I
guess we are past the initial impression stage now. My overall impression is
complete reliability, easy to ride, good steering and handling, and is easy to
live with. It still starts at first stab, idles around 2000 rpm and drops back
to 1050 rpm when warm. I normally ride it away cold, enough torque to easily
cope. It runs on unleaded petrol happily enough. Fuel economy hasn’t improved –
around 15 km/l though I suspect if I ran premium unleaded it would improve.
The
gearbox still clunks in first and second, particularly at low revs. It
is still a bugger trying to find neutral around town. If you are stopped it
will either hunt from 1st to second to 1st etc or else it
won’t budge at all. I have learnt to drop into first while the bike is still
rolling – at around 20 km/h. The gearbox gets even more
clunky when the oil is worn – not old, as it is never more than a few
months old when it is time to replace it again. On the positive side, the
initial fuel injection jerkness has disappeared as
the engine has loosened up.
The
switch gear is too light and fiddly. I still bump on high beam
occasionally and the blinker switch is sticky but tolerable. I have stopped
bumping the horn.
The
screen surface is too soft and scratches if you look at it. There is
nothing you can do about it.
On
the plus side the security lockout key system has worked faultlessly, the
Hallmark rack and bag have worked well, all the instruments and lights have
worked almost faultlessly – I replaced one tail light, ground clearance hasn’t
proved an issue, and the only thing to vibrate loose has been the subframe – 4 large bolts. Other than that, everything has
worked as the manufacturer intended.
Security ignition key. A card-reader type ignition
lockout is fitted as factory standard.
The key has the card built into it.
The normal method to steal a bike is to use a hammer and a screwdriver
to break/turn the ignition on. This
method won’t work on the Fireblade. You must have the key to start the bike. It is surprising what confidence (justified
or not) that this affords the owner. Eg just roll up to the footy and park it anywhere.
Automatic choke. Having to guard against the
engine racing while on manual choke was always irksome. The automatic choke maintains a fast idle
(2000 rpm) slowly reducing it as the water temp. rises. The motor fires first time, every time and
has enough torque to ride away from cold.
Digital display. I was always taught that an
analogue (needle) display was better and easier to read than a digital display
and figured it would be one of the down sides in the quest for weight and cost
savings. Not so. The large format digit speedo
display is easier to read, particularly at speed, and with more accuracy. It
seems to sample at every 1/2 or 1/3 of a second. So during acceleration or braking it is
playing catch up. Two trip meters are
handy as is the clock and digital water temp gauge. (The bike runs at 82ºC normally and on really
cold and wet days drops back to 78ºC.
The thermatic fan chimes in around 103ºC (I
think) and the engine shuts down at 130ºC!).
Now
for the serious stuff:
This
40,000 km has been accumulated in the last 14 months on Club rides, weekends
away, and a small amount of commuting – no more than 4500 km, up and down the Freeway
to work, mainly two-up. So about 90% of the riding has been sport touring with
the Club. Weekends away pile on the kilometers –
usually more than 2000 km each time.
They also destroy the tyres at a much faster
rate than weekly Sunday rides due to the sustained high speeds and consequent cornering
loads.
Hence,
tyre consumption has been fairly dramatic. See table.
I am onto my 9th front and 12th rear tyres.
All bar four tyres have been second hand, usually
ex-race. I am mentally happiest with the Dunlop 207RR on the rear – treaded
pattern, grip lasts till the end, around 7000 km life. The Bridgestone 010s are
very good as well in terms of grip, but wear fast on the rear. Front’s are fine
– over 10,000 km on a near new second hand one. I am getting very reasonable
wear out of Michelin Pilot Race tyres, both front and
back. They have lots of tread compared to some other brands, and I have never
had a “moment” with them, wet or dry, despite the lack of cuts.
Over
the 40,000 km engine maintenance has been pretty slack. Oil changes are
nominally every 6,000 km and I think I started out that way, but missed one
when we were moving houses and there were plenty of bike trips away. Oil
changes are easy – the fairing does not have to be removed to get to the sump
plug or the filter. Just as well because the fairing is time consuming to
remove with its various delicate screws and push connectors. The bike has had a
few oil filters – not cheap.
