Big Bert’s 929 Blade…
Now, because I’m of a ‘certain age’ (that means much older than Boothy) it means I’ve had a lot of Blades pass through my hands…
At last count I’ve had a 1995 Urban Tiger RR-S, a 1997 RR-V, an RR-5, 6, 7 and 8, and I also had two long-term loans from Honda in the early noughties of an RR-Y in 2000, then an RR-1 in 2001.
My first encounter with the 929 was a very pleasant ride home before a big ‘litre-class’ sportsbike test Bike magazine was conducting on the likes of the Blade, Yamaha R1, SP1 and Kawasaki ZX-9R at Castle Combe. Where the R1 and the SP1 could come in for some criticism for almost being ‘too much’ on the road (even back then) the Blade was more easy going, even if the bike still had that legendary quick-turning feel from the original bike. It was the same on track, too – even if it lacked the outright performance of the R1. For many, it and the 9R were the bikes of choice for the wet ride home. Before I left for the greener pastures of PR (short-lived) I had a red/ white/blue RR-Y for a few thousand miles and loved it.
By 2001 I was on Two Wheels Only magazine and was lucky enough to get the RR-1 in striking yellow. It’s fair to say I loved this bike and went everywhere on it; just me and a Givi Voyager roll bag bungeed on the pillion. More than 11,000 miles in around eight months (700 miles a week commuting) revealed a few things.
Firstly, yes, that PGM-FI fuel-injection could be snatchy at low revs and a tad hesitant off the throttle. Also, at motorway cruising speeds there were some notable vibes at 5-6000 revs through pegs and bars, which could get your fingers tingling, even leading to numbness. It was best to ride faster, officer… Those Nissin brakes were greatgreat, but riding in winter meant you had to strip and clean them every few thousand miles.
I didn’t really do anything to the Blade (didn’t need to) apart from a double-bubble screen, a bolt-on Arrow slip-on can, which worked fine even if I didn’t muck about with a Power Commander. We did lots of miles together and even did a fair few track days (mainly at Donington Park and Cadwell), but the most impressive thing was the build quality. I was slightly more anal back then, but the standard of finish when I’d cleaned her was impressive. And you could fit me-sized waterproofs under the pillion seat.