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THE
BLADE
 The
Fireblade was the first bike back in '92 that rewrote the
rulebook on sports bikes, especially in the engine and chassis
department and not forgetting the 185 Kg dry weight. This
bike with a claimed 122 bhp, extinguished all the other title
leaders such as the Gsxr 1100, and the Exup. Not being happy
with that, for the last 8 years they have been trying to make
the best even better, making it more user friendly so any
rider can ride it, whether it be touring or carrying a pillion.
The Blade can do it all and still be able to mix it up with
the Big Boys. With its superb front and rear suspension the
Blade makes you and normal riders into full-blown WSBikers,
but out of all these bikes this bike feels at home on B roads.
On the twisties the confidence you get back allows you to
push more and more. The stability you feel is amazing and
because the power is smooth you can be quite heavy handed
with the throttle, unlike the R1.
The only downside to the Blade, as in most Honda's, is the
gearbox. Although excellent when its going, 1st gear is very
clonky resulting in a good leap forward when you drop it into
first, unlike the Suzuki and Yamaha.
Although there was never a problem with the brakes, Honda
made them more powerful and are now more than enough for the
road.
Now we're in the year 2000 the Blade is starting to look a
bit dated, so that is why Honda have just brought out an all
new model. Doing this may help them back to the No1 spot again.
As for the build quality, you cannot fault Honda, the Blade
can be used in all weather's and after a good clean can look
as good as new.
So go on, check out the Blade.
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