsjimmy on Wednesday 24th August 16:29
I used to own a 2013 Fireblade ABS and I have to say before writing it off it was a fantastic bike. Poised and easy to ride fast with great feedback. I miss it terribly if I am honest.
The bike's ABS kicked in on 3 notable occasions probably saving me from going down. On diesel leaving a forecourt, a Merc braking very hard to dodge a pothole on cold roads as I was drawing up to filter past and on loose gravel.
I did take my bike back to Honda to complain about the lever coming back to the bar when feathering the brake. We do that a lot in London. They refused to admit a brake lever coming back to the handlebar was an issue.
Anyway..
Would I buy a Fireblade again..? No.
Would I buy a Fireblade if I were new to sport bikes..? Yes. Would I buy an ABS blade..? Yes I would.
Especially if its your first litre sport bike and you are not planning on working on it.
Feed it fuel, check the oil, tighten the chain and throw tyres at it. Clean it and enjoy.
The bike's ABS kicked in on 3 notable occasions probably saving me from going down. On diesel leaving a forecourt, a Merc braking very hard to dodge a pothole on cold roads as I was drawing up to filter past and on loose gravel.
I did take my bike back to Honda to complain about the lever coming back to the bar when feathering the brake. We do that a lot in London. They refused to admit a brake lever coming back to the handlebar was an issue.
Anyway..
Would I buy a Fireblade again..? No.
Would I buy a Fireblade if I were new to sport bikes..? Yes. Would I buy an ABS blade..? Yes I would.
Especially if its your first litre sport bike and you are not planning on working on it.
Feed it fuel, check the oil, tighten the chain and throw tyres at it. Clean it and enjoy.
moanthebairns said:
Did you not replace all the bolts with after market ones? what did you get. If I keep mines id like to do this, as its held together mostly by Triumph and 18 year old kawasakis ones.
Just the ones that take a hammering from the road grime...- axle nut
- hugger bolts
- sprocket nuts and washers
- chain adjuster nuts and bolts
- fork clamp bolts
- brake caliper bolts (front and rear)
- mudguard bolts
- belly pan bolts
A few others as well but that's just me being a tart rather than actually needing them.
All replaced with titanium and purchased from here: http://www.competitionfasteners.com/
2wheelsjimmy said:
The 2012 bikes seem to command quite bit more £ over the 2008-11 ones.
Are they worth this? Or would replacing the rear shock be a better option, if suspension is limiting.
At the time I purchased mine I didn't have the cash for a 2012 > model ... so bought a 2010. I have no regrets at all.Are they worth this? Or would replacing the rear shock be a better option, if suspension is limiting.
Edited by 2wheelsjimmy on Wednesday 24th August 16:29
I've also installed suspension from a 2014 model on it (forks and shock) which was nearly as cost effective as servicing the old stuff ... don't get me wrong the older suspension is far from limiting ... but I always found it harsh compared to my old R1 ... installing the newer stuff made an enormous difference. Worth every penny.
To be fair ... any 08-11 Fireblade is likely to need suspension work now unless its previously been done, so upgrades / service would be recommended.
As for being worth it - well that is down to the individual and the price differences... the main differences are cosmetic (sharper fairing, new dash, better suspension and multi spoke wheels) and some minor revisions to the fueling ... but it can all be interchanged with earlier models easily.
But IMHO given the relatively little differences I would buy the cleanest example you can find for your budget. You'll not regret it.
What are 2012 blades going for now? - When I last looked they were £9k +
Mr OCD said:
What are 2012 blades going for now? - When I last looked they were £9k +
Thanks. Appreciated.~ £7.2k +
--
To those that say this bike isn't for people who like working on their own bikes, what bike would be? Surely once you know your way around the bike, it's much the same as working on anything.
trickywoo said:
This is sort of how they ended up with a 16" front wheel in the original blade. It was originally designed as a 750 then someone decided it should be a 900 which didn't leave enough room for a 17" wheel without a major redesign.
I don't believe that since it's very easy to retrofit a 17" wheel from a CBR600 or VFR750/800 with no clearance issues at all. The overall diameter of a 120/70R17 tyre is only a tiny bit more than a 130/70R1616" rims were simply in fashion at the time, plenty of other manufacturers used them as well.
