HONDA CBR1000RR FIREBLADE (2009 - 2012) Review

Version: 2012-2016 , mine is 2016

Year: 2012

Annual servicing cost: £150

Such a smooth gearbox . Surprisingly really easy to ride . I am 6ft 4 and I fit on it and it has more room than other sports bikes I sat on . Can be ridden slowly with no issues but open her up and whoosh but it only goes as quick as your right hand allows. Don’t be intimidated, go try one and be surprised .

Buying experience: Dealer and paid asking price . Did research and it was a super price for a mint bike , got what I wanted on the part ex .

Version: Black edition

Year: 2012

Annual servicing cost: £200

Good all round bike

Buying experience: Dealer new, £11,000 last of the old blades

Version: abs

Year: 2012

Annual servicing cost: £200

Looks are great, I have a black edition, nice stealth look. The ride is great with sharp handling, smooth engine, 600-750 weight with 1000cc power punch. Nice all round feel, having ridden a ZX9-R some years ago, and having a 13yr break, and got back on a CBR600F 2013, this fireblade seemed the natural progression. 600 size bike with decent engine range. Long gears i like, all round feel. easy to handle, brakes are good even though they have the ABS linked system. Exhaust needs to be a bit louder, having had past bikes with a bit more rumble, exhaust will be changed. Paint work - need to be careful, plastic tank cover needs added protection from clothing or other key mishaps, consider a decent sized tank pad protection. Digital clocks are nice easy to read, gear selection number, top screen rev indication, only issue is there is no fuel indication so watch the fuel reserve light coming on...

Buying experience: Bought from a great team at Honda Maidstone part of the Laguna group, Mark and Sales very helpful and kept well communicated with throughout the sales experience. Brad at the servicing and parts Dept good knowledge and very helpful. PX CBR600 in a advertised price of 6250.

Version: Urban tiger

Year: 2011

Highly recommend this bike

Buying experience: Paid top dollar but with only 600 miles on the clock, this bike is pristine Ltd edition urban tiger comes standard with akro can , which delivers an incredible sound when opened up but quite sociable at low revs to not annoy neighbours

Version: NON ABS in Graphite black.

Year: 2011

Last 2 bikes have been Aprilia v twins but decided it was time to get back on a big inline 4 superbike.Time for a review after 1000 miles since lockdown.Beautiful to ride with fantastic height for me at 5 .10, feet firmly planted when stopped.Weight distribution is spot on too.Usually ride for 3 hours without a break which may be a bit much but its so easy to lose track of time which i regard as a huge plus as its for leisure and if you are not enjoying it then its time to stop riding or find something else.

Buying experience: Paid £5000 but as it was during lockdown (buyers market) i saved at least £1500 judging by the insurers valuation and similar mileage bikes i have seen.

Year: 2010

Annual servicing cost: £140

Superb build quality and reliability. Performance is very good for road use and itmkeeps up with most other sports bikes. There is nothing that i do not like about it, it does everything very well, typical honda. Its a 2010 so there are no toys to play with, no ABS, quickshifter etc. But you don't miss what you haven't got.

Buying experience: Dealer. Seamless. Honda's sell themselves. Honda owners tend to look after them and the build quality is fantastic. Mines always garaged, so not exposed to the elements unnecessarily.

Year: 2010

Annual servicing cost: £200

Great bike that can do most things if you put your mind to it.

Buying experience: Bought from a dealer, good service at Farnham Honda, servicing has always been excellent and provision of loan bikes useful.

Version: Non abs HRC

Year: 2010

Annual servicing cost: £100

I've owned my RRA for 10years now and we have spent 25,000 wonderful miles together, she has never let me down or cause me any concerns! She's blindingly quick, planted,comfy and handles sublimely so rewarding to ride fast or slow! I have tucked her up every winter so she still looks like new! I wouldn't have it any other way as she is stunning in her HRC colours.

Version: Used for track only - non ABS

Year: 2009

Annual servicing cost: £180

Manageable litre bike

Buying experience: Bought from a reputable dealer as an already converted track bike

Version: ABS Version

Year: 2010

Really well made - hard wearing and solid finish. Engine was a peach, may be a little cramped for me at 5ft 11' but an enjoyable ride with globs of power. The seat os cheap - buy yourself a Corbin so you can ride all day. My ass looked like a Baboon's bum after being on it all day...

