Thinking about trading the VFR for a Blackbird

I have a bird (Dec 2006), they don't seem at all big, wide, or like a fat pig at all. But then again I rode an 81 CB750FB for 28 years. Bird is 15kg lighter, twice the horsepower and an infinite better handling bike.

 

I have a 5th gen as well. REALLY always wanted an xx, met a buddy that has one. Thought about doing a straight trade. Rode a "test ride" up through the mountains, forest, twisties, etc. It has too high of pegs, bars hurt my wrists. I am 6 ft tall and weight 170lbs. Corbin seat was hard as a rock. Wind beat the shit out of me, mirrors shake so bad at freeway speed, they are almost unusable. Handles like a goldwing. I have had 2 wings and an st1100 and the xx feels waaaaay heavier. Every thing that is good about the vfr is bad on the xx. It is very powerful and smooth but only slightly faster. The vfr has more character and is what I personally will choose to keep now. No desire to have an xx anymore.

 

is this SOW?

 

Somebody pulling up 4 year old posts is always a worry

 

I have also thought about switching to a bird, but won't. Its all about compromises. Know your truth about what you want in a bike. For me, at this point I don't want a bigger, heavier bike.

 

I traded my VF750F plus $$ for a Blackbird 11/13. My first trip was out to CA a total of 7500 miles. Yes "The thing makes me giggle everytime I crack the throttle. WEEEEE!!!!!!!!" stll.

The power is fantastic whether your at 2000 rpm in city traffic or 4000rpm moving some and no matter what gear you are in you just roll the throttle open and the bike just goes. At 3000rpms the dyno shows 35hp and 50tq. What's the max tq on a VFR about 55.? When it hits 6-6500 it just rockets so hard and keeps pulling stronger you hit 160+ in the middle of fifth gear with a gear and a half left and am very glad for the step in the seat.

With a 6mm shim added to stock rear shock and drop the front 5mm and the bike handles as well or better than the VFR. Comfort is really nice and the best part is it's not affected by crosswinds under 25mph at all, it's stable as a rock. Cruise at 130mph inside a cocoon of dead air, if your crossing NM, like anybody else at 70mph. Even at 130mph just either roll the throttle on and it fly's. Click it down a gear or two and it rockets. Not even breaking a sweat and you still feel very comfortable and secure on it, it's that stable. Mines going to be better with the Ohlins rear shock and Jamies front end this year.

No real big problems with it. Motors bullet proof, super smooth engine not even a hint of vibration/buzz in any rpm or mph. Things that go wrong...well the RR , no surprises there, cam chain tensioner, 20 min job, and one wiring block that needs attention on some bikes.


I got in to research on it before and after I bought it. Here's a neat little ditty to show how much it's like the VFR. Notice "Mr Yamanaka" below. Plus it's neat to have NR750 parts on it! Heritage right there.

So for those thinking about a Blackbird don't think to long, you may miss out on one of the best bikes Honda has ever made and for a Grand Touring Sports bike. Dry weight is 10lbs heavier than a VFR @ 491lbs


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BlackBird Facts

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Here are some fascinating facts about the XX. Whether you’re new to The Beastthat is the Super Blackbird or not, you may find yourself thinking “I never knew that!”​

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Wind Drag
By designing the revolutionary and first ‘piggy back’ headlight, in which the high beam and low beam sit one above the other, it was possible to taper the the CBR-XX’s nose in both the horizontal and vertical planes, leading to it’s distinctive bullet like point. Similarly, the opening behind the front wheel is tapered inwards (if you look carefully) allowing the radiator to receive a precisely measured amount of air, but no more, as this would increase wind drag and turbulence . The remarkable result is an ultra-narrow frontal aspect and a wind drag coefficient lower than that achieved by the ‘WORKS’ Honda NSR250 GP-bike! Even the front fender was designed in a wind tunnel to counter the effect on wind on the front wheel!



Engine, Clutch and Transmission
The engine is angled forward to push the centre of gravity downwards which improves the balance of the bike. To reduce overall bulk, the cylinder block was designed with the minimum of excess material, to keep it as light as possible. Even the valve angles were steepened to keep the combustion chamber utterly compact !!! In the interest of narrowness, the twin camshafts are driven from one end of the crank, and the other driving an ultra-compact generator. The bike has knock (detonation) sensors fitted to each cylinder to constantly monitor the combustion efficiency and optimise the ignition timing. This ensures that the engine is running at peak performance the whole time.For the ultimate refinement the CBR-XX engine is purged of every last vibration by the use of the unique Honda dual-shaft balancer system, which had never before been used on a sportsbike! It gives a final, creamy consistency to an already super-smooth power delivery. In fact, the engine of the Super-BlackBird is so smooth that Honda bolted it directly to the frame without the use of rubber mounts , adding even greater overall rigidity while allowing the frame to be lighter. Honda even developed a special scissor-type primary drive to reduce transmission backlash and gear-whine. As far as the clutch goes, it was quietened down with a floating cover and rubber mountings.



