New bike time - Fireblade

[3DP]

This afternoon I picked up my new 'do-it-all' bike. The Mrs is not happy as it doesn't look much like the Speed Triple I said I was going to buy. Anyway - great journey home. I was determined not to ride like a twunt, but a 2nd to 4th gear wheelie up an M-way on-ramp put paid to that. I think that also ran in the steering damper...

Made up though - They may not be the most interesting choice but by Christ are they superbly capable! Only mod planned at the moment is a tail tidy and mini plate, going on this weekend.

Obligatory pic whoring

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bass gt3 said:

lovely, but it just isn't white enough!
Dare you to do white wheels with black rim tape, be stonking

White wheels cause problems for my OCD. There might have to be some red rim tape to go on though.

Fleegle said:

Nice one Pete. Is it a Honda?

Yes. Yes it is. Feels like... coming home.

Andy XRV said:

Very nice Pete. Did you call in or just do fly past?

I was coming back from Maidstone Honda so just passed your place as wanted to catch the last light at home for the kids to see it.



Thanks all!

[3DP]

Baryonyx said:

Great looking bike. Did you try a Speed Triple?

I did some miles on ChipChap's 2012 one around Lake Como and around the Gorge du Verdon. They are fabulous and soulful - comfy too and really get under your skin, but the engine is heavy and antiquated. With the free arrows and gel seat offer on at the moment, they are better value, but I just couldn't get past the fact that they feel a little slow and breathless at the top - It needs to be 10kg lighter with 1500rpm extra at the top with another 20bhp. A base S1000R is basically the same money. When they design a new engine with the 675 topology, they'll be back onto a winner, even if the move the price up £1k.

Edited by 3DP on Thursday 5th March 20:22

[3DP]

Biker's Nemesis said:

A white Fireblade, can it be any gayer?

I think on the scale of gayness with 1 being a Spondon framed GSXR1100, and 10 being a pink framed R1, it's a definite 8.5.

[3DP]

Renn Sport said:

Nice bike... but I am biased as I have one.

How come you chose the blade as the do it all bike? Just out of interest?

Most comfortable litre bike other than GSXR1000, looks great, phenominal chassis and suspension for the road and stonking road engine. No electronics and any of the new techno fest bikes are a lot more money for a bunch of equipment I'll mainly turn off. I also like Hondas - they get the job done and feel quality. An S1000R with a fly screen probably came closest to fulfilling the same remit, but you've got to pay over £12k to get the spec to a point where you can switch everything off. If they'd updated the Speed Triple for 2015 with a new engine, that would also have been an almost definite as long as they didn't add a wk electronics package (should all be like the Aprilia please).

This bike will Euro tour, occasionally commute, Sunday morning blast and occasionally trackday. The 1198 stays for purely weekend thrashes and drool factor.

I have a Bags Connections tank attachement to go on and a Renntec rack will be ordered too, for fitting for big trips.

[3DP]

Biker's Nemesis said:

I was obviously joking about the gay thing.

Welcome to the white Fireblade camp (no pun intended), you're in exceptional company.

I know you are The st you got for the pink frame, you can take the piss all day long!

Obiwonkeyblokey said:

and me, love mine.....



although my knees are fubared so may trade it for a multistrada

Lovely too - Multis are very comfy and impressive.

dapearson said:

Similar opinion to me. It feels like the sort of bike I could hammer round a track on (if I had the skills, which I don't), potter down country lanes on, sit at 80-90 on the motorway all day long on, tour on. Plus I like looking at it when i'm giving it a clean.

Cheeky pic:


I kind of wish i'd gone for the white like yours. The tricolour is now used on pretty much every variation of CBR from the 125 upwards to the point of becoming very common, plus the red/blue colours on the side panels are actually stickers rather than paint. I've had one panel replaced already under warranty due to them peeling slightly and being out of alignment. I would have preferred it to be a solid colour to make polishing easier.

I hate to say it, but I noticed that as well on the tricolour - The CBR300 is hard to tell apart at a glance and it is stickers too. First choice was my colour, followed by black, but at one stage it looked like I could only get mega deals on the tricolour. I was also quite keen on the urban tiger special edition that everyone hates - especially as it came with an Akra.

rat840771 said:

A lovely looking bike, but boy that tail tidy needs to go straight on, as a rule they should be supplied as part of the deal!

Fixed that tonight... Much much better and the most weirdly put together standard mudguard ever, although it cleverly hides the cables. Someone at Honda had a little too much time on their hands when they designed it.

Mr OCD said:

Love that white... sunbeam white I believe...



Same as mine

They call it Pearl Glare white on mine, but it looks the same. I think it's the same as the white on my old 2009 600RR which was called something else too. What I do know is that they don't do a touch up pen!


Thanks again for the nice comments - was expecting more hating on the UJM

[3DP]

teabagger said:

Great looking bike.

I cant see that colour listed on the honda site, is it a limited edition colour?

Thanks all.

It was a 2014 specific colour, but after the bike updates for 2014, there were no changes other than colours for the 2015 bike. It's a 2014 model year bike.