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2017 Honda Fireblade SP

Posted: 17 Aug 2017, 23:03
by Rossgo
So as you maybe aware I booked up a test ride on the new Blade to compare the differences between the main competitors

I will add I was suppose to ride the new ZX10R as well however it was in the garage and I couldn't get out on it due to an issue so had to pass on that!

So what happened on the day!

Well I had a service booked up so I decided to take the greatest and latest out for a play courtesy of Blade Abingdon

So I turned up and was greeted straight away by a sales person, I explained the reason I was there and straight away he said "oooh the Blade, let me know what you think of it afterwards", "certainly will" I replied!! He went off to sort out the paperwork and I went off to hand over the keys for the service

I came back and true to his word the paperwork was sorted, he asked me for a £10 insurance contribution to lower the excess...which I was quite happy to give him after the words "£2000 excess gets lowered too £250 by paying", "yep that's fine buddy" I replied!!

Next "how long do you want Mate?"

"Well maybe a couple of hours, 2.5hours??"

"Sure no worries, insurance is ready!!"

"Cheers buddy" with a smile on my face

So the bike that's why we are all reading this right....


Ok so I swung my leg over and my initial thoughts were this is light, narrow, feels no heavier than an 600...very good start

I turned over the key and my eyes gazed at the dash...its a warm welcome from the Honda, like going to your nans for a Sunday roast, special.

Fire her up and I thought, nice, quiet compared to the Gixxer.

Select first......again i tried to select first Honda don't piss me off already with that warm welcome!! This happened a few times!
Pull away and I found the clutch lever was very high - ok not a fair point here as you can adjust it but it did piss me off everytime I stopped and had to pull off again, hence writing it up!!

So now I'm on the bike riding down the road doing 30 in first (like the Gixxer) but something seems out of place, missing maybe...more on that later just bare this in mind


Hit a 40 still in first but at this point the engine starts to feel a bit pushed, louder, not quite so happy. I am comparing this to the Gixxer, the Gixxer I didn't feel like I was doing 30, or 40 for that matter and I was in first and it didn't feel bothered by this. The Honda felt like it was kinda wanting to say "No" like you would a small child for misbehaving. So I did what any person would do and changed up to second


Shit!!

WTF

That didn't feel very good!

Ok maybe it's me I thought I got a couple of hours on this thing let me see what it's like I thought

I saw a magical sign, the sign has a glisten to it, could it be...yes it is, National Speed Limit sign! So it would be rude not to open it up surely...i pull on the throttle (still in second) wow the sound is amazing it's like you are riding a Eurofighter. It really was brilliant, saw a bit of traffic, eyed up an over take and the Honda made it feel pretty easy.

Ok so time for 3rd using the quickshifter

Jeez I said 3rd not make me almost jump out my seat!

Genuine question who has set up this Quick shifter for Honda...maybe it be ok on track but for road it's far too aggressive when you compare it to the Gixxer!? Not for me I'm affraid and that was on more than a handful of occasions, potentially my fault but I didn't find it easy to use

So heading down the road and some donkey decides it's the right time to pull out at a T Junction right in front of me....i was so glad the Honda have brilliant Brembos! Must be the same as the Gixxer but they seem a bit more sharper, infact I felt like my soul had jumped out of my chest when using them, scared the f&cking sh!t out of me!! But they did the job very very well

The set up of the bike is...i don't think there's a word to say how well it's set up to be honest, the Ohlins are clearly doing their job right and Honda clearly knows these are the 'go to guys'.

Yet I am still missing something...but what is it I wonder to myself.

So I carry on using various type of roads

I get into a town...something I haven't mentioned yet...but there's a reason why I haven't because.....

The button cluster on the left is...confusing and annoying...

I ride down the road, get to a set of traffic lights and think I'll indicate to turn right with a bunch of old ladies waiting at the traffic lights....

BEEEEEEP!!

