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If Carlsberg Made Motorcycles....

  • Thread starter Black7
  • Start date
B

blackspot

Guest
Great post BUT... If Carlsberg made motorcycles... They'd be CANDY GLORY RED...
 
B

Black7

Guest
Yeas, I love the red ones. Brilliant colour. Mind you the new metallic Green and Black on the 2011 ZZR was tempting....

I will have a test ride on the VFR 1200 as well and see how it compares. It just doesn't invite you though.... I mean, its pig ugly, very expensive and has to be the most spartan bike I've ever seen in the sports tourer mode - seems really out of date compared with the BMWs and so on that have all the adjustability you'd ever want.....

That said it is a V4 and its a Honda, so perhaps I shouldn't judge until I've ridden it.

can't beleive its going to be Blackbird replacement though....

Time and an hour in the saddle will tell though.
 

marlin vs

Been there, and had one
Club Sponsor
Great post Black7,i'm looking forward to you'r report on the pig.
 
B

Black7

Guest
Now also looking at the K1300S - hoping to test ride a Lava Orange one. Gorgeous colour and a feeling of sitting right in the bike rather than on it. Build quality also looked good. Very nice machine.

That said, I'm still doubtful as to whether it would be worth changing the Bird for it... Read a lot of stuff on BMW forums about surging and cutting out problems, not to mention notchy gearboxes and duff switch gear.

None of that on the Blackbird... then there's the price difference.... Is it really worth another ?8,000 to switch from my now almost completely re-built 2000 bike to one with 15,000 miles and two years on it...?

Have to ride it.... and it does seem like the nearest candidate...but the BB is reluctant to give up its crown.... Perhaps, after all these years, its still the best all round motorcycle ever made... Quite amazing.

being a bike tart I can't help but flirt with others... but Think I'll stay faithful.. Why change unless there's a good reason for it?
 
B

Black7

Guest
I reckon you'll be proved right Lumpy.

The K 1300S is the nearest thing I could find in terms of performace / type to the BB - a kind of 'what the BB might be if Honda still made it' kind of thing.

Similar concept, but with a lot of new technology, so I was interested.

But I have my doubts whether it will be any better than the Bird - and if its not, why spend all the extra cash?

Its amazing that no manufacturer seems to make anything of comparable quality and functionality.... They're all missing a trick.

WHY ON EARTH DID HONDA STOP MAKING IT???!!

One of the Great Cock Ups of Our Time ...A real Neville Chamberlain moment.

Doh!
 

57grant

Registered User
My new Bird Come on Honda ask owners what they want

If its a V4 it simply wont be a bird!

The engine charecteristics, smoothness, engine breaking etc will be completely different. What is needed is a high power reworking of the bird with ABS, higher top gear for much better fuel economy, genuine HID lights. Electrical diagnostic plug. More high quality stainless bits (sorry Paul!) Much better quality on thicker downpipes and forks that dont corrode. Dzus tyre fastners instead of crappy plastic thingies. A side fairing replaceable nylon "crash bar" like the early CBR 1000's. Corbin style seat with medical gel inserts front and rear, higher flip up fairing. Back to analog clocks, Much larger, more brightly lit LED.s for clock etc ( I can no longer read them without reading glasses!) More accurate speedo, Heated grips. Ditch HISS - its too expensive, design anti theft lock into bike itself for front forks and retractible rear lock like on some scooters. Accurate fuel gauge with miles to empty calculator like my cars. Cruise control and variable valve timing (VVTI) LED daylight running lights aka Audi. LED high output rear light. Rear fog light switchable option. Sprague type clutch. Wheels designed with 3 spokes and all smooth surfaces leaving nowhere for dirt to hide, restrained Nano tech self cleaning self healing paint job (it exists, scratches simply dissapear slowly) Redundancy built into reg rec, so keeps going when it fails. Much better fuel range - bigger tank and better economy. Thicker linings on pads, floating disks, radial brakes. Tyre pressure indicators that give warning light or pressure readout in instrument display. Bike lighter than current bird, designed to handle better round corners, consider single sided swinging arm. Better front forks, better rear shock, more comfortable larger footrests with rubberised gel comfort inserts for rider and passanger. Power take off points for accessories. Circuit breakers instead of fuses just like home. Clear indicators, larger blind spot mirrors like on quality cars. Self cancelling indicators like Yamaha used to make. Garmin Zumo 660 sat nav extensible and flexible mount to alow it to be lenghned to see over baglux type tank bag. Stainless or titanium axles. Better on bike waterproof storage compartments, cooler running engine, much better finish on radiator and frame plugs as standard in stainless. Hugger and undertray, 190/55 rear section tyre. Bike to bike intercom option, matching helmet ranges designed with bluetooth intercom and hands free phone as standard. Scott oiler with high capacity reservoir as standard. Proximity alert device.

