What we said then…
The Fireblade is better than ever. It’s 90% new, lighter, smaller, with more power and a plethora of rider aids. Over the years, the Blade has gone a little soft, put on a bit of weight, and appeared bulky alongside sharper rivals. But it’s a different story with the new bike. It’s still a Blade, but a much smaller, lighter and thinner one. The position of the bars, seat and pegs doesn’t feel much different from the old model, but the screen is tiny, the frontal area is small, almost like a supersport bike. Down the main straight at Portimao, with the full colour digital dash reading 175mph, I’ve got my bum pushed back against the seat hump as far it will go, with my chin…
