Any former Blackbird pilots???

[twotter]

I find myself considering a change of bike and I'm looking at the Super Blackbird. Just wondered if any current Varadero riders have any experiences of them?

Ta

[allyw71]

From when the Blackbirds were launched I fancied one, and when I decided it was time to change my FZR1000 exup I thought the Blackbird would be the bike for me, so I started to watch the classifieds and dealer ads for a used one (I couldn't afford new). Perth Motorcycles had one advertised so I went along for a look. It looked ok so I asked for a test ride, they said ok but not today (it was absolutely pissing down) so it was arranged for the following weekend, I browsed the shop a bit and found this strange but attractive looking bike and asked what it was. "Aprilia Futura" I was told. I'll test that next week as well.
The following weekend came and off I went on the Aprilia first. I found it so good I didn't even bother to ride the Blackbird and bought the Futura there and then. To this day it is the most comfortable bike I have ever owned (and I include my vara in that), great performance and superb handling. Then one day after about 3 years of blissful ownership I had the misfortune to bounce it off the back of a Subaru (bugger), and that was that, time for a new bike.
By this time the Triumph Sprint ST1050 had been out for about a year and was getting all the rave reviews and I wanted a shot, but I was determined to have a go on a Blackbird this time. Two Wheels Edinburgh happened to sell both Triumph and Honda, perfect, I'll try them both there. First I went out on the Sprint. It was good all round with the best ever engine note i'd ever heard, then the Blackbird, the first thing I noticed was how high the footpegs were, out on the road it handled very well and was immensely powerfull, but after about 5 miles I was in pain and had to turn back. I was so disappointed, ok I'm 6'6" but I found the NC30 I had in my more youthful day's roomier and less painful, maybe the old age is catching up. Needless to say I ended buying a Sprint. So if your not very tall a blackbird may be for you

[Mabels Old Man]

I find myself considering a change of bike and I'm looking at the Super Blackbird. Just wondered if any current Varadero riders have any experiences of them?

Ta

Hey man what you doing over here then?


My impressions of the blackbirds I have ridden. Very fast, comfortable, handle well. However I didn't buy one, it does everything well but it's got no soul. That's just me though.

[pdsquire]

Friend of mine got rid of his last Friday. He'd bought it new and it had been an electrical nightmare from the outset. It might be a one off, and he liked the bike when it ran, but his bike before was a Kwak ZZR 1100 and on Friday he got a ZZR 1400. Astoundingly fast bikes, but if you've got a Vara are you sure you want to go to something that goes fast and gathers no friends?

[cbrpaddy]

I had one for 4/5 years and racked up 65+k miles. Commuted on it daily, thrashed it at the weekends, went all over Europe and down to Morocco. Had two rectifiers go, both at 30k miles, the second was a modded one, bah. Changed the disks once front and back, head bearings once, two sets chain and sprockets, the valve clearances never needed adjusting. Basically it was completely reliable.

I'm about 6'2 and found it pretty comfortable but sold it after I'd had my AT for six months as it was getting no use at all, and I was finding my knees were starting to hurt on it (but I later found that was actually coz of the knee armour in my new leathers, doh!).

It's a fabulous bike for proper roads, motorways, touring etc, but the AT was just so much better and more fun on the ****e roads over here in the west of Ireland. Also I was just plain daft on the thing, 150+mph every single day on bumpy backroads going to work etc. However I'd still be interested in a cheap secondhand one for a big road trip to mainland europe alright so long as I wouldn't be doing any trails or slow stuff.

[allyw71]

Trail riding on a blackbird??? I remember about 4 or 5 years ago at the Farmyard party it was pretty wet, and the most frequent bike to end up on its side seemed to be Blackbirds, and that was just in a field

[wobblemonster]

I find myself considering a change of bike and I'm looking at the Super Blackbird. Just wondered if any current Varadero riders have any experiences of them?

Ta

Evening, Ive had a Blackbird for 2 years now, as well as a @ twin, the BB certainly has a huge grin factor about it, its brilliant for touring, is very comfy to ride and very reliable. If you asked me to say which bike I prefered I couldn't give you an honest answer. It all depends what you want it for, 2 of my mates have ridden it and are both now looking to buy one.

[suds750]

I had a Blackbird that I swapped for the Africa Twin I now own and think it is an excellent bike. It was the last of the carb models so didn't have the electrical gremlins that the fuel injected one do. If you look at the fi model, there is a fix that by-passes the part of the wiring that develops the problems. Both models have regulator and cam-chain tensioner problems that can be cheaply and easily fixed.
There is a BB forum, but it's a little less good natured than the one here, so be prepared. Also the resident guru runs the afore mentioned forum, and he runs a web based shop (Jaws motorcycles) that sells all the up-graded parts and usefull bling that make the BB the best (in my humble opinion) Sports tourer on the planet.

[allyw71]

There is a BB forum, but it's a little less good natured than the one here, so be prepared. Also the resident guru runs the afore mentioned forum, and he runs a web based shop (Jaws motorcycles) that sells all the up-graded parts and usefull bling that make the BB the best (in my humble opinion) Sports tourer on the planet.

I'm not trying to nit pick, but the Blackbird is a Hyper tourer not a sports tourer. It would be unrealistic for a VFR to compete against a Blackbird. So in my humble opinion (and that of most publications) the Sprint ST 1050 is the king of sport tourers

[suds750]

I was using my humble opinion,which is that it's a sports tourer. It has fallen way behind in the top speed dept when you compare it to bikes like the hyabusa and ZZR1400, but that is not only what the BB is about. I wouldn't bother quoting what magazine say at me tbh, I've long since stopped believing a word any of 'em say!