** WARNING **
1 This is long.
2. If you've owned a Bird for a while, you know all this, so you're excused from reading it.
Just thought I'd put down my thoughts on my new Bird, maybe to help others that are thinking of changing to one or maybe just to compare notes.
For those that don?t know, I have owned a 97 Blade for 5 years and earlier this year went down to the Pyrenees two up loaded with throwovers. Whilst we had a great time, I found myself wanting more comfort and space on the bike, without wanting to lose the ability to have some fun on those fantastic roads.
And so?
A couple of weeks ago I took proud possession of a 96 BLACKbird with 12k(!) on the clocks (got one at last Jaws!) and it's a beauty. Standard apart from some Renegade cans (now for sale) and a Corbin seat, although I also got the original cans and seat in the deal. Owned previously by an engineer and it shows, she has obviously been very well looked after; everything adjusted just right and the smoothest engine I have ever driven/ridden.
On the few occasions I have managed to get out on her I've had more than a few admiring stares although one guy spotted the fact that it's nearly 10 years old, told me it was 'well nice' and then called me a poser.... lol
So what's it like after my Blade?
It's a heavy bugger, and really that feeling never goes away. At low speed you are only too aware that you are riding a long, low, heavy piece of kit. As the speed builds up you feel like nothing is gonna knock this off course. Motorways are just too easy. It's a case of 'and how fast would you like to go?' It just does it. No problem. My favourite stretch of the M2 (over the Medway Bridge) is an uphill 3 or 4 lane section that sweeps right and left. Over the bridge at around a ton, slow for a car moving out from the inside lane ahead, then just gently wind her on. Pulling like a train I look down to see 135, in what seemed like a second. God this thing is not just quick, it's dangerous. Dangerous to my licence. The ease of speed is unbelieveable
I know there are faster bikes out there, but surely not as smooth as this? Away from the motorway and onto fast A roads, she just flies, beautifully planted on fast sweepers, shrinking the straights and taking everything, so far, within her stride.
Hampered by the fact that the tyres are well past their best (not to mention a Dunlop rear and Bridgestone front) I haven't pushed the handling too far. But on occasion.... she feels like 'I can do it, but just give me a bit more time' on the tighter stuff. Through a quick left/right the weight appears again, but only in a planted, confident way. Maybe it's better put to say I had a smile on my face and my first thought was, yeah, it'll do what I want it to do. Fast sweepers are no problem, smooth, sure footed, easy. Slow stuff needs to be slightly quicker (?). If you take a very slow bend the bars want to turn and fall into the bend, raise the speed a little and she goes round fine, just be confident and don't faff around. The blade, maybe being lighter, never did that, maybe it's also the length (??). Might also be because I'm riding like a wuss at the moment, gradually learning what's what.
Can't quite decide on the brakes yet. I went into Bird ownership with an open mind, never used linked brakes before and wondered if I would like them. To be honest I still can't decide. On the Blade I would tighten a slow corner with the back brake, not so sure I can use that idea with the Bird?
Comfort. At 6 foot I find her low. Maybe seat to peg might be too close for my dodgy knee, but we'll see. Wind protection with the standard screen seems ok, though I will invest in a double bubble. The bike came with a Corbin Gunfighter seat and despite
the purple trim
it is very comfy. SWMBO loves it as she sits more behind me as opposed to above me as she did on the Blade and as such hardly gets any wind blast, although she reports the wind seems to swirl around between us (??). She has also mentioned her legs aching, again maybe another seat to peg problem? Having said that, I get stern looks when I go anywhere on it without her.
I posted before about how I felt the bike suffered from a lack of feedback and isolation from what was going on when I test rode an injection model earlier in the year. But having now ridden one shod with a (albeit worn) Bridgestone front, I seem to get most of that feeling back and without the screen (read igloo) that was on the test bike I seem to have lost that isolated feeling.
So did I make the right choice? Still to find that out, I can see why yous guys love the Bird, the grin factor is there, it's just so easy. It's a typical Honda. If I was 10 to 15 years younger, single, with out a bad knee, I doubt I would have considered changing. But I'm 45, with woman, have a knee that needs another op, still love to ride fast, and I love touring abroad, so, so far, I have bought the right bike.
I'm now looking forward and saving my pennies to kit her out for touring next year, (be up to see you soon John) not too impressed with the lack of any preload adjustment, so something may need doing there? And whilst I'm a Southern Softy who hides his bikes away in the winter, I'm looking forward to working away in the garage to get her set up for what I hope to be a brilliant first summer of ownership.
Planning weekends in France, it?s only 20 mins to the Tunnel, another trip to the Pyrennees and two weeks around Austria, Italy and France.
Finally, just want to say thanks to everyone on here who took the time and made the effort to give me advice and help when I was dithering around trying to decide if I wanted a Bird or not.
I listened to your advice, and have gone into this with an open mind. So far I think I?m going to love this bike as much as I do my Blade, just in a different way. They both do a different job, but they aren?t really that much different to each other.
So thanks again folks, hopefully I will get to meet some of you next year.
