Looking at a Blackbird in Sydney, Australia

Roden

G'day everybody, just joined so I thought I'd say hi.

I haven't got a Blackbird (yet) but I am looking as I might be making a move soon to a fairly remote locality (Port Hedland, nth western Australia).

I want a machine that will eat up the miles and reliability is a major factor, especially when your out in the middle of nowhere.

My current ride is a '98 Triumph Sprint Sports which I love but believe it or not, parts are just not always in stock, even the most basic stuff and they have a few"quirks", nothing serious but you have to keep on top of them. Just not sure if its the bike to cross a continent on, which is what I'll be doing at some stage.

So, here I am, not with a Blackbird yet but doing my research I guess.

I'm having a test ride in the next week, its a black '06 with less than 10k on the clock, I suppose then, I'll be sold, right?

I've always had bikes with "character" if you know what I mean, how does the BB stack up in that department? I always liked the look of them, more understated than the competition, no lairy graphics, just purposeful.

I've read of a few issues with regulators, any particular year worse than the others? A lot of you have upgraded the suspension, I don't ride hard (really), would it worry me? A most important factor is fuel range at sane highway speeds. What are you guys getting?

Look forward to being part of the forum and hopefully getting aboard a Blackbird. If I work it right, I might just be able to keep the Trumpet....

Cheers,

Roden

051100xx

welcome along i am sure after your test ride you will be hooked i have done several 1200 km + days on my older 99 blackbird that i had no problems

my newer 2005 model is pretty much the same but with a digital dash it starts first time every time idles straight away and never seems to miss a beat

there are many owners that claim to never had to touch the valve clearances in over 50,000 kms and longer

the cam chain tensioner is a bit of hit and miss some seem to last and some seem to die but it is a cheap and easy fix to replace it yourself at home in about half an hour

it can be a bit thirsty if pushed but can also be fairly frugal if treated lightly but you aren't really buying a liter + bike for being a fuel miser are you

i seem to be averaging about 280 to 320 kms to a tank or roughly 16 to 18 km's per liter on the highway

i have emptied a tank in under 160 km's in anger as well but it was fun

i have also emptied a tank on the auto bahn in germany in 20 minutes roughly

after the triumph it will seem very quiet in the engine and maybe a bit buzzy but it can be deceptively fast and leave you thinking you are travelling slower than you actually are

i would if needed buy another one tomorrow without even blinking an eye
and i will buy the mystical replacement if it is anywhere near as good as the current model

all up great bike awesome engine it may not be the fastest or the sharpest handling but the bike as a whole exceeds the sum of it's parts

Roden

Thanks for the feedback, much appreciated.

I would be doing my own maintenance, I'm not too trusting of other people working on my bikes, no offence to any bike techs out there who might read this. Theres probably not a maintenance operation or mod I wouldn't attend to myself, thats half the fun I reckon.

Fuel consumption seems near the same as my Sprint and your right, the Triumph mill is mechanically noisy, it actually worried me for a while but I'm used to it now. It has the character of a "real" internal combustion engine, if you know what I mean, would I miss that with the Honda?
I always knew the Honda lump would be silky smooth.

A mate of mine has a Busa, mind blowing performance but a real handful to get through the corners, he has to work it hard to turn, lots of muscle needed. The suspension is also really stiff, even after backing it right off it jars him hard on rough roads. I suspect the Bird may be a cushier ride than the Busa and even my Sprint and perhaps will corner easier. I'm not expecting sharp sport bike handling but I do like a degree of stability. Also, at 150 odd horsepower, I think performance would be adequate for this half centurion!

I really like the look of a 4 into 1 system on the bird, particularly with a nice carbon can. A fair weight saving too I suspect. I have never heard one though but I'm guessing it would sound sweet.

The other thing attracting me to this machine is the fact that they are really affordable, a whole lot of performance for not a whole lot of money, especially when you compare to the competition.

I'll keep watching and browsing here and report on my thoughts after a test ride.

As big Kev would have said - "I'm excited!"

Strek

Roden... Welcome from the windy city. I see that you did post up an intro so you can ignore my other post in the other thread. Yes these bikes are reliable. The CCT and the R&R being a few probable issues for some. The XX handles better then a busa IMO. Shorter wheelbase and feels quicker on turn-in. Some folks have made mods to the suspension. I feel that the front end on the XX hits a bit hard but not as hard as the busa or the ZX14. I know that there is a thread up where someone put a busa fork on an XX so perhaps there are some that feel the eyeabuser front end is better. I don't count myself as a member of that group.

Nutter67

G'day from Melbourne, good luck with the test ride. Try not to go into it with the mindset of this bike WILL blow my mind, but be pleasantly surprised when it does.

05 models and later automatically run the "double green dot" CCT - which is waht John and Jaws sell as replacement units.

05 and later R/R's have redesigned cooling fins. I havent heard of one of these failing yet.

4-1 exhausts quite often push the power higher up into the rev range. If you want to get away from the stealth mode, then try Yosh RS3'3 or Staintunes, etc - plenty of posts here about exhausts - search is your friend.

__________________
Paul

Never let a motorcycle take you somewhere your brain didn't get to three seconds earlier

CanadianBird

Welcome. For the suspsion you'll have to replace the rear and rebuild the front but not for 35-50,000 kms. Penske for rear, and Jaws/suspension and Race Tec Gold Valves for the front. Replacing the front end is expensive, time consuming and best to be a good tech if you do it yourself. The suspension is a weak spot of the Bird, in my opinion, and experience. You'll love this big comfy mile eater. Honda calls it "The Gentleman's Express".

DragonXX

G'day from the Gold Coast.
You'll find plenty of unbiased recommendations here
Keep an ear out for an FI model as I consider them a bit more economical for the large miles you want to chew up

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" 'Birds of a feather, flock together "

Quote of the month: "There is no wealth like knowledge, and no poverty like ignorance." - Guatama Buddha

SilverBrd

From Texas!!

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02 Silver Bird, Scorpion Carbon Fiber Exhaust, Zero Gravity Double Bubble, Power Commander, & more Mods to come!!!

rustydog

Hi Roden,be a bit careful if you do go for a 4 into 1 exhaust on some of them you will need to remove the centre stand. I guess if you dont mind doing that it could be a weight saving option.Cheers and good luck.

Strek

Yes, rustydog is correct. Many (not all) of hte 4 into 1 require removal of the center stand.

Roden

G'day all, thanks for the replies. I haven't pulled the trigger yet, lots of other things are getting in the way like an impending move, daughter coming home after a year OS and other stuff but you can be assured that the time is nigh....

I definitely would not want to lose the centre stand and I'm liking the Yoshi cans - cf are the goods IMHO.

I am liking the blue but keep getting drawn to black, yes, it has to be black.

There are some sweet BB's out there with really low kays which pricing wise, blow the competition out of the water!

I'll keep you all posted...

Cheers,

Roden

ArmyStrong

and good luck on the acquisition!

__________________
Murphys 6th law of combat operations:
If it's stupid but it works, it ain't stupid.

Para045

It may pay to get a BB in Sydney before the move as you will get a better deal than over here
Especially if you are going to Port Hedland there is not a lot in the way of bike shops up there

Talking top a lot of the guys on OzBB you have been able to get a new BB for around $13999 ride away in some places over east whereas the best here in Perth is ~$15990 ride away

Catenaccio

I've owned and still own Triumphs. Great bikes. As a wise friend once said...Keep the toys.