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1001 KM + 19 Days + 1000 Cc : Holy Mother of Fireblade!
(cross posted from Erodov)
Hi folks,
I wanted to get some hands on experience on the bike before starting a experience thread... didn't see the point in blabbering without knowing the shit, right?
So here is the blabber. It might still seem to have been written by a 13 year old teenager high on "excitement" but trust me, these 1001 kms on TheBlade have been more than "bewildering."
19 days might seem like a lot to "some" folks for just 1000 kms on a super bike, but trust me, for me, this is faster than speed of light. Before this I have had a Pulsar 200 which I owned for over 3 years and only managed 8000 kms. I have been driving a Zen Estillo (hence forth referred to as the skirt) for the last 2 years and have only managed 4000 km. So for me, this a lot! And the worst/best part is, more than 70% of these have been done inside Bangalore! So I am more than confident in advising anyone when they ask me about the riding around a bustling city like Bangalore on a 180 bhp SBK!
A few questions which people normally ask me when they find out about the bike:
These have been asked of me so often that now I answer them even without having to exercise my brain!
But a little background is due before we delve into these!
Love at first sight: R1
The first super bike I fell in love with was the Yamaha R1. The twin under tail exhaust appealed to me like nothing I had ever felt before. Some sort of indecribable raw animal magnetism. The fact that "The Doctor" was making raves on the same machine (well technically the M1; but still) made the addiction even worse. I used to just stare at photos of the bike for hours on end; watch YouTube videos of the machine being driven; heck, even accident videos. I had it so bad that I used to obsess about this and get upset when someone (even random strangers) didn't approve of my plans to buy this some day!
I mean, I was obsessing about buying it on [E] more than 4 years ago. Proof is in the pudding crust!
As a few people predicted, 4 years went by and I didn't act on it... some thing or the other happened and I kept forgetting. 2 wonderful crashes I had added to the delay as well (thankfully they were not on a SBK or else they could have been fatal...) If you had asked me 3 months ago about me buying an actual SBK, I would have laughed it off myself. I had all but given up on this dream and accepted the motions of life.
Shit hits the fan
Well, shit got a lot more real on July 21st '12. I was visiting Shilov (my jijaji) and he told me of his plans to soon become the proud owner of a Honda CB1000R. He showed me a few videos, and a few snaps of him groggily grinning over a showroom display CB1000R. Apparently he had gotten drunk along with a friend after work and they had both decided that they had waited enough and wanted to move on buying their dream bikes. Both of them had gone and booked a Honda CB1000R each (1000cc; 125 bhp; naked street awesomeness) and were now awaiting delivery of their beauties (which was scheduled for a few days later.) This news hit me like a propellor blast. Not only it certainly dawned on me that Shilov was buying his dream bike; the fact that I could also afford one came as a real eye opener. I had gone through my first job change after spending 5.7 years at my previous one and that had definitely helped my financials. I still remember waking up at 6 AM the next day (Neeru; my wife; and me stayed back at his place that night) and starting a mad research dash for a SBK. The fact that my 4 year old dream was suddenly within my grips was causing my heart to palpitate. The last time I had felt this was on my wedding night (dirty minds: I actually got married in the night!) The fact that Shilov and his friend had already worked out a lot of the missing gaps (which bank; what are the best interest rates; how long it would take, etc.) helped matters a lot.
I was once again all set to obsess about the R1 and this time, I was actually going to buy it. Thats when I went and started this thread on Xbhp.
The Switch
4 years had passed since the last time I was dead set on a SBK and since it was actually gonna happen this time; I didn't want to make a mistake choosing. I had already started talking to the bank about the financials and had told them that it was my intention to purchase a Yamaha R1. However, there was something in the back of my mind which made me rethink my choice. This time, I wanted the best that "my" money could buy. I had a budget (funny when used in this context) and knew that I had a few choices (all SBK category) to choose from. And I simply wanted the best I could get. A few people objected to this idea (and even claimed that I am not likely to go for a SBK and that I was wasting their time by asking the question) but I guess my age and experience had given me the ability to be logical even in the face of absurdity (which a lot of people associate with the notion of purchasing a SBK.)
I started reading a lot of reviews (Motorcycle-usa helped tonnes in this regard) and had basically a few in my mind (listed in order of preference as on Aug 31st 2012):
The raw performance numbers and "hat ke" looks of the Beamer had pushed the R1 down one notch... I liked the fact that the electronic package of the BMW S1000R was complete in every conceivable way (drive modes: you got it, TC: done and dusted; ABS: like a pro) but when I started asking around the price of this bike in India, I got a big shock. Apparently BMW sees it fit to charge a cool 26L in India for claiming ownership of this beast. I consoled my heart "all is well; some day" and moved on. I didn't feel too bad that I could not afford this right now. I mean, I didn't really "love" the bike as such... just liked the measurements (read one night stand.)
The 2012 R1 had gotten really really funky. The cross plane "almost like V twin" crankshaft and the electronic package (except for a big ommission; ABS) was really mouthwatering. However, I started rethinking after a few realities hit my mind.
The Hayabusa and the GSX-1000R were merely present there because they fit in the budget. I was not particulary fond of the bulky "fat boy" looks of the Hayabusa and never cared to research too much on the Suzuki 1000 cc offering.
The surprise entrant was the Fireblade. My jiju (Shilov; for those with forgetful memories) had told me that he would choose the Fireblade over the R1 and that made me give this a serious look (and boy am I glad.)
Grass Is Always Greener under the Other SBK
The same reasoning which made the R1 appear fat and un appealing to me made the 2012 Fireblade look down right sexy. It was love at first sight all over again (version 2012) Not only did the Fireblade fare really well in reviews all over (and acing the Motorcycle-usa reviews for 2012); the fact that it had the much essential C-ABS made it even more appealing.
A few points which I gleaned from all over the Internet after some intense research:
Even with all these points in its favour, I still struggled with the whole decision for a few weeks. I kept on flipping back and forth between the two (R1 vs the Fireblade.)
No longer just a boy
The decision to go for the CBR was made because I didn't want to have to enjoy the R1 alone without my wife comfortably riding pillion with me. I wanted to share this experience with her (as she was one of the main reasons of me finally getting my dream job; and thus being able to afford this bike) and it would simply not have been fare on her if I had gone for the R1. Hence, Fireblade it was.
