Opinions on the CBR1100XX Blackbird

[mcmurray]

I'm thinking about one of these for my next bike, they look awesome, are priced well and will suit my mission profile (mainly freeway commuting and country runs).

For those that have ridden/owned them, how did you find it?
What don't you like about it?
What do you like about it?
Is it too much bike for a first big bike? (I have about 18 months experience on a GPX250/RS250).

Anything else you might add would be appreciated, cheers.

[D'Artagnan]

Loved mine and was sad to see it sold. Good all-round bike. A bit heavy but if you're a bigger guy, it should be no problem. And they go like the stink.

[Captain Starfish]

Test rode one amongst a few bikes and ended up buying a busa.

To me, the hondas have been jap equivalent of BMWs - competent machines that have no soul or spark.

The blackbird accelerated when I twisted the throttle, slowed down when I squeezed the brakes, turned a corner when I pushed it in, no worries.

But it felt just like a mode of conveyance as opposed to the busa which sits there sniggering, saying "come on, come and play!"

Try a busa and a BMW too, dare I say it, try the ZX14 as well (but wash your bum with soap afterwards) and see which one lights your fire.

[mcmurray]

^ Which BMW did you have in mind Captain?

[Tin Tin]

K1300s?

[Desmo]

I took one out on one of the HRCA rides a few years ago, just ask Lolly how well it kept up with the newer sportsbikes.
I was mighty impressed.

[hlucin8]

Is it too much bike for a first big bike? (I have about 18 months experience on a GPX250/RS250)

I cant comment on the blackbird specificaly but i was in a very similar situation. I went from about 18 months on the gpx straight to the zzr which is very similar in style to the blackbird.

It all comes down to you. Do you have the control to take it easy on the throttle when needed? It's no gpx. In normal riding i rarely take it above 5-6000 rpm and im doing 80 in 2nd. Its hard not to speed. The other thing to consider is the weight of the bike. Can you manhandle it if needed?

Getting off the zzr and back onto the gpx while i was on R l's the gpx felt like a scooter on push bike by comparison.

David
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[killswitch54923]

dad owns a zzr1100 and loves it, it goes like a fucking rocket, but it weighs a tone and unless your up to it will have great physical strain on you (so he says), i wouldnt think the blackbird is any different in power or weight. but he has the time of his life on it when he winds open the throttle, but ye as said test rides are obviously a must .

[Drasius]

Test rode one amongst a few bikes and ended up buying a busa.

To me, the hondas have been jap equivalent of BMWs - competent machines that have no soul or spark.

The blackbird accelerated when I twisted the throttle, slowed down when I squeezed the brakes, turned a corner when I pushed it in, no worries.

But it felt just like a mode of conveyance as opposed to the busa which sits there sniggering, saying "come on, come and play!"

Try a busa and a BMW too, dare I say it, try the ZX14 as well (but wash your bum with soap afterwards) and see which one lights your fire.

Couldn't agree more. Rode the BB when I was looking for my 1st big boys bike, and found exactly the same thing. I wouldn't have thought there was a way to make 160 hp boring, but damn me if those boys over at honda didn't find a way.

They are heavy biatches, and coming from a GPX, you will really notice it. Not that the 'Busa or 14 are any different. If your main task is the commute or country runs, then you could do it on a BBird quite easily, though there are many, many things out there which will do both of those as well.

The real question is, are you going to commute 5 days a week and go for a 200km ride once a month, or knock out 1000km days every weekend and commute every 2nd wednesday? If you are going to use the panniers alot for weekends away as well as commute, make sure they are easy to remove/put back on. Do you have a bunch of freeway km's in your commute or is it mainly main roads with lots of lights?

[TIMBO XX]

Bought one new in 97 have now clocked over 100000kms.
No trouble other than two cam chain tensioners.
Have ridden it west -east 3 times.
I am now living in Victoria so it gets hammered round the Dandenongs and GOR have also done a couple of Phillip Island ride days.
Being a big boy (130kg) with 30 years riding experience it suits me fine but remember they accelerate hard take some stopping and do not tip into corners like say Fireblades GSXR etc.
Other than that top bike!

[Captain Starfish]

^ Which BMW did you have in mind Captain?

K1300s?

