‘What I’d buy right now with’ £4000
2002 Honda 954 FireBlade
Giles Harwood established Harwood Performance Source (HPS) in 1998, a company that has since grown to be one of the UK and Europe’s most respected technical mail order suppliers. HPS specialise in performance mods and stock everything from shocks to lightweight wheels, uprated brake calipers and electronic upgrades. What would the man who has access to a smorgasbord of goodies buy himself? A bike that makes the perfect starting point…
“The used bike I want doesn’t actually exist,” says Giles, “which may sound daft but is the truth. I want a bike that is fast enough to excite but isn’t over-the-top, is light and manoeuvrable, looks sporty yet is still practical with a comfortable seat, underseat storage and heated grips and has a low seat for short-arses like me! And it also needs to have discreet bungee hooks to attach soft luggage. I call it a BMW S1000S, because it would be an S1000RR but made softer and more practical without compromising its looks. I can’t believe such a bike doesn’t exist.
“People may point to the Kawasaki Ninja 1000SX or new Suzuki GSX-S1000GT but they are still quite big and heavy bikes. What was my solution? I made the bike myself using a brilliant starting point – the Honda 954 FireBlade.
“I’ve fitted BST carbon wheels to my 954, which makes it far more agile, alongside uprated forks from a 2006 Blade (with radial brakes) and a Nitron shock. It has heated grips, a Bazzaz fuelling module with traction control, taller MRA screen, gear indicator, Gilles rear-sets as they can be adjusted to suit my height and a comfort seat. The Blade has underseat storage that easily holds a lock, tools and a few spares, so I don’t need anything else – it’s perfect for what I need.”
+ Emphasis on road rather than track use
– Has a cult following, so prices are a bit high