Reader’s Ride ................................... Ben Dale, the Fireblade Fanboy, tell us what is so special about The Big Hs flagship sportsbike.
Ben Dale’s had a handful of ’Blades but this, his 2008 model, is his favourite. We went for a ride with him to find out why he thinks his big Honda is the perfect sportsbike.
When I passed my test, these had not long come out and I remember thinking back then how much I wanted to have one – it really was my dream bike. This is the fourth Fireblade that I have had so its safe to say I really like them. I’ve had two 929 Fireblades (that was actually the first bike I got when I passed my test), and I’ve also had the old fox-eye Blade. Oh, and multiple CBR600s in the meantime, too. I decided it was time to get another Blade a few years ago so I took the plunge and bought this one; the wife was actually on holiday when I bought – I’ve had it nearly three years now and she still hasn’t mentioned anything, so I think I must have got away with it.
I’ve still actually got a CBR600, which I sometimes still ride, but that’s usually if I’m just going out to do some wheelies and doughnuts and stuff – I used to use a CBR600 as a stunt bike when I was into that (before the kids came along) – but the Fireblade is definitely my main bike.
I’ve had quite a bit of work done to the bike whilst I’ve had it. I put a big piston rear shock out of a 2012-2006 model in because the standard one I found got a bit springy when it warmed up. It’s got R&G bobbins and bar ends as well as all of the engine covers in case the worst happens and I throw it down the road. It’s got AC levers on, a double-bubble screen and a few other nice little bits like that. I’ve had some captive spacers put in the wheels, so now it’s loads easier to take the wheels in and out, which is dead handy. My favourite things are probably the exhaust and Power Commander though, they have made a real difference. The exhaust is from SC Project and it’s really, really loud, but I like it. It actually made the bike run a little crap when I first put it on, so that’s why I opted to get a Power Commander and that made it a lot better.
I took it to P3 Tuning in Liverpool. They put the Power Commander on and set it up for me. They do all the servicing and MOTs and things on my bikes. With the Power Commander it ran smoother and made another 5bhp, from 162bhp to 167bhp, and the mid-range was definitely a lot smoother. The only problem now is that it hunts a tiny bit on idle; they said it’s just down to the exhaust so they said they’ll sort that next time it goes in for its service. I think it just needs the throttle setting up to get everything balanced.
They put an HM quickshifter on for me last year, which I’m still trying to get used to. I’m not convinced I’m a fan of them really, I think they are a bit of a gimmick, especially on the road. It’s taking a lot of getting used to, but I suppose it’s nice to have and it makes things easier on your hands if nothing else.
I think the main reason I keep coming back to Hondas is because of how well they handle, and it seems to be all the Hondas that I ride. I’ve had a few Suzuki GSX-Rs and never felt that comfortable with them, and I’ve ridden a lot of newer stuff, like my mate’s BMW S1000s, Gixer 1000s and stuff, and none of them make me feel as good as this does. I think it’s got a rawness to it that the really modern bikes don’t have, they are all too electronically controlled.
I find a lot of lads are too frightened to ride bikes hard without all the electronics nowadays, especially on track, and they rely on traction control and all the other rider aids. To me, that’s not really riding the bike. I want to feel like I’m doing it all myself. It’s quite rewarding when you’re riding round on trackdays passing lads that have spent £20k on their track bike, when you're on a 12-yearold road bike, with the reg plate still on. It’s a good feeling!
I’ve done quite a few trackdays; we tend to go to Oulton Park and Anglesey a lot. My last one on this bike was Anglesey a few months ago, and it doesn’t have any trouble keeping up with newer, more powerful stuff whatsoever, and I’ll always go in the fast group.
It’s mainly a road bike though, to be honest. We do a lot of riding in the evening when the roads are quiet. Sunday nights are always good so we tend to head down to Matlock and Buxton and places like that; there are loads of great roads to ride in the Peak District, and it’s not that far from me. You can have so much fun with 160bhp on the road, you don’t really need a lot more, so I think the Blade really is the perfect bike in that respect. And because it handles so well, it makes riding through the twisty, windy roads so easy.
We often go to the bike nights in Southport and even though the Fireblade might be a bit older than some of the bikes there, it still gets a bit of attention. I think there are Fireblade fans wherever you go!
Whilst I’ve had this Blade, it’s never let me down once. I think that’s another thing that attracts me to Hondas – the reliability of all my Hondas has been brilliant. They really are bulletproof. This one uses a little bit of oil, but the 08 model is known for that anyway. As long as you keep it topped up, it’s fine. Other than that, in the three years I’ve had it I’ve not had one issue with this one whatsoever. It had 16,000 miles on when I got it. It’s on 28,000 now, so it’s done a fair bit, and it’s been mint (apart from topping up the oil every now and then). Maintenancewise, I think the only thing I have replaced on it (other than the normal service items) is the battery, just because it started to sound a bit sluggish to turn the engine over, and charging it wasn’t really helping, but I caught that before it let me down, anyway.
I went over to the Isle of Man for the TT in 2018 on this bike and we did about five full laps round the TT course and then a few extra ones over the mountain section. It was my first time over there, but it was such a good place to really get an idea of what your bike can do, so I’m hoping to go back soon. The Fireblade was in its element, up on the mountain on the big, fast, sweeping corners, it would just change direction effortlessly – it didn’t seem to matter how fast you were going! It was an unreal feeling and going past police cars at 100mph-plus was nuts, they didn’t even bat an eyelid. You see the coppers out of the corner of your eye, and even though there is no speed limit, you still roll off out of habit; it takes some getting used to! It was such good fun though, and being from Liverpool, it wasn’t a big commute. It was about a 10-mile to the ferry and you are there. We went during practice week too when it wasn’t so busy and we had really good weather (there was only one evening when we got a bit of rain). It was a brilliant trip, and if you want to see what your bike can really do, it’s the place to go!
For now though, I’ll just stick to riding on the roads over here and if I can get the odd trackday in on the Blade, I’ll be happy. I won’t be selling it any time soon because it really is the perfect bike for me. I just wish they still made bikes like this!
Verdict 9/10
I think this Fireblade is the perfect bike for me and the perfect bike on the road. Riding it is what motorcycling is all about and it never fails to put a smile on my face.
BRILLIANT HANDLING USES OIL