2wheelsjimmy said:
To those that say this bike isn't for people who like working on their own bikes, what bike would be? Surely once you know your way around the bike, it's much the same as working on anything.
GSXR1000 Is a doddle to work on. I can get both side fairings and the entire front fairing assembly off mine in 10 minutes. Tank/airbox/filter/plugs is 15 minutes. No dodgy abs to try and bleed either.
Helped my mate service his blade and it took both of us all day. Fairing was very fiddly, lots of small sections and a few scabby fasteners really slowed us down.
I had a good long test ride of a Honda Fireblade last year, 2015 ABS model. I put it through a mix of urban roads and a mix of fast rural routes with some tight bits thrown in. The bike was amazingly easy to ride, very light and easy clutch, seating position is not too extreme (for my frame, 6 foot with 34" inside legs). It's bloody quick and extremely smooth in power delivery, just builds steadily all the way to the top. Very well damped from the engine vibration, handling as good as any modern supersports bike I've ridden - IE, way better than 99.9% of riders could use on the road.
My only complaints were that the rear seat had no brace on it as it's nearly flush with the main seat. I like to feel the rear seat when I'm sliding back in the seat to tuck in, but this one didn't give much of a "braced" feeling for high speed stuff. I think maybe putting the rear seat cover on might help with this. I also didn't really like the character of the bike, it was very, very quiet in terms of exhaust and airbox noise. Sticking a can on helps immensely but the induction noise is just not there like it is on other bikes, which for me is a big disappointment. I remember reading on the Honda website about how they'd "listened to rider feedback and made the induction note even quieter" on the latest MY of the CBR600RR, iirc they dropped it 3db which is effectively halving the volume. I'm not sure which riders they were listening to as I can't recall many riders I've talked to who didn't like induction noise. Either way, I still felt the Fireblade wasn't so much a hooligan's toy as a very well honed tool. This could be a good thing or a bad thing, depending on what you want from a bike.
My only complaints were that the rear seat had no brace on it as it's nearly flush with the main seat. I like to feel the rear seat when I'm sliding back in the seat to tuck in, but this one didn't give much of a "braced" feeling for high speed stuff. I think maybe putting the rear seat cover on might help with this. I also didn't really like the character of the bike, it was very, very quiet in terms of exhaust and airbox noise. Sticking a can on helps immensely but the induction noise is just not there like it is on other bikes, which for me is a big disappointment. I remember reading on the Honda website about how they'd "listened to rider feedback and made the induction note even quieter" on the latest MY of the CBR600RR, iirc they dropped it 3db which is effectively halving the volume. I'm not sure which riders they were listening to as I can't recall many riders I've talked to who didn't like induction noise. Either way, I still felt the Fireblade wasn't so much a hooligan's toy as a very well honed tool. This could be a good thing or a bad thing, depending on what you want from a bike.
I'm waiting to see what the new Fireblade will be - only a few months to go. A lot of pants dropping around the price of the 2016 model right now which makes it extremely tempting.
However, everything i read so far recommends the S1000rr. Plus my test ride on it gave me the feeling of more confidence over the blade, although i will/never got anywhere near 1/5 of their potential. Will compare again when the new one comes out.
I'll be considering upgrading next year now.
However, everything i read so far recommends the S1000rr. Plus my test ride on it gave me the feeling of more confidence over the blade, although i will/never got anywhere near 1/5 of their potential. Will compare again when the new one comes out.
I'll be considering upgrading next year now.
Edited by BobSaunders on Wednesday 24th August 20:34
Edited by BobSaunders on Wednesday 24th August 20:35
Mr2Mike said:
trickywoo said:
This is sort of how they ended up with a 16" front wheel in the original blade. It was originally designed as a 750 then someone decided it should be a 900 which didn't leave enough room for a 17" wheel without a major redesign.
I don't believe that since it's very easy to retrofit a 17" wheel from a CBR600 or VFR750/800 with no clearance issues at all. The overall diameter of a 120/70R17 tyre is only a tiny bit more than a 130/70R1616" rims were simply in fashion at the time, plenty of other manufacturers used them as well.