D Day
I had decided upon using HDFC bank for getting the loan for the bike. We managed to agree to a 7% interest rate without too much back and forth (the fact that this would be the third SBK being bought from the same dealer and bank helped; Shilov and his friend had taken delivery of their CB1000R's on 27th July.)
I made the downpayment for the bike (the biggest single cheque I had written out so far in my life) on 13th Aug 2012. It was all butterflies from then on. I was told that the bike would take a cool 15 days to get to me from Manesar (HMSI factory where they stock these bikes) but I "knew" that it was not going to take so long. I set a target of Aug 21st for Honda (totally from a hunch) and politely asked them to make it happen on or before that date. I was almost sure that I would not be able to get any sleep at all till I finally had my hands on the bike. However, I was surprised when I slept like a baby the nights following the downpayment. I guess the realization that "this" is happening helped ease the tension. I knew the bike was coming; I knew that keeping awake would not make the bike reach Bangalore any faster; so sleep I did; like a baby
The following weekend (T-3 days) I decided to stroll up to our local bike shop and purchase some much essential gear for the bike. I had been sternly warned by a lot of people about the dangers of going straight from 200 cc to 1000 cc (and boy were they accurate) and thus I didn't want to take any chances. I got myself a nice looking (and matching) A* textile jacket as well as some A* gloves. They didn't have helmets to match my larger than average cranium so I settled to just having my "MPA" Rs 1000 helmet for the time being.
The Final Countdown
The butterflies finally caught up with me on 20th. I had heard news from my dealer (Aejaz from Silicon Honda) that the truck carrying the bike had entered Karnataka and should reach the showroom soon. To be honest, I was caught unprepared. I wanted the day to be perfect and only about the bike. I was already in office and a part of me wished that it didn't happen today. I was not mentally prepared. I didn't have my driving jacket with me. And my request was granted (in a weird way.) The truck didn't make it to the showroom till about 5 PM on 20th (already too late to do a proper PDI, etc.) and thus we decided to simply do the whole process the next day early morning.
I somehow forced myself to sleep and set 5 different alarms so that I could get to the showroom on time and not delay this one further minute. And I was succesful. I managed to find a good auto wallah who transported me from my Koramangala aparment to the Silicon Honda showroom (8.5 kms away) in a cool 30 minutes and helped me beat the set time by 5 minutes (I tipped him of course.)
Its hard for me to describe the feeling of seeing my blade sitting in the cage when we (me and Aejaz) finally descended to the basement of the showroom where the bike had been unloaded and kept.
I was literally out of words and just grinned like a school boy having just laid eyes on a hot teacher!
It was here. It was happening. And unless I found something terribly wrong with the bike, I would be driving out with it in just a few hours
We went through the motions (I have uploaded a bunch of those photos to my Facebook album as well) of getting the bike ready for delivery (the most exciting being when the bike was finally started and it roared into life.)
The First Ride
The first ride was a trip to a closeby (2 km) Shell petrol pump to fill up on gas. I had literally no idea of what to expect when I twist the throttle. The most power I had experienced before was on my Pulsar 200 (bought in 2007; 20 PS goodness!) This was almost a 10x upgrade for me in terms of raw power. I was very apprehensive. I didn't want to spill the bike and ruin the whole experience. I had seen far too many bike accidents videos to not have a worry in my head. As expected, I stalled the bike the first time I tried to give it some gas on 1st gear (luckily; both my feat plant firmly on the ground when I am on the bike.) The clutch has a very narrow sweet spot in which it starts engaging. This was very different from what I vaguely remembered from my Pulsar 200 days (which I had last ridden more than 2 years ago.) So, on my second attempt, I gave it a little more gas (3k RPM, if I remember accurately) and the bike start rolling effortlessly. The bike felt quite big (expected since it weighs 200kg+) when I was trying to move it around on neutral but the moment I gave it some gas, the weight just disappeared.
The feeling of the bike zooming ahead effortlessly was nothing like I had felt before. Although I didn't manage to go past 3rd gear on the whole ride (partly traffic; partly fear of life), I knew I was in for a lot of fun once I knew how to handle this power effectively. I knew this could prematurely end my life in an instant if I didn't respect the raw power and what it was capable of (or worse; maim me.)
The Romance that ensued
I was not lying about 70% of the 1000 kms being done inside Bangalore city. I have been using the bike to go everywhere. Daily commute to office: Check. Morning ride to Gym: Check. Sambji mandi: Check. Bathroom: Check (ok just kidding; but sometimes I earn to hear my bike when inside the bathroom.)
The moment the bike went fully legal (with the TR registration in place), I started riding it around. At first very gingerely though. I was afraid of doing power wheelies every time I even "thought" of twisting the throttle. Surprisingly, I have not done a single wheelie (accidental or otherwise) yet. I guess my 100 kgs help in keeping the front securely planted on the ground, but afraid I truly was. I got my first experience of SBK burn on the second day itself when making my way back from the dealership with the temporary registration documents. I got stuck in some ugly traffic and the bike temp soared. At one point, it felt like my legs were getting nice and roasty from the heat what the radiator fans were putting out, but a single twist of the throttle again made it totally worth it.
Yep, it can get hot. Really hot. These bikes were never made for city bumper to bumper riding. Particulary in our climates. And I am talking about Bangalore here. I cannot even imagine how it would feel when stuck in Delhi traffic during summer. Also, the fact that I was suited up for all the 1000 kms didn't make it any easier. But hey, the mini sauna which gets created inside my jacket when I get stuck in traffic has definitely helped increase my metabolism.
And everytime I had less than a pleasant time in traffic on the bike, I would compensate by going for a quick trip on the bike past 11 PM. With the roads cleared up, the ability of the bike to effortless pick up speed, brake, turn really shine. And boy, the attention it gets!
Ten Hut!
The color scheme and the fact that a lot of people are now aware of the Honda "CBR" brand brings a lot of attention (undue and otherwise) to the bike (and the rider.)