Buying experience: Buy in the winter - save yourself at least £1k.

Version: C-ABS

Year: 2012

Annual servicing cost: £185

Honda quality and reliability in a confidence-inspiring bike that will have you yearning for more time in the saddle. Would recommend this bike to a friend or a complete stranger; hell I'd even recommend it to my arch enemy!

Buying experience: Bought from a dealer when the bike was just over two years old. Paid just under £2k less than new price, which goes to show how much they hold their value, and how sought after they are!

Year: 2012

Best Feature: Rideability Worst Feature: Lack of electronics compared to rivals

I curse the day I sold my Fireblade! Purchased a 2012 blade last year & had not a single issue with it. Absolutely brilliant to ride around town in traffic, plenty of USABLE power. The suspension is an absolute dream. Currently riding a 2013 R1 which is a very good bike, sounds amazing, but really doesn't compare to the blade in terms of everyday usability. Thinking of buying another blade this year!

so I came from a 2009 848 ducati to the 2009 blade due to the fact that I can service the bike myself.I had a 05 fireblade before so I knew what to expect but I have to say I was a little disappointed with the poor quality of the fairings.Firstly the way it is all mounted and clipped together is a complete nightmare, the RR5 would take five minutes to remove a side fairing where as the RR9 takes about an hour as some genius mounted so many odds and ends to the inside of the fairing not to mention all the flaffing about with air intakes.The plastic is that thin it makes the Chinese ebay fairings look superior.my fairing snapped in two at the mirror when fitting a screen so I went to the dealer to get a new nose cone, it was then the dealer told me this happens all the time and that they have had them break on them too! now that shows how flimsy the plastic is, nowhere near the quality of the RR5.so another hour of messing around to get the nose cone changed and I hope to god I never have to remove the fairings again.Apart from that the bike isnt too bad but it is a bit sore on the wrists (worse than the 848), must add mods are a taller screen and IMHO a power commander as the standard map is so underpowered but I suppose this is aimed at being more user friendly.I am just use to riding thousands that if opened to the stop they will flip rather than gradually accelerate away.The power commander fixes this to the point it will power the wheel skyward in fourth gear.I think I might try the 2012 model next as the fairing quality is meant to be better and the stress on the old wrists a bit less.

Ad i am in my mid forties i thought it was time to move away from super bikes(not to far though ) . So I took out a Kawasaki Z1000SX a nice bike and a very good ride.But I felt it wasn't quite quick enough. Having a few beers with some mates they suggested I take a new Blade out which I did. What a fantastic decision that was , after an hour i was back in the showroom ( Blade Honda Swindon ) putting a deposit down. The riding position was perfect, you can flick it around with ease or just sit and plod along. In my opinion this is the all round bike i craved. Still smiling....

If you want the best in service and a great deal then call Stephen weller Lethcworth Honda Norton way he will sort you a deal say Jamie sent you x ride safe

When things are fine then this is a good bike but often it is not so. I had 2008 one, oil consumption reaching 1 litre per thousand miles. Now I have 2010 model with the same oil consumption. I could live with it, except one small thing: top end rebuild every 40 thousand miles. Yes, I ride a lot and my bike reached 40000 miles in about 20 months. Sadly, lost compression because all valves started to leak, badly. Honda UK think that it is normal wear and tear hence you can read it this way: Fireblade engine is designed to last 40 thousand miles only and then it needs to be rebuild at cost close to £2000. Will I buy Honda bike again? No, never.

Get to Padgetts in Batley ask for PAUL say Jamie sent you buy a bargin get a fantastic service and the very best deal bset time to buy is NOW what a bike this is get on ride and the abs is amazing hey get to PADGETTS NOW DONT WASTE TIME ........

A very common problem with the fireblade acording to dealers is that the radiator is very prone to dammage from any stone or chipping you may run over. Buy a radiator guard, just try and find out how much a replacement radiator is, it will make you cry, even the dealers say are you sitting down!!

