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DeeKnow's Motorbike

From roughly August '04 onwards I began thinking about a bike swap of some sort and after a few months of concerted lusting and a solid week of bike trials I finally settled on the latest machine in the Borelli stable, a Honda CBR900, aka Blade.

See Also: Last Bike | 1st Bike | 2nd Bike | My Lid | Blade Evolution | Blade Pics

It seems I've unintentionally gone from one sword wielding Jappa bike to another. The Ninja name has obvious manly roots but I'm not so sure about the origins of the name FireBlade. It sounds dangerously like one of those Asian manufacturer translations gone horribly wrong.

Full size photo of my Blade Make: Honda
Model
: CBR900 '03
Capacity: 954cc
Notes:
954cc liquid-cooled fuel injected 130HP inline four. 11.5:1 compression ratio, DOHC, four valves per cylinder. Fully adjustable front and rear suspension, dry weight of 168kg, Rake 23.8° Trail: 97mm
Reviews: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8

Its easy to dismiss the safe-Honda-purchase syndrome and guffaw at the linear power delivery, alleged comprimises made between performance and reliability or comfort and all that, but the undeniable fact of the matter is that this machine is a fucking awesome sports bike and you're welcome to take it out for a spin if you've got a differing opinion.

Unless you've previously owned or ridden a ZX10, 916, R1, MV, SP or Gixxer thou of course :-)

I swear I've been at meaner lean angles on the CBR in the 1st two days than I ever got to on the Kwaka in 18 months of sport riding, and that's been whilst scrubbing in a new rear tire. I haven't quite found a natural rythym yet but its clear that's not far away and I'm looking forward to some positively exciting times discovering the bikes' capabilities.

All I have to do is avoid the previous owner in case he has a coronary over the difference in standards of cosmetic bike maintenance, aka Cleaning period.

See Also: Blade Evolution | Blade Pics