Every traffic stop. Every bike (either behind you; or coming from opposite direction.) Every car owner (even if they just stop you on their RVM.) Every auto driver. A Big Fat Check.
Their graze first and foremost settles on the big fat 190 tyre on the rear wheel. If Indians know anything about super bikes, it definitely has something to do with the tyres. Then their graze lovingly moves onto the red (with black and white stripes) tank. Then you can almost feel their retina dilate and then they proceed to have a orgasmic look on their faces.
A lot of the youngsters feel it necessary to show me the thumbs up of approval (which I always acknowledge and appreciate.) A few uncles come up to me and ask the 3 golden questions. Because some of them know that the CBR250 sells for aroud 1.6 lakhs, they get confused when I say 16 to theird second question.
"1.6?"
"No 16"
Disgruntled Muttering: "WTFFFF?"
A few traffic cops have even wished me "Best of luck" and "Good luck" when they find out the details of the bike. So far, they have never stopped me for papers and such... they just do the mandatory alcohol check (which I am totally off) and then wave me off. I guess there are some advantages to owning a SBK eh?
Me and my bike break 150
I was longing to try my bike on the legendary NICE road of Bangalore. The last time I had driven on it was back in 2008 on my Pulsar 200 (I had reached a top speed of 130 kmph back then.) I think I made it to the NICE road on the 5th day of owning the bike (I was at 320 kms after that trip.) I had already done more than a few ups and downs on the Electronic City Elevated Highway and knew how the bike behaved at speeds above 100 kph and near 5000 rpm.
But I had another thing coming.
The long stretches of barricaded NICE road provided a completely different arena. I stretched my legs a little more and easily broke and maintained 150 kmph on the bike. The stability and control at this level was astounding. My size and strength helped me control the bike very easily and counter streering just came naturally. There were a few curvey stretches during which I finally got to experience the legendary grip of these SBKs (and to finally explore anything but the center 3 cm of the tyres :P) Needless to say, this was the most fun I ever had riding a bike. It came 4 years after I initially dreamed of it, but hey, I am not complaining.
The Sound
Honda was really smart when implementing the intake and exhaust system on the bike. Rev the bike to whatever RPM when stand still and it sounds very sedate. Almost meek. The R1 owners confused it as less powerful because of that. The trick is the flapper inside the big port on the exhaust. If you examine it carefully, you will see that it stays closed when the bike is at stand still. I did some checks and have found out that the flap opens up automatically when the bike is past 4K RPM as well as doing atleast 80 kmph. Thats when the sound signature of the bike changes in a BIG BIG way. The meek sound turns into a mighty grunt. The whispering engine suddenly starts roaring. Although you will only hear the engine power away when riding the bike, its a whole different experience for the people who get to see the bike zoom past.
This behavior was apparently implemented by Honda to meet the stringent regulations as well as to accomodate the dual set of injectors fitted on the Fireblade (which come to life past the 4.5-5.5k RPM range.) If you thought you knew big acceleration, wait till you get a Fireblade (any super bike for that matter) into the mid RPM range. You will need to actively stop yourself from being thrown off the bike. I am a fairly large fellow and it is difficult for me to hold on if accelerating hard. Think of the small ones
The intake flapper also stays closed till you get to the mid range RPMS. If you really like new "on-the-move" the sound signature, you can do two simple 5 minutes each intake and exhaust flapper mods (heck there are youtube videos for both of them) and you will enjoy the awesome sound from 0 RPM onwards. And since they are easily reversible, you don't risk your warranty.
The Pain
Surprised by the title? Read on then...
The trip back on NICE road (and to humanity) was not as pleasant as I hoped. What started off as a slight numbness developed into a raging pain towards the end (actually the start; since I was on the return side) of NICE road. I simply could not go on riding any further. My left lower back was screaming to be straightened and massaged. I knew the riding position on the bike was sporty and demanded a lot from riders; but my weight didn't help the situation at all. My upper body weight was simply puting too much load on my hands and my back. No two ways about it.
I parked the bike on the side and stretched out. The pain subsided surprisingly fast and also made me aware of a couple of things.
Take it from me folks. Riding a proper SBK is no easy affair. And if you are not in good shape, simply forget about it. Atleast I am taking this as a wake up call. I went ahead and enrolled in "Fitness First" after not doing so for so many years. Better late than never eh? I am sure I would not have bothered doing this if I had instead gone for a Harley (no offense to owners) :P
The First Long Ride
Time came for the first long ride. Me and my fellow CB1000R owners had decided to do a longish trip on Saturday morning. I had told them of the fun I had on Electronic City elevated highway and on NICE road and they wanted to experience it too.
We started off quite early. This photo was right after we had made it across the elevated highway and it was 5:55 AM approx. We had filled our bikes to the brim with Speed goodness and the N2 in our tyres was at optimum preesure (36/42.) We knew we had quite a ride ahead of us, and unless we played it cool and calm; it would turn ugly real fast. I still had my Rs 1000 "MPA" helmet but I hadn't had the opportunity to really go and get a good one yet. We started off on the ride in a calm and controlled way. At the NICE road toll booth, we bough the tickets for Tumkur and started off. At first it was very controlled for me. Unlike the previous exp on NICE road, we had a lot of trucks keeping us company along the stretch. But that didn't stop the other two riders. Since they have had the bike for much longer (relatively speaking) and had done two long rides on them each, they zoomed off right away. I had to keep up with them so I grudignly accelerated up. I knew the layout of the road a little bit (other than the sporadic blockage caused by two fully loaded trucks trying to over take each other, thus blocking the way for everyone else) so I was doing a steady 120-130 kmph soon. The max I did on that stretch was 170 kmph I think. It was on a long stretch where they were no trucks (quite lucky) and I could see the road perfectly as it was sloping down then up. My fellow riders both broke 200 kmph easily.
After a little while it started drizzling and we all slowed down to sane speeds so that we don't take undue risk. We rode all the way to Kamat's (some 100 km from where I had started off) and had some break fast. We got the opportunity to scream our lungs off at a poor teenager who came and promptly hopped onto Shilov's CB1000R for a trial sit? The return trip was much more sedate and relaxed (avg speeds of 120 kmph.)