It
has still got the original spark plugs – though I attempted to change
them and only got as far as removing the tank – petrol everywhere – no tap to
turn off. The plumbing associated with the injection is fairly obstructionist,
delicate sensors everywhere. I think when it comes time to do the valves –
every 24,000 km nominally – they can change the plugs as well! The valve train
is so light that the word is that they almost invariable don’t need adjusting.
On simpler bikes I would do the valves, but access is extremely time consuming and fiddly on this bike – time I could better
spend riding!
Table
showing tyre make and model and life in kilometers.
|
|
CBR929RR front tyres |
Life[km] |
Odometer [km] |
Comment |
|
1 |
new
Bridgstone 010 |
8198 |
8198 |
excellent
wearing tyres |
|
2 |
s/h
Bridgestone 010 |
5906 |
14104 |
|
|
3 |
s/h
Bridgestone 010 |
10,544 |
24,648 |
winter
riding |
|
4 |
s/h
Dunlop 207GP |
2768 |
27,416 |
|
|
5 |
s/h
Michelin Pilot Race |
7727 |
35,143 |
|
|
6 |
s/h
Metzeler Z1 |
1111 |
36,254 |
very
second hand - lasted 2 rides |
|
7 |
s/h
Michelin Pilot Race |
4000 |
40,254 |
expect
to last another 2000 km |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
CBR929RR
rear tyres |
|
|
|
|
1 |
new
Bridgstone 010 |
3323 |
3323 |
|
|
2 |
new
Metzeler Z1 |
6479 |
9802 |
surprisingly
good life |
|
3 |
s/h
Bridgestone 010 |
3135 |
12937 |
|
|
4 |
s/h
Michelin Pilot Race |
4718 |
17655 |
|
|
5 |
s/h
Dunlop 207GP |
1342 |
18997 |
|
|
6 |
s/h
Michelin Pilot Sport |
2650 |
21647 |
|
|
7 |
new
Dunlop 207RR |
5769 |
27416 |
has
another 1500 of life - will fit in winter |
|
8 |
s/h
Michelin Pilot Race |
4548 |
31964 |
|
|
9 |
s/h
Michelin Pilot Race |
3179 |
35143 |
|
|
10 |
s/h
Metzeler Z1 |
372 |
35515 |
very
second hand - lasted Eildon Ride |
|
11 |
s/h
Dunlop 207GP |
3308 |
38823 |
Walwa weekend plus one ride |
|
12 |
s/h
Dunlop 208GP |
1431 |
40254 |
expect
to last another 2000 km |
|
|
|
|
|
|
I
changed the rear pads at 21,650 km and the second Kevlar set are about
2/3 worn. I changed the front pads at 39,465 km and replaced them with the originals.
They retail at about $105 a set compared to about $50 for aftermarket ones. I
would be interested to see if anyone has tried Nissan aftermarket pads.
Supposedly they are the same compound as the originals. Given that the calipers
are Nissan, this could make sense. And they are half price. Incidentally, the
brake fluids were replaced at 25,118 km.
At
26,950 km I replaced the chain with an EK ZVX 530 which the dealer
claimed had the same characteristics as the equivalent RK chain (my preferred)
but at a cheaper price. I rotated the front sprocket but it was on its last
legs so I replaced it with a genuine one costing $34 at 31, 964 km. The rear
sprocket is fine. I have adjusted the
chain only once since replacing it.
I
checked the air filter at 39,000 km – while I had the tank off – and
banged out the larger stuff – spiders, small birds. It looked very expensive –
molded plastic, large plate arrangement, paper element.
I
changed the fork oil at 18,157 and again at 35,143 km. These intervals
are too far apart. My feeling is that you should not let the oil go longer than
the recommended 12,000 km. The first time I did it myself,
the second time I gave the forks to Rod Sharp at Cycleworks.
Upside down forks are a real physical struggle without the right tools.
I
replaced the rear shock absorber at 19,538 km with a new hydraulically
adjustable Ohlins, retailing around $1650. The
damping was fading when hot, and the shock had a general vagueness about it.
