# New Bike



## Andy (Feb 23, 2003)

BMW's..........?

Great bikes.

I'll never knock em.

Thing is, teutonic efficiency can become, how shall I put it.......BLAND









So I bought a new bike.

Back to what I know best.

Stonkingly powerful Japanese in line fours.

This is a clever bit of marketing by Honda, basically dressing up their CB1300 in 80's race colours and a retro fairing to make it look like the original CB1100R that Rocket Ron Haslam and Phil Reed used to race.

Spotty teenagers on FS1E's at the time. (like me), used to drool over those big red and white Honda's and I'm in no doubt that I'm exactly the target customer this bike was aimed at.

It's awsome


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## MarkF (Jul 5, 2003)

I like these big cube comfy bikes, I had an XJR1200, an absolutely beautiful bike, the only thing missing was a fairing, but if it had had one I wouldn't have bought it









I am still not sure about the fairing on the Honda but it is damn sight better looking than the ZXR or Fazer. I'd like a go


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## Andy (Feb 23, 2003)

MarkF said:


> I like these big cube comfy bikes, I had an XJR1200, an absolutely beautiful bike, the only thing missing was a fairing, but if it had had one I wouldn't have bought it
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Mark

The fairing is intentionally 80's in appearance and is supposed to be evocative of the CB1100R.

Here's a pic.

Make up your own mind.


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## MIKE (Feb 23, 2003)

Andy said:


> This is a clever bit of marketing by Honda, basically dressing up their CB1300 in 80's race colours and a retro fairing to make it look like the original CB1100R that Rocket Ron Haslam and Phil Reed used to race.


Yes "them were the days" Rocket Ron was my hero and the Honda was the dog's.

Yesterday I was passed by a gaggle of original road going CB1100R's on their way to the post TT at Mallory. The wife could not understand my excitement









If I remember rightly, did you not have to warm the engine up for five minuets before you could set off for a ride on it







even though it was a road bike.

Enjoy your bike

Mike


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## Andy (Feb 23, 2003)

MIKE said:


> Andy said:
> 
> 
> > This is a clever bit of marketing by Honda, basically dressing up their CB1300 in 80's race colours and a retro fairing to make it look like the original CB1100R that Rocket Ron Haslam and Phil Reed used to race.
> ...


As I was never fortunate enough to actually own one I don't know, but it wouldn't surprise me.

Those early Japanese multi's were a bit tempremental.

A few years back I bought a mint CBX1000, and if you left it for more than a few days, starting it required a lot of patience but they were like that when new.


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## MarkF (Jul 5, 2003)

Andy said:


> The fairing is intentionally 80's in appearance and is supposed to be evocative of the CB1100R.


I know what it is and why they have done it, I just don't like fairings apart from when I don't have one then I want one


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## Andy (Feb 23, 2003)

TBH Mark the fairing is more aesthetic than functional.

I had a similarly proportioned one on my old 900 Diversion hack that offered quite a lot of protection, but this is like riding a naked bike.

For all it's blandness, the Beemers fairing was absolutely supreme in bad weather.

In the rain you'd stay more or less dry as long as you were moving.


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## MarkF (Jul 5, 2003)

Andy said:


> TBH Mark the fairing is more aesthetic than functional.
> 
> I had a similarly proportioned one on my old 900 Diversion hack that offered quite a lot of protection, but this is like riding a naked bike.


I liked the Big One and the CB1300 as well, I think these big bikes are all about aesthetics so a fairing that doesn't work is probably a good thing









I'd like an XJR again but they way my finances are heading it could well be a Diversion


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## MIKE (Feb 23, 2003)

MarkF said:


> a Diversion


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## ericp (Feb 23, 2003)

Nice looking bike...

A bit like the old 'Bol Dor' Honda.

I had a big Honda a few years ago. It had the most horrendous inboard disk brakes. I seem to remember it was supposed to keep them dry and crud free....It was also a huge pain to work on, and they overheated and faded very quickly.

Anyway enjoy and ride safe.

Cheers


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## Andy (Feb 23, 2003)

Hey Eric

How ya doing









Yep, the 80's were deffo the days of pointless innovations.

Remember anti dive forks


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## oldfogey (Nov 29, 2005)

Nice one, Mark







. I have to say, cleaning an unfaired bike is no longer something I feel I want to do. Bad memories of unprotected in-line fours corroding over English winters on salted roads. The looks, however, are definitely retro in a suitable echo for those of us of a certain age. Reminds me a bit of my 750-F1 I had in the mid seventies as well.

It must be the sunshine, I was thinking about new sports tourers yesterday, went as far as looking at the Triumph, Ducati and BMW websites, but then decided I needed something definitely better rather than different.


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## Andy (Feb 23, 2003)

MIKE said:


> MarkF said:
> 
> 
> > a Diversion


Nothing wrong with the Divvy, provided it's the 900.

I just sold mine.

