Looking at buying a 2000 model going for USD 2,500. 25K kms. Not sure how much longer I can ride this given it’s a 24 year old bike but it seems to be built to last so let’s see.
Arguably one of the best bikes ever made (performance, build quality, reliability). I did 40k miles in two years on one of these, including lots of European m/way and autobahn riding. Super aero so just gets better the faster you go. Bad points? Hungry for tyres/brakes/chains if you use the performance. The standard seat is bloody awful, too flat, and uncomfortable. Camchain tensioners wear out but cost only £60 and can be changed in about half an hour, very easy. Fuel injection models have an issue with the OBD port which leads to strange electrical issues, very easy to fix. Steel oil lines to the oil cooler can rot through and leak on high mileage bikes so worth checking. Overall a great bike, still loads on the road and cheap enough to buy. One of my favourite ever bikes (and I've owned literally dozens of bikes over nearly 40 years of riding).
@@thebigbadbikeshow Best I ever had (commuting 90 miles per day) was 48 mpg (measured brim to brim) but that was pretty boring riding (steady 55-60 mph). In normal use it was consistently around the 40 mpg mark though (1998 carb model) so maybe yours could do with a bit of a tune up if you're down in the 30s (FI is sensitive to exhaust lambda sensor, if that has any issues it might be running richer than it needs to). Mind you, most bigger bikes are crap on fuel really, I currently have a 2006 Transalp 650 that only does around 45 mpg and a 2006 ER6F that struggles to do much better than 55 mpg (even ridden sensibly), pretty poor really, my wife's Suzuki car can easily do 50 mpg. To be fair though, if we really cared about mpg we'd all be riding Honda NC700s, (yawn).
@@thebigbadbikeshow I had a carburettor Blackbird and short trips around town it was thirsty. Around town I got less than 30mpg but on the motorway I averaged 45mpg. I reckon I could have got 50mpg if I rode a bit less briskly.
Agree about the fuel economy (03 model) being rather disappointing, as well as running hot at low speeds, my busa is better, but still prefer blackie in general.
No argument from me ,it’s definitely one of the best machines ever made , like you I’ve ridden thousands of miles on 2 blackbirds I’ve owned. Would love to find a low mileage one now.
At the time I was a big Honda fan , I had a hornet 600 a 954 blade and a blackbird all new at the time , all awesome bikes , but I used the blackbird the most clocking up 30,000 miles very quickly and can remember doing 900 miles in a day at beyond stupid speeds , it could do everything and was pure quality , I’m actually looking for another as I hold it in such high regard , 🏍🏍👍👍
I promised myself that my riding days were over years ago. I'm thinking about breaking that promise and buying one of these. What a great bike. Honda motorcycles have a way of teasing my addiction for speed, ergonomics, reliability, great looks and comfort. I don't give a hoot about fuel consumption.
I had one new back in 97. Now I’m revisiting one this afternoon. Always loved this bike and want to get another one. Hopefully I won’t be disappointed:)
@@Big1_ What bike is putting out 130bhp and weighs 170kg? You can certainly get 600s around that weight category with power at the bottom end of your scale but nothing near the top. And I wonder how they would beat a Blackbird on "everything"? Power - no. Acceleration - no. Roll on power - no. Torque - no. Comfort - no. Build quality - no. Handling - probably, yes. Just curious what bike you had in mind, at comparable prices to the Blackbird?
@@davebridge5775 Suzuki GSX 1000R K5 makes 182hp and 164kg..... And not than far, my Honda Hornet does 105hp and 172kg... I´m an ex CBR 1100xx owner i can tell you easly that the Hornet is better in everything except "final speed" Because 0-100 kmh is only 2,5 seconds, better than the 1100XX... More agile, turning ratio, weight, faster in the corners, better fuel conseumption,Confort, NAKED POSTURE. brakes, handling, daily use, EVERYTHING except the final speed (who cares when your country is limited to 120-130 km/h, and the Blackbird emptys the fuel in a few minutes if you go at 170-190kmh.)