Exhaust System
In addition to the PGM-FI fuel injection system on the BlackBird, it also employs air-injectors at each exhaust port to encourage complete burning of any reidual fuel mixture on the exhaust stroke. Also, the exhaust downpipes have been specially shaped and designed to boost midrange torque, rather than just a way out for spent gasses which is typical of many aftermarket systems.


Mirrors
The Blackbird mirrors are the exact same mirrors as fitted to the Honda NR750. That is the bike truly exotic Honda super-bike with oval pistons and a 32 (yes…32!) valve 750 V4 engine…that’ll be £24,000 please!


Passenger Grab Rail
Did you know that the pillion grab rail is made of Nylon? Well it is…..Honest!



Mr Yamanaka
He was Honda’s project leader for the BlackBird . He was also the project leader for the VFR750. The BlackBird project started in December of 1993 and the first BlackBird test bikes were being ridden in August 1994! His goals were to combine the power of a 1000cc-plus road bike with the handling of a middle-weight without building a race replica and to provide comfort. And you know what?..He did a damn good job of it., don't you think


Wheelie!
Did you know The blackbird held the fastest wheelie record in 1999?
"The fastest wheelie is 307.86 km/h on a Honda Blackbird turbo ridden by
Patrick Furstenhoff at Bruntingthorp Proving Grounds, U.K (18/4/99)"
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BlackBird Riders
According to the 2000 RIDE survey the average age of a Blackbird rider is 41, crash every 10 years, have an average of 16 years riding experience, 52% have had advanced training and on average meet a policeman every 2 years! (Oops! Sorry Officer..) and 78% of Blackbird owners reckon they’d buy another one.
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Alright For Some!
One Blackbird riding policeman has been flashed 22 times by a Gatso and never been prosecuted.


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So much for old posts.

 

"Honda even developed a special scissor-type primary drive to reduce transmission backlash and gear-whine".....noise isn't everything

 

Wow, I guess I should give an update since I started this topic.
The more I rode with guys on faster bikes the more I wanted what they had, not in envy in a weird way but in the amount of fun they were having. The final straw was when I was riding with a guy on a newer R6 and even though I was a better rider I couldn't get around him because he would outrun me in the straights and block me in the corners. It is not fun when someone blows by you like you are sitting still. In December 2012 I sold my 2001 VFR for $2500 and 2 weeks later I bought a Black 1999 Blackbird with 18k miles for 2800. For 300 dollars I picked up everything that I was looking for. Honda quality in a sport touring bike with alot more horsepower. There is no replacement for displacement. I had maxed out everything I could do (within reason) to the VFR but what I really wanted was more power. Make no mistake the Blackbird and the VFR handle very similar even with the pounds added to the Blackbird. I really can't tell a difference. I have great memories of the VFR, the sound, the single sided swing arm (Sargent seat) and the compliments wherever I rode but there is no looking back for me. The Blackbird is way faster and can be tweaked to handle better like the 6mm shim mentioned before. I did have to make some adjustments to the riding position because the Helibars on the VFR are much taller and more comfortable. I finally went with a straight bar set up and it made all the difference. It sits upright like a motard and handles like a dream.

 

I would have tried to pick up a Blackbird instead of a VFR, but the insurance here would have been murder. I really enjoyed riding my father in law's 93 CBR1000F, I figured the blackbird would be a a bit more of the same.

 

I've had my 98 VFR for almost a year, and am trying to decide if I should start getting some stuff that I want for it, or get a XX before spending money, that I won't get much of back, if I switch later.

First, it needs a softer seat, very soon.
Stock windscreen, as I just don't like the look of the givi tall screen that it came with.
A high mount exhaust, if either will fit under, and not melt, my givi luggage.
More power, pc3 and gearing.
Would also like to shed some weight, be able to charge my phone, and instal a volt meter.

But then when I ride my buddies zx636, it really doesn't feel much faster, it just feels like I'm a gear lower than I actually am. Power wheelies are nice to be able to do though.

BTW, I ran 12.1 @ 115 on the VFR last fall, is that about normal for someone that isn't any good getting off the line fast?

 

rode a 100,000 mile BB and did an alright job, did 175 mph and kinda vibrated my right hand to sleep. But still well sorted and not the most looked after or loved bike. Think it had carburetors too, that would be the one I would entertain if I went that route. Still not gona top out a "busa" yah know.