Motorcycle News homepage

06/06/2006 - 2006 Fireblade hits the mark!

HONDA’S SMALL CHANGES to the 2006 Fireblade really add up to a big difference when you get to ride it.

The whole bike feels perkier, slimmer and a good deal more precise than the previous version. Which is bizarre, as the 2004-2005 bike was all of the above. When you crack that throttle for the first time you really feel the peppier nature of the latest machine, you do feel the gearing changes (up two teeth on the back to 42t) even if you don’t immediately appreciate the other changes made to the heart of the motor. But let’s be honest - at the bottom and in the mid-range is where most of us ride these bikes.

Handling-wise, the new ‘blade feels a tad sharper still. A shorter swing-arm and geometry changes make this Fireblade feel quicker than ever when it comes to direction changes and again the previous bike was no slouch.

The 2005 machine’s brakes were excellent, if suffering from a little fade with hard track use, but not so with these latest stoppers. The discs on the 2006 bike are larger but also lighter than before, which also helps the bike turn that little bit quicker.

But the best bit of all is the fact that it’s still so Fireblade and so very Honda. It’s one of the very few ultimate megabikes that retains a modicum of proper usability and versatility. You can bungee things on the back and go places on it. Overall, Honda’s maths can’t be beaten: Fireblade X small changes = big difference!

Bertie Simmonds

For details of your nearest dealer, simply go to www.honda.co.uk/motorcycles/ and hit the dealer search button.