New Fireblade is very easy to Ride. it handles so smooth,very agile, light, takes corners with ease. I reckon; it's the best 1000cc sports bike in the world. I can recommened it for any rider.

So your looking at a blade .... i have had mine a while now after parting with my 130BHP GSXR600 and have never looked back. i have to so many bikes out now and many of them just deem the same to the next, suzuki's heavy and slow to rev up but amazing when you get there kawasaki where you spend your life chasing the power just to find out you run out of road, or the BM,R1 and RSV where you pay a arm and a leg. The CBR is smooth comfy and fast the midrange is amazing you don’t have to rev it at all to find the power, If you don’t have the money to upgrade it its perfect as it is. The handling is sublime and it is hassle free riding the brakes are sharp and there if you need them and yet the bike suits new and old bikers alike, for a new biker its fast but yet poised and helps you build confidence and in a long term fast bike rider it is a speed and race weapon, the amount of awards and placing’s in bike of the year it has 3 years in a row speaks for itself. you don’t have to mess around with it, the only real things i would say is bad is that there are lots on the market so keep an eye out for a deal unless you want a new one on 0% which can’t be bad! Finally I’m not a big fan of the headlight (not the shape!) but the fact it’s not a projector headlight, every bike is now projector and Honda is lagging by not updating this. all in all the Honda is a amazing bike fast comfy good looking and can go unchanged if you are on a budget. i think that Honda will have a big job on their hands topping this amazing bike! I hope this helps but keep in mind that the best bike is the one YOU feel happy with.

I am about to change my Fireblade after a year and 3000 miles. What's good about it? Find an A-road with sweeping bends and a good surface and you'll love it - that engine, gearbox, handling. Overtaking - no problem. It's smooth and a really safe bike to ride. Going a bit too fast into a corner? You can brake with no drama whatsoever. What's bad? Too much weight on your wrists and if you're a tall bloke over 6 foot you will be uncomfortable after an hour or so. Try riding 250 miles, I did, and apart from your wrists it does your back in and gives you cramp in your legs. And you won't enjoy 30 mph limits one bit, you are waiting and waiting for the open road again. Don't get me wrong, it's a doddle to ride at 30 mph but it's the discomfort. I wouldn't mind trying it at really high speed but it's way too far to ride to Cadwell for a track day and back from the North East on one of these if you're my height. So it's goodbye Fireblade to discover that last year's best-selling bike has lost 30% of its value as there are so many on the market now.

I finally bought one - had a test ride 3 years ago and was blown away by the fantastic torque and searing acceleration. I have always been a yamaha man and loved my R6 which I traded in for the blade. It has used about 1/2 litre of oil in 1500miles, and the tank marks up pretty easily. However, I am gradually beginning to appreciate the bike. Had a fantastic ride up through the fast roads in the Fens to watch some club racing at Cadwell. When you get the chance to really open her up you really do need to hang on. Plush ride and solid build quality, but what an engine look, see the gap and whoosshhh!! - I have had zx10s, and r1s but this engine beats them all - smooth power right off the bottom with really smooth but very rapid acceleration. I have not had the bottle to redline it yet, and it hardly ever needs more than 8k to overtake or cruse along at to plus speeds. I reckon this bike could be one that I keep for a few years, and it is an absolute bargain at the current prices on 0%. Anyone got any advice on tyres??

I have just taken delivery of a Fireblade C-ABS in orange and silver. I rode it 120 miles today up Wensleydale, to Sedbergh, Brough and home. Bear in mind I have spent the last 4 years on an XR125L! The handling on the A6108 Richmond to Leyburn was brilliant. I haven't had so much fun for years and without speeding. After 4 years of very little overtaking all I need now is enough visibility and it's done. In fact some drivers seem to be falling over themselves to let me past. OK I've not been doing silly speeds on moorland roads with sheep and potholes but the trip computer said I was getting 55 mpg and it's very accurate. All they say about the engine and gearbox is right - they are both very good. The ride comfort is really good too on the standard settings. I did find long stretches of 30-40 mph on single-track lanes put too much weight on my wrists and because I am tall I got a good splattering of flies on my head but that's no bad thing as it reminds you what speed you are doing. More reports later.