@@Big1_ If you think a 900 Hornet hits 60mph in 2.5 seconds you need to get a new stopwatch :) 0-60 official time for the Hornet is 3.3 seconds, Blackbird is 2.8. Official quarter mile time for the Hornet is 11.1 seconds, Blackbird is 10.3. Torque on the Hornet is 63lbs, Blackbird is 88lbs. There is 1mpg difference in fuel economy and the Blackbird has 25% more tank range. Its obviously personal opinion and I would agree that on a short, twisty road the Hornet would be more fun but as a motorcycle to own and ride there is simply no comparison.
@@davebridge5775 The Hornet 900 only has 4-6hp more than the 600 and accelerates slower then the 600 because it weights +30kg... I mean i have the 600!!! The Hornet 600 does the 0-100km/h in 2,5 seconds, put in youtbe " 0-100KM/H 0-60MPH HONDA CB 600F HORNET 1999 PC34 ACCELERATION" and you will see in the video Chrono the 2,5 seconds... And if you want more acceleration than 2,5 seconds, you can change the rear sprocket and get more torque and acceleration.. Believe me, the Hornet 600 is better than the CBR 1100xx in everything except in final speed, which is useless in Europe where countries are regulated by max speed 120-130km/h. Best thing i did in my life was to sell the CBR 1100xx, returning in my house with withshoulder, arm and wrist pain... With the Hornet 600 i can do 300km like NEW !!!!
Great bikes. I have one also. There is a reason the hypertour records in the US were ( and maybe still are) held by a rider on a cbr1100xx. As smooth as a zero electric.
Had a 2001 for 12 years and 95,000km here in Canada. What a well manered and so smouth bike. But, I wanted to do long trips and be able to go off the asphalt. I switched for a 2015 Super Ténéré ES. Nothing but good memories.
I had the carb'ed version for years. I liked it a lot. It was the darker red one-Magenta? and had the same instrument cluster as yours. The double bubble screen was a big improvement and the bike was very well built and reliable. A bit heavy on juice, chains, sprockets and tyres but that is to be expected. To me it was a legend of a bike and I loved riding it. I currently have a CB1000 but I always remember the Blackbird. May get another one? Great video. Thanks.
Correct me if I'm wrong, but the hyper bike wars were between Blackbird, Hayabusa & zx12r which is why they had the gentleman's agreement to limit all bikes to 186mph and the earlier versions were unrestricted. I own a zx12r a1h one of the unrestricted versions and absolutely love the bike good old school brute power
No, the bike that started it was the ZZR1100 D. The Blackbird was only marginally faster on top end but the ZZR1100 was faster at roll on power in 6th gear. It was the 11 which was the foundation of the hyper bike.
Pretty sure it was a zx14. The bird with US gearing did 178 mph edging out the zx by about 4 mph. The busa beat it the next year and was named for a falcon that eats blackbirds. Not a coincidence.
@@robcampbell3235 have a watch of Fast Bikes Mach 3 from back in the day when the Blackbird, Hayabusa & ZX12R we're new and they were comparing all three for fastest hyper bike, it's a good watch 👍🏼
Had one on an 02 plate for a long daily commute and put on about seventy thousand miles in two years. If putting in the miles or touring, the handlebar riser kit is a must as is the taller screen. Eventually swapped it for a Deuville. worst mistake I ever made.
Ah, old school analogue instruments. In a word..lovely! Nowt wrong with TFTs or other digitals but, for me, nothing beats seeing that needle as it surges round, chasing that redline 😊. Never owned an 'XX but ridden a few and always had great respect for them. Lovely bike from Honda. You have a fine example. Amazing road, by the way. Anybody know where it is? Lovely, long, fast sweepers. Same for location of walk-around. Where is that? I couldn't fully make out the plaque on the turret.
The roads are along the whiskey trail in the highlands of Scotland, they are fantastic to ride! The bridge I did the walk around was a great quiet place for it, called Craigellachie Bridge definitely worth a visit. I agree I do love the old style instruments, I love nostalgia and I get it on every ride ☺️.
@@thebigbadbikeshow Many thanks for your response. Much appreciated. Yes, a lovely looking part of the world and the type of roads that my ZX-7R and VTR adore. Ride safe.
