Possible Newcomer - Advice Hi All Currently looking and maybe changing my VFR1200 for a new Fireblade. The VFR is a brilliant bike but when I bought it I bought it with it being a Jack off all trades, however my partner could not live with it. So cut a long story short I bought a new Pan last year and this has gone down a storm with both of us and thats the touring element taken care off. Now that Eileen won't be traveling on the VFR and it has become a solo bike and a great one at that. 500 miles in the saddle in one day. I am in my late forties and certainly appreciated the comfort. But somehow i find myself thinking one last throw of the dice. I have had many bikes and quite a few sportsbikes. I had a CBR600rr (2007) which was a brilliant bike and A ZX9r Also brilliant and a ZX10r 2007, disliked it to uncomfortable. I have had a few test rides on the blade and really like it, I wondered about its reliability and so forth, I am for the moment toying with the idea as I really feel I should live with the VFR for a bit longer and really question what i will gain from a blade. I am an average to good rider but certainly no race track star nor will I ever be. But I am not in love with the VFR in the way I feel I should be and now its role has changed i am convincing myself that A blade would be better appreciated in my garage. I appreciate its a nice dilemma to have but any thoughts will be greatly received. Cheers Paul
Welcome to the forum. I've got to say that's an awful position to be in (NOT) Would you be going brand new or used for the Blade, someone on here bought a 11 plate repsol with 1200miles on for around £7500. They say the blade is the easiest and safest 1000 to get on and ride! Andrew
I test rode a few ltr bikes from the R1 to BMW 1000rr and loved the blade. amazed if anyone does not enjoy them. I've used mine for touring Europe and Track days to road riding and loved every min of it
Hi Paul. What a brilliant predicament to be in. You're going to win either way. Loads of geezers on here are going to bombard with advice and in my experience it'll all be pretty good but on the other hand we're all heavily biased so if you are truly after an objective view, tough luck I'm afraid mate. The best I can offer is that my 'Blade is my first true superbike and is a 90 bhp leap from where I was before but it is so easy to live with and ride that the transition was barely noticeable. It will occasionally look over it's shoulder and bare it's teeth at you if you're stupid with it, a bit like the cat when it's bored with you stroking it. But that's the point, it communicates it's mood to you all the time. Right out of the box it's, without doubt, still about the best sports bike there is and you can track day it with the bubble wrap still on. Reliability? Well you're already a Honda rider, look in the dictionary under 'bulletproof'. I'll leave off for the real experts now. They'll be along directly. Ken
I bet you have not heard one moan about the bladeon this site .(if this is the last throw of the dice )Better throw it now whilst you can!
"I am in my late forties and certainly appreciated the comfort. But somehow i find myself thinking one last throw of the dice." Why should it be one last throw of the dice, you're just a young whippersnapper lol. JD
Truely one of the best bikes I have ever riden, I love it to bits, I have had my bike for 7 months from new and it has never let me down, the build quality is second to none and I still think this is the best value litre bike out there especially with some of the deals available at the moment. Go for it you will not regret it at all Actually only point from me is ditch the OE tyres, if you can get them swapped before you pick it up as they are awful, go for dunlop sportsmarts or metzler k3's and you cant go wrong.
Hi Paul near enough same age as me, I'm 63 (year that is! )Lol. I'm right in the middle of my mid life crisis and cannot get enough of the blade! Totally love it handles fab, great grunt, fast as you'll ever need, and is so easy to ride. Get one you will not regret it!!
Hi Paul, No quite the same but have a CB1300 tried the VFR and others but one ride on the blade made my mind up, keep the CB1300 and get a blade as well now I am like a dog with two, you get the idea, (wife hates the blade it takes me away from her). 52 years young. Rob.
