Having just read this month's Bike magazine... I can't help but think there's never going to be a bike to beat my blackbird.  I've had it for 6 years or so now and nothing makes me want to part-ex it in.   Within it's class (sports-tourer), nothing comes close in my opinion.   What other bikes are unbeatable in their class?                                                                                                                                                                             

Ohh can we sat Cat & Pigeons Matt ???

Its like anything , each will have their own ideas & some will even disagree with you (hope you wont be mad if they do ) 

Only having a couple of bikes I have limited knowledge, but the SV has been a fantastic 1st big bike, light, plenty of umpf when you want it, and VERY forgiving when little mistakes could have been very nasty (as snoopy knows ) 

I always knew I wanted an SV for my 1st, from sitting on one 6 years ago and I was told then that it made an ideal 1st big bike ,... how right they were .. 

The only thing & its purely personal is the riding position & thats only cos I have done my back in again   if it was not for my back I would not be getting rid I promise you 



                                                                                                                                                                             

I have just covered 2500 miles in a week on mine going through Europe up to the Alps and back to the D-Day beaches it didn't miss a beat and as I was on it for up to 15 hours a day it passed the comfort test in all conditions BMW R1200 GS the dogs cajones !!                                                                                                                                                                              

I'll post when I stopped laughing at your comment Matt !!!!!!! OK lets try the ZZR1400 ok probably heavier than your BB but just as capable, as are a whole shed load of other bikes, and as shell says what suits one person wont suit another, I had an SV as a loan bike once and was so pleased when I could give it back it was not for me with that 16 inch front wheel made it all feel so unstable.                                                                                                                                                                              

I think the Blackbird is an awesome bike and probably the best I've pillied on.   Think Honda really dropped a bollock (well if XK can) by scrapping it in favour of the VFR1200.                                                                                                                                                                              

The VFR gets my vote for ugliest bike in a line up of ugly things !!!!                                                                                                                                                                             

I too am struggling to think of what I would want next Matt.  I know I want to move away from the CB and back to something in the sport tourer vein again, but I can't think what.

I need good reliability (so far my CB has 63k on the clock and has cost me absolutely nothing other than normal servicing and tyres etc), which although people won't like this, tends to put me off the likes of the other three jap marques.

Not sure I want something uber-powerful because with my mileage I don't want a bike that eats tyres every 2k and chains every 10!

Am not interested in any way in the 1200 GS (sorry BT).  Firstly, not my sort of bike and secondly far too much of a clitoris bike* for me.  Pretty sure it wouldn't be anywhere near as popular if it wasn't for Charlie and Ewan!

Could be interested in a Blackbird, but put off slightly by the age of the engineering.  Oh and the reach (I am only 5' 6" lol).

Could be interested in a VFR12, but put off by the ridiculous price tag and the extremely wierd looks.

Could be interested in a K1300, but again that price!

Am thinking of a VFR800, but am concerned I may find it a little feeble in a torquey way compared to my CB.

I just don't know ....   And the issue that I have is that with my annual mileage I am likely to need to be looking in a year or two.



* Def: Clitoris bike; every c*nts got one                                                                                                                                                                              

I've had 2 zzr600's and it's put me off kwaks... both had rotting down pipes after a year                                                                                                                                                                             

Thanks BT. I will take that as a recommendation. I have been thinking of getting a R1200 or K1200. Don't care what people say, I love beemers. Especially airheads.                                                                                                                                                                             

I didn't think it was all because of Honda that they dropped it - I was under the impression that emissions laws killed off the Blackbird.                                                                                                                                                                             

They could have updated it though surely.                                                                                                                                                                              

who knows, I know of a few models (cars and bikes) that were killed off supposedly by emissions laws (my own car is one of them - even though it can do 60 mpg - and petrol not diesel) The Blackbird I think had carbs too rather than fuel injection. European market may have shifted away in favour of the Hayabusa (I see more of them around than Blackbirds) .  so Honda may have decided to develop something else, like the 1000Fireblade.                                                                                                                                                                             

Ha ha Geoff then again I had an Escort xr3i too   You might wonder why they are so popular KTM dropped an almighty clanger there imho                                                                                                                                                                              

lol @ BT!!

"almighty clanger" ... me reckons that's a serious, serious understatement mate!!                                                                                                                                                                             

Say what you want about the VFR 1200 it has some of the best developed running gear and it is well finished, you talk to an engineer in the know and they will tell you it's tank range of around 150 to 160 let's it down, personally I don't really travel much more than that in one go anyway.....it is comfortable good handling powerful with fully modern and tested parts that will out last e other gap rust buckets easily..... Let's face it Suzuki lacks a decent finish and Kawasaki well the are going down the cheap parts road now....if only the fuel tank was bigger...

I never said anything about it's quality, I just think it's ugly                                                                                                                                                                              

it is a love hate thing...one minute i look at it and i think yup nice then i see it again and think no, its ugly.....i just cant make my mind up but it rides like nothing else..really good on a trip...nearly bought one 3 times now..                                                                                                                                                                             

I agree with Wheelbarrow.  You're right Johnny, it is from what I can tell a very, very good bike.  But as Wheelbarrow says, it's ugly lol!

There is the argument that you can't see it when you're riding it.  But as we all know, part of the enjoyment is sitting back and admiring.   And I may prefer to stick a large paper bag over it lol!

Maybe in a few years it will have grown on me.  However, unless I win the lottery I can't see the circa £13,500 with luggage price tag ever growing on me.  My Saab (admittedly a year old when I got it) cost about the same!                                                                                                                                                                             

I don't know whether it's a blackbird beater, BUT the BMW K1200 R is an effin good bike - bloody fast, handles like a dream - even 2's up & fully loaded & it's comfy for a pillion  & it'll just pootle along all day with no complaints. Spesh did about 500 miles in one day with no probs like back ache, arm ache etc. & also it'll keep up with the 'sports' bikes no problem along the twisty's & the straights (obviously within the speed limits ocifer! )...mind you a lot of you have seen how Spesh rides   We're off to Spain on her in a few weeks time & I'm well looking forward to it                                                                                                                                                                              

Let's go down a notch from the expensive bikes then, this one even comes in the best colours. Just put z1000sx into google. The only thing against it might be the quality of the paintwork.