Honda CBR1100XX Super Blackbird (1997-current)

Take one Super Blackbird 223kg, add two panniers 20kg, one top box 5kg, one girlfriend 65kg and a rider 80kg, fill with fuel 20kg and what do you get??? 413kg of blistering performance that still goes round corners like it's on rails. I can't get over how well this bike carries weight, in some respects it's actually easier to tip into corners fully loaded because it requires less counter steering to get it over. Plus when the weight is off you can still scratch on the weekends. Honda certainly made this one properly!

my 97 model 'bird has 73000 miles on her now and still goes like stink, I've done a trackday on her and she held her own against sportsbikes, just done a 2 week tour to Western France, I've done 2 trips to the South of France on her and each trip is fully loaded with luggage and pillion sitting around the 85 mph area abroad returns 40mpg which gives me a 200+mile tank range, its very comfy for my pillion and supremly stable at speeds why Honda stopped making them for that ugly, slow, thirsty viffer12 is beyond me

i have had 36 road bikes in 19 years of riding ....in this i have had an NSR250 gull arm ..my first proper bike....it stands out...i have had every incarnation of the fireblade except the current tiny model....i have had a Hayabusa and 3 GSXR1000....loved them all K6 is a stand out one but the paint quality was pretty bad...have had 3 R1's...the o6 model was simply beautifull....but at 40 i have worked my way back onto my 2nd Blackbird....they are super smooth and comfortable...i do trackdays on mine and take my son on the back...i have 2 teeth up on the back so it goes like a bullet from the off...its raised 6mm at the rear has an upgraded rear shock and ohlins internals in the front .....ok i know purests maybe wont like this but its my bike and now it does everything fantastically...well maybe not the brakes but its heavy and well i am 6ft 4 and 19 stone so it aint mr hondas fault ....but what else is there?..nothing does the job of this bike as well.....yes there are bikes a lot faster but lets be honest we dont need to be doing more on the road than 176mph really lol....yes there are maybe more comfortable and better kitted....but mine in 2001 with 38000 miles and cost me £2350.....thats what i used to spend each year just to have a new model....so there i love mine and wish Honda hadnt ditched the inline 4 super tourer....i had a 2010 white and black vfr...great bike but its vibey it has very little guts and i had no feel of the front end....so give us a 2013 Blackbird please ....

Great bike, Very very responsive if your riding solo and you hit the power in a roundabout you will find it will be like tokyo drift and if your riding 2 up and you hit the power you do a wheelie, and for just to have a nice ride out they are brilliant always makes lookers. these bikes are a bike which will always demand respect, THERE MENTAL!

I passed my direct access test in June 2009 and started riding a 98 CBR600F and loved it. As it turns out so did my wife, although she often said it would be great to get a bike (music to my ears) I didn't think she would be so keen on it. Did about 8,000 miles on the 600 and for about 90% of these miles she was on the back. After cutting my teeth on the 600 I really wanted a bigger bike but it had to be pillion friendly so my wife enjoyed it as much as I did. We both like sports bike styling and these 2 points put together really narrow the choice. I saw a Blackbird up close for the first time in late 2009 and if I am honest set my heart on one then. Actually got one on my 50th Birthday in May 2010 (best present to myself ever). Since then we have done about 6,000 miles on it. I am not exactly the most experienced rider and therefore don't have a lot to compare it with but I find this bike so smooth and comfortable yet also very exciting when you work the right hand a bit harder. We use it mainly for pleasure anything from local rides to a day trip to Belgium being the longest so far. As only a second bike for me I can't say a bad thing about it and could not think of a bike I would rather have even though mine is over 10 years old. For me it is really the perfect all rounder with excitement on tap and the lengendary Honda reliability.

I feel compelled to add to this list of fine reviews because I have to add that it is possible to pick up a £2500 Bird with low miles and it feel better than a £11000 2010 Blade. Now these are just my humble opinions so please no one get upset, and I do love fireblades, I had a 97 model. I booked a test drive on a 2010 Blade last August and rode the Bird to the dealers. It was a beautiful warm sunny day and I had the Blade for as long as I wanted. I did about 80 miles on fast A and B cornish roads (no speed cameras)I had a great time. Took the Blade back, got on the Bird to ride home on the same roads. The Bird felt better, faster, punchier, more stable and had more room, could still get my knee down and has better tank range. I couldn't contain my delight knowing I was riding the best bike in the world. Tip: The best mod for a Bird is to dump the original exhausts and fit a 4-1 titanium system, this loses 23 kilos overnight, this along with a 6mm riser on the rear shock utterly transforms the Bird and brings it bang up to date.

There are alot of reviews ahead of mine, and not without reason the CBR1100X is simply the best motorcycle available all things considered. It may not have the top end stretch of the newer liter bikes, or the hit off the bottom of the ZX14 etc, but make no mistake this is an obscenely fast bike. Yet, to stop at that would not do it justice. The real interesting aspect, the thing which sets this apart is the supernatural smoothness with which the blackbird conducts its smoothness, from the parking lot, to the standing mile and everywhere in between. Build quality, ergos, and wind protection are all topnotch, though i did experiance a rec/reg failure. The suspension is not adjustable, but it doesnt need to to be. The ride is great, even with a passenger, and it handles beautifully, inspiring absolute confidence. It is a great bike to ride, easily comfortbale further than the range of a tank. Small women seem to be quite comfy on back too. I wish the bike had hazard lights. All in all, thats my biggest complaint. Which is saying something about the excellence of the package.

This is my second Bird. After riding for almost 28 years I have to say its the best all round bike money can buy. Performance is well up to sports bike standards and you can ride it for more than an hour and still walk!

I brought my Bird in 2008 after I passed my DAS in 2006. I love the way the Bird delivers it's power and handles,yes its over 200KG but once on the move it handles very well...I think the MCN comparison to 170KG bikes is more bullshit chatter.U Don't have to be an Expert to figure out a 170KG bike is gonna be quicker in corners than a heavier one. Get ya leg over the Bird and take her for a blast - always brings a smile to Ya face :-)

Well since writing my last review I got bored with the BB so sold it and brought a Varadero. Very silly move on my part and so after 7 months of ownership I part exed it for another BB. My 5th one. I had intended to wait for the new VFR1200 but once I heard that it was going to cost £12k I gave up waiting. I am glad I did now because by what Ihave read it is not looking very good.So once again the BB gets my vote and if you are considering buying one then do because value for money wise they cannot be beaten and they are destined to become a classic