Where did you get your tank protector? The rear shock probably not optimal now being 20yrs old and the fork oil is easy to change and an upgrade to LED headlights.
One of my favourite, all round motorbikes.. Made me smile watching this.. In my opinion. It was always better looking than the Busa. That is a gorgeous bike you have there.. 😀 👍
The XX was not limited to a top speed, 170 Mph is all it could achieve. I have owned my injected 2002 model since new and it's a great bike. I also have a gen 1 Hayabusa. Which is better? The Honda generally.
Glad you enjoyed it! So the quad lock I used was the stem mount and it wasn’t easy to fit! I actually got so much of it into the stem hole and then tapped the metal clips in with a screwdriver and hammer. Then I tightened it up as much as I could 😂 I hope this helps.
I have seen a few posts were the cam chain is worn out only lasting 30000 is this the normal i have seen plenty of high mileage birds is this correct any help will be greatly appreciated
The cam chain doesn’t tend to wear out, but the cam chain tensioner does. This means that the cam chain can become slack and eventually come off if not changed. You can fit either a manual or automatic cam chain tensioner. I went for the upgraded automatic cam chain tensioner as I didn’t want to keep having to adjust a manual one. Hope this helps! 👍
I've been looking at these... but I have a concern about the heaviness of the clutch pull. Could you please comment on that? How relatively heavy is it? My FJR1300 is getting a bit much with age. Thank you.
I think it varies from bike to bike, but tbh I don’t feel like the clutch pull on mine is to heavy or to lite. For me it is just right but I would suggest finding a dealer that has one which you can test ride so you can judge for yourself. Hope this helps 👍
@@thebigbadbikeshow The nearest Blackbird I can get a hand on is a private sale 180 miles away. Haven't seen one at a dealer in a long time. For aging, arthritic hands, no such thing as too light. Hands are getting to be a limiting factor with age.
@@thebigbadbikeshow I have. My wife once had an NC700XD. There were things to like about it, but it was God-awful slow. I mean, her (later) Ninja 400 would run away from it. The day will come I will be looking at the DCT (not the NT1100 version, unavailable over here), but I aim to stall it off as long as possible.
I’m near 70 with small hands and although a bit lighter would be nice, I don’t have any problem with it. There are many aftermarket levers of various design available which some say helps a lot for both clutch and brake.
Thank you for watching the review we are glad you found it informative, if your an experienced rider I would highly recommend getting a Honda blackbird they are fantastic bikes. The bandit 1200 are also a great commuter bike and they have been around just as long as the blackbird, so plenty of spare parts and a good following for them. But if you are after more straight line speed I would definitely choose the blackbird over the bandit. Another bike I would suggest if you are after a sports tourer for roughly the same money would be the Honda VFR 800 they are also really good bikes and in a similar price range of the blackbird and the bandit.
Those are quite different models to be choosing between (but then I once had to pick between a Fatboy and a 890 Adventure, so what do I know?). The thing they will both do well is mid to long range touring on a budget (I'm assuming you are looking at the half-faired Bandit S). Bear in mind, the Bandit was always built to a budget, so general finish, suspension, etc will likely be an issue unless you find a truly loved version. A Blackbird could have had a rough life (at the same price point as a Bandit), but tend to be well looked after by owners and came with higher quality to begin with.
They are both awesome. The older bandits with sacs ( oil air cooling) are awesome. Bandits are not quite as fast a bit easier to work on and nowhere near as smooth. In the US i know of a bird with over 300k miles. That is epic reliability.
ive got a 97 model ; had it for 7 yrs ' only thing its had is a battery ' most impressive bike ' im getting on a bit now and the bird is a heavy bike but i cant bring myself to part with it ; ill just have to pump some iron ' LOL
Don’t know anything about the bandit but if getting a bird, make certain it has decent tires and check it has had the rear shock serviced or replaced recently and setup to your weight and forks serviced.
