Hi guys, currently on a 09 R1 which I've owned for around 4 years. I've have a love/hate relationship with the bike as it has loads of pros and cons. Came from Suzukis but have no brand loyalty and the Blade is an itch that needs scratched. Done a few trackdays at Knockhill but mainly a fast road rider. I would be looking for a 2012 onwards as I like the look of the front end. Was there a slight change in '14? Are they any service manuals to download as I prefer working on my bike myself? Are there any members came from crossplane R1s to Blades that could give me any comparisons? I have spoke to 2 guys who have owned R1s and they say the Honda is far better around town. Coming from the Glasgow area are there any recommended dealers you would recommend, I only know of Victor Devine? Anything I should be looking out for on a '12 onwards bike, recalls etc? Thanks in advance. Colin
Welcome in Colin, cant speak regarding yer R1, but with regards the Dealers Devines have been ok with me, dealers are dealers out to make a buck, I have had minor issues but they were resolved to my satisfaction. If you are out and about and want a close up look at mine give me a shout. What happened with the Ducati, thought u were after an 899 or 959, couple of my mates have them and love them, each to their own. Cheers John
Hi John thought you might have ended up over here. Test rode the 899 and never got on with it, such a shame as it's a beautiful bike. Over the last year I've been drawn to the Fireblade and the '12 onwards seem to be really keenly priced and there are a good few to choose from. Just really need to know any flaws to look out for before I start looking in earnest.
Good stuff Colin, I love my Blade, have over 8 k miles on it now, I know Devines have a 66 plate in with I think 800 miles on it for a good price, I had questioned changing mine for the new model but the hit was huge and decided to leave it. Cheers John
14 plate onwards they changed the cat position to the headers, also the rearsets changed slightly too along with a couple of other minor changes that you wouldn't notice 12-13 plate best if you want to get shot of the cat with just a slip on
Depends on the slipon, the akrapovic with cat you'll get away without but some others definitely need a power commander and mapping
Check in the search box as some members have posted PDF copies of services manuals! I've got a copy somewhere of the later model if you don't find it on here first
Welcome mate Yeah VD is the only Honda dealership in Glasgow. You could also try North Harbour motorcycles in Ayr and see what they've got on offer. What about the new GSXR??
Just looking for something around the £8k mark. I don't want PCP and can't justify £15k for a new bike that sits in a garage 6 months of the year and the Scottish summers last 2 weeks! To fair the R1 has not caused me any dramas just looking for a litre bike that behaves at lower speeds.
Being able to do some town riding is a thing the blade can easily do no problems. On fair weather days I mostly commute into Glasgow on my blade. If you're looking at sportsbikes then i'd say the Blade, GSXR and S1000RR are all pretty good at that, comfortable for longer rides and easier to ride at pace. IMO the R1, ZX10r and the Panigales make you work that bit more and don't really cope as well with the pace of riding about the town. To be fair though there's not really a bad bike out there these days, they are all great. Its just picking the one thats right for you,
Totally agree. All good bikes in their own right. If you speak to non Blade owners all you get is it's boring to ride, how any 1000cc sportsbike can be boring is beyond me. My R1 is great apart from slow town and roundabouts where it must look like I'm sitting my CBT! Snappy clutch and on/off throttle (crossplane engine), on track/fast road it's a dream. I just need the full package. Looked at S1000RR but seem to have a few problems the Blade on the other hand looks to be bulletproof.
