Never knew this..

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#1 Post by **Kwackerz** » Tue Jun 08, 2010 9:13 pm

Tadao Baba's signature inside the front fairing of the Fireblade RR-X

Now that's how you make your mark!!

HowardQ · #2 Post by **HowardQ** » Wed Jun 09, 2010 12:01 pm

New one on me as well and I've a few mates who have had them.
Nice touch Tadao !

Samray · #3 Post by **Samray** » Wed Jun 09, 2010 12:09 pm

I always liked this Tadao quote:

Well the most interesting model I've ridden is the Ducati 916. It was a very simple design and very exciting. I prefer the feel of an inline four, but as an engineer I found the Ducati 916 very interesting to ride and study. Italian bike's looks are much better than the Japanese. The FireBlade's design team spent some time studying Ducati when we were making new models. It was an inspiration for us.

D-Rider · #4 Post by **D-Rider** » Wed Jun 09, 2010 12:46 pm

Samray wrote:I always liked this Tadao quote:

Well the most interesting model I've ridden is the Ducati 916. It was a very simple design and very exciting. I prefer the feel of an inline four, but as an engineer I found the Ducati 916 very interesting to ride and study. Italian bike's looks are much better than the Japanese. The FireBlade's design team spent some time studying Ducati when we were making new models. It was an inspiration for us.

.... just a shame he went to the wrong factory in Italy ............

HowardQ · #5 Post by **HowardQ** » Wed Jun 09, 2010 7:09 pm

D-Rider wrote:
Samray wrote:I always liked this Tadao quote:

Well the most interesting model I've ridden is the Ducati 916. ...........................................................................................
.... just a shame he went to the wrong factory in Italy ............
You couldn’t possibly be hinting that any Aprilia (never mind the lowly Falco), could have been a better choice than the iconic 916 could you Andy, how could you make such a ridiculous statement.

Anyway I couldn’t possibly leave it at that without further investigation/comparison.

Let’s start with the power/performance/power to weight.
Falco has slightly more power than the 916
Falco actually revs a bit higher so top end is pretty similar.
Falco has a much better mid range so wins that one easy.
Dry weight is fractionally less, so wins on power to weight as well.

Reliability?
I may have been very lucky but the Falco has been by far the most reliable bike I have ever had in over 40 years biking. Never met anybody who ever seriously used the word reliable for a 916!

Every test I have ever seen between a Duke and the RSV, the RSV has won, especially the early RSVs against the 916, (which we all know were close to the Falco
Even the 996 was down on the Falco, but the 998s onwards were better, but we’re just talking 916s here.
A standard Falco would probably not handle quite as well, but even with just a Mille rear shock and a decent suspension set up job, it was probably almost as good, the Mille was always tested slightly better.
The Falco would probably not turn in as quick, but probably not that different.
Let’s look at cost of ownership?
Falco - much cheaper to buy, better fuel economy, and even the Falco is a bit cheaper to service than a 916.
Looks?
It has to be a win for the 916, if I had a large mansion, I would have one on a pedestal in the living room like Foggy did.
Not just for the beautiful iconic looks -
because the thing is so bloody uncomfortable and old fart like me would never be able to ride it for more than 10 mins. without turning into a cripple.
When I first saw it I fell in love and deamed of owning one sometime, until I tried to sit on an early one at the NEC,
Aaaaaaaah - Comfort, no contest the Falco wins by a mile, and I still actually think the Falco is a great looking bike, wouldn’t have kept it for 6 years if I opened up the garage door each time and saw something that looked like a VFR12.
Talking about what bike you have to none bikers, prestige of ownership, Duke wins by a mile!
Going to a big bike meet, (like Willingham on a summer Wednesday with nearly a 1000 biikes), in the early years when I had the Falco, there were sometimes up to a hundred Dukes, but people walked past them all and stood around in groups looking at the only Falco.
Normal comment was “that looks really nice mate, never seen one of them before, what is it?", so Falco wins on that one.

So after due analysis of all the above facts, the Falco wins just!
Your case is proved!

#6 Post by **Kwackerz** » Wed Jun 09, 2010 7:24 pm

Anyway.. seeing as we're in the Honda RS, Fireblade wins. It was a revolutionary bike when it was released, Brought a whole new meaning to the world of Sportsbikes aaaaaaaand...

Well, anything that could wear the shellsuit inspired paintjobs the originals did had to be unarguably a bloody good bike.. They had to be to carry it off!!

HowardQ · #7 Post by **HowardQ** » Wed Jun 09, 2010 8:03 pm

Sorry but I don't have a decent argument for that one Tim!
916 still wins on looks, prestige value and pub bragging rights though.
I would still take an Urban Tiger over a 916 any day.

AND I could actually ride it!
Nearly bought one so many times!

#8 Post by **Kwackerz** » Wed Jun 09, 2010 8:37 pm

Yeah I'd rather have the original urban tiger'd Blade than any of the Ducati fleet to be honest. (maybe have an 888 though)

My mate bought one when they first came out when I was based in Germany. a proper headbanger of a bike that was fantastic and oozed attitude when it was parked outside the squadron block. It ate BMWs for breakfast on the autobahns too. It was a bit lairy, but that was part of the deal with the devil as far as my mate was concerned.

D-Rider · #9 Post by **D-Rider** » Wed Jun 09, 2010 10:25 pm

I love Blades though I've never had the chance to ride one.

Did sit on one once - hated the madly wide tank - mandating the "busy hooker" riding position.

BIG UN · #10 Post by **BIG UN** » Sat May 07, 2011 9:50 pm

theyre highly recommended lads

Aladinsaneuk · #11 Post by **Aladinsaneuk** » Sun May 08, 2011 6:47 am

It was an original fire blade that led me to an enforced holiday from biking.....

They do not steer well when the bottom end seizes - cures constipation .....
That happened at 120 and as I walked away with out a scratch I thought it was time to have a break from riding

My mate is just finishing off a rebuild of his 97 blade..... He has taken it all the way back to do the frame etc

BIG UN · #12 Post by **BIG UN** » Sun May 08, 2011 2:24 pm

bloody hell,120!! lucky man.

this was totaly standard when i got it.
got untouched toolkit,handbook,service book all stamped up
even standard numberplate from original dealer and std can and indicators.
no dyno jet or k&n filter.
not been touched.
old man had it from new and kept it in a heated garage.
most the m.o.t's show he only did 200mile max per year between mot's!!

ill health forced him to sell,gave me tons of cleaning stuff,3 sets of tyres,bike cover,paddock stands,
chains,disc locks ect all for £1500!!

even handed it over with an oil change and full tank of fuel bless him.

ill get £1500 back from it all day long even in 5 years time imo.
to good to miss.