Had a half-hour test-ride on Saturday when the Honda demo truck came to my local dealer. The problem for me with any bike, particularly sporty bikes, is my height (6'2"). But the Fireblade left me with no aches and pains after the ride, unlike a CBR600RR where everything hurt. I could leave the Blade in 6th gear thanks to the phenomenal torque at any rpm. The ride comfort was really good on our rutted roads, far better than a CBF1000 which is supposed to be "sublime" with excellent control. Hitting a pothole at 50 mph whilst leant over, the bike didn't move off line and I didn't notice any movement. Despite my height there was virtually no wind blast up to 70 mph and it was really quiet. No vibration whatsoever as you'd expect. It's really easy to ride slow which is very important to me with a nice big digital speedometer and perfect fuelling for riding at a steady speed. No problem with stalling pulling away from stationary on a bike I am not used to, unlike the CBR600RR which had a powerful spring on the clutch and a tall first gear. Another important point for me is with its low centre of gravity it's relatively easy to push around with the engine off. I can't wait to go go for an extended test-ride in a week's time to see if it remains comfortable for a couple of hours. I hope it does.

Not stopped smiling since I picked up my 2010 c-ABS Fireblade (HRC colours) on Saturday. Had the seat cowel, rear hugger and R&G tail tidy fitted by the dealer priot to picking it up. What a stunning bike, does everything you want and more. Having previously been Suzuki through and through, I swapped my last Gixer 1000 (K6) in 2008 for a new R1. Never really got on with it, so thought I'd test ride the new Fireblade and fell in love with it within minutes. Soon as I got back to the dealers I wanted to know where I signed! Just ordered a Taylormade can for it and will be sticking a Power Commander on when the funds allow. Bikes have come a long way since my first bike, a Yamaha RD250E many years ago, but I dont see how they could improve much on the new blade, other than very minor, not very important additions such as a gear indicator you get on some of the other bikes. Love it!

What a Machine!! Hair raising, breath taking, the best bike i have ever owned, HRC colours, FMF apex exhaust system, double bubble screen, solo seat cowel, power commander to come, Excellence pasonified.

Over excited and couldnt sleep the day before I picked it up, after riding for first time I couldnt sleep again as even more excited!!!! Repsol colours and all the extras bar ABS, this is a stunning bike in every way and gives me confidence that a 749s never came close to giving.

09 Fireblade c-abs It have taken an eternity to get one but boy oh boy it is worth the wait. I have smile on my face before during and after being on it. Maybe not as sexy as the Italian offerings but £5k cheaper and just as good if not better. Only missing a gear indicator but that is being very picky, you want regret having one

It took a while but i finally got one, and wow what a bike, it looks the bollocks, it sounds the bollocks and as for speed let's just say every time i get on it i cant get the smile off my face for days. it's very easy to ride, and i'm quite new to riding. the breaks do exactly what it says on the tin... amazing. it feels heavy when your standing still (c-abs adds 10kg to standard bike)but when your on the road it's nible like a 600rr only more power. i will say the only thing that lets it down is the fuel gage, or lack of one.

i saw top speed at 182mph so no lies there. this bike it so fun wot ever ur riding style, going slow in traffic i was comfy, no cramp or pains. n if u want to go fast its so easy, it makes u feel safe n corners with ur knee down at high speed are effortless. really loved this bike, only thing i wud say is if u want to go really fast n u know how already it mite b too soft and u want to think about an R1.

I have always owned R1's since 1999 the last been a 2007 model, and clocking up about 12K miles a year on them between road track and also touring. Having had some problems this year with my R1 I took the plunge to try out a blade, the difference between the two bikes is unreal the blade is so confident and power delivery is so crisp and clean,handling is great straight from the crate and I must admit I have not even adjusted it at all from when I picked up the bike, the build quality is a bench mark for others to follow, the brakes are spot on and a lot better than my R1 had got 6 pot or not, the exhaust note is perfect and sounds realy nice after 4000rpm. I am off to Almeria in Feb with the bike for a week on track and I can't wait to see what it performs like on track.