Wow, that went on longer than I thought! Its probably a new thread

Come on Honda, where is she!

Enjoy!+

Grant
 
B

Black7

Guest
No I think Grant is right.... I'd want a new Bird to be not only up with all the latest technology but [ahead of the game as befits both Honda and the bike itself.

I want the performance and handling and character of the Bird, but with better economy, safety features and more instruments. Doesn't make it a Goldwing (great bike, having had one) but a modern 21st century machine capable of dealing with modern life and modern roads.

We've been conned too long to accepting less - for what dealers are now asking us to pay (Crazy Money) we should be getting more, MUCH more!

Right on Grant!@tu*
 
N

nodrognitram

Guest
No doubt I will be spat upon for this response, I had two Birds, a carbR#? version and an FI. Unfortunately due to having two car crashes in the space of two weeks and requiring physio for a year I found I couldn't ride the Blackbird for more than 20 minutes at a time.
So I sold it to a good home and had a year off, then got fit (relative term!) again and bought a BMW, got rid of that then got VTEC VFR did a couple of years on that. Now I have a K1200S which is the closest experience I have had to either of my Birds.
In all honesty though I have yet to ride anything to match the 1996 Bird I owned. Got it right first time in my opinion.
 
K

kialink

Guest
Good write up black that's my reason for returning to the bird after 3+ years on a busa, I think I want a change from a bird, do it, realise what I'm missing then get another 1:-0) so far 4 owned and now looking for number 5 @tu* ( note to self, kin keep this next 1, birds just can't be beaten)
 
Last edited by a moderator:

longfellow

Old Hand
Club Sponsor
this was my experience of the vfr12 and my last post on the vfr site
Blackbirds rule
Well this may stir things up a bit. Having bought a brand new white vtec 8 weeks ago i have to say i was so disappointed that after 6 weeks i test rode a VFR 12 which was a revelation in comparison, so i thought i would trade up, that was until i got the depreciation whack, i paid 9.5 K for the vtec but got offered 7.1K in px, this left me well pissed off as i now had a bike that i did not like but could not afford to loose as much as quoted against a VFR 12 which i really liked, then i had a brainwave, CBR1100XX a bike i have had the pleasure of owning in the past, so a test ride on a 06 model was booked and i am now the proud owner of the bike, now to be honest in my opinion it may be a little longer in the tooth than a vfr12 but i feel like i have saved a few quid as 5K for a mint CBR 1100 makes a VFR12 at 11K seem like a piss take, the cbr must have been way ahead of its time as it is in my opinion still a match for the VFR 12, if they still made them i would struggle to choose between a new VFR and a new CBR but if they added a shaft to the 11 their for me would only be one choice. Oh Well, enjoy your vfr's but im off to the other side with my CBR, keep safe and enjoy what you have, (it wouldn't do for us all to be the same) that's what i intend to do.
 
J

jontheone

Guest
just had a can of carlsberg
and got a blackbird 99 xx
love them both
cant beat buying a bike for a couple of grand that will do what a bird can.
would happily give up drinking beer to ride. but i hope i never have to!!!!!!!!!!
 
N

noeldonohoe

Guest
Have my Red Carbd Bird for nearly eight years now and still have a smile on my face when I get off.Ive looked at and sat on the VFR12 and Ithink its pig ugly.It,s also heavier, thirstier and has a shorter fuel range than the Bird.So much for progress!
I spent a week with a hired k1300s recently and loved it.It is definitely close to what a modern Blackbird should be.Similar performance, better brakes, lots of gadgets.Pricey to buy though.
Might stretch to a 1200 though.But then again?
We,ll see.
 

Jaws

Corporal CockUp
Staff member
Moderator
Club Sponsor
I have yet to meet an honest, bike aware/rider type person that has a good word for the 12

Even the basics are wrong
Ask a dealer how to clean the thing.. If IF he is honest he will curse and cuss and talk about having to take it apart to get it even close to clean .. The gaps and crevices all around the thing clag up and are impossible to get clean without a strip down

Then there the recalls , the blown engines, the absolutely soulless bland experience of the ride

Sorry, it has been some time, but I am still stunned that Honda messed up so hugely with that abortion after getting it SO right with the Bird
 
G

ghost(scot)

Guest
You know wot they say m8.If it aint broken then dont fix it.Why change wots turned out to easily be the bike of the century. Just keep making em i say.
 