Im really surprised at people's comfort metrics. I have ridden the Honda VFR800 which is more comfortable than this and I found it really uncomfortable - it gave me wrist pain I had to use various trickery such as gripping the fuel tank with my legs to ease off weight off my hands... Shame really cause I like the bike otherwise
The Blackbird and VFR are both sports tourers, so I would say they are both just has good as each other and have pros and cons. The Blackbird I would say is a lot more comfortable to ride, it has a lot more power than the VFR. Also the Blackbird is very iconic with its history being the first of the hyper bikes. The VFR has a great range on a full tank of fuel. It has less power than the Blackbird but very economical and comfortable compared to the blackbird. If you are undecided I would say find a Blackbird and a VFR to test ride and see for yourself. But I would say they are both in the same price range and you get that Honda reliability.
@@thebigbadbikeshow Technically the zzr1100 was the first of the hyper's 😜 and was the bike to beat, I've owned a zzr1100 and currently own a 2000 5th gen vfr800fi and can attest that the VFR800 is a brilliant bike if a little slow and less grunty being a slightly smaller engine and down about 40-60hp on the big boys. I've test ridden a blackbird and I was very impressed and will be picking one up either this year or next to go in the garage with the VFR. Loved the review.
Actually, the bike can handle pretty nice on the B roads if it has good tires a setup suspension and the rider has enough skill to handle it’s size and weight
@@colinnicols5387 The best you can say about Blackbirds is, imo, the price. A strong one can be had for £3k - which is amazing for what was a top of the range bike. If a small fraction of riding is on B-roads, they'll be fine. But if half of all miles are on unclassified lanes, I'd be after something with longer travel suspension.
Love my 99 blackbird,she is one of my bikes I will keep forever!she ticks so many boxes 👌good video 💯😎🏍️
Thank you! Glad you enjoying the video. Even though I no longer have my blackbird I am so glad I owned one.
I'm picking up my third blackbird next week. I just can't get enough of them. The best road bikes ever made.
The sound is absolutely amazing. I lost my old man who introduced me to bikes. But I'll never forget the sound of a blackbird 😔
Thanks for this video. I'm considering getting one of these myself so been watching loads of videos and it's nice to hear your opinions
just bought one.
Looking at buying a 2000 model going for USD 2,500. 25K kms. Not sure how much longer I can ride this given it’s a 24 year old bike but it seems to be built to last so let’s see.
Arguably one of the best bikes ever made (performance, build quality, reliability). I did 40k miles in two years on one of these, including lots of European m/way and autobahn riding. Super aero so just gets better the faster you go. Bad points? Hungry for tyres/brakes/chains if you use the performance. The standard seat is bloody awful, too flat, and uncomfortable. Camchain tensioners wear out but cost only £60 and can be changed in about half an hour, very easy. Fuel injection models have an issue with the OBD port which leads to strange electrical issues, very easy to fix. Steel oil lines to the oil cooler can rot through and leak on high mileage bikes so worth checking. Overall a great bike, still loads on the road and cheap enough to buy. One of my favourite ever bikes (and I've owned literally dozens of bikes over nearly 40 years of riding).
I agree with you, it is a fantastic bike. One thing I wish was better is the fuel economy 😂
@@thebigbadbikeshow Best I ever had (commuting 90 miles per day) was 48 mpg (measured brim to brim) but that was pretty boring riding (steady 55-60 mph). In normal use it was consistently around the 40 mpg mark though (1998 carb model) so maybe yours could do with a bit of a tune up if you're down in the 30s (FI is sensitive to exhaust lambda sensor, if that has any issues it might be running richer than it needs to).
Mind you, most bigger bikes are crap on fuel really, I currently have a 2006 Transalp 650 that only does around 45 mpg and a 2006 ER6F that struggles to do much better than 55 mpg (even ridden sensibly), pretty poor really, my wife's Suzuki car can easily do 50 mpg. To be fair though, if we really cared about mpg we'd all be riding Honda NC700s, (yawn).
@@thebigbadbikeshow I had a carburettor Blackbird and short trips around town it was thirsty. Around town I got less than 30mpg but on the motorway I averaged 45mpg. I reckon I could have got 50mpg if I rode a bit less briskly.