:bow: :bow: :bow:
Jon
1 This is long.
2. If you've owned a Bird for a while, you know all this, so you're excused from reading it.
Just thought I'd put down my thoughts on my new Bird, maybe to help others that are thinking of changing to one or maybe just to compare notes.
For those that don?t know, I have owned a 97 Blade for 5 years and earlier this year went down to the Pyrenees two up loaded with throwovers. Whilst we had a great time, I found myself wanting more comfort and space on the bike, without wanting to lose the ability to have some fun on those fantastic roads.
And so?
A couple of weeks ago I took proud possession of a 96 BLACKbird with 12k(!) on the clocks (got one at last Jaws!) and it's a beauty. Standard apart from some Renegade cans (now for sale) and a Corbin seat, although I also got the original cans and seat in the deal. Owned previously by an engineer and it shows, she has obviously been very well looked after; everything adjusted just right and the smoothest engine I have ever driven/ridden.
On the few occasions I have managed to get out on her I've had more than a few admiring stares although one guy spotted the fact that it's nearly 10 years old, told me it was 'well nice' and then called me a poser.... lol
So what's it like after my Blade?
It's a heavy bugger, and really that feeling never goes away. At low speed you are only too aware that you are riding a long, low, heavy piece of kit. As the speed builds up you feel like nothing is gonna knock this off course. Motorways are just too easy. It's a case of 'and how fast would you like to go?' It just does it. No problem. My favourite stretch of the M2 (over the Medway Bridge) is an uphill 3 or 4 lane section that sweeps right and left. Over the bridge at around a ton, slow for a car moving out from the inside lane ahead, then just gently wind her on. Pulling like a train I look down to see 135, in what seemed like a second. God this thing is not just quick, it's dangerous. Dangerous to my licence. The ease of speed is unbelieveable
I know there are faster bikes out there, but surely not as smooth as this? Away from the motorway and onto fast A roads, she just flies, beautifully planted on fast sweepers, shrinking the straights and taking everything, so far, within her stride.
Hampered by the fact that the tyres are well past their best (not to mention a Dunlop rear and Bridgestone front) I haven't pushed the handling too far. But on occasion.... she feels like 'I can do it, but just give me a bit more time' on the tighter stuff. Through a quick left/right the weight appears again, but only in a planted, confident way. Maybe it's better put to say I had a smile on my face and my first thought was, yeah, it'll do what I want it to do. Fast sweepers are no problem, smooth, sure footed, easy. Slow stuff needs to be slightly quicker (?). If you take a very slow bend the bars want to turn and fall into the bend, raise the speed a little and she goes round fine, just be confident and don't faff around. The blade, maybe being lighter, never did that, maybe it's also the length (??). Might also be because I'm riding like a wuss at the moment, gradually learning what's what.
Can't quite decide on the brakes yet. I went into Bird ownership with an open mind, never used linked brakes before and wondered if I would like them. To be honest I still can't decide. On the Blade I would tighten a slow corner with the back brake, not so sure I can use that idea with the Bird?
Comfort. At 6 foot I find her low. Maybe seat to peg might be too close for my dodgy knee, but we'll see. Wind protection with the standard screen seems ok, though I will invest in a double bubble. The bike came with a Corbin Gunfighter seat and despite
the purple trim
it is very comfy. SWMBO loves it as she sits more behind me as opposed to above me as she did on the Blade and as such hardly gets any wind blast, although she reports the wind seems to swirl around between us (??). She has also mentioned her legs aching, again maybe another seat to peg problem? Having said that, I get stern looks when I go anywhere on it without her.I posted before about how I felt the bike suffered from a lack of feedback and isolation from what was going on when I test rode an injection model earlier in the year. But having now ridden one shod with a (albeit worn) Bridgestone front, I seem to get most of that feeling back and without the screen (read igloo) that was on the test bike I seem to have lost that isolated feeling.
So did I make the right choice? Still to find that out, I can see why yous guys love the Bird, the grin factor is there, it's just so easy. It's a typical Honda. If I was 10 to 15 years younger, single, with out a bad knee, I doubt I would have considered changing. But I'm 45, with woman, have a knee that needs another op, still love to ride fast, and I love touring abroad, so, so far, I have bought the right bike.
I'm now looking forward and saving my pennies to kit her out for touring next year, (be up to see you soon John) not too impressed with the lack of any preload adjustment, so something may need doing there? And whilst I'm a Southern Softy who hides his bikes away in the winter, I'm looking forward to working away in the garage to get her set up for what I hope to be a brilliant first summer of ownership.
Planning weekends in France, it?s only 20 mins to the Tunnel, another trip to the Pyrennees and two weeks around Austria, Italy and France.
Finally, just want to say thanks to everyone on here who took the time and made the effort to give me advice and help when I was dithering around trying to decide if I wanted a Bird or not.
I listened to your advice, and have gone into this with an open mind. So far I think I?m going to love this bike as much as I do my Blade, just in a different way. They both do a different job, but they aren?t really that much different to each other.
So thanks again folks, hopefully I will get to meet some of you next year.
:bow: :bow: :bow:
Jon