W

Wonderboy

Guest
Blackie, I nearly shed a tear there mate!

I spent three years looking for my 2nd bike since passing my test, the result was the Blackbird, for all the reasons you listed. There is just something about it which sets it apart from most bikes.

Anyway, yesterday, was another one of many occasions where I considered selling mine - mainly due to the fact that I am a short-arse and I suffer with lots of lower back and wrist pain. I even called a dealer and negotiated a px for a '05 plate bandit 1200.

So I got up, opened the garage and began giving it a good clean. I then got the missus on the back and proceeded to the garage. After about 10 very enjoyable miles on twisty A roads, I pulled into a pub car park and went in for a coffee. Something was wrong, I felt sick and extremely uncertain regarding what I was about to do. I mentioned this to the missus who as she ofted did, told me that it was up to me as I was the one who had to ride it......after the coffee, we got back on and I had a blip on some favourite twisties before heading back home.

I am now looking to put some Varios adjustable bars on it. I just couldnt let it go, if necessary in the future, ill get a 2nd bike, but I dont think ill ever contemplate selling it again. Oh and I lost my ?100 deposit on the Bandit - but at least I didnt lose my Bird!!!

Wonderboy (Cheshire)
 
C

coops cbrXX7

Guest
If its a V4 it simply wont be a bird!

The engine charecteristics, smoothness, engine breaking etc will be completely different. What is needed is a high power reworking of the bird with ABS, higher top gear for much better fuel economy, genuine HID lights. Electrical diagnostic plug. More high quality stainless bits (sorry Paul!) Much better quality on thicker downpipes and forks that dont corrode. Dzus tyre fastners instead of crappy plastic thingies. A side fairing replaceable nylon "crash bar" like the early CBR 1000's. Corbin style seat with medical gel inserts front and rear, higher flip up fairing. Back to analog clocks, Much larger, more brightly lit LED.s for clock etc ( I can no longer read them without reading glasses!) More accurate speedo, Heated grips. Ditch HISS - its too expensive, design anti theft lock into bike itself for front forks and retractible rear lock like on some scooters. Accurate fuel gauge with miles to empty calculator like my cars. Cruise control and variable valve timing (VVTI) LED daylight running lights aka Audi. LED high output rear light. Rear fog light switchable option. Sprague type clutch. Wheels designed with 3 spokes and all smooth surfaces leaving nowhere for dirt to hide, restrained Nano tech self cleaning self healing paint job (it exists, scratches simply dissapear slowly) Redundancy built into reg rec, so keeps going when it fails. Much better fuel range - bigger tank and better economy. Thicker linings on pads, floating disks, radial brakes. Tyre pressure indicators that give warning light or pressure readout in instrument display. Bike lighter than current bird, designed to handle better round corners, consider single sided swinging arm. Better front forks, better rear shock, more comfortable larger footrests with rubberised gel comfort inserts for rider and passanger. Power take off points for accessories. Circuit breakers instead of fuses just like home. Clear indicators, larger blind spot mirrors like on quality cars. Self cancelling indicators like Yamaha used to make. Garmin Zumo 660 sat nav extensible and flexible mount to alow it to be lenghned to see over baglux type tank bag. Stainless or titanium axles. Better on bike waterproof storage compartments, cooler running engine, much better finish on radiator and frame plugs as standard in stainless. Hugger and undertray, 190/55 rear section tyre. Bike to bike intercom option, matching helmet ranges designed with bluetooth intercom and hands free phone as standard. Scott oiler with high capacity reservoir as standard. Proximity alert device.

Wow, that went on longer than I thought! Its probably a new thread

Come on Honda, where is she!

Enjoy!+

Grant
@tu* Lose the variable valve timing (VVTI), an' I'll have one!, I have an original 94 vfr in the shed, and the general feeling within the V4 community is that the later VVTI 800's do not measure up to the older VFR's, riders do not seem impressed when the valves join chorus mid-corner cranked over under acceleration. This is only hearsay as i've not had the chance to test one myself, but it does sound a little scary. Big capacity V4 Bird sounds good though, bring it on Mr H.......where's me wallet. :eek: :eek:
 
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