Agree about the fuel economy (03 model) being rather disappointing, as well as running hot at low speeds, my busa is better, but still prefer blackie in general.
No argument from me ,it’s definitely one of the best machines ever made , like you I’ve ridden thousands of miles on 2 blackbirds I’ve owned. Would love to find a low mileage one now.
At the time I was a big Honda fan , I had a hornet 600 a 954 blade and a blackbird all new at the time , all awesome bikes , but I used the blackbird the most clocking up 30,000 miles very quickly and can remember doing 900 miles in a day at beyond stupid speeds , it could do everything and was pure quality , I’m actually looking for another as I hold it in such high regard , 🏍🏍👍👍
I promised myself that my riding days were over years ago. I'm thinking about breaking that promise and buying one of these. What a great bike. Honda motorcycles have a way of teasing my addiction for speed, ergonomics, reliability, great looks and comfort. I don't give a hoot about fuel consumption.
I had one new back in 97. Now I’m revisiting one this afternoon. Always loved this bike and want to get another one. Hopefully I won’t be disappointed:)
You will be, don´t do it. Better to get something beetwen 100-130hp and 170kg, it will beat the XX on everything, believe me.
@@Big1_ What bike is putting out 130bhp and weighs 170kg? You can certainly get 600s around that weight category with power at the bottom end of your scale but nothing near the top. And I wonder how they would beat a Blackbird on "everything"? Power - no. Acceleration - no. Roll on power - no. Torque - no. Comfort - no. Build quality - no. Handling - probably, yes. Just curious what bike you had in mind, at comparable prices to the Blackbird?
@@davebridge5775 Suzuki GSX 1000R K5 makes 182hp and 164kg..... And not than far, my Honda Hornet does 105hp and 172kg... I´m an ex CBR 1100xx owner i can tell you easly that the Hornet is better in everything except "final speed" Because 0-100 kmh is only 2,5 seconds, better than the 1100XX... More agile, turning ratio, weight, faster in the corners, better fuel conseumption,Confort, NAKED POSTURE. brakes, handling, daily use, EVERYTHING except the final speed (who cares when your country is limited to 120-130 km/h, and the Blackbird emptys the fuel in a few minutes if you go at 170-190kmh.)
@@Big1_ If you think a 900 Hornet hits 60mph in 2.5 seconds you need to get a new stopwatch :) 0-60 official time for the Hornet is 3.3 seconds, Blackbird is 2.8. Official quarter mile time for the Hornet is 11.1 seconds, Blackbird is 10.3. Torque on the Hornet is 63lbs, Blackbird is 88lbs. There is 1mpg difference in fuel economy and the Blackbird has 25% more tank range. Its obviously personal opinion and I would agree that on a short, twisty road the Hornet would be more fun but as a motorcycle to own and ride there is simply no comparison.
@@davebridge5775 The Hornet 900 only has 4-6hp more than the 600 and accelerates slower then the 600 because it weights +30kg... I mean i have the 600!!! The Hornet 600 does the 0-100km/h in 2,5 seconds, put in youtbe " 0-100KM/H 0-60MPH HONDA CB 600F HORNET 1999 PC34 ACCELERATION" and you will see in the video Chrono the 2,5 seconds... And if you want more acceleration than 2,5 seconds, you can change the rear sprocket and get more torque and acceleration.. Believe me, the Hornet 600 is better than the CBR 1100xx in everything except in final speed, which is useless in Europe where countries are regulated by max speed 120-130km/h. Best thing i did in my life was to sell the CBR 1100xx, returning in my house with withshoulder, arm and wrist pain... With the Hornet 600 i can do 300km like NEW !!!!
i have the exact model and color, from 2000 :) awesome bike!!! im very happy every time i ride it
That’s great! If you want you can upload a picture of it to the Big Bad BS Facebook group. Yes I am the same it never fails to put a smile on my face.
@@thebigbadbikeshow ive posted on FB :)
Great bikes. I have one also. There is a reason the hypertour records in the US were ( and maybe still are) held by a rider on a cbr1100xx. As smooth as a zero electric.
So do I! Only difference is I have clear indicators and different screen, I love it.
