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“Having owned everything from Harley's, BMW's to NC30's...”

written by on 01/01/2011

Having owned everything from Harley's, BMW's to NC30's to Aprilia's Tuono, finding my ideal bike has been an eventful journey. After nearly 30 years of biking I do believe that I have settled, yet again, for Honda's Blackbird.

I have read that some people refer to the BIRD as too refined, lacking in character etc. Nothing could be further from the truth. I absolutely love the sound that resonates through to your skull as the revs slowly climb. This is accompanied by the seemingly never ending wave of torque that is generated from this turbine smooth engine that thrusts you forward at an alarming rate of knots. Quiet how riders managed to re-calibrate their brains to this level of performance back in 1996 is amazing. Even now in 2011 the get up and go of this beast is simply devastating and one to put on your 'try before you die list'.

As the revs climb through this very usable 2,000-6,000rpm band that sound strikes again, rumbling from deep within the bowels of the beast, however things are about to change, que Mr Sulu. The engine changes her pitch as she gathers her skirts and sprints at the horizon like Flo Jo out of the blocks. This acceleration is devastating.

This character change is for me is what keeps this motorcycle interesting and yes I have ridden a VTEC and hated it. Unlike the fake mechanical change of the VTEC the BIRD's transition is far more fluid and graceful, courtesy of all those cubes. There is no substitute for cube's you know. What a transition though, from this delightfully silky smooth, useable yet unthreatening zone of the rev range which is both warm and familiar like the busom of your loved one, tempted to the north side of 7,000rpm where a fiery Mistress awaits, beckoning you deeper and deeper into the RED, always wanting to excite and satisify. Only problem is of course that this Mistress will usually lead you to trouble, in this case with the law. Remember lads, we so far have only described the engine's personality. Now lets check out that all important chassis.

You would be forgiven for overlooking her to start with, instead impulsively opting for the smaller lighter models. This is the BIRD's Achilles heel, she would never win a beauty pageant. After all this is the path that I myself have trodden switching for one bike to the next, searching for the one. For those of us who have experienced the BIRD in all her glory the search is over.

You best get to know a bike, warts and all, by cleaning her. When you have cleaned your BIRD as often as I have you become very familiar with her parts and I have to admit that her parts are pretty basic, no fancy fork adjustments here, just normal way up 43mm sturdy fork legs. Holding up the rear we have as basic a shock as you're likely to come across, but this motorcycle is more than the sum of her parts. Once you have allowed your confidence to grow with the BIRD you will discover that what you thought at first to be a basic chassis has the power to deliver truly satisifying rides. Because of the sheer amount of effort required to get this girl to hustle you will be rewarded with fabulous sessions in the bends. Yes she has a preference towards fast A road sweepers but is equally willing to tackle the tighter B road twisties, provided you lead her with a firm hand. I have just fitted bar risers to mine with pre-load adjusters. Unless you have the arms of an ape you may find the stretch to the standard bars too much, causing back ache and wrist ache. Do not let this put you off purchasing a BIRD as after the modification things are much improved. I can vouch for the bar risers being a worthwhile investment as I also had them fitted to my last BIRD. Yes I had a Blackbird before and yes I sold it following a fabulous trip to the Alps two up. Why? I had enjoyed the BIRD so much on the roads in Germany that upon my return I sort of lost my way, becoming depressed at the state of our roads, feeling like an outlaw for just owning such a rapid tool. In the end I sold it convincing myself that further flirting with this Mistress Red would only end in disaster. I spent nearly two years on board a CB1300 which was solid and dependable, but I found myself longing for the BIRD called Mistress Red. You don't realize what you had until its gone I guess.

After months of looking I located a 6,800 mile example in blue. I have been off over the Christmas break, in which time I have re-painted her fork legs and fitted a new screen. She is fully serviced with new tyres and has highly polished paintwork. If she were a woman she might not have the best legs in the business, ok so her rear is built more for comfort than speed. She does'nt wear the latest sparkly clothes but underneath that plain Jane exterior you will find a girl with a deep and interesting personality, her chassis might not be the skinniest waif like one out there but if you stick with her you surely will grow to love her endearing personality. Once at this stage like so many owners before you, there is no denying she looks sexy as hell! With the BIRD you get the dependable easy going soul mate between 2,000 and 6,000. But you can also enjoy the delights of Mistress Red ..Best of Both Worlds!!!!!!!!!!!! I can't wait to ride what is quiet simply the best bike in the world........in my experience!



Gary