I bought it used with 50,000 miles for Â£900, ran it as a daily commuter for nearly three years and racked up a further 25,000 miles before selling it for Â£500.

I totally neglected it.

If it was lucky it had a wet sponge thrown at it, and an oil change once a year, and despite this, that bike never let me down.

Tough as old boots.

Bland to look at it may be, but I maintain that as a workaday bike with long distance two up ability, few bikes can equal it for the money.

The Diversion 900 is the Seiko 5 of motorbikes.

Tough, functional, long lasting and cheap.

Just not desireable.

(Cue incoming wrath from Seiko 5 aficionados)


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## Stan (Aug 7, 2003)

Cue incoming wrath?

Is that your foder?

Think again mate.


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## Barryboy (Mar 21, 2006)

I'd like an XJR again but they way my finances are heading it could well be a Diversion


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## oldfogey (Nov 29, 2005)

Barryboy, no doubt the Blackbird is very capable, but as a mate pointed out after our trip to Le Mans and back: "Well, I think I had it flat out for all of ten seconds all weekend!" He regrets swapping his CBR1000.....


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## MarkF (Jul 5, 2003)

oldfogey said:


> Barryboy, no doubt the Blackbird is very capable, but as a mate pointed out after our trip to Le Mans and back: "Well, I think I had it flat out for all of ten seconds all weekend!" He regrets swapping his CBR1000.....


I had a CBR1000, the '95 with linked brakes. I can safely assume things have moved on with the Blackbird and suchlike but heres a thing. I paid Â£4500 for it in 1998, I had read up and knew my stuff, it was the bike I wanted. I picked it up from Spalding, rode it home, parked it in the garage and never looked at it for a month









Everything was too easy, a fantastic bike if you wanted to get from Bradford to barcelona every day but otherwise pointless, no fun at all


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## Barryboy (Mar 21, 2006)

MarkF said:


> oldfogey said:
> 
> 
> > Barryboy, no doubt the Blackbird is very capable, but as a mate pointed out after our trip to Le Mans and back: "Well, I think I had it flat out for all of ten seconds all weekend!" He regrets swapping his CBR1000.....
> ...


Yes, it's capable all right. You can tour the continent, ride it back and fore to work, go on weekend blasts or use it as a courier hack if you want. Just about all you can't do is use it off road. If your mate wants to ride bikes like this flat out then I suggest that the only place he would do it is on Fantasy Island. Flat out these things easily top 170 mph, and some of the better ones can peak out at 190, so flat out??? I've heard it all before from the highway heroes out there. Nobody can take these things to the limit - public roads just aren't good enough, the tyres aren't good enough, the brakes aren't good enough, the drivers aren't good enough, let alone the very real possibility that you will kill some poor innocent sod.

And the CBR1000? It's heavy, crude and handles primitively compared to the Blackbird. If you don't have fun riding a big bike, then you're on the wrong bike. Perhaps you are a different type of biker to me - you should look at green laning, track days or some kind of motor sport.


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## MarkF (Jul 5, 2003)

Barryboy said:


> And the CBR1000? It's heavy, crude and handles primitively compared to the Blackbird. If you don't have fun riding a big bike, then you're on the wrong bike. Perhaps you are a different type of biker to me - you should look at green laning, track days or some kind of motor sport.


Yep, it was the wrong bike for me, you are right, but like a lot of bikers my eyes are bigger than my belly, I have had a lot of bikes that were not me.







Usually they were big faired bikes, like I said, everything is too easy on them, they leave me cold, a big naked bike is diferent, I loved my XJR1200.

My current and only bike is a Kawasaki Spectre KZ750, I have settled with it, it suits me, I don't think I'll buy another bike as the penny has finally dropped.

I have just got it back together and it flew through it's mot yesterday, but after weeks of hard work and looking forward to riding it I split my head open last Saturday and can't get a helmet on till the gash heals.


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## oldfogey (Nov 29, 2005)

Barryboy said:


> If you don't have fun riding a big bike, then you're on the wrong bike.


I agree, and so does my mate! I ride a VFR800i, Ohlins suspension, and it suits me perfectly. I hardly ever ride with a pillion. It does what is should, blends sports and long distance touring riding. He does take pillions, which is why he has the bigger (physically, not engine size) bike. It's like a lot of things, if it's very capable but not involving, you may be disappointed. It's why people drive TVRs rather than Porsches...



> I split my head open last Saturday and can't get a helmet on till the gash heals.


Goodness, Mark! Hope you heal quickly.


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## ianboydsnr (Dec 12, 2005)

i have a couple of diversions 600's as winter hacks, used to have a diversion 900 for touring, great bike, but just to heavy for me, replaced it with a Fazer 1000, which is awsome, not tried the blackbird, it just looks dull and i would ride around like a ballistic missile, which was the reason i got rid of the thunderace, as travelling everywhere at 120, felt like you were doing 60, i also have a zrx1100, wich looks old school, but really goes and handles not to bad, but it doesn't sing once past 8000rpm, like the fazer does.


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