Due to imminent mid life crisis, I feel the need to change my bike. Currently running a venerable, though low mileage/good nick Blackbird and fancy an out an out litre sportsbike. Just used for hooning around and annoying the locals. No track use or pseudo wannabe MotoGP antics.

I had a Fireblade for a couple of days last week when the Blackie was in for service. Seemed sensational in all respects. Realistically, for road use is there anything else that can touch it for price/performance/reliability? What recomendations around the £10k mark please?

Nothing weird please… 🙂

Kawasaki and, hard to believe, BMW come to mind.

Go naked and get a Tuono 😉 Seriously stupid amounts of scary fun, and no fairing makes it even more fun at kinda almost sensible speeds 😉

Seriously worth a test ride even if it doesn’t float your boat, just for the sheer lunacy of the beast

The Fireblade performance/price category is very simple.

GSX-R1000, ZX-10R, Fireblade, R1.

All pretty much of a muchness.

GSX-R1000 for people who grew up lusting after a GSX-R750.
ZX-10R for people with weird bodily ergonomics who still think of Kawasaki as the thrashers bike.
Fireblade for boring people who want their non-biking mates to actually have a vague idea what they own.
R1 for Rossi fans.

I’ve got a GSX-R 🙂

Always fancied trying a Blackbird…..

or…

A Blackbird is as fast as pretty much anything, so just ride it.

Age/Mileage?

Fit wide riser bars, remove the fairing:

Age: 2001
Mileage: 7500

I’ve had it since new and it’s been pampered (and not used much obviously). Next to the Blade it feels long, heavy, ungainly and not nearly as fast. The Blade spins up so quickly and the slipper clutch lets you take liberties that would have you on you ar$e on other kit.

The Blackie is fantastic for long distance blatting but feels a bit soft etc compared to the Blade.

@Ben You know the saying; once you’ve had black, you’ll never go back 🙂 If you want a pampered Blackie, mine will be available soon.

Anyone try the Beemer?

Keep the Blackbird, give it a good servicing, new tyres, pour in some injector cleaner and give it a long run-out (or just use it more!) to clean the engine out, fettle the suspension, drop the yokes, raise the rear etc.

That’s no help 🙂 Here am I trying to buy a new bike and you lot are putting me off.

I even put the Blade in the garage overnight and on ‘fessing up to ‘buying a new bike’, all she said was that’s a nice bike! So that’s permission that is.

The Blackie has just had a major service, suspension fettle etc but still feels like a barge compared to the Blade.

Age: 2001
Mileage: 7500

You’re not a Biker, you just happen to own a bike…

and ride whatever bike you buy more than you ride the Blackbird!

S1000rr or zx10r for license-loosing-mentalness

Trumph speed trip for less custodial sentence induced fun.

I think what Aristotle meant was do this with the Blackbird..

yunki – Member

I think what Aristotle meant was do this with the Blackbird..

I did see that on Google, but suspected that it might have been taking things just a little too far for the chap. all that work would eat into his riding time 😉

b r – Member
Age: 2001
Mileage: 7500

You’re not a Biker, you just happen to own a bike…

Um, OK. Thanks for that. I make/made no ‘I’m a biker’ claims but never mind, I don’t want to join your smelly biker gang anyway 🙂 I’ll just spend time with the bad ass dentists/accountants/IT professionals that make up my lido chapter 🙂

Not sure about modding what’s a pristine, original bike. I’ve been offered a great trade in for it as it is.

So, apart from the riding critique, any more (bike) suggestions please?

Oh Speed Triple is a good call too, and a KTM Duke.

You can tell I don’t like faired bikes can’t you… but then I ride a Guzzi Griso, so you probably shouldn’t listen to anything I have to say on the matter 😉

Saying that the RC8 looks rather fun. Friends with the Beemer rate them, whilst my mate with the R1 (used on the track mainly these days) thinks it is a bit slow (probably a couple of years old now so there could well be a newer, fresher model).

Or how about a Ducatti – you know – help you fit in with yer lido gang 😉

Sorry, lido=local. Poxy iPad….

It was particularly the Bimmer I was looking for first hand feedback on especially from those with direct experience of GSXR/ZX10/R1/Blade please.

Oh, and I think the Duke is a bit £££ and for something that spends a lot of time stationary, probably not the most reliable option.

Cross plane crank R1 or a KTM rc8r for 10,495 new

But the superduke is better than either on UK roads

http://www.superdukeforum.com/index.php

boblo – Member

Not sure about modding what’s a pristine, original bike. I’ve been offered a great trade in for it as it is.

It probably doesn’t matter what you buy if you are just going to store it in the garage in order to keep it pristine and original for when you trade it in for a newer one in a decade’s time….

How about doing this?:

-or send me the £10k and I’ll make good use of it.

I’m not sure you should spend 10k on a new bike.. you can get a 1 year old one for maybe half the price..

That’s a good point. I was/ am looking at ex demo in the case of the Blade.