CBR1000RR + CB1000R ! Fight! - YouTube
Some notes:
Speed of Light
There is this one weird thing which I wanted to share with you guys though. Once you do these sort of speeds, everything else appears very very slow. This other day I touched close to 200 kmph on the elevated highway (2 AM in the night) for a few seconds. When I slowed down, I saw a Maruti 800 stopped dead on the elevated highway (which was very odd.) When I finally reached the prescribed speed limit (80) and came along side the Maruti, I realized it was actually travelling at something like 60 kmph. Once you do such high speeds, your brain reconfigures itself and anything slower (like the Maruti doing 60) appears to have stopped in time! This was a truely weird experience. Made me wonder how the jet flight pilots doing Mach 1+ speeds would be feeling after landing!
Over all experience and answers to the questions
Q: Why Fireblade over the R1? What happened to my R1 plans?
I guess you would have understood my reasoning of going with the Honda CBR1000RR instead of the Yamaha R1 by now. To cut the explanation short; I wanted a bike which I would not regret buying. I always have a huge case of buyers remorse when I purchase something expensive, but thankfully, I have not had it bad with this purchase. Yet. Fingers crossed. I just had a gut feeling that I would enjoy the Fireblade more than I would the R1. And so far, I am not complaining.
Q: Why red?
I have owned two bikes before this. Both of them black. Both of them Pulsar. I didn't want another black beast. Hence, the red-white-black version available in India. I wanted the HRC but they ran out by the time I made my purchase. But hey, I am more than happy with this.
Q: How much on the road?
Short answer: 16 L
Long answer: Does it really matter? I could afford it so I went for it.
Q: Kitna deti hai?
Short answer: 15 km / L on average (including unbar and touring)
Long answer: It gives the same mileage as my skirt. So I am happy
Q: Why didn't you buy a car for this much price?
I am tired of being told to go through the motions in life and to play the constant game of appreciation and depreciation. I am 28 now. In 2 years I might have a 3rd member in my family. In 22 years I will be 50. I want to live a life which has more check marks filled in rather than just against "How many houses bought?" "Big bank balance" Some people are very satisfied doing just that. I am not one of them. If I was, I would not have started my own forum too
And I will think of a car when the Ferrari is within my reach. Till then my Skirt will serve the purpose.
The Honda Strategy
I think I have the Honda strategy figured out. Many people are surprised that the CBR1000RR is not a V4 (and instead is a parallel) and does not have traction control, drive mode and all that jazzy electronic support.
I really do not think that Honda is simply not bothering to bring the V4 or TC to the Street friendly Fireblade. In stead, it is doing every thing possible to make the Fireblade the single most friendly bike for the roads. But how? you may ask. Well for starters look at the state of the ducati L-Twin bikes.
One consequence of going with a V-twin strategy is that one set of cylinders get placed frightfully close to where a typical street rider places his thighs. And one cannot under estimate the raw amount of BTUs given off by these super tuned cylinders. While going with a V4 would give Honda an edge in power and marketting, it would make the overall ride experience worse because of the amount of heat given off the cylinders. Don't you agree? I am in fact glad that the parallel configuration takes the cylinders a fair distance away from my legs. The heat from the radiator fans is still there, but it goes away the moment you pick up a little speed. But that won't help much when the cylinders are nice and cosy with your legs. Every other Ducati 1199 Panigale review talks about how much heat was felt on the legs because of the inner cylinder. I am glad the Fireblade doesn't share the same inherent problem.
Also, Yamaha R1 went with the cross plane crankshaft, the YCCT, and the TC system. But, I would argue that the C-ABS is immensely more useful to the street rider than even the best implementation of traction control. The TC might help you in preventing wheel spin when trying to accelerate in unfavourable conditions (but the riding and the throttle is still under your control), but the C-ABS will hep you prevent a accident when someone else on the road makes an error and forces you to brake hard (which can inevitably result in locking of your wheels and thus an uncontrolled crash.)
Finito
Alright folks. I will report back in this time to time with major updates from any long trips I take. One word of advise though: Dont let anyone ever tell you what you can do and can't do. You have one life to live. So if your heart yearns for a SBK, by all means, go for it. But please don't reach outside your means. Wait a few years and then go for it. Because otherwise, you will find it very difficult to actually use the SBK... fuel cost is at an all time high and the SBK makes short lunch of it. Don't actually bring the elephant home if you can't feed it well. Also, ride safe. Don't ever compromise on safety. Don't let people talk you into riding fast and taking corners fast if its not your thing. Pose all you want. After all, you bought the bike from your hard earned money... you get to decide how to use it
Hope you had as much fun reading this as I had writing it. Do ask whatever questions you want. I would love to answer them (and help out future and present SBK owners.)
Aloha,
Karan aka KiD0M4N at [E] forums
Hi folks,
I wanted to get some hands on experience on the bike before starting a experience thread... didn't see the point in blabbering without knowing the shit, right?
So here is the blabber. It might still seem to have been written by a 13 year old teenager high on "excitement" but trust me, these 1001 kms on TheBlade have been more than "bewildering."
19 days might seem like a lot to "some" folks for just 1000 kms on a super bike, but trust me, for me, this is faster than speed of light. Before this I have had a Pulsar 200 which I owned for over 3 years and only managed 8000 kms. I have been driving a Zen Estillo (hence forth referred to as the skirt) for the last 2 years and have only managed 4000 km. So for me, this a lot! And the worst/best part is, more than 70% of these have been done inside Bangalore! So I am more than confident in advising anyone when they ask me about the riding around a bustling city like Bangalore on a 180 bhp SBK!
A few questions which people normally ask me when they find out about the bike:
- What happened to your R1 plans?
- Why red?
- How much on the road? (Or rather "What rate?")
- The most often repeated "Kitna deti hai?" / "What mileage?"
- Why didn't you buy a car? You would have gotten a nice car at 16 L?
These have been asked of me so often that now I answer them even without having to exercise my brain!
But a little background is due before we delve into these!
