Gasolinejunkie

Hey fellow petroheads, its been a while. I've been having a ball with 4 wheels for the last three years but I think its time to get a bike.
Initially I had my mind set on a Fazer 1000S but now I'm kinda leaning towards the Honda Blackbird just because its a lot of bike for the money you pay. I like how it rides, it looks hot and I want to ride around the country so it ticks all the boxes.


I don't know too much about Blackbirds apart from, they went from Carbi to Injected in 1999 and then had the next major update in 2004. Do you know what the EFI system is like? I mean, does it run closed loop and adjust ignition timing?
Also, what will the significant maintenance costs involve (besides registration & insurance). I know the Busa goes through tyres. This will be my everyday commuter in summer so I'm hoping it doesn't need Formula-1 maintenance.


And most importantly, how long do bike engines last? Here in Australia a well made engine in a car will last a good half a million kilometres if looked after. The 4.2 Diesel in my Patrol has 290,000 on the clock and will last for another 300k.
What should I expect out of a little 4 cyl motorcycle motor? I've heard of Blackbirds with a million kilometres on them but haven't seen any. I believe hyper bikes outlast the smaller ones because they're worked less. I'd trust a used Blackbird over an R1 because I know the R1 would have been used for wheelies & the track where as the good old Honda might have been ridden around the country but not at the red line. They also have bigger cranks, beefier pistons and slightly lower compression which means engine longevity

Noor

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Gasolinejunkie

Also, do you know anyone who uses the Blackbird to commute with? I heard they're a real good daily ride but I've also heard horror stories.
From memory they don't have a radiator cooling fan and are prone to overheating in traffic.