Had a 2001 for 12 years and 95,000km here in Canada. What a well manered and so smouth bike. But, I wanted to do long trips and be able to go off the asphalt. I switched for a 2015 Super Ténéré ES. Nothing but good memories.
I recognise those roads, I used to live in Aberlour. Great roads, great bike.Thanks.
I had the carb'ed version for years. I liked it a lot. It was the darker red one-Magenta? and had the same instrument cluster as yours. The double bubble screen was a big improvement and the bike was very well built and reliable. A bit heavy on juice, chains, sprockets and tyres but that is to be expected. To me it was a legend of a bike and I loved riding it. I currently have a CB1000 but I always remember the Blackbird. May get another one? Great video. Thanks.
I've just got one, same colour! Love it. Needs a few things sorting, CCT being one. And clutch slave another.
Correct me if I'm wrong, but the hyper bike wars were between Blackbird, Hayabusa & zx12r which is why they had the gentleman's agreement to limit all bikes to 186mph and the earlier versions were unrestricted. I own a zx12r a1h one of the unrestricted versions and absolutely love the bike good old school brute power
No, the bike that started it was the ZZR1100 D. The Blackbird was only marginally faster on top end but the ZZR1100 was faster at roll on power in 6th gear. It was the 11 which was the foundation of the hyper bike.
Pretty sure it was a zx14. The bird with US gearing did 178 mph edging out the zx by about 4 mph. The busa beat it the next year and was named for a falcon that eats blackbirds. Not a coincidence.
@@robcampbell3235 have a watch of Fast Bikes Mach 3 from back in the day when the Blackbird, Hayabusa & ZX12R we're new and they were comparing all three for fastest hyper bike, it's a good watch 👍🏼
@@l8ton803 ahh the sport rider magazine was comparing the zx11. I stand corrected.
You are correct kawasaki came 1st then honda smacked them off Then Suzuki smacked off. I got a blackbird so my bike is faster than yours lol 😂
Had mine fully updated new lines the lot, bar risers and peg lowers. Prefer heavy bikes, planted in corners.
Had mine for nearly ten years awesome bike , don’t use it as much as I should but definitely a necessity for anyone’s garage 💪
Great video ! Thank you ! Love my BB'2000 !
Love mine. Cant say highly enough of the build quality. True old school honda. I reckon it would survive a nuclear war.
Well, at least you could outrun one.
Had one on an 02 plate for a long daily commute and put on about seventy thousand miles in two years. If putting in the miles or touring, the handlebar riser kit is a must as is the taller screen. Eventually swapped it for a Deuville. worst mistake I ever made.
I just swapped a new(ish) Shafty Deuville for a Blue 2002 Super Blackbird - I've never smiled so much.
Love the type with the analog dash 👍🏻
On my 8th blackbird now. Love them. Craigellachie bridge I see. My usual coffee stop.
Yeah it’s a great place to do a walk around of a bike! I have recently sold my blackbird and got a Kawasaki GTR 1400.
I olso have a 2017 kwak gtr 1400, hayabusa, and blackbird, all too be seen in speyside area. Ride safe man. Great video.👌
Get some Gilles Bar Raisers. Adjust Perfectly for you Sport Tour 12 hrs!!! Gilles Rear Sets also Awesome and Corbin Gunfighter & Lady seat.
Had a 99(same as 00), all original, at low rpm its chocked and stumbel....sold it because of this
Ah, old school analogue instruments. In a word..lovely!
Nowt wrong with TFTs or other digitals but, for me, nothing beats seeing that needle as it surges round, chasing that redline 😊. Never owned an 'XX but ridden a few and always had great respect for them. Lovely bike from Honda. You have a fine example.
Amazing road, by the way. Anybody know where it is? Lovely, long, fast sweepers.
Same for location of walk-around. Where is that? I couldn't fully make out the plaque on the turret.
The roads are along the whiskey trail in the highlands of Scotland, they are fantastic to ride! The bridge I did the walk around was a great quiet place for it, called Craigellachie Bridge definitely worth a visit. I agree I do love the old style instruments, I love nostalgia and I get it on every ride ☺️.