Love at first sight: R1
The first super bike I fell in love with was the Yamaha R1. The twin under tail exhaust appealed to me like nothing I had ever felt before. Some sort of indecribable raw animal magnetism. The fact that "The Doctor" was making raves on the same machine (well technically the M1; but still) made the addiction even worse. I used to just stare at photos of the bike for hours on end; watch YouTube videos of the machine being driven; heck, even accident videos. I had it so bad that I used to obsess about this and get upset when someone (even random strangers) didn't approve of my plans to buy this some day!
I mean, I was obsessing about buying it on [E] more than 4 years ago. Proof is in the pudding crust!
As a few people predicted, 4 years went by and I didn't act on it... some thing or the other happened and I kept forgetting. 2 wonderful crashes I had added to the delay as well (thankfully they were not on a SBK or else they could have been fatal...) If you had asked me 3 months ago about me buying an actual SBK, I would have laughed it off myself. I had all but given up on this dream and accepted the motions of life.
Shit hits the fan
Well, shit got a lot more real on July 21st '12. I was visiting Shilov (my jijaji) and he told me of his plans to soon become the proud owner of a Honda CB1000R. He showed me a few videos, and a few snaps of him groggily grinning over a showroom display CB1000R. Apparently he had gotten drunk along with a friend after work and they had both decided that they had waited enough and wanted to move on buying their dream bikes. Both of them had gone and booked a Honda CB1000R each (1000cc; 125 bhp; naked street awesomeness) and were now awaiting delivery of their beauties (which was scheduled for a few days later.) This news hit me like a propellor blast. Not only it certainly dawned on me that Shilov was buying his dream bike; the fact that I could also afford one came as a real eye opener. I had gone through my first job change after spending 5.7 years at my previous one and that had definitely helped my financials. I still remember waking up at 6 AM the next day (Neeru; my wife; and me stayed back at his place that night) and starting a mad research dash for a SBK. The fact that my 4 year old dream was suddenly within my grips was causing my heart to palpitate. The last time I had felt this was on my wedding night (dirty minds: I actually got married in the night!) The fact that Shilov and his friend had already worked out a lot of the missing gaps (which bank; what are the best interest rates; how long it would take, etc.) helped matters a lot.
I was once again all set to obsess about the R1 and this time, I was actually going to buy it. Thats when I went and started this thread on Xbhp.
The Switch
4 years had passed since the last time I was dead set on a SBK and since it was actually gonna happen this time; I didn't want to make a mistake choosing. I had already started talking to the bank about the financials and had told them that it was my intention to purchase a Yamaha R1. However, there was something in the back of my mind which made me rethink my choice. This time, I wanted the best that "my" money could buy. I had a budget (funny when used in this context) and knew that I had a few choices (all SBK category) to choose from. And I simply wanted the best I could get. A few people objected to this idea (and even claimed that I am not likely to go for a SBK and that I was wasting their time by asking the question) but I guess my age and experience had given me the ability to be logical even in the face of absurdity (which a lot of people associate with the notion of purchasing a SBK.)
I started reading a lot of reviews (Motorcycle-usa helped tonnes in this regard) and had basically a few in my mind (listed in order of preference as on Aug 31st 2012):
- BMW S1000R
- Yamaha R1
- Suzuki Hayabusa (apparently cheaper than the rest of them; except the BMW)
- Suzuki GSX-1000R
- Honda CBR1000RR
- Some Harley
The raw performance numbers and "hat ke" looks of the Beamer had pushed the R1 down one notch... I liked the fact that the electronic package of the BMW S1000R was complete in every conceivable way (drive modes: you got it, TC: done and dusted; ABS: like a pro) but when I started asking around the price of this bike in India, I got a big shock. Apparently BMW sees it fit to charge a cool 26L in India for claiming ownership of this beast. I consoled my heart "all is well; some day" and moved on. I didn't feel too bad that I could not afford this right now. I mean, I didn't really "love" the bike as such... just liked the measurements (read one night stand.)
The 2012 R1 had gotten really really funky. The cross plane "almost like V twin" crankshaft and the electronic package (except for a big ommission; ABS) was really mouthwatering. However, I started rethinking after a few realities hit my mind.
- The R1 was a pig when it came to gas mileage. You would be lucky to get over 10-12 kmpl during city usage from it.
- Althought it has traction control; the lack of ABS irked me. One of the accidents I had was because of my brakes locking up when I suddenly came up against a barrier kept in the middle of the road after a turn) and I knew that ABS can be a life saver in those scenarios.
- The R1 was bulkiest of all the SBK contenders in the market and had the least rbhp (Rear Wheel Bhp) compared to others. I mean, I didn't mind the bulk at all (I am almost 6' and 220 lb!) but the fact that the engine was the least efficient somehow bothered me.
- The main attraction point for me to the R1 had been the twin under tail exhaust. However, they somehow looked a big fat ass to me now (particularly from the top.) Also, when I showed it to my wife for approval, she didn't like the bulky look of the bike at all. And the more I thought about it, the more her argument seemed reasonable.
The Hayabusa and the GSX-1000R were merely present there because they fit in the budget. I was not particulary fond of the bulky "fat boy" looks of the Hayabusa and never cared to research too much on the Suzuki 1000 cc offering.
The surprise entrant was the Fireblade. My jiju (Shilov; for those with forgetful memories) had told me that he would choose the Fireblade over the R1 and that made me give this a serious look (and boy am I glad.)
Grass Is Always Greener under the Other SBK
The same reasoning which made the R1 appear fat and un appealing to me made the 2012 Fireblade look down right sexy. It was love at first sight all over again (version 2012) Not only did the Fireblade fare really well in reviews all over (and acing the Motorcycle-usa reviews for 2012); the fact that it had the much essential C-ABS made it even more appealing.
A few points which I gleaned from all over the Internet after some intense research:
- This was Honda's third (or was it fourth) iteration of integrating C-ABS with the Fireblade and they were getting really good at it.
- Fuel efficieny (for the 1000 CC, ~ 180 bhp at the crank level bike) was at an all time high with the 2012 model.
- The bike was geared a lot more towards being a street friendly bike vs just being a scaled down MotoGP model.
- It was very nimble (even with the added bulk of C-ABS) and had execellent performance (0-100 kmph in 2.5 seconds; 1/4 mile in 10.0 s flat reaching 230 kmph+)
- It was more pillion friendly than the R1. The R1 with the twin undertail exhaust would have been a pain to live with (particularly because my wife would also be riding pillion with me on long rides)
- Gereally developed less heat than the R1 (as it was less tourqey down the RPM range.)