Yep you got it instead of using the indicator I CONSTANTLY hit the beeper!! It annoyed me and scared a few people...im sorry to anyone I scared on Wednesday!! The cluster is wrong way around for my liking and found myself having to look down to make sure I was going for the indicator! Image

So skip to an hour and half in I'm still missing something

So decide to pull off the road and take a couple of snaps and take a look around the bike.

There's covers for the holes in the frame, what's all that about? Swinging arms seem a bit dated, no flashness there more function over looks. I noticed the indicators (in the mirrors) seem to be constantly on, so there's a yellow tinge or light to them - unsure if that's the sun or if the lights are just constantly on, bit strange. Other than that pretty happy with the outside looks

The tires they have on the Honda are the Supercorsas - I've said this before I hate them and have come off a couple of times because I haven't warmed them up well enough so I took it easy around roundabouts in particular but down the twisties I didn't notice anything to be nervous about, stuck pretty well


I managed to take a 60 mile blast on the SP, mileage started at 455 and I pulled back in with 515miles on the clock!!


So I head back and when am 5 minutes away from the dealership I started to realise what I was missing.......



A smile


Not to say the Blade isn't good, it is good...its great in fact. I didn't like the QS, and to use the clutch it wasn't much better, maybe you would get used to it but why put up with it when the Gixxer is smoother and cheaper


Overall

Honda is what a Honda does

It's great but if I had £20k would I spend it on the Honda.....no I wouldn't! The Gixxer is a hooligans bike from its soul to it's skin, it's like the 10 minutes alone in a room with a box of tissues, a laptop and free open WiFi access then getting a text off the wife saying that she will be coming home with another friend and you best be ready for some action so get the easy one out now!! Where as the Blade is like going home to a wife, kids, a cleaned house, cooked meal and the wife saying don't worry about the washing up she would do it!

Both special in their own rights

Here's some pics of the SP



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Re: 2017 Honda Fireblade SP

Posted: 18 Aug 2017, 08:21
by Kwacky
Really good write up,. It sounds like you've got the same impressions as other people who have ridden it - it's not that special to ride.

Are you still taking a ZX10R out for a ride?

Re: 2017 Honda Fireblade SP

Posted: 18 Aug 2017, 09:46
by Perkles
Great write up ,ive read the fuelling is awful and it's not a leap forward over the old model where the gsxr is

Re: 2017 Honda Fireblade SP

Posted: 18 Aug 2017, 09:49
by Cavetroll87
Its funny, Ive only ridden the older blade but sounds the same, just missing that something that makes certain bikes so special

Re: 2017 Honda Fireblade SP

Posted: 18 Aug 2017, 09:53
by Rossgo
Kwacky - the salesman told me he would call or ring me when the ZX10R is ready however I let him know I would be at work all weekend so he may wait until after the weekend d...or maybe the bike isn't ready yet!

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Re: 2017 Honda Fireblade SP

Posted: 18 Aug 2017, 09:54
by Rossgo
Perkles - i missed out one bit which sounds like the fueling - at low revs the engine seemed to cut in and out, not smooth at all, really annoyed me as when you are crawling through town you can feel it cutting in and out.

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Re: 2017 Honda Fireblade SP

Posted: 18 Aug 2017, 10:00
by Kwacky
Cavetroll87 wrote:Its funny, Ive only ridden the older blade but sounds the same, just missing that something that makes certain bikes so special

Honda do seem to do vanilla very well.

Re: 2017 Honda Fireblade SP

Posted: 18 Aug 2017, 10:13
by Cavetroll87
Kwacky wrote:
Cavetroll87 wrote:Its funny, Ive only ridden the older blade but sounds the same, just missing that something that makes certain bikes so special

Honda do seem to do vanilla very well.
I think that's why people loved the fireblade so much though, you can brag you have a litre bike that's actually easier to ride than most other bikes out there....In fact I personally know a couple of people like that......

