Replacement for Blackbird and Hornet

[winz]

Hi All,

I am considering selling the Blackbird and the Hornet in the next couple of months and getting something that is sort of in between. Leaning more to a sports than a naked.

One bike that a friend mentioned was a VFR800. I quite like the looks of them, but I want to have something lighter than the Blackbird and feel that the VFR isn't much lighter and about 40bhp down on power.

None of my bikes are daily commuters. My original idea was to get a 1000cc sports that has light touring capabilities. But not sure what to look for.

Budget is about £3.5k -£4k.
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Current Bikes: BMW K1200S
Previous: Honda CBR929RR, Honda CBR1100XX, Honda CB600F

[Mario_Kempes]

Gixxer 1000 or pre 2008 Fireblade. I've only tried the latter.
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2018 Speed Triple 1050 R
'65 Vespa 150S

[P.addy]

K5 GSXR1000.

If you find one in budget. Snap it up

[G]

I'd say - GSXR 1000 or 2008 and on Fireblade.
GSXR1000 always had less of an 'extreme' riding position that others of it's day.
Later fireblades are just about coming down to your budget and ABS with even MORE midrange than the GSXR.

You should easily get similar 'go' to your Hornet, while likely being more agile and sporty than the Hornet too.

[winz]

Hmm, I do like the idea of a GSXR1000. Lot lighter than the VFR. I think I will miss the speed of the Blackbird if I did go for a VFR.

Will have to find a few local ones to see how they ride. I don't fancy anything too small is size or an extreme crouched positions being 6'2 and 16 stone. So anything roomier than the BB and Hornet would be a bonus.

I guess a sports is most definitely the way forward as I like the agility of the Hornet and the balls out speed of the BB.

Are there any other bike out there other than the ones mentioned?
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Current Bikes: BMW K1200S
Previous: Honda CBR929RR, Honda CBR1100XX, Honda CB600F

[RhynoCZ]

Some say a Fireblade is the benchmark of motorcycling, but as I'm a Kawasaki fan, I'd look at a '06/'07 onwards ZX10R. I don't quite like the look of the first generation of the ZX10R.

When/IF I'm gonna sell the ZX7R, I'm going for a ZX10R, or a '49/'50 CZ 150c.

EDIT: A mate has got the last generation of the 919RR and the build quality and performance is beyond my expectations even by today's standards.
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'87 Honda XBR 500, '96 Kawasaki ZX7R P1, '90 Honda CB-1, '88 Kawasaki GPz550, MZ 150 ETZ
'95 Mercedes-Benz w202 C200 CGI, '98 Mercedes-Benz w210 E200 Kompressor

[winz]

[RhynoCZ]

175kg (dry), the MCN says: https://www.motorcyclenews.com/bike-reviews/kawasaki/zx-10r/2006/

As I own a very heavy motorcycle (203.4 kg dry / 227 kg wet) at the moment, a 200 kg motorcycle with such engine (181 bhp, 85 ft-lb) wouldn't really bother me.

I was also looking at a ZX636R, but people ask silly money for those.

As I was saying, the second variant of my what to buy plan, would be a something completely different from what I've experienced so far. So a classic/vintage motorcycle or something extraordinary (to me), a boxer engine, a big single cylinder (in a sports motorcycle frame), even a V2.
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'87 Honda XBR 500, '96 Kawasaki ZX7R P1, '90 Honda CB-1, '88 Kawasaki GPz550, MZ 150 ETZ
'95 Mercedes-Benz w202 C200 CGI, '98 Mercedes-Benz w210 E200 Kompressor

[winz]

[winz]

[G]

K5 had a fairly major redesign, so less weight and more power etc.


It was considered 'the' litre bike for some time and allowed Suzuki to rest on their laurels for a while.

The story goes that BMW bought two of them to reverse engineer for their S1000RR.

[winz]

[woo]

if the GSXR 1000 k5/k6 (same model) is too small try the GSXR 1000 k3/k4 (same model)
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Elen sila lummen omentielvo!

[Aspire2]

Get a FZ1. Covers all bases and will be just as quick on the road as a sports bike.

[RhynoCZ]

[Aspire2]

how fast do you ride on the road?

[Polarbear]

[Matt B]

[stevo as b4]

ZX12R's as big and comfy as they are don't help OP in the slightest in his quest to change bikes or get the best of both bikes he has now in a single machine. I'd feel cheated if I sold a tidy Bird to get another 1200/1300 rival too.

My issue with K5/6 GSXR's is that if they were for most of the noughties the best Road riding litre bike, is there enough of them out there now to go around? Also is it worth paying a premium for one over another manufacturers 1000 of the same age/spec.

And I can't remember the last time I saw an early GSXR1000 either!

I was thinking of another big tall bike in the RSV1000 but I guess it's also not much lighter than a VFR800 and can't do luggage and pillions as well either?

I'd be tests riding a VFR before deciding on what to get, but in my mind it's only a sporty 600 that's possibly going to be as fun to throw about and work it hard on the road like the Hornet.

Tldr, replacing a blackbird is not that hard to an extent, but replacing the laughs of the Hornet is IMO.

[Doovy]

[RhynoCZ]

[winz]

SOme seriosu food for thought here.

[winz]

[P.addy]

[G]

I believe he's suggesting the K3 and K4 are the same separately to the newer ones.