MarJay's 1995 FireBlade project - lots of small jobs

MarJay · But it's British! Joined: 15 Sep 2003 Karma :

I had some time this evening so I fitted the replacement brake discs. The brakes are WAAY better. Not perfect yet, but they work like brakes now rather than trying to stop by doing nothing.

The bike is so much fun, but the issue for it's place in my garage may be comfort. The reach to the bars is just. so. long!

But it does look cool, it rides nicely and it takes me back to the '90s.

https://www.bikechatforums.com/files/img_0491_101.jpg
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British beauty: Triumph Street Triple R; Loony stroker: KR1S; Track fun: GSXR750 L1; Commuter Missile: GSX-S1000F; Cheap project: CBR900RR FireBlade
Remember kids, bikes aren't like lego. You can't easily take a part from one bike and then fit it to another.

blurredman · World Chat Champion Joined: 18 Sep 2010 Karma :

I know you would have preferred golden, but I think the black suits it well.
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CBT: 12/06/10, Theory: 22/09/10, Module 1: 09/11/10, Module 2: 19/01/11
Past: 1991 Honda CG125BR-J, 1992 (1980) Honda XL125S, 1996 Kawasaki GPZ500S, 1979 MZ TS150.
Current: 1973 MZ ES250/2 - 18k, 1979 Suzuki TS185ER - 10k, 1981 Honda CX500B - 91k, 1987 MZ ETZ250 (295cc) - 40k, 1989 MZ ETZ251 - 51k.

MarJay · But it's British! Joined: 15 Sep 2003 Karma :

A100man · World Chat Champion Joined: 19 Aug 2013 Karma :

MarJay · But it's British! Joined: 15 Sep 2003 Karma :

Took it for a quick ride again this afternoon. It just rules. It's uncomfortable, and it doesn't really like pootling along - although there are bikes that are worse. But it feels like the 90s somehow.

https://www.bikechatforums.com/files/img_0499.jpg

And... the BRAKES WORK. They don't just work, they work *well*. Ok... so it's probably the worst out of my 5 bikes in terms of brakes but good brakes are extremely important to me, and my bikes happen to all have good ones. The two Suzooks have Brembo M4 calipers, and RCS19 Master cylinders, the Street Triple has a fantastic Nissin setup that can allow the bike to roll along on the front wheel at will. The KR1S has a fully rebuilt braking system and weighs about 120kg so will stop on a dime.

It may be the brakes continue to improve as they bed in, but I'm very happy. The bike is now rideable. It flicks into bends with a reassuring feel. It's not twitchy or nosey, but it also feels like the front and back are together. Which is weird as it's a 32 year old bike with 42k miles, and yet the shock feels good! I can see why this bike was such a revelation back in the day. It just works so well as a package. Even the comfort was much less of an issue on my 1.5hr ride, which I think is to do with the warmer weather, and not having a cold breeze blasting my neck.

I also had something of a weird experience where the back end stepped out slightly on a roundabout. I think there was a crack in the surface that is turning into a pothole. It did scare me a bit, but the thing that sticks out in my mind the most is how the bike felt like it had it under control. It did not react unexpectedly and it gave me plenty of warning before gaining grip again with no drama. I am so happy that I got this particular bike. I was extremely lucky to get a bike whose issues were all pretty much easy fixes - although my other half does say that she thinks it might be because I know what I'm doing a bit, maybe? I'm not very good at blowing my own Trumpet to be honest. Unless it's an actual Trumpet, which I can play a little.
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British beauty: Triumph Street Triple R; Loony stroker: KR1S; Track fun: GSXR750 L1; Commuter Missile: GSX-S1000F; Cheap project: CBR900RR FireBlade
Remember kids, bikes aren't like lego. You can't easily take a part from one bike and then fit it to another.

MarJay · But it's British! Joined: 15 Sep 2003 Karma :

Can now confirm that the headlight is excellent, and the main beam is probably the best main beam on any vehicle I've owned - Maybe not including the HID lights on the Porsche... but it's certainly the best main beam on any bike I've owned.
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British beauty: Triumph Street Triple R; Loony stroker: KR1S; Track fun: GSXR750 L1; Commuter Missile: GSX-S1000F; Cheap project: CBR900RR FireBlade
Remember kids, bikes aren't like lego. You can't easily take a part from one bike and then fit it to another.