DuraAce said:
2wheelsjimmy said:
To those that say this bike isn't for people who like working on their own bikes, what bike would be? Surely once you know your way around the bike, it's much the same as working on anything.
GSXR1000 Is a doddle to work on. I can get both side fairings and the entire front fairing assembly off mine in 10 minutes. Tank/airbox/filter/plugs is 15 minutes. No dodgy abs to try and bleed either.
Helped my mate service his blade and it took both of us all day. Fairing was very fiddly, lots of small sections and a few scabby fasteners really slowed us down.
The interlocking tabs are a annoying but seem to be a feature of all modern bikes now as panel numbers go up, get thinner, but interlock for strength, for ease of production and strength. Like the proliferation of plastic expanding screw things. Just crap.
I've worked on a lot of bikes - I would say, KTM, Ducati and Suzuki are the easiest, then Kawasaki, then Triumph and Yamaha, then Honda, but engine config in my view has a bigger effect on difficulty levels for working on. Followed by chassis format (1199 and ZZR1400 are a nightmare) followed by finally age of bike - the newer they are, the more difficult they are to work on as they are packaged tighter.
Just watch a youtube video on your bike, for how to take off the fairing without breaking tabs and you are fine after that. Someone will have made one!
Additionally - I've never had a Honda use oil. Some early Blades used a fair bit in 08/09, but after that no problems generally on the forums.
If you want a Blade, get a 12 onward Blade - they are seriously good and £ for £ kick the arse out of the alternatives. The GSXR1000 is a good bike too, in the same vein, but just not as good in either chassis or suspension (rear shock) departments. For the same money you are looking at leggy early S1000RRs with their lack of torque and s
t electronics, time bomb early RSV4s, or biker-boyz overpriced cross plane R1s.3DP said:
Honda generally hide fasteners and visible bolts to create a cohesive quality look. To service the current model Fireblade is a piece of piss as you can pretty much remove the oil filter and drop the oil without removing any panels - just loosening the right hand lower belly pan panel (5 mins). The tank cover is easy and that's the air filter done quickly.
The interlocking tabs are a annoying but seem to be a feature of all modern bikes now as panel numbers go up, get thinner, but interlock for strength, for ease of production and strength. Like the proliferation of plastic expanding screw things. Just crap.
I've worked on a lot of bikes - I would say, KTM, Ducati and Suzuki are the easiest, then Kawasaki, then Triumph and Yamaha, then Honda, but engine config in my view has a bigger effect on difficulty levels for working on. Followed by chassis format (1199 and ZZR1400 are a nightmare) followed by finally age of bike - the newer they are, the more difficult they are to work on as they are packaged tighter.
Just watch a youtube video on your bike, for how to take off the fairing without breaking tabs and you are fine after that. Someone will have made one!
Additionally - I've never had a Honda use oil. Some early Blades used a fair bit in 08/09, but after that no problems generally on the forums.
If you want a Blade, get a 12 onward Blade - they are seriously good and £ for £ kick the arse out of the alternatives. The GSXR1000 is a good bike too, in the same vein, but just not as good in either chassis or suspension (rear shock) departments. For the same money you are looking at leggy early S1000RRs with their lack of torque and st electronics, time bomb early RSV4s, or biker-boyz overpriced cross plane R1s.
3 Nm less torques from the BMW compared to the Hernda, your bottom must be really sensitive Pete.The interlocking tabs are a annoying but seem to be a feature of all modern bikes now as panel numbers go up, get thinner, but interlock for strength, for ease of production and strength. Like the proliferation of plastic expanding screw things. Just crap.
I've worked on a lot of bikes - I would say, KTM, Ducati and Suzuki are the easiest, then Kawasaki, then Triumph and Yamaha, then Honda, but engine config in my view has a bigger effect on difficulty levels for working on. Followed by chassis format (1199 and ZZR1400 are a nightmare) followed by finally age of bike - the newer they are, the more difficult they are to work on as they are packaged tighter.
Just watch a youtube video on your bike, for how to take off the fairing without breaking tabs and you are fine after that. Someone will have made one!
