Litre sports bikes

Honda Fireblade

Phone around for insurance before you even decide to buy a FireBlade (the same is true for the R1). You just might get a shock.

Most firms insist on two years’ no-claims, as well as two years’ experience riding a bike over 750cc. They won’t touch you unless you’ve got both – and can prove it.

And, when they do, the premium they quote can sound more like the phone number you’ve just rung them on. You’ll need an approved alarm and immobiliser at the very least and, most likely, a garage.

Once you do decide to buy one, the next step is to choose the model. Honda has revised the bike every two years since its 1992 launch and their characteristics differ wildly.

As a rule of thumb, the later the model year, the easier it will be to ride.

The first bikes felt savage and unrefined compared to later models, but they’re also the most collectible.

Just as a BSA Gold Star is worth a packet today, the original FireBlade will probably net its owners a small fortune in another 20 years or so.

But, for sheer value for money, you should look to the later models, from 1996 onwards.

More refined than the earlier bikes and old enough to have depreciated significantly, they are reliable, fast, easy to ride and in plentiful supply.

They can manage over 50mpg if you ride them really gently and aren’t far behind later Blades (except the 2002 model) in performance terms.

Make sure any Blade you’re looking at hasn’t been raced – quite a few have found their way on to the track.

Pay particular attention to the discs. On early models they were so prone to warping and cracking they forced a safety recall.

Also examine the end can of early Blades – the paint peels all too easily, though by now most owners will have fitted aftermarket cans. If the bike you’re buying doesn’t come with a road-legal end can, expect to have to fork out a couple of hundred pounds to get one so you can pass your next MoT. Race exhausts don’t cut it with either the Ministry or the boys in blue.

Other commonly fitted accessories include steering dampers, braided hoses and race-spec brake pads (which can wear stock discs at an alarming rate).

The bike is also likely to come with a gaudy aftermarket fairing screen and, possibly, a headlamp cover. Only clear or yellow ones are legal. Any other colour could get you fined.

Aftermarket indicators and tiny illegal number plates are also commonplace, as is a sprinkling of coloured anodised bolt-ons.

There’s a good chance the Blade you look at will be a parallel import. Thousands have been sold in the UK. A parallel should be £200 to £300 cheaper than an official import.

Imports might have a speedo in kilometres per hour. Illegal, but easily rectified with an mph overlay. It may also have a headlight which ” dips ” the wrong way – an MoT failure. But what will really spoil your fun is a French or German import capped at 100bhp. Check the warning decals (octane rating or tyre pressures) – they’ll be in the language of the country the bike was destined for.

Avoid tuned engines. The best Blade going is the one which is as stock as possible, with a full service history. For 98 per cent of riders, the Blade’s power will be more than enough. The other two per cent are chasing race contracts.

And don’t forget every alteration and non-stock part will need to be declared to your insurance company – potentially sending your premium into orbit.

Litre sports bike bargain: Yamaha R1

IF you can afford the insurance cover, a used R1 could be the bargain of the year.

It is one of the riding experiences. ” Awesome ” is a much over-used adjective, but the R1 is a superlative machine.

However, hold off buying one for a couple of months until the new-for-2002 model is in the shops. Because with its radical new looks and improved performance, the advent of the new R1 should force the price of nearly-new ones down (though the drop probably won’t be reflected in three or four-year-old models, which have already depreciated by almost 60 per cent of their original price).

Make sure any R1 you look at has been in for its recall modifications. There have been plenty of recalls on the model in its short lifetime, though none have been major jobs,

or compromised safety.

It’s a more focused machine than the Honda FireBlade and the ballistic performance has prompted many new owners to sell quickly once they realise the R1 is simply too much for them.

And with such race-bred and focused manners, it’s not difficult to see why.

A Blade is easy to ride on most roads at speed. An R1 isn’t necessarily, due to a responsive, sometimes nervous, front end and fast steering. A steering damper is a must.

A test ride might have you thinking something is wrong with the gearbox. They’re all a little stiff in the lower gears, but the movement becomes slicker as you shift up into the higher gears. You could just stick it in top and cruise on the torque all day.

Many of these bikes will have found their way to a track. This isn’t a problem, just exercise the usual caution when buying a bike with a potential race history and keep an eye out for too-new bodywork on a tired-looking frame with chipped wheels.

Despite its huge performance, the R1 is surprisingly fuel-efficient.

It’s easy to get 45mpg, though this can drop to 25mpg, or less, when ridden hard. It’s not so good with tyres, though, happily chewing a sticky rear in 1000 miles or less.

Spares prices are reasonable and, for the most part, are a bit lower than the FireBlade’s.

A single clip-on handlebar, for example, is £63. It’s £82 for a Blade.

Commonly-fitted accessories include a race can, mushroom crash protectors, a taller fairing screen, race brake pads and braided lines.

Given its single-minded nature, a surprisingly high number of owners complain the bike feels cramped, that there’s not enough leg room and that too much of their weight is placed over the bars, causing cramping and aching wrists.

Others say it has so much performance on tap it’s difficult to feel you’re riding it hard, removing much of the buzz.

Secondhand prices have been further hit by Suzuki’s GSX-R1000, which stole the mantle of top superbike from Yamaha’s flagship. Owners claim they have difficulty selling, partly because of the problems insuring one and partly because of the huge numbers up for sale.

That makes it very much a buyer’s market, so don’t be afraid to haggle.

Others to look out for:

Suzuki GSX-R1000

More powerful and better-handling than any of its four-cylinder rivals, but still fairly new, so there aren’t many around. MCN’s 2001 Machine of the Year is more performance-oriented than the FireBlade and slightly less user-friendly, but nowhere near as scary to ride as you’d think – or as frightening as your tyre bills.

PRICE: £5000-£8000

Kawasaki ZX-9R

Kawasaki’s long-serving sports bike is more FireBlade than R1 or GSX-R1000, but it’s a bit too heavy and not as exciting to ride as its rivals. What it does have is blistering straight-line speed and plenty of comfort, so if you’re planning a long-distance summer trek any time soon, it’s ideal. A loyal following among fans means you’ll have a job bargaining down clean examples.

PRICE: £2250-£6200

Ducati 916/996

Achieved iconic status within six months of launch with its combination of looks, handling, sound and powerful V-twin motor. Downsides are a very firm ride and uncomfortable riding position around town. Careful servicing is a must. You’ll get plenty of admiring looks when you park it up – but make sure they’re not coming from a dodgy-looking bloke with a ramp in his van.

PRICE: £4600-£8200

Aprilia RSV Mille

Get past the drop-dead gorgeous looks and you’ll find a bike that’s equally beautiful to ride. The engine is as strong as a bison and the handling is so precise you’ll go miles out of your way to find bends. The rather top-heavy feel can catch novices out, though, and the snatchy fuel-injected V-twin can be a pain around town. Most people can live with it for those looks, though.

PRICE: £4000-£7200