- HMSI (Honda India) would do door step servicing for the bike vs. having to give the bike to the show room with the R1.
Even with all these points in its favour, I still struggled with the whole decision for a few weeks. I kept on flipping back and forth between the two (R1 vs the Fireblade.)
No longer just a boy
The decision to go for the CBR was made because I didn't want to have to enjoy the R1 alone without my wife comfortably riding pillion with me. I wanted to share this experience with her (as she was one of the main reasons of me finally getting my dream job; and thus being able to afford this bike) and it would simply not have been fare on her if I had gone for the R1. Hence, Fireblade it was.
D Day
I had decided upon using HDFC bank for getting the loan for the bike. We managed to agree to a 7% interest rate without too much back and forth (the fact that this would be the third SBK being bought from the same dealer and bank helped; Shilov and his friend had taken delivery of their CB1000R's on 27th July.)
I made the downpayment for the bike (the biggest single cheque I had written out so far in my life) on 13th Aug 2012. It was all butterflies from then on. I was told that the bike would take a cool 15 days to get to me from Manesar (HMSI factory where they stock these bikes) but I "knew" that it was not going to take so long. I set a target of Aug 21st for Honda (totally from a hunch) and politely asked them to make it happen on or before that date. I was almost sure that I would not be able to get any sleep at all till I finally had my hands on the bike. However, I was surprised when I slept like a baby the nights following the downpayment. I guess the realization that "this" is happening helped ease the tension. I knew the bike was coming; I knew that keeping awake would not make the bike reach Bangalore any faster; so sleep I did; like a baby
The following weekend (T-3 days) I decided to stroll up to our local bike shop and purchase some much essential gear for the bike. I had been sternly warned by a lot of people about the dangers of going straight from 200 cc to 1000 cc (and boy were they accurate) and thus I didn't want to take any chances. I got myself a nice looking (and matching) A* textile jacket as well as some A* gloves. They didn't have helmets to match my larger than average cranium so I settled to just having my "MPA" Rs 1000 helmet for the time being.
The Final Countdown
The butterflies finally caught up with me on 20th. I had heard news from my dealer (Aejaz from Silicon Honda) that the truck carrying the bike had entered Karnataka and should reach the showroom soon. To be honest, I was caught unprepared. I wanted the day to be perfect and only about the bike. I was already in office and a part of me wished that it didn't happen today. I was not mentally prepared. I didn't have my driving jacket with me. And my request was granted (in a weird way.) The truck didn't make it to the showroom till about 5 PM on 20th (already too late to do a proper PDI, etc.) and thus we decided to simply do the whole process the next day early morning.
I somehow forced myself to sleep and set 5 different alarms so that I could get to the showroom on time and not delay this one further minute. And I was succesful. I managed to find a good auto wallah who transported me from my Koramangala aparment to the Silicon Honda showroom (8.5 kms away) in a cool 30 minutes and helped me beat the set time by 5 minutes (I tipped him of course.)
Its hard for me to describe the feeling of seeing my blade sitting in the cage when we (me and Aejaz) finally descended to the basement of the showroom where the bike had been unloaded and kept.
I was literally out of words and just grinned like a school boy having just laid eyes on a hot teacher!
It was here. It was happening. And unless I found something terribly wrong with the bike, I would be driving out with it in just a few hours
We went through the motions (I have uploaded a bunch of those photos to my Facebook album as well) of getting the bike ready for delivery (the most exciting being when the bike was finally started and it roared into life.)
The First Ride
The first ride was a trip to a closeby (2 km) Shell petrol pump to fill up on gas. I had literally no idea of what to expect when I twist the throttle. The most power I had experienced before was on my Pulsar 200 (bought in 2007; 20 PS goodness!) This was almost a 10x upgrade for me in terms of raw power. I was very apprehensive. I didn't want to spill the bike and ruin the whole experience. I had seen far too many bike accidents videos to not have a worry in my head. As expected, I stalled the bike the first time I tried to give it some gas on 1st gear (luckily; both my feat plant firmly on the ground when I am on the bike.) The clutch has a very narrow sweet spot in which it starts engaging. This was very different from what I vaguely remembered from my Pulsar 200 days (which I had last ridden more than 2 years ago.) So, on my second attempt, I gave it a little more gas (3k RPM, if I remember accurately) and the bike start rolling effortlessly. The bike felt quite big (expected since it weighs 200kg+) when I was trying to move it around on neutral but the moment I gave it some gas, the weight just disappeared.
The feeling of the bike zooming ahead effortlessly was nothing like I had felt before. Although I didn't manage to go past 3rd gear on the whole ride (partly traffic; partly fear of life), I knew I was in for a lot of fun once I knew how to handle this power effectively. I knew this could prematurely end my life in an instant if I didn't respect the raw power and what it was capable of (or worse; maim me.)
The Romance that ensued
I was not lying about 70% of the 1000 kms being done inside Bangalore city. I have been using the bike to go everywhere. Daily commute to office: Check. Morning ride to Gym: Check. Sambji mandi: Check. Bathroom: Check (ok just kidding; but sometimes I earn to hear my bike when inside the bathroom.)
The moment the bike went fully legal (with the TR registration in place), I started riding it around. At first very gingerely though. I was afraid of doing power wheelies every time I even "thought" of twisting the throttle. Surprisingly, I have not done a single wheelie (accidental or otherwise) yet. I guess my 100 kgs help in keeping the front securely planted on the ground, but afraid I truly was. I got my first experience of SBK burn on the second day itself when making my way back from the dealership with the temporary registration documents. I got stuck in some ugly traffic and the bike temp soared. At one point, it felt like my legs were getting nice and roasty from the heat what the radiator fans were putting out, but a single twist of the throttle again made it totally worth it.
Yep, it can get hot. Really hot. These bikes were never made for city bumper to bumper riding. Particulary in our climates. And I am talking about Bangalore here. I cannot even imagine how it would feel when stuck in Delhi traffic during summer. Also, the fact that I was suited up for all the 1000 kms didn't make it any easier. But hey, the mini sauna which gets created inside my jacket when I get stuck in traffic has definitely helped increase my metabolism.
