Honda's Fireblade The Bike To Beat
Illawarra Mercury
Saturday October 10, 1998
ANYONE who is a motorbike rider will tell you there is nothing quite like riding with a friend.
The only time it is better is when you are on a borrowed 1998 Honda CBR900RR Fireblade, and your friend is hooning along on a similarly acquired 1998 VTR1000 Firestorm (I don't know who names these things, perhaps he's an ex-US marine or something).
The subject of this test is the Fireblade, but as you may suspect, we just had to switch bikes for a brief blat.
My riding mate Andy Zakeli will bring you a full report on the VTR in the next few weeks, but it was great being able to compare the two bikes, which are worlds apart in feel, power and character.
The '98 'Blade is said to have had about 80 per cent of its bits upgraded or redesigned. The bike still has a tried and true transverse-mounted four cylinder layout, this time with 16 valves, DOHC, liquid cooling and - ye-hah for the traditionalists - carbies.
Honda says the 'Blade puts out about 130ps (95.5kW) at 10,500rpm, with 9.4Nm of torque at 8500rpm.
While power is virtually unchanged from last year's bike, the engine is claimed to be lighter and designed with less internal friction, allowing it to rev quicker and run quieter.
While the engine accounts for most of the '98 model's changes, there are also extensive changes to areas including the fairing and headlights, instruments, exhaust, wheels and suspension.
The earlier 'Blade was a pretty bike, and the newest model continues that trend, with similar styling to some of the other sports Hondas, including the VTR.
The new model's instruments are a lot lighter and more compact, and the exhaust appears bit bigger. Looks and engine aside, the main things to note about the new 'Blade are the wheels and suspension.
The front end is completely redesigned, with the main feature the return of the 16 inch front wheel.
It and other changes have been made to retrain the earlier model's quick steering while reducing the twitchy feel some riders found was an unpleasant feature.
The frame and rear suspension also have been redesigned and the back end is noticeably beefier in construction. On the road the 'Blade retains the sporty riding position of the earlier models.
The ride position is a bit challenging at city speeds, especially with the very wide tank, with heaps of weight on the wrists.
But it comes into its own on the highway, and at all speeds the bike is reasonably comfortable, for a sports bike.
The Fireblade's power is superb, with a sporty four-cylinder howl when it starts working hard.
Herein lies the first things noticeable on a back-to-back ride with the VTR.
The VTR has less power, but it delivers it way down low, and with a huge V-twin rumble.
And while the 'Blade has enough punch to pull wheelies on the unsuspecting rider in at least the first three gears, you have to keep the engine humming along in the mid-range or higher to keep up with the VTR.
But once it hits its straps - with the tacho needle at least half-way up its scale - the 'Blade eats up the VTR with no problem.
The bike revs out clean as a whistle, with good low and mid-range power for a sporty four.
And while the 'Blade has fewer herbs than the new R1 Yamaha (which claims to put out a whacking 150 horses) only the bravest or most foolhardy would want for more.
It is the sort of bike that likes to cruise at double the highest NSW speed limit, and while we were too sensible to play Mick Doohan on the road, my research for this test uncovered one flying fool booked by police at 295km/h (183mph in old money) on last year's model, and this one is a tad quicker!
Handling on the new 'Blade is something that takes a bit of getting used to, and again the accompanying VTR was a good benchmark.
The VTR, with low down grunt and good, easy handling, blew the 'Blade away in the first 30 minutes, especially in traffic and the twisty bits, while I was getting used to the sporty four.
The 'Blade's steering is so quick that even a minor flick of the steering gives a radically different cornering line. It feels a bit too quick, even unstable, at first.
But once I had been on the case for half an hour or so, it started to twig. The bike wanted to go around the corners faster, leaned a lot harder, under full power, and with as many directional changes as I could throw at it. A no-compromise sport proposition. Do that, and the thing just lays over, grabs the tar and shoots safely and surely around the tightest or fastest bends.
Once I had it wired, it was a very unfair match with the VTR, which is still a sporty bike but with a more laid-back character.
And where I had weaved and wobbled along for the first 30 minutes, the next 90 minutes or so became a real knee scraping proposition.
Uneven road surfaces don't seem to bother the 'Blade, it has heaps of ground clearance in the tight stuff, and it goes ballistic on a fast, smooth sweeper.
Still, you have to pay attention, or you are back where you started.
Good brakes and tyres are the best insurance a rider can have, and the 'Blade delivers far better coverage than most storm policies going around Wollongong at the moment.
The tyres felt safe and sure, and the brakes powerful and dependable, with good feel, which should come without saying for a sportsbike like this.
The 'Blade is not a comfortable cruiser. As noted previously, it has a good riding position for a sports bike, but you still have a smallish seat and a lot of weight on your wrists, and this particular machine was set up with the fairly firm suspension.
The route we had taken (Wollongong to Robertson, through Kangaroo Valley and Berry and back to the 'Gong) has about 10km of very rough, slow, downhill bends. It was enough to make my wrist ache.
In closing, the Fireblade and Firestorm are two excellent bikes which are worlds apart in their abilities.
For a bike with character, a beautiful exhaust note and good, easy performance, try out a VTR.
But for all-out go in a very sophisticated, stylish if uncompromising package, the Fireblade is the one to beat.
Test bikes courtesy Trevor Jordan Motorcycles, Wollongong.
© 1998 Illawarra Mercury
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