Went test riding this Saturday....

[RaZ]

mmm, yes.. time has come to start test riding some of the new breed of bikes.
Plan was to test ride a 1000RR Fireblade - the 08 one, then a GSXR-750 - 07 version.
But... when I went there someone was just taking the blade for a run, as I was waiting I kept looking at the 1098S - and ended up getting a ride on it - unescorted!! Took it for a fang up mount dany - love it... tho sore hands!! still... couldn't spend 28k on one when I could get the 750 & a trackie for that price... tho when I got back on my busa... I was like, these brakes are fuckin shit!

Anyway - after a lush ride on the 1098S I walked back in to the shop, first comment was "That's an wide eyed look!?" lol The spring setup was uneral & breaking I had never experienced before. I can see where the cash goes but still... its alot of it & the blade was next.

2008 Fireblade 1000RR... Man I was thinking it was going to be wicked. Seating position wasn't anywhere near as harsh as the 1098, was very good in fact. The sound of this thing tho... was like a toy! sounded more like a 600 toy.. in fact as I rode off, it even felt like it. One big cheap easy to ride toy. brakes again good, but while trying to get out of ringwood I found it's major weak spot, from about 2,500 up to 4,500 there is a MASSIVE hole. I mean like, you turn the throttle.. and it takes off like a friggen 125cc two stroke!! like shit, what happened to torque??

Once I got out to an open road however - I snapped her up to 5k rpm & took it to about 15,000rpm... and a gear or two.. CRAP! like wow it moved.. but I didn't feel it. It shot off like the busa would.. but you can really tell how light it is & you don't know your doing near 200 lol. After that the fuel light came on - given it wasn't a day to fang this bike in high rev range I turned it back to ringwood. When I got there & was asked what I thought, I said the Honda has been made for someone who want's to ride a 1000cc sport, but can't! It's too easy to ride. The 1098S however... I said that is a real bike! Very nice!

From there I headed to the dreaded peter steven's... now my last two ride's were alone with a mate. This time I had to follow some noob, and some other guy decided to test ride a trumpy as well.
Anyway, first time sitting on it, it felt really, really comfy!! very surprised! kinda like the busa, just smaller & not much weight on my wrists. We take off & I am expecting the thing to be gutless like the CBR... nope! :)
It has TORQUE!!

As we tooled through traffic heading to some hills I threw it around a bit, very nice & easy - the engine torque was very nice & once you broke over 8,000rpm - wow! hang on! Coz this thing move's & you know it!! Cornering as one would expect was wicked! I let the two other take off while I sat at 20kph for a while & then chased them down. Wish I could have taken it up over the dandy's to see how my damaged wrist would handle it, maybe next time. Also the spring setup was a little harsh for my weight, a little softer & it would be perfect. It has me thinking about the 1000cc one which I know I can get a ride on....but worried if I do I might actually change to it lol!!

Out of the 3... I would take the 750... but if I had 30k to spare.. man, that 1098s... I'd take it in a heart beat!!
The new 2008 750 is out & I like the colour's as well, but I know I would miss the busa to no end after a month if I traded.
But it sure has me wondering, even still I would have to get one for 1/2 a day before I committed to buying one.

As for the busa... well I look at it in a new light now, mainly from it's braking prospective lol :) But I still love it, it's still 100% perfect... but the fun factor of these new bike's is unreal.

[NEMESIS]

You seen last time i saw you raz i was on 06 gix 1000.
WHen you been riding busas,anything thats 1000cc or under is gonna feel like it
has a torque hole.
1k's gotta hit 6000rpm before real momentum an shove starts to happen.
But yeh your right,busas stock brakes are beyond junk!

Every bike mag i read rates the new cbr1000 real highly,as the best latest 1000.
I sat on 1,didnt take it for a spin,its slim az, but the tank reminds me of
a k4 gix 1000 ,big in a way which made me feel comfortable on it.

[ROD]

Good report Raz

[Macbusa]

yep.. same here.. good report.

[RaZ]

You seen last time i saw you raz i was on 06 gix 1000.
WHen you been riding busas,anything thats 1000cc or under is gonna feel like it has a torque hole. 1k's gotta hit 6000rpm before real momentum an shove starts to happen. But yeh your right,busas stock brakes are beyond junk! Every bike mag i read rates the new cbr1000 real highly,as the best latest 1000. I sat on 1,didnt take it for a spin,its slim az, but the tank reminds me of a k4 gix 1000 ,big in a way which made me feel comfortable on it.

Hey Nem :)

yeah I remember & I fully understand that 1000cc bikes are more revvy, but shit dude, the 750 had shit loads more torque & moved faster then the blade at low RPM. So if your a full time rider, using low RPM on the 08 blade is just a joke & not worth it. I am trying of a way to explain just how bad it really was... it was like I turned the throttle & it started to move... so I pulled it half way open... it didn't do ANYTHING! NOTHING!

The engine didn't go up in rev's & it didn't even move any more then 1/4 throttle... There was no connection to what I was doing with the throttle. Hell - even my old stroke at low RPM, you turn its throttle & the engine starts the rev & build up, slow but it does, the blade DIDN'T! It just refused to accelerate any harder then what it was. I asked if it was fly by wire because it wasn't connected to what I was doing! Once I was over 4,500 I had the connection & it would do as I asked, but to me - That's really poor that a 750 has more torque & acceleration then the new blade.

As for the write ups - yeah I read them all before riding it, hence why I was so disappointed. But look - on the right road where you could trust the bike & really give it ago - it would do anything you asked of it easy I am sure, and perhaps a pipe & PC3 would solve the blade's low RPM issues, its just not for me tho :)

[Madmax]

Good words Razza,


Thanks, now I want to go and ride the new 750. It's supposed to be a weapon.

On the blade - brings back words from and ancient sage master. - "God created Honda so Pooftas wouldn't ride Hardly Davidsons!"


Max

[NEMESIS]

Shit!
That really sucks raz about the blade!

Always good to test ride them before you buy eM!
A write up will never compare with a test ride of your own.
Good stuff!

[busakid08]

Buy another Busa

[TimF]

Good write-up, more real information here than in most bike magazine reviews.

Regardless of what I have I just seem to end up getting rid of it for a busa, though I would love one of the new gixxer750s in white and the Hypermotard looks like a lot of fun.

[RaZ]

Thanks for the comments guys.

I did this not because I want another bike - but to simply experience the new bikes that are out.
Also because... well now I am officially "allowed" to as well :)

Like I said tho - I would still go the 750.. but I keep thinking about the gixxer tho... but if you look at the stats the gixxer tho is only making about 10 ~ 15hp more then the 750.. but weighs in @ 15kg more as well :) have to ask your self... do you want 1000cc power in the form of a 750cc engine in a 600cc frame..... YES! :) to be continued.......