Additionally - I've never had a Honda use oil. Some early Blades used a fair bit in 08/09, but after that no problems generally on the forums.
If you want a Blade, get a 12 onward Blade - they are seriously good and £ for £ kick the arse out of the alternatives. The GSXR1000 is a good bike too, in the same vein, but just not as good in either chassis or suspension (rear shock) departments. For the same money you are looking at leggy early S1000RRs with their lack of torque and s
t electronics, time bomb early RSV4s, or biker-boyz overpriced cross plane R1s.Both 2012 models, BMW has an extra 20 BHP.
http://www.motorcyclespecs.co.za/model/bmw/bmw_s10...
http://www.motorcyclespecs.co.za/model/Honda/honda...
And didn't the "Star Boyz" mainly use Honda and those "chavy" Kawasaki's.
I can't really comment on the 2010+ Fireblade, I had a go on a 2008 back in 2008 and thought it was a great bike then, I've owned a 2003 and a 2006 and can echo other people's comments about them being really rider friendly, they're great bikes to be able to get on and instantly gel with and feel at home on, saying that I found the first generation S1000RR had the same traits.
My favourite is still the 954!!.
My favourite is still the 954!!.
Biker's Nemesis said:
3DP said:
Honda generally hide fasteners and visible bolts to create a cohesive quality look. To service the current model Fireblade is a piece of piss as you can pretty much remove the oil filter and drop the oil without removing any panels - just loosening the right hand lower belly pan panel (5 mins). The tank cover is easy and that's the air filter done quickly.
The interlocking tabs are a annoying but seem to be a feature of all modern bikes now as panel numbers go up, get thinner, but interlock for strength, for ease of production and strength. Like the proliferation of plastic expanding screw things. Just crap.
I've worked on a lot of bikes - I would say, KTM, Ducati and Suzuki are the easiest, then Kawasaki, then Triumph and Yamaha, then Honda, but engine config in my view has a bigger effect on difficulty levels for working on. Followed by chassis format (1199 and ZZR1400 are a nightmare) followed by finally age of bike - the newer they are, the more difficult they are to work on as they are packaged tighter.
Just watch a youtube video on your bike, for how to take off the fairing without breaking tabs and you are fine after that. Someone will have made one!
Additionally - I've never had a Honda use oil. Some early Blades used a fair bit in 08/09, but after that no problems generally on the forums.
If you want a Blade, get a 12 onward Blade - they are seriously good and £ for £ kick the arse out of the alternatives. The GSXR1000 is a good bike too, in the same vein, but just not as good in either chassis or suspension (rear shock) departments. For the same money you are looking at leggy early S1000RRs with their lack of torque and st electronics, time bomb early RSV4s, or biker-boyz overpriced cross plane R1s.
3 Nm less torques from the BMW compared to the Hernda, your bottom must be really sensitive Pete.The interlocking tabs are a annoying but seem to be a feature of all modern bikes now as panel numbers go up, get thinner, but interlock for strength, for ease of production and strength. Like the proliferation of plastic expanding screw things. Just crap.
I've worked on a lot of bikes - I would say, KTM, Ducati and Suzuki are the easiest, then Kawasaki, then Triumph and Yamaha, then Honda, but engine config in my view has a bigger effect on difficulty levels for working on. Followed by chassis format (1199 and ZZR1400 are a nightmare) followed by finally age of bike - the newer they are, the more difficult they are to work on as they are packaged tighter.
Just watch a youtube video on your bike, for how to take off the fairing without breaking tabs and you are fine after that. Someone will have made one!
Additionally - I've never had a Honda use oil. Some early Blades used a fair bit in 08/09, but after that no problems generally on the forums.
If you want a Blade, get a 12 onward Blade - they are seriously good and £ for £ kick the arse out of the alternatives. The GSXR1000 is a good bike too, in the same vein, but just not as good in either chassis or suspension (rear shock) departments. For the same money you are looking at leggy early S1000RRs with their lack of torque and s
t electronics, time bomb early RSV4s, or biker-boyz overpriced cross plane R1s.Both 2012 models, BMW has an extra 20 BHP.
http://www.motorcyclespecs.co.za/model/bmw/bmw_s10...
http://www.motorcyclespecs.co.za/model/Honda/honda...