And everytime I had less than a pleasant time in traffic on the bike, I would compensate by going for a quick trip on the bike past 11 PM. With the roads cleared up, the ability of the bike to effortless pick up speed, brake, turn really shine. And boy, the attention it gets!
Ten Hut!
The color scheme and the fact that a lot of people are now aware of the Honda "CBR" brand brings a lot of attention (undue and otherwise) to the bike (and the rider.)
Every traffic stop. Every bike (either behind you; or coming from opposite direction.) Every car owner (even if they just stop you on their RVM.) Every auto driver. A Big Fat Check.
Their graze first and foremost settles on the big fat 190 tyre on the rear wheel. If Indians know anything about super bikes, it definitely has something to do with the tyres. Then their graze lovingly moves onto the red (with black and white stripes) tank. Then you can almost feel their retina dilate and then they proceed to have a orgasmic look on their faces.
A lot of the youngsters feel it necessary to show me the thumbs up of approval (which I always acknowledge and appreciate.) A few uncles come up to me and ask the 3 golden questions. Because some of them know that the CBR250 sells for aroud 1.6 lakhs, they get confused when I say 16 to theird second question.
"1.6?"
"No 16"
Disgruntled Muttering: "WTFFFF?"
A few traffic cops have even wished me "Best of luck" and "Good luck" when they find out the details of the bike. So far, they have never stopped me for papers and such... they just do the mandatory alcohol check (which I am totally off) and then wave me off. I guess there are some advantages to owning a SBK eh?
Me and my bike break 150
I was longing to try my bike on the legendary NICE road of Bangalore. The last time I had driven on it was back in 2008 on my Pulsar 200 (I had reached a top speed of 130 kmph back then.) I think I made it to the NICE road on the 5th day of owning the bike (I was at 320 kms after that trip.) I had already done more than a few ups and downs on the Electronic City Elevated Highway and knew how the bike behaved at speeds above 100 kph and near 5000 rpm.
But I had another thing coming.
The long stretches of barricaded NICE road provided a completely different arena. I stretched my legs a little more and easily broke and maintained 150 kmph on the bike. The stability and control at this level was astounding. My size and strength helped me control the bike very easily and counter streering just came naturally. There were a few curvey stretches during which I finally got to experience the legendary grip of these SBKs (and to finally explore anything but the center 3 cm of the tyres :P) Needless to say, this was the most fun I ever had riding a bike. It came 4 years after I initially dreamed of it, but hey, I am not complaining.
The Sound
Honda was really smart when implementing the intake and exhaust system on the bike. Rev the bike to whatever RPM when stand still and it sounds very sedate. Almost meek. The R1 owners confused it as less powerful because of that. The trick is the flapper inside the big port on the exhaust. If you examine it carefully, you will see that it stays closed when the bike is at stand still. I did some checks and have found out that the flap opens up automatically when the bike is past 4K RPM as well as doing atleast 80 kmph. Thats when the sound signature of the bike changes in a BIG BIG way. The meek sound turns into a mighty grunt. The whispering engine suddenly starts roaring. Although you will only hear the engine power away when riding the bike, its a whole different experience for the people who get to see the bike zoom past.
This behavior was apparently implemented by Honda to meet the stringent regulations as well as to accomodate the dual set of injectors fitted on the Fireblade (which come to life past the 4.5-5.5k RPM range.) If you thought you knew big acceleration, wait till you get a Fireblade (any super bike for that matter) into the mid RPM range. You will need to actively stop yourself from being thrown off the bike. I am a fairly large fellow and it is difficult for me to hold on if accelerating hard. Think of the small ones
The intake flapper also stays closed till you get to the mid range RPMS. If you really like new "on-the-move" the sound signature, you can do two simple 5 minutes each intake and exhaust flapper mods (heck there are youtube videos for both of them) and you will enjoy the awesome sound from 0 RPM onwards. And since they are easily reversible, you don't risk your warranty.
The Pain
Surprised by the title? Read on then...
The trip back on NICE road (and to humanity) was not as pleasant as I hoped. What started off as a slight numbness developed into a raging pain towards the end (actually the start; since I was on the return side) of NICE road. I simply could not go on riding any further. My left lower back was screaming to be straightened and massaged. I knew the riding position on the bike was sporty and demanded a lot from riders; but my weight didn't help the situation at all. My upper body weight was simply puting too much load on my hands and my back. No two ways about it.
I parked the bike on the side and stretched out. The pain subsided surprisingly fast and also made me aware of a couple of things.
- If I wanted to enjoy riding the bike without developing severe complications, I would have to get back into shape double fast.
- All those muscles which had long vegitated as a result of my sedate and "run of the mill" software professional life suddently were waking up and taking notice.
Take it from me folks. Riding a proper SBK is no easy affair. And if you are not in good shape, simply forget about it. Atleast I am taking this as a wake up call. I went ahead and enrolled in "Fitness First" after not doing so for so many years. Better late than never eh? I am sure I would not have bothered doing this if I had instead gone for a Harley (no offense to owners) :P
The First Long Ride
Time came for the first long ride. Me and my fellow CB1000R owners had decided to do a longish trip on Saturday morning. I had told them of the fun I had on Electronic City elevated highway and on NICE road and they wanted to experience it too.
We started off quite early. This photo was right after we had made it across the elevated highway and it was 5:55 AM approx. We had filled our bikes to the brim with Speed goodness and the N2 in our tyres was at optimum preesure (36/42.) We knew we had quite a ride ahead of us, and unless we played it cool and calm; it would turn ugly real fast. I still had my Rs 1000 "MPA" helmet but I hadn't had the opportunity to really go and get a good one yet. We started off on the ride in a calm and controlled way. At the NICE road toll booth, we bough the tickets for Tumkur and started off. At first it was very controlled for me. Unlike the previous exp on NICE road, we had a lot of trucks keeping us company along the stretch. But that didn't stop the other two riders. Since they have had the bike for much longer (relatively speaking) and had done two long rides on them each, they zoomed off right away. I had to keep up with them so I grudignly accelerated up. I knew the layout of the road a little bit (other than the sporadic blockage caused by two fully loaded trucks trying to over take each other, thus blocking the way for everyone else) so I was doing a steady 120-130 kmph soon. The max I did on that stretch was 170 kmph I think. It was on a long stretch where they were no trucks (quite lucky) and I could see the road perfectly as it was sloping down then up. My fellow riders both broke 200 kmph easily.