@@thebigbadbikeshow Many thanks for your response. Much appreciated.
Yes, a lovely looking part of the world and the type of roads that my ZX-7R and VTR adore.
Ride safe.
Yes, analogue dash is very pretty, much more so than my injected model.
Where did you get your tank protector? The rear shock probably not optimal now being 20yrs old and the fork oil is easy to change and an upgrade to LED headlights.
One of my favourite, all round motorbikes.. Made me smile watching this.. In my opinion. It was always better looking than the Busa.
That is a gorgeous bike you have there.. 😀 👍
I agree! Much better looking than the busa!
You've said it all dear
If you want a big bad bike, try the Husqvarna Nuda 900R.
I see that you're driving on the wrong side of the road, so it should be easy to find one.
I had a 99 efi model and put bar risers on it which helped with wrist ache. I regret selling it and thinking of getting another one.
The XX was not limited to a top speed, 170 Mph is all it could achieve. I have owned my injected 2002 model since new and it's a great bike. I also have a gen 1 Hayabusa. Which is better? The Honda generally.
Hey 3B
Smooth video, thanks. Danish checking in here😅 One question… how did you fit the QuadLock? Im not sure which i can fit i the center hex?
Glad you enjoyed it! So the quad lock I used was the stem mount and it wasn’t easy to fit! I actually got so much of it into the stem hole and then tapped the metal clips in with a screwdriver and hammer. Then I tightened it up as much as I could 😂 I hope this helps.
Nice review
I intend to turbocharge my bird is the carburetors version better for this
I have seen a few posts were the cam chain is worn out only lasting 30000 is this the normal i have seen plenty of high mileage birds is this correct any help will be greatly appreciated
The cam chain doesn’t tend to wear out, but the cam chain tensioner does. This means that the cam chain can become slack and eventually come off if not changed. You can fit either a manual or automatic cam chain tensioner. I went for the upgraded automatic cam chain tensioner as I didn’t want to keep having to adjust a manual one. Hope this helps! 👍
I've been looking at these... but I have a concern about the heaviness of the clutch pull. Could you please comment on that? How relatively heavy is it? My FJR1300 is getting a bit much with age. Thank you.
I think it varies from bike to bike, but tbh I don’t feel like the clutch pull on mine is to heavy or to lite. For me it is just right but I would suggest finding a dealer that has one which you can test ride so you can judge for yourself. Hope this helps 👍
@@thebigbadbikeshow
The nearest Blackbird I can get a hand on is a private sale 180 miles away. Haven't seen one at a dealer in a long time.
For aging, arthritic hands, no such thing as too light. Hands are getting to be a limiting factor with age.
Have you thought about a Honda with a DCT gearbox? These are essentially automatic bikes with no clutch lever just twist and go. 👍
@@thebigbadbikeshow
I have. My wife once had an NC700XD. There were things to like about it, but it was God-awful slow. I mean, her (later) Ninja 400 would run away from it.
The day will come I will be looking at the DCT (not the NT1100 version, unavailable over here), but I aim to stall it off as long as possible.
I’m near 70 with small hands and although a bit lighter would be nice, I don’t have any problem with it. There are many aftermarket levers of various design available which some say helps a lot for both clutch and brake.
Mr Baker, thanks for this informative video.I am looking at purchasing either this bike or the suzuki bandit 1200.Any suggestions Please.
Thank you for watching the review we are glad you found it informative, if your an experienced rider I would highly recommend getting a Honda blackbird they are fantastic bikes. The bandit 1200 are also a great commuter bike and they have been around just as long as the blackbird, so plenty of spare parts and a good following for them. But if you are after more straight line speed I would definitely choose the blackbird over the bandit. Another bike I would suggest if you are after a sports tourer for roughly the same money would be the Honda VFR 800 they are also really good bikes and in a similar price range of the blackbird and the bandit.
Those are quite different models to be choosing between (but then I once had to pick between a Fatboy and a 890 Adventure, so what do I know?).