And didn't the "Star Boyz" mainly use Honda and those "chavy" Kawasaki's.
We all know the first model big bang R1 is the litre bike most likely to be seen at night with blue neons and 3 inch long cut down end cans
Biker's Nemesis said:
According to Dave Hancock who worked very closely with Tada during the FireBlade development the above story is in fact correct.
Perhaps the story relates to an early prototype, and they stuck with the 16 inch wheel even though the production bikes didn't need it.blade7 said:
This^^^^though fitting a 17" made it slappy, and Honda were too tight/arrogant to fit a steering damper.
I haven't noticed any instability on my '99, but I think the earlier bikes were a bit more flighty to start with.3DP said:
Honda generally hide fasteners and visible bolts to create a cohesive quality look. To service the current model Fireblade is a piece of piss as you can pretty much remove the oil filter and drop the oil without removing any panels - just loosening the right hand lower belly pan panel (5 mins). The tank cover is easy and that's the air filter done quickly.
The interlocking tabs are a annoying but seem to be a feature of all modern bikes now as panel numbers go up, get thinner, but interlock for strength, for ease of production and strength. Like the proliferation of plastic expanding screw things. Just crap.
I've worked on a lot of bikes - I would say, KTM, Ducati and Suzuki are the easiest, then Kawasaki, then Triumph and Yamaha, then Honda, but engine config in my view has a bigger effect on difficulty levels for working on. Followed by chassis format (1199 and ZZR1400 are a nightmare) followed by finally age of bike - the newer they are, the more difficult they are to work on as they are packaged tighter.
Just watch a youtube video on your bike, for how to take off the fairing without breaking tabs and you are fine after that. Someone will have made one!
Additionally - I've never had a Honda use oil. Some early Blades used a fair bit in 08/09, but after that no problems generally on the forums.
If you want a Blade, get a 12 onward Blade - they are seriously good and £ for £ kick the arse out of the alternatives. The GSXR1000 is a good bike too, in the same vein, but just not as good in either chassis or suspension (rear shock) departments. For the same money you are looking at leggy early S1000RRs with their lack of torque and st electronics, time bomb early RSV4s, or biker-boyz overpriced cross plane R1s.
I agree with most of this.The interlocking tabs are a annoying but seem to be a feature of all modern bikes now as panel numbers go up, get thinner, but interlock for strength, for ease of production and strength. Like the proliferation of plastic expanding screw things. Just crap.
I've worked on a lot of bikes - I would say, KTM, Ducati and Suzuki are the easiest, then Kawasaki, then Triumph and Yamaha, then Honda, but engine config in my view has a bigger effect on difficulty levels for working on. Followed by chassis format (1199 and ZZR1400 are a nightmare) followed by finally age of bike - the newer they are, the more difficult they are to work on as they are packaged tighter.
Just watch a youtube video on your bike, for how to take off the fairing without breaking tabs and you are fine after that. Someone will have made one!
Additionally - I've never had a Honda use oil. Some early Blades used a fair bit in 08/09, but after that no problems generally on the forums.
If you want a Blade, get a 12 onward Blade - they are seriously good and £ for £ kick the arse out of the alternatives. The GSXR1000 is a good bike too, in the same vein, but just not as good in either chassis or suspension (rear shock) departments. For the same money you are looking at leggy early S1000RRs with their lack of torque and s
t electronics, time bomb early RSV4s, or biker-boyz overpriced cross plane R1s.The Fireblade fairings are so well made and make the bike look so well finished. The downside is getting off the fairings is a faff and a half.
However changing oil is so easy. They thought about it. I guess with everything the more you have to do stuff the easier it becomes.
I was disappointed that my lower bolts and brake hose clips furred up in one winter and even though I was keeping on top of the cleaning. Honda again didn’t want to know.
Personally on the road I would like to have traction control and abs so for this reason I probably wouldn't get the blade again. Have you considered a ZX10R? Not sure these would be the same money or have the same ergonomics as a Blade as they look a darn sight smaller.
Edited by Renn Sport on Thursday 25th August 14:27
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