2002 'blade - what to look for

[Gone]

OK, madness is eating away at my mind...a month after breaking a 12 year biking 'fast' with a GSX 1100, I am destroying myself with the craving for more. There is a 2002 Fireblade for sale locally (I won't tell you the price, but about as much as buying one in the UK, shipping or driving it over, then paying duty and tax and registering it here). Is there anything specific to this bike/year that needs looking at more closely than usual? Any known weaknesses/faults to pay attention to? I have got as far as contacting the owner....

FD

[Welshd1k]

dont the sump plug area's rot? the ally sump vs the sump bolt? or is that the latter ones?
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Current >Cb600fx hornet, ns125rk90 21.7bhp@wheel<
Sold >,zxr400 h2 (33bhp kit) rd350 n1 rd350 lc2<

[Hetzer]

If it's a 929, don't do it.
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"There's the horizon! Ride hard, ride fast and cut down all who stand in your way!"

[Gone]

I think it's a 954, what is wrong with the 929?

[Hetzer]

[Rowey]

I believe there was a recall regarding lower fork legs and steering head bearings. Might want to check they've been done and if there's anything else.

Other than that, just look for the usual.
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ZX6R C6F.
Never argue with an idiot. They'll only bring you down to their level, and beat you with experience.

[Rowey]

I think the sump rot was with the early 1000RR's
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ZX6R C6F.
Never argue with an idiot. They'll only bring you down to their level, and beat you with experience.

[Rowey]

929:

https://indianautosblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/02/honda-fireblade-929-1.jpg

954:

https://www.33rebels.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/12/honda-cbr954rr-left-front.gif
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ZX6R C6F.
Never argue with an idiot. They'll only bring you down to their level, and beat you with experience.

[Gone]

Thanks, all advice is welcome and useful, will be looking at it tomorrow, weather permitting (forecast is lousy).

[Gone]

Thanks for the pics, reminds me of a spot the difference competition!

[Clanger]

I would always check it has two wheels for starters....
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Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don't matter, and those who matter won't mind - Dr. Seuss

[supZ]

its a honda so dont be afraid of the mileage as long as its got plenty of receipts/service history.

but because its a honda reg/recs can be weak and check for that common CCT rattle (a bit of valve noise is common on these bikes however)

other than that check the usual. i had a 2002-2003 buying guide i found in a fastbikes (i think) mag when i was looking for mine and the only negative or thing to look for they could think of was 'make sure it hasnt been crashed' which tells you a lot about how good the bike is that only people binning it would cause problems.

overall its a beautiful and fantastic bike and you're gonna love it

love mine to bits.

silly fast, great for w/e blasts yet practical enough for the daily commute and whacking some soft panniers and a tank bag on got me through a week long 1660+ mile tour of scotland last week, perfectly comfortable
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CBR954RR - Daily toy
CBR600RR - Trackbike

[Gone]

[Gone]

[supZ]

when i bought mine it was on about 32k miles but the guy had owned it from new, absolutely mint with a full service history from my local dealer

guy only lived in the next town

its sweet as a nut so yeh as said, dont worry too much about what is normally considered 'high' mileage. as long as its looked after it'll keep on going forever

i was surprised myself i was as comfortable as i was. i bought the bike wanting something faster but didnt want to compromise too much on comfort and didnt expect it to be as good as it was. i've fitted stompgrip to mine to help reduce any fatigue from gripping the tank for so long and i definately think that helped.

was weird, i expected to be half dead after the 300 miles to our first stop let alone the rest of the week but i jumped off fresh as a daisy! yeh i got a bit of a numbbum and an achy knee/ankle after a few days in but nothing a shift around or quick rest break didnt cure
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CBR954RR - Daily toy
CBR600RR - Trackbike

[Gone]

Tested the 'blade - what a machine, fast, flexible, and made a twisty road seem straight. Mind you, it felt so small after my old GSX I thought I was on a 250 until I opened the throttle.

Not sure is THE one for me, though, it was been crashed at some time (owner told me) and the price is pretty high, so will probably steel myself to travelling a bit to try a few more.

[The Tot]

My 929 is playing up BIG TIME but I'm not going to even break even if i try to sell it! It's an underrated bike cos it got overshadowed by the R1 and Gixxer of its time. 954's are more refined and accomplished.

Mine is a £££ Money pit! Mechanically it's perfect. Electrically, it WANTS to be a ducati! I've had Reg rec go on me, then poof went the Cam Angle Sensor meaning that I was £420 down after southern cross spent 4 hours trying to find the problem and then it NOW needs a new battery after being on the charger twice in as many weeks! I've ridden it in winter and looking back through the MOT certificates through to 2006, I have put 20000 miles in 18 months of ownership. I bought it at 12.4k in feb 09 and it's now on 32k. But has served me well and abused the winter snow.

929's had fork bottom recalls due to stress corrosion cracking as a result of winter salt - honda need decent materials engineers (or better suppliers) since their casting was susceptible. 06-07 1000 RR's had the issue with the bimetallic corrosion on the sump - magnesium alloy + steel = a nice chunk of your sump boss eaten away!

954's had the steering head bearing issue. Cured by getting the suspension set up or with a steering damper. I never found my 929 flighty even when pushing hard on sports touring tyres.

OK, but the good points are

1) They (954 and 929's) handle like 600's and are treated as such - I treat mine like 600 on roids. Feedback is good and it's pretty neutral.
2) 954's have upgraded fuel injection so it's less jerky than 929.
3) Both have big underseat storage to hide Madeline McCann in bits.

Mods i've put on mine are stompgrip and fake pazzo levers to make the clutch less heavy and improve the ergonomics. I got the suspension rebuilt by HM racing to the tune of £680 - sprung and set up to my road riding.

Consumables WILL need replacing for any bike this age. My discs warped so I put galfers on them since they were cheaper than OEM.

In short, if a 30k 954 is going for the same price as a low miler 929, get the 954 since you're going to spend £££ trying to sort out the small niggles. I love my bike no matter how many hissy fits it throws at me.

Certain components are common to both, but a LOT of 954's hold their value better. Might you be tempted by an R1 or Gixxer?
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The Tot 2019 Z1000SX - 2007 R1
Never argue with autism

[robs321]

Got the last 03 954 kent bikes ever sold. Its probably the best bike ive owned so far cos it does everything well. Itll out scratch me, its fast enough to get you banned in seconds, and itll tour all day long. The front forks were recalled and any main dealer will let you know if they need replacing FOC. The only thing that I have found is the front is very soft and could do with a bit of a revamp! And this is the last blade Tadao Baba designed. It may be a keeper if I cant find a mint SP2

[Gone]

Thanks, decided to try a few more before deciding, the market is very slow here now the autumn has arrived. Before testing the first one I went for a Pizza and the owner of the Pizzeria was trying to sell a '96 Fireblade, everyone's at it!

[Gone]

Just back from a 500 km round trip to see blade #2, which is where the saga ends as I have bought it. Just need to find a way to go and get it! 2003 model, 40k km, perfect condition, looks and feels like a new bike. Will need new tyres and chain before the spring, but the price reflected this. Should have it in my shed in a week to 10 days time.

[Bikeless]

Look for Honda on the tank,if it says Suzuki,it's probably a GSXR,

[Gone]

[Bikeless]

*waves hand over head*...it was a joke mate,nevermind glad to hear you got one although i prefer the early ones,

[Gone]

Thanks for the tips guys, collected my 'blade today, now safely tucked away for the night. Full story: https://www.bikechatforums.com/viewtopic.php?t=205914&highlight=