After a little while it started drizzling and we all slowed down to sane speeds so that we don't take undue risk. We rode all the way to Kamat's (some 100 km from where I had started off) and had some break fast. We got the opportunity to scream our lungs off at a poor teenager who came and promptly hopped onto Shilov's CB1000R for a trial sit? The return trip was much more sedate and relaxed (avg speeds of 120 kmph.)
CBR1000RR + CB1000R ! Fight! - YouTube
Some notes:
- The Fireblade gave an average of 16.1 km / L during the 200 km long trip. This is quite nice considering the way the bike was ridden during parts of the trip. The CB1000R gave 20+ :P
- My hands (particularly the right one) went numb a few times during long stretches. A quick break immediately fixed the situation. I attribute this to my upper body weight than anything else.
- Kamat's food is highly recommended during bike rides. The coffee is really nice as well :P
- We found quite a few petrol pumps which either only stocked diesel or didn't have Speed. Luckily the station which had speed had a Kamat's attached to it as well. Double win I say
- The route is surprisingly devoid of surprise speed bumps. The ones which are present are very well placed and well demarkated.
Speed of Light
There is this one weird thing which I wanted to share with you guys though. Once you do these sort of speeds, everything else appears very very slow. This other day I touched close to 200 kmph on the elevated highway (2 AM in the night) for a few seconds. When I slowed down, I saw a Maruti 800 stopped dead on the elevated highway (which was very odd.) When I finally reached the prescribed speed limit (80) and came along side the Maruti, I realized it was actually travelling at something like 60 kmph. Once you do such high speeds, your brain reconfigures itself and anything slower (like the Maruti doing 60) appears to have stopped in time! This was a truely weird experience. Made me wonder how the jet flight pilots doing Mach 1+ speeds would be feeling after landing!
Over all experience and answers to the questions
Q: Why Fireblade over the R1? What happened to my R1 plans?
I guess you would have understood my reasoning of going with the Honda CBR1000RR instead of the Yamaha R1 by now. To cut the explanation short; I wanted a bike which I would not regret buying. I always have a huge case of buyers remorse when I purchase something expensive, but thankfully, I have not had it bad with this purchase. Yet. Fingers crossed. I just had a gut feeling that I would enjoy the Fireblade more than I would the R1. And so far, I am not complaining.
Q: Why red?
I have owned two bikes before this. Both of them black. Both of them Pulsar. I didn't want another black beast. Hence, the red-white-black version available in India. I wanted the HRC but they ran out by the time I made my purchase. But hey, I am more than happy with this.
Q: How much on the road?
Short answer: 16 L
Long answer: Does it really matter? I could afford it so I went for it.
Q: Kitna deti hai?
Short answer: 15 km / L on average (including unbar and touring)
Long answer: It gives the same mileage as my skirt. So I am happy
Q: Why didn't you buy a car for this much price?
I am tired of being told to go through the motions in life and to play the constant game of appreciation and depreciation. I am 28 now. In 2 years I might have a 3rd member in my family. In 22 years I will be 50. I want to live a life which has more check marks filled in rather than just against "How many houses bought?" "Big bank balance" Some people are very satisfied doing just that. I am not one of them. If I was, I would not have started my own forum too
And I will think of a car when the Ferrari is within my reach. Till then my Skirt will serve the purpose.
The Honda Strategy
I think I have the Honda strategy figured out. Many people are surprised that the CBR1000RR is not a V4 (and instead is a parallel) and does not have traction control, drive mode and all that jazzy electronic support.
I really do not think that Honda is simply not bothering to bring the V4 or TC to the Street friendly Fireblade. In stead, it is doing every thing possible to make the Fireblade the single most friendly bike for the roads. But how? you may ask. Well for starters look at the state of the ducati L-Twin bikes.
One consequence of going with a V-twin strategy is that one set of cylinders get placed frightfully close to where a typical street rider places his thighs. And one cannot under estimate the raw amount of BTUs given off by these super tuned cylinders. While going with a V4 would give Honda an edge in power and marketting, it would make the overall ride experience worse because of the amount of heat given off the cylinders. Don't you agree? I am in fact glad that the parallel configuration takes the cylinders a fair distance away from my legs. The heat from the radiator fans is still there, but it goes away the moment you pick up a little speed. But that won't help much when the cylinders are nice and cosy with your legs. Every other Ducati 1199 Panigale review talks about how much heat was felt on the legs because of the inner cylinder. I am glad the Fireblade doesn't share the same inherent problem.
Also, Yamaha R1 went with the cross plane crankshaft, the YCCT, and the TC system. But, I would argue that the C-ABS is immensely more useful to the street rider than even the best implementation of traction control. The TC might help you in preventing wheel spin when trying to accelerate in unfavourable conditions (but the riding and the throttle is still under your control), but the C-ABS will hep you prevent a accident when someone else on the road makes an error and forces you to brake hard (which can inevitably result in locking of your wheels and thus an uncontrolled crash.)
Finito
Alright folks. I will report back in this time to time with major updates from any long trips I take. One word of advise though: Dont let anyone ever tell you what you can do and can't do. You have one life to live. So if your heart yearns for a SBK, by all means, go for it. But please don't reach outside your means. Wait a few years and then go for it. Because otherwise, you will find it very difficult to actually use the SBK... fuel cost is at an all time high and the SBK makes short lunch of it. Don't actually bring the elephant home if you can't feed it well. Also, ride safe. Don't ever compromise on safety. Don't let people talk you into riding fast and taking corners fast if its not your thing. Pose all you want. After all, you bought the bike from your hard earned money... you get to decide how to use it
Hope you had as much fun reading this as I had writing it. Do ask whatever questions you want. I would love to answer them (and help out future and present SBK owners.)
Aloha,
Karan aka KiD0M4N at [E] forums
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