I think that's the one - on the twisties trek a year ago, Optimal and I swapped bikes for a run up through the Adelaide hills. It reinforced my opinion of the BMWs: competent, slick, boring. Optimal kept trying to talk it up but, at the end of the day I had to kick him off my bike, not the other way around

[hlucin8]

dad owns a zzr1100 and loves it, it goes like a fucking rocket, but it weighs a tone and unless your up to it will have great physical strain on you (so he says), i wouldnt think the blackbird is any different in power or weight. but he has the time of his life on it when he winds open the throttle, but ye as said test rides are obviously a must .

unfortunately there arent enough chances to open her up. 120 in 1st means that your in alot of trouble with the popo by the end of 2nd. I very rarely get to open her up on group rides and if i do its normally only through 1st.

When its moving you dont feel the weight. Apart from it being much more stable both in a straight line and through corners.

I'm about 6' and 85-90kg and find that while its heavy its manageable. I caught it on a wsr a few weeks ago pulled into the carpark on a slpoe grabed the front break and it tipped straight in. Luckily i held it and got it back upright. It is a heave bike so you need some strenghth to be able to prevent low speed or stationary accibents

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[Tin Tin]

I may be wrong but I think Optimal has the 1200S not the 1300? VERY different bikes. I rode the 1300 and it absolutely blew me away. Havnt had the chance to ride a Busa though...

[Magilla]

I'll be looking for something to soak up Ks for my next bike - something more comfortable than the CBR600RR, and I've been thinking that the XX is the way to go.

Is it much more comfortable than the CBR RRs?

[Jonchilds]

I had one of these for a while, and being rather tall they were well suited to my size.

The one complaint I had (and I have this with a Busa too) is that they're a little short on leg room. I always felt like I was kneeling on the bike rather than sitting on it, and I could feel it in my knees after a longer day.

I would say that a level headed rider would have no problems coming from a 250cc to one of these as long as they can control how much they twist the throttle...

[mcmurray]

Good replies, cheers.

I'll test ride all that have been mentioned but at this stage I think I'll prefer the Honda. After riding the RS250 for a while all I'm after something that's smooth and relatively benign, whereas I think the Busa and ZX14 would be bordering on insanity.

The real question is, are you going to commute 5 days a week and go for a 200km ride once a month, or knock out 1000km days every weekend and commute every 2nd wednesday? If you are going to use the panniers alot for weekends away as well as commute, make sure they are easy to remove/put back on. Do you have a bunch of freeway km's in your commute or is it mainly main roads with lots of lights?

The plan is commuting 5 days a week and a few hundred kilometers every weekend. Fortunately my ride to work is not stop-start and only a few traffic lights, the rest being pretty much open road.

[Humma.]

VFR's are always an option....though i see the blackbirds appeal, i consider one as my first big bike too

[mcmurray]

^ the old man has a VFR800 which I can ride pretty much whenever, so I'm after something a bit different

[filbert]

I've had both the '08 VFR and the '07 Blackbird and ended up choosing a cruiser to put some excitement back into my riding. They do everything they're supposed to and do it fairly well.
But a bit of noise and a thrill here and there wouldn't go astray.

Good predictable learners bikes i guess.

[crozzer]

I'm on my second XX and have loved them both, there are very few things to go wrong and the engines are pretty much bullet proof.
Common faults are the CCT, and the reg recs, both easy fixes. The linked brakes often get a slating but to be honest you get used to them after a while.
Power delivery can be very decieving, not like the top end rush from say a blabe, it just picks up and goes in one long surge which can see you at the wrong sort of speeds very quickly.
Common mods seem to be a 6mm spacer at the top of the shock which can make a big differance to the handleing, a scott-oiler if your doing big miles and a hugger to keep the crap at bay.
I find it to be very comfertable, when you first climb on it does seem a long reach to the bars but for me it's very comfy and i've got a stuffed wrist amongst other things.
Bad points, it's an old design and only getting older, suspension isn't the best and did i mention the linked brakes?? It's heavy too and can catch you out at slow/walking pace speeds if your not switched on.
Trust me i know.
Overall It's a very good bike IMHO, with a good following and lots some good dedicated web sites, to sum it up, and I'm taking this from a BIKE review a few years ago, there are now faster and newer bikes around but none seem to have the complete package covered like the BB does.
Shame Honda missed the boat with the new viffer.