New bike day - ‘97 CBR900RR

[Sammo123]

After fancying another bike for a while but having no money this popped up on Facebook Marketplace last week. The guy was getting rid of it because it scared the crap out of him and has sat in his garage for the last couple of years.

He wanted a very reasonable amount of money for it. An amount of money that I didn’t have. However he was also interested in swapping it for something else. Hmmmm, I wonder if he’d fancy an old Harley Sportster that’s semi dismantled and doesn’t currently run. Turns out that’s exactly what he fancied.

So today we did a straight swap. My semi dismantled, non running old Sportster for his semi running, complete Fireblade



I’m well chuffed with it to be honest. It’s a bit tatty (which I knew anyway) and it needs some work on the chokes because they’re not opening properly, which makes it nigh on impossible to start from cold, but it’s a Fireblade and it’s all mine

The plan is to drop it at the local bike shop for them to have a look at the carbs and also give it a general check over. We’ve got our baby being born on Wednesday so I’m going to have my hands full for the foreseeable future and won’t be able to tinker much myself. Once it’s up and running I’ll be using it as a commuter but also for an occasional weekend blast with my brother and his mates. Can’t wait!

[Krikkit]

Looks like a good purchase, lovely bikes these

[carinaman]

Congratulations on the new arrivals.

I stalked your profile to see what was in the garage. My thoughts were correct about what that is.

[Time4another]

sounds a good deal to me. Congrats.

[Sammo123]

carinaman said:

Congratulations on the new arrivals.

I stalked your profile to see what was in the garage. My thoughts were correct about what that is.

Didn’t even notice I’d got the car in shot

[carinaman]

Sammo123 said:

Didn’t even notice I’d got the car in shot

I am not a morning person but I noticed the wheelbarrow first. My interest in passivation pre-dates me failing to protect my new bike before winter last year or ruling out MT-07s due to swingarm corrosion.


It's an overused, cliched term, but early Fireblades are iconic, a bit like Kawasaki Z1 or Triumph Bonneville. I know it's just a model name or brand but the early ones really look good to me. I think it's something to do with the rear half. I think it's swingarm, rear suspension, tail cowls, and the sweep of the frame diagonally towards the swingarm pivot. I am not into motorcycle racing so i don't think it's any comparison with competition bikes. It's difficult for me to describe but typing this I guess it's like a really well styled car that's not overstyled or been tarted up with a facelift.

Edited by carinaman on Monday 28th October 07:54

[Ian Geary]

Looks nice

I have a '99 T register one of these



I paid too much for it from a dealer after my street triple got nicked, but it suits me well.

I can't say I've found it scary, though if I redlined it everywhere then I would be well out of my depth.

It's been pretty reliable apart from perished carb o rings and leaky fuel tap, though I have just put on a new radiator, rear shock and new wheel and head bearings whilst I was at it.

[toasty]

Ian Geary said:

Looks nice

I have a '99 T register one of these



I paid too much for it from a dealer after my street triple got nicked, but it suits me well.

I can't say I've found it scary, though if I redlined it everywhere then I would be well out of my depth.

It's been pretty reliable apart from perished carb o rings and leaky fuel tap, though I have just put on a new radiator, rear shock and new wheel and head bearings whilst I was at it.

Looks just like the one I had back in '99.

[black-k1]

Congratulations. It looks lovely. I hope you have many happy miles together.

[TorqueDirty]

Very nice, especially as it was a no cash swap.

I bought a 1 owner, 20k miles 1999 blade a couple of months ago. Last of the carbs. Really like it.

Enjoy, once you get it sorted. I had a '96 model years ago as well and had issues with the carbs getting gummed up after it was stored for a few years.

[Sammo123]

TorqueDirty said:

Very nice, especially as it was a no cash swap.

I bought a 1 owner, 20k miles 1999 blade a couple of months ago. Last of the carbs. Really like it.

Enjoy, once you get it sorted. I had a '96 model years ago as well and had issues with the carbs getting gummed up after it was stored for a few years.

I need to have a proper look at the carbs. I’ve seen what the choke mechanism should do, so just need to see what mine is or isn’t doing and then go from there. The guy I bought it from had the carbs ultrasonically cleaned recently so hopefully there’s no gunk in them.

[TorqueDirty]

Sammo123 said:

TorqueDirty said:

Very nice, especially as it was a no cash swap.

I bought a 1 owner, 20k miles 1999 blade a couple of months ago. Last of the carbs. Really like it.

Enjoy, once you get it sorted. I had a '96 model years ago as well and had issues with the carbs getting gummed up after it was stored for a few years.

I need to have a proper look at the carbs. I’ve seen what the choke mechanism should do, so just need to see what mine is or isn’t doing and then go from there. The guy I bought it from had the carbs ultrasonically cleaned recently so hopefully there’s no gunk in them.

My old one was dynojetted amongst other things and when I tried to clean the carbs I discovered that the needles were goosed, especially the idle needles I think. I also recall that I could not swap out all the needles because the carb body was damaged where some of the needles screw in so I just bought a replacement set of std carbs. With the old carbs the bike was a complete animal (in a visceral very fast kind of way) but with the replacement carbs it was totally docile.

No doubt if I had got it professionally set up it would have been better but I was selling it anyway so never bothered.

Also, on both my bikes the choke always went back in of it's own accord once the bike was started, and usually before it should, so I had to keep pulling the choke out again until it was running happily. No big deal - as presume they all do that by design.

[8IKERDAVE]

Very nice. A bike I've hankered over for years - it would definitely be in my collection.

[garypotter]

i still have a 95 cbr 99 rrs model owned now for 25 years, must get time to get it backon the road as it was such a lovely bike to ride,

[Sammo123]

Well my Son arrived on Wednesday. Good and healthy and a very happy baby

Hopefully we’ll be going home tomorrow and then once the madness has calmed down I can get the bike sorted ready for when I go back to work.

[Mr Squarekins]

Excellent. First bike I ever 'backed in '. On a series of roundabouts on the Black Country route. At the last roundabout I caught traffic. A van pulled up next to me with two blokes 'woop wooping' out of the windows

[Sammo123]

I’ve spoken to the local bike shop and he’s booked me in for the first week of December. He asked if I was in a rush for the bike back (which I’m not) so said if I drop it off during the quiet period he can look at it in between other jobs and then not charge me for the full time taken. Just whatever the book time is for getting the carbs off etc.

I’ve also been looking at the various colour schemes 90’s ‘Blades came in with a view to having it spruced up once it’s up and running. I think this is the winner!!

[carinaman]

Your thread sent me off looking at adverts for early Fireblades and there was one on Autotrader that was silver and no graphics on the fairing. It looked bland as if it could've been a late 80s non-GSXR Suzuki or a Triumph Sprint.

[Sammo123]

carinaman said:

Your thread sent me off looking at adverts for early Fireblades and there was one on Autotrader that was silver and no graphics on the fairing. It looked bland as if it could've been a late 80s non-GSXR Suzuki or a Triumph Sprint.

I’ve just had a look and totally agree. Very nondescript in just silver.

[carinaman]

Sammo123 said:

I’ve just had a look and totally agree. Very nondescript in just silver.

I suppose it may be useful if you want to blend in and not attract attention.