** 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.
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