The ’Blade's brakes were banging.
Over the years there have been some iconic ’Blades for us to relish, but I reckon the ’08 machine was one of the best. Sure enough, it lost the RCVinspired, pretty boy image of the 2004 RR that came before it (becoming more compact with a greater focus on mass centralisation), but aesthetics aside, the DNA of this machine was exceptional and that shone through on the roads, on the track and at the TT. In true Honda manner, it was a motorcycle that focused on function over form, and despite it havingastunted face only a mother could love, I was still excited to hop on this 6500-mile-old stunner and give itagood seeing to. Unlike the Kawasaki and Yamaha, the ’Blade felt instantly more accommodating, sitting me in the bike rather than on it, tucked behind the voluminous tank with its basic clock assembly staring straight back at me. To spice things up, the owner had attached a Heal Tech gear indicator into the mix (one eventually came as standard with the 2012 version), along with a smattering of smart bolt-ons, such as ASV levers, Bonamichi rearsets,aDynojet quickshifter and a Yoshi carbon end can, which barkedanaughty note when the engine was fired into life. Before I’d even turned a wheel something told me this Honda was going to be a belter… and moments later its magic was shining through. The first thing that hit me was the awesome bottom end. Yes, the Yammy was equivalently punchy low down, but the throttle connection on the R1 was aggressively sharp and incomparable to the silky delivery of this Honda. It felt so much more refined, more usable and anything but stuttery at just a couple of thousand revs. The moreIasked of the throttle, the more the ’Blade delivered, highlighting the fantastically torquey offering of the 12-year-old machine’s enviable motor. The aftermarket quickshifter made life all the better, with the smooth ’box allowing me to short-shift my way at leisure and pick up pace as and when I wanted. Even among today’s litre bike offerings, the dated CBR would have cut the mustard and shown a few fancier offerings up in the driveability department. Of course, where the Honda would lose out is up the top, where this bike lacked even when it first arrived on the market. But what did that matter to me, right now, tackling back lanes and B-roads, one squirt of power at a time.
WHAT TO LOOK FOR
'Can you ask your mum to stop texting me?'