In the never-ending quest to produce the best 1,000cc superbike there’s a chance that the Japanese manufacturers have finally defeated the purpose of having all that glorious power.
180bhp is simply a figure on a piece of paper, and it doesn’t matter how cleverly you dress it up with flat power-curves or fancy power-valves: when it comes to road riding, it’s mental power, too much for anyone. It has now reached the stage where buying a 1,000cc sportsbike is simply down to which one you find the most visually appealing. Niall and James have both suspected this for a while, so gleefully took on the task of trying to split the latest on the road. And as part of the test, we disguised each bike and then let owners of existing models ride them to see if, when all other elements are factored out, it really is just a case of buy the one you like the look of most…
In 1985 when the original Suzuki GSX-R750 was launched, it was a quantum leap forward, way in front of the opposition at the time in every respect. It was the same with Honda’s RC30 in 1988, the first FireBlade in 1992, the Ducati 916 of 1994 and the original Yamaha R1 in 1999. Back then it was possible for a new model to come along every four years and properly raise the bar overnight as far as performance or chassis design was concerned. This genesis was entirely in keeping with the four-year cycle it takes (or took) to develop a brand new model. See what’s out there, develop your new bike to better than the others, build-in three years of future-proofing, and release it.
But since the advent of the ZX-10R in 2003 that’s all changed. With the quartet of supersport thousands completed, the Japanese Big Four have engaged in a bitterly-fought battle of technical leap-frogging every 18 months. Today all the large capacity superbikes, regardless of who makes them, are so capable in terms of power-to-weight, handling and braking ability that it’s actually impossible for the vast majority of road riders who will buy them to tell if any new model that appears is an improvement on the one it’s replacing. The Japanese know this and the focus is now not on outright power (that they can do) but more on rideability and an exciting feel at the handlebars without scaring the living shit out of the rider. It’s all well and good to go to a track day and push these machines to the limit, in circuit conditions with professional riders, just so you can say one is a little faster in a lap or turns in slightly quicker than the rest. Motorcycle magazines have done this for decades now – they’ve just done it again - but how much relevance does it really has for the road rider who buys these bikes? We’re not convinced.
Personally, I’m not much of a Honda man. You either are or you aren’t and I’m one of the aren’ts. There’s nothing at all wrong with their bikes, in almost every situation they are supremely capable, very fast and beautifully made, but that’s the problem that grates for me. I like a bike with character, a touch of spice, an X-factor and, quite frankly, I’ve not really found a Honda with this in many years. Which is why I fancied a pop on the new Fireblade, because from what I’ve read in other magazines, this is a Honda with some soul injected into its cylinder heads.
Hop on it and the Blade is certainly the smallest and most compact of the group, something you could have guessed with a visual check over the four bikes. Everything seems miniturised by about 10% over the other models here. The riding position is high and forward and you you’re sat very much on top of the Blade as opposed to sitting in it like the R1 or the GSX-R. Like the CBR600RR there is more than a hint of the racetrack in the riding position. In fact the Blade feels remarkably like the 600 ergonomically.
From any angle the expected Honda build-quality is evident, every component blends perfectly with the next one with no wasted space in between, almost like it’s been fashioned from one piece of material instead of being built up from a thousand separate parts. When I first saw the bike in the flesh I thought the Honda’s seat was too small for the rest of the bike. But I have to say it’s growing on me.
Hit the starter button and… wow! Where the hell did that roar come from? The Fireblade no longer apologises through its whispered exhaust note and muted airbox that it’s a rip-snorting 1,000cc sportsbike, but now shouts the fact from the top of its voice. Unlike any other Honda the new Blade has a genuine induction rasp that is deep, throaty and suggestive of a menacing motor. At this stage, I’m genuinely excited. But once underway and on the power, when the engine does deliver it does so in a sterile way. It has all the torque and power you’ll ever need (and then some), but it’s just too smooth for me. If you like your superbike with that Swiss-watch feel you’d enjoy it, but for that kick in the pants “fookin’ hell this is what I paid my £9,000 for” feel it doesn’t deliver. The steering is pin-sharp, the brakes have loads of power (some reckoned a bit too much) and everything else about the Blade works well. But on the road I was left wanting more. So there was only one obvious direction to turn...
Continue the 2008 1000cc superbike test 2/3
