Q What do RIDE readers think?
We asked 2018 Blade owner Gary to try the new version
It’s a Fireblade, but not as we know it. In a bid to give it more track speed Honda’s new superbike is smaller, peakier, revvier and tall-geared, so for many it will be worse on the road than the bike that came before it.
But you can’t get away from the fact that it now has the power and technology to rival the best — all wrapped in a sharper, more stable chassis that was never lacking to begin with. Most of its new-found talents will remain untouched on the road, which seems a waste and takes away some of the fun you’d expect from a 200bhpplus missile. It’s a ‘serious’ bike.
This SP version also now has a price tag in the ballpark of top-spec Italian exotica but it isn’t quite finished to the same level. However, it does have something special about it that runs deeper than just its iconic HRC stickers and glossy paint.
With their more flexible engines and comparable spec, the Yamaha R1M, Ducati Panigale V4 S, Aprilia RSV4 1100 Factory and BMW S1000RR all make for more usable road bikes, so you’ve got to really ache for a Blade SP to buy one.
If that’s you, there’s good news because it’s blisteringly fast, sounds like a WSB racer and glides through corners, flattering you all the way, though braking power doesn’t live up to its Brembo promise. But if you’re like our reader, you’ll get used to its dinkier dimensions and its lack of grunt.
The days of the affordable, do-it-all Blade have gone, making the outgoing models even more attractive for everyday road riding. But for those who’ve always lusted after a no comprise, truly fast Honda, it’s here.
‘The days of the affordable, do-it-all Blade have gone’