The thing they will both do well is mid to long range touring on a budget (I'm assuming you are looking at the half-faired Bandit S). Bear in mind, the Bandit was always built to a budget, so general finish, suspension, etc will likely be an issue unless you find a truly loved version. A Blackbird could have had a rough life (at the same price point as a Bandit), but tend to be well looked after by owners and came with higher quality to begin with.
They are both awesome. The older bandits with sacs ( oil air cooling) are awesome. Bandits are not quite as fast a bit easier to work on and nowhere near as smooth. In the US i know of a bird with over 300k miles. That is epic reliability.
cam chain adjuster trouble is there a modified genuine honda unit available
ive got a 97 model ; had it for 7 yrs ' only thing its had is a battery ' most impressive bike ' im getting on a bit now and the bird is a heavy bike but i cant bring myself to part with it ; ill just have to pump some iron ' LOL
10:23 i mean it did take them 6 years to do it.. Its not like it was the next day haha
I have a Suzuki Bndit 1200s and want to swap it with Honda blackbird. Any advice please?
Don’t know anything about the bandit but if getting a bird, make certain it has decent tires and check it has had the rear shock serviced or replaced recently and setup to your weight and forks serviced.
Keep the bandit
Who Is the shop that specializes in Honda blackbird parts that you mentioned, I'm asking cause I have a blackbird.
Jaws motorcycles 👍
Did u film this on a 2012 mobile phone
No it was filmed with a GoPro hero 10 👍 maybe try changing the video quality settings.
@@thebigbadbikeshow potentially, either that or how your rendering it while editing.
Heavy, fast and smooth. That's just me, the Blackbird is better than that.
I own and ride a 1997 bird since new, the carbed birds have the same range with the 22lt tank as the injected birds are hungry.
Im really surprised at people's comfort metrics. I have ridden the Honda VFR800 which is more comfortable than this and I found it really uncomfortable - it gave me wrist pain I had to use various trickery such as gripping the fuel tank with my legs to ease off weight off my hands...
Shame really cause I like the bike otherwise
How much can you sell the bike?? And is it avilable
Sorry pal it is not for sale 👍
Brilliant bike but stopped watching this because the introduction went on, and on, and on, and on about how to view their vids.
Appreciate the feedback ☺️ still getting used to making videos, will take the comment onboard.
None of the links below the video are not working.
Thanks for letting us know we will try get it sorted.
Blackbird or VFR? And why.
The Blackbird and VFR are both sports tourers, so I would say they are both just has good as each other and have pros and cons. The Blackbird I would say is a lot more comfortable to ride, it has a lot more power than the VFR. Also the Blackbird is very iconic with its history being the first of the hyper bikes. The VFR has a great range on a full tank of fuel. It has less power than the Blackbird but very economical and comfortable compared to the blackbird. If you are undecided I would say find a Blackbird and a VFR to test ride and see for yourself. But I would say they are both in the same price range and you get that Honda reliability.
@@thebigbadbikeshow Thank you for your advice and feedback.
👁️👅👁️
@@thebigbadbikeshow Technically the zzr1100 was the first of the hyper's 😜 and was the bike to beat, I've owned a zzr1100 and currently own a 2000 5th gen vfr800fi and can attest that the VFR800 is a brilliant bike if a little slow and less grunty being a slightly smaller engine and down about 40-60hp on the big boys. I've test ridden a blackbird and I was very impressed and will be picking one up either this year or next to go in the garage with the VFR. Loved the review.
@@HerpKlown If you could only have one. Which would you choose?
@@HerpKlown I think the op was referring to a VFR 1200?
great for A-roads - but who the hell wants to ride on those?? After motorways they're almost always the most boring sections of any ride.
Actually, the bike can handle pretty nice on the B roads if it has good tires a setup suspension and the rider has enough skill to handle it’s size and weight
@@colinnicols5387 The best you can say about Blackbirds is, imo, the price. A strong one can be had for £3k - which is amazing for what was a top of the range bike. If a small fraction of riding is on B-roads, they'll be fine. But if half of all miles are on unclassified lanes, I'd be after something with longer travel suspension.
Your triple clamp looks a little off center brother
720p. Unacceptable