Though the original was still serviceable, the new one rode better and handled
superbly. I had retrieved the Ohlins out of the ZXR
before selling it and thought it could be modified but a direct trade was the
more economical solution. My old one had recently been rebuilt and despite
100,000 km was still worth a lot of money, defraying the price of a new one
significantly. It is a set-and-forget
item. I have not touched it since installation – a non-trivial exercise –
another half a day in the garage.
I
greased the steering head bearings at 21,650 km after noticing they were
notchy. Thinking they were damaged I purchased a
replacement set and discovered the originals are ball bearings and the
replacement ones are roller bearings. Roller bearings are much better from an
engineering point of view – they offer line contact rather than point contact –
but provide a slightly heavier feel to the steering. And feel is a marketable
commodity. The original bearings were in fact okay, just over- tightened. I
have kept the replacement bearings for a rainy day – probably around 80,000 km
at this rate. The original ones are working fine, and, as long as I don’t learn
how to do monos, should stay that way.
I
also greased the rear suspension linkages - nice roller bearings – at
35,143 km. The suspension was squeaking as Julie climbed aboard. Lubrication
has fixed it. I use Shell waterproof grease – the last lot cost $4.00 a tub and
lasts forever. It works really well on the chain as well.
Well,
that is about it. I have covered the consumables: chains, sprockets, pads, oils,
plugs, filters, and tyres. Suspension
components – forks and shock. Niggles: economy, switch
gear, turning circle (huge). The good bits – the reasons I bought the
bike in the first place - are still holding true: handling, low weight (under
200kg wet, claimed 170 kg dry), brakes (woppers),
power delivery (excellent low and mid-range), reliability, digital speedo – large and clear, always readable clock – don’t
have to push a button like on Suzukis, large boot
space, neat after-market rack arrangement, ignition lockout system, automatic
choke.. The good bits far outweigh the niggles
resulting in a bike that is easy to live with and easy to ride, allowing me to
concentrate on enjoying riding while having complete trust in the bike.
Ben Warden
Factors high on the wish
list were, in no particular order:
1)
Four
cylinders (from limited observation TLs
and VTRs (twins) get poor fuel consumption, TLs destroy tyres, and everyone
crashes them!);
2)
Fuel
injection (carbies ice up, get
fluffy, float levels and regular synchronising to
worry about, generally higher maintenance than injectors); injection offers
altitude compensation
3)
Power
delivery of a four - available up high if you need it,
otherwise relatively docile and predictable in low and mid-range.
4)
Good
handling (upside down forks, light weight, steering geometry)
5)
Proper wheel
sizes (nine years of 16 inch front wheels on earlier model Fireblades had put them out of the question, other than to
fit a CBR600 front 17" wheel.) 17" rims provide access to second hand
race tyres at affordable prices.
6)
Price was
a serious consideration.
7)
Brakes.
Good ones.
8)
To a lesser extent, ease of maintenance, warranty,
and local dealer access.
Hinged rear seat “glove box”. Best under seat storage on a
sports bike I have seen. I fit a large
can of chain lube, a large can of Mr Sheen, the Honda
tool kit, a cleaning rag, a container of spare nuts and bolts, a sun cap, Club
itineraries and wet weather pants. Magnificent.
Security ignition key. A card-reader type ignition
lockout is fitted as factory standard.
The key has the card built into it.
The normal method to steal a bike is to use a hammer and a screwdriver
to break/turn the ignition on. This
method won’t work on the Fireblade. You must have the key to start the bike. It is surprising what confidence (justified
or not) that this affords the owner. Eg just roll up to the footy and park it anywhere.
Automatic choke. Having to guard against the
engine racing while on manual choke was always irksome. The automatic choke maintains a fast idle
(2000 rpm) slowly reducing it as the water temp. rises. The motor fires first time, every time and
has enough torque to ride away from cold.
Digital display. I was always taught that an
analogue (needle) display was better and easier to read than a digital display
and figured it would be one of the down sides in the quest for weight and cost
savings. Not so. The large format digit speedo
display is easier to read, particularly at speed, and with more accuracy. It
seems to sample at every 1/2 or 1/3 of a second. So during acceleration or braking it is
playing catch up. Two trip meters are
handy as is the clock and digital water temp gauge. (The bike runs at 82ºC normally and on really
cold and wet days drops back to 78ºC.