Re: 2017 Honda Fireblade SP

Posted: 18 Aug 2017, 10:19
by rocket
Great review rossgo I especially like the summary at the end. I feel the same at the moment about the gsxr it makes me feel so naughty in a good way. yes it's not the prettiest or the fastest but when you get off it I can not help but giggle.

Re: 2017 Honda Fireblade SP

Posted: 18 Aug 2017, 11:57
by Rossgo
Cavetroll - I think you are right, it's well put together and you could see how the techs have put it together...they just overlooked that special feeling, like it's missing it's soul

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Re: 2017 Honda Fireblade SP

Posted: 18 Aug 2017, 12:07
by Rossgo
Rocket - hahaha! Yea well its right isn't it! It's certainly has that feeling about it. You could imagine the techs who designed it living it up on company expenses, prob going to the casino and blowing a stupid sum of money then heading back tithe hotel room and stopping by the front of house and having a private word asking 'we would like the most high class prossies in the area, money not an issue'. They carry the night on in style in their presidential suite then start work hung over but with an amazing buzz, Thinking to themselves 'this bike has got to fit our night'

And they have!

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Re: 2017 Honda Fireblade SP

Posted: 18 Aug 2017, 14:52
by Blade
Nice write up Rossgo.

If you dont mind me asking were you forceful with the QS?

Reason I ask is at first I wasn't and I was being too mechanically sympathetic which made the shifts very crude and jerky.

Certainly with the translogic on my ten if your very deliberate with your shift it's buttery smooth.

Re: 2017 Honda Fireblade SP

Posted: 18 Aug 2017, 14:54
by Blade
Good looking bike but the R1M is the same money and that is just Special as a special should be 8)

Re: 2017 Honda Fireblade SP

Posted: 18 Aug 2017, 14:54
by Blade
What was the throttle like on a steady throttle or partial opening?

Re: 2017 Honda Fireblade SP

Posted: 18 Aug 2017, 16:11
by Rossgo
Blade - First of all with the Quickshifter I personally felt like I knew what I wanted and was pretty straight forward when selecting the gear, however I suppose that would be down to the person I felt like I was selecting no different to how I would select with any other bike. It was quick, instantly getting me to the next year BUT not smooth. Maybe with time you start to get the right feel for it but I am really comparing it to the Gixxer which personally I felt like I was at home straight away and was very smooth. It's very tough to beat in my opinion

Low revs it wasn't very nice, higher revs it felt incredibly smooth, it certainly had the quaility Honda feel to it. 30s and 40s personally didn't feel like it was happy and kept cutting in and out. I wish I could answer your question more precisely!!

I would recommend you trying one as you have the experience of owning Blades before so you will know what you are looking for in the bike

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Re: 2017 Honda Fireblade SP

Posted: 18 Aug 2017, 16:39
by Kwacky
I've been very impressed with the quickshifters on the last two Triumphs I've ridden. Very smooth.

Re: 2017 Honda Fireblade SP

Posted: 18 Aug 2017, 16:43
by C00kiemonster
Kwacky wrote:I've been very impressed with the quickshifters on the last two Triumphs I've ridden. Very smooth.
Agreed - very well integrated. I really do think they are novelty on the road mind.

Re: 2017 Honda Fireblade SP

Posted: 18 Aug 2017, 17:06
by Stonesie
Kwacky wrote:I've been very impressed with the quickshifters on the last two Triumphs I've ridden. Very smooth.
Got to agree, the one on my STR was very nice to use especially above half throttle.

Re: 2017 Honda Fireblade SP

Posted: 18 Aug 2017, 18:06
by Perkles
When I used to ride my zx10r it gave me goosebumps and made me gain from ear to ear,if a sports bike can't do that it's seriously flawed imho

Re: 2017 Honda Fireblade SP

Posted: 18 Aug 2017, 20:54
by Rossgo
I've heard the Triumph ones are good. My mate had one on his Daytona and he loved it!

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