LIVING WITH THE BEST BIKES ON THE MARKET.
THIS MONTH I HAVE MOSTLY BEEN… “Hitting the spanners.”
You can do quite a lot in two hours. Or you could opt to fit a tail tidy. Okay, I’ll admit to having been under the influence of an unholy hangover at the point I started to disassemble my beloved Fireblade’s rear seat cowl, but my hands were working just fine. Truth is, there’s a lot of stuff you have to remove on the SP before you get near its essential fixing bolts. I’ve had the front fairings off a few times thus far in our relationship, and they’re child’s play compared to the rear of the bike’s plastics. But let me save you the tedious removal details and skip to the good bit, because after all that time grafting I was left with something of beauty; a tidy rear end. As number plate hangers go, I reckon the standard Honda’s unit isn’t all that shabby, but it can’t hold a candle to the petite and pretty Evotech Performance part I’ve now fitted. It’s radically changed the look of the bike, and from a practical point of view it will make wheel changes a damn sight easier. My Dunlop GPs are looking a little second-hand after some recent track abuse, so they’re going to need switching pretty soon. When I fitted them I had to fight the rear wheel past the number plate, which was penning the wheel in place. Now it’s been lofted significantly by the Evotech jobby, it’s no longer an issue. Happy days!
Speaking of which, I had an awesome time at Brands Hatch recently having hooked up with Neil and Clive. The weather was a bit crappy at times, but I still got four sessions in on the Blade, which taught me a lot more about it. On a negative note, the ABS had me twitching on too many occasions for my liking. It never gives me any issues on the road – I’m actually pleased to have it – but it’s sketchy as you like on track. If you’re progressive with your braking it’s less eager to engage, but there weren’t many laps when I didn’t have visions of chinning a few tyre walls. But enough of that negative talk, because there’s loads to love about the Blade. It’s a very easy bike to rinse on track, packing good torque out of bends and shedloads of stability. I spent the day with the electronic suspension set to A1 mode (automatic 1), which seemed to mop up most of the track’s imperfections, yet still gave me a stable and agile package. It’s easy to feel confident on the Honda and I’m feeling that way with it on the roads, too. I’ve done a good few miles again this month and there have been loads of highlights, especially around my local twisties. It’s not the most powerful of offerings out there, but it’s still way too much for the roads. Anyone that tells you the Honda’s not quick enough needs their head checking. Unless they’re a TT racer, then I’ll just politely smile and walk away. One other thing I’ve learned is there’s a flat spot around 7,0007,500rpm. It’s not too big an issue, but it’s bothering me and I’d love to try and dial it out on the dyno. Hopefully I’ll have chance to do so before it goes back.