The thermatic fan chimes in around 103ºC (I
think) and the engine shuts down at 130ºC!).
The blinker switch is
too small and sticky/stiff for winter gloves.
It seems to be a common Honda switch gear problem. The high beam switch is too sensitive and is
regularly bumped on when hitting the indicator switch. And the horn is pretty sensitive too. (But I
seem to be getting used to these idiosyncrasies as I have not had a problem in
the last couple of weeks.)
Positive
neutral lockout. Having ridden Kawasakis
for 20 years, and then not being able to go from first gear to neutral every
time when sitting at the lights is a shock to the system. The Honda is a
mongrel to find neutral on. All the usual tricks fail. I sometimes switch the
motor off, change into neutral and start again! (This seems to be getting
better as the gearbox loosens up.)
Fairings are
an unnecessary pain to remove. Why do we
have to have 4 or 5 different size screws/clips. The
Fuel economy is
not startling. On Club rides I average
around 16 km/l hitting reserve at 230 km.
The EXUP valve rattles
sometimes, but it is normal. Most noticeable at low revs.
As per modern bikes, the
radiator does not have a stone guard, but at least it is mounted high
and seems half as big as the
The mirrors go blurry
at 105km and come good again at 6000rpm or 150 km/h. Annoying.
330
mm monster front disks with larger master cylinder than previous
models to give better feel. They actually feel spongy but are very
powerful. At first I was disappointed by
the sponginess but since hearing the rationale I feel much happier. Still on
original pads front and rear, but rear going.
Titanium exhaust
bits. The bugbear
of the
The
motor. Turbine smooth. Very responsive. Not overly powerful – or at least very
controllable. Deceptively fast. Opening the taps induces a seductive rush of
power. Good bottom end power (EXUP valve in the exhaust, Suzuki style flapper
valve in the airbox, all helping no doubt.) Pulls cleanly from idle. Mini flat spot at
2000 rpm if you try hard to find it. Fixed by removing "spark
arrestor" (cone of metal) from muffler I've heard.
Non-pressurised
air box. Fantastic. Saves on air filters and plumbing complexity. The amount of dust, bugs and moths that were
forced through the
Suspension. Handles pretty well straight out of the box –
still at original settings, though did check them against an American
recommendation and found they were even stiffer than what they recommend on the
front. I have bumped the rear pre-load a couple of clicks. There seems to be some changes between the
2000 and 2001 models which Honda is not advertising. For instance, the Americans think it has
gained 6ps and I think they have tweaked the standard suspension settings.
Nevertheless, the front
springs are right on the margin of softness, and I think the rear damping is
going off, particularly noticeable two-up.
Springs and oil will fix the front; maybe the Ohlins
out of the
Gearbox. Very light and precise at any sort of revs above 3000.
Below 3000 it is clunky, particularly first and second gears (probably savagely
undercut). And the
aforementioned no neutral finder. Only noticeable
around town. There seems to be a fair amount of drive train freeplay as the chain slops around, again less noticeable
the better the gear change.
My
feeling is that motorcycles are over-serviced.
According to the manual, one should check the shims at 24,000 km and
also replace the plugs at 24,000 km. DOHC, fuel injected, water cooled, universal Japanese motorcycle. Bugger all to service.
Suffice to say, taking this theory towards its logical conclusion, and having
an off-the-record talk to the mechanics …fluids and filters. Maintenance costs
are negligible compared with tyre costs anyway.
Service intervals are nominally 6000 km.
The
proof is in the eating. The
ZXR? Eventually sold unmodified
(not even washed!) with full disclosure. Apparently it was back on the road
after one weekend's solid work. The frame had snapped completely through and
was welded up. The original near new fairings were refitted, spare front wheel
installed, odds and sods such as headlight mounting plastics repaired, carbies sychronised and battery
charged. One happy owner last seen riding it to the
World Supers at
Ben Warden