2000 Honda FireBlade

I have owned my 2000 Fireblade for nearly two years now and must confess that during this period I have few complaints.

This is the third Honda I have owned and have been largely satisfied with all three. The first was a 1994 CBR 600 American import. Owning this bike really opened my eyes to the joys of owning a Honda with regards to the ease of use, neutral handling, reliability and superior build quality over other manufacturers.

My second Honda experience was a little less satisfying. I part exchanged the 600 for a 1996 Blade and, although I enjoyed the power and appreciated the under-seat storage, I found the bike a little too bulky and vague compared to the 600.

So in September 2000 I chopped it in for the all new fuel-injected Blade. The combination of miniscule dimensions, light weight and enough power to see off most other bikes seemed like the ideal mix of my previous two, and on delivery I wasn’t disappointed.

The new bike was everything I had hoped for, after a couple of thousand miles, and with the addition of a Leo Vinci race can, the motor loosened up nicely and I started to enjoy the limits of the bike.

As I got used to the power and the handling characteristics I began to become aware of the bikes unnerving tendency to shake its head violently over anything less than perfect surfaces under hard acceleration.

This is a problem that was alleviated slightly with a little fork adjustment kindly suggested by a monthly bike mag, but the underlying problem is still there. Hopefully with the imminent arrival of a set of Ohlins fork springs and steering damper I will be able to eradicate this problem completely.

Apart from the somewhat nervous handling under hard acceleration I must say that I am extremely happy with the Blade, the build quality, willing motor, looks (its a black one) and sharp handling all make for a bike that appeals to me and suits my riding style.

Okay, so its not the fastest thing out there, but lets be honest, do we really need any more?