The 2008 'love it or hate it' blade.
No other Fireblade has caused so much
debate amongst the true followers of Tadao Baba's famous marque.
Our own forum has a variety of opinion
ranging from 'its OK' to 'its horrible'. The original pictures made
it look like an R1 (Yamaha) but members who attended the end of 2007
bike show and saw it in the flesh thought it looked better that the
pictures suggest. But the overriding question that only you can answer
is - if you had the cash would you buy one? After all that's what
Honda are hoping for, but somehow it doesn't have the immediate appeal
of the former models. Time, and sales, will prove the point?
The engine is all-new and uses titanium
valves and a 1mm bigger bore, but power is only claimed to increase
by 3bhp, to 175bhp, maybe this is in keeping with Honda's claim they've
built the new Blade with the road rider in mind?
Honda have cut lots of weight from previous
models. The previous model was quoted at 203kg but the new model is
claimed to be 172kg. That suggests a huge weight saving exercise but
where has it all come from?
The CBR600RR-based electronic damper
is fitted to the new blade, and at last there is a slipper clutch
although it uses secondary undercut cams to force the clutch back
together for instant drive. The new swingarm is 11mm longer than the
one it replaces, and has been developed in conjunction with Honda's
MotoGP programme.
The new 2008 Fireblade has a compact,
mass-centralised exhaust system, which is now concentrated almost
entirely underneath the engine.
So, what do you think? Come on over
to the
forum and have your say.......
Stop press - read
the write up following the launch of the new blade..........
