Second bike in the garage

[ndivita]

I have become the proud and fortunate owner of this fine CBR1100XX specimen, a 2003 model with a mere 3173 miles. I had one a couple of years ago, and sold it for no good reason, certainly no reason better than the reason for buying it in the first place. Some pics of the new arrival for your amusement:

 

[SkooterG]

Cool. Always wanted one of those.

 

[Bigbeavk]

She is a beauty! Nice find.

 

[Big Sky]

Congrats on the acquisition of one of the best bikes ever made. These are real sweethearts. First thing I'd do (and did)? Get rid of the schlocky graphics on the fairing lowers. I sold my XX to my nephew, so know where it lurks in case I need a fix.

 

[lnewlf]

My best riding bud has one of those and we have done thousands of miles together..I'm pleased to say that I can take him in any contest you care to name with the FJR. [Only because he never twists the tail of that 'bird!] He has Corbin bags and a tall shield on it and it does OK on long rides.

 

[exskibum]

Conga rats on having that second XX in your possession. I keep toying with selling mine, but just can't seem to part with it. (Same as your situation, my '03 is my second Blackbird -- the first having been a '97.)

 

[Harald]

Congrats on an awesome bike! I had the original 1997 XX that I liked so much I kept it for 10 years, but only put a measly 35k miles on it in that time due to family responsibilities. Not enough room in the garage back in 07 when I bought my FJR, so I sold the XX to a guy from MO who flew out and rode it home. Almost had a tear in my eye when I watched it roll down the driveway. :cray:

 

[SouthernCruizer]

Congrats on an awesome bike! I had the original 1997 XX that I liked so much I kept it for 10 years, but only put a measly 35k miles on it in that time due to family responsibilities. Not enough room in the garage back in 07 when I bought my FJR, so I sold the XX to a guy from MO who flew out and rode it home. Almost had a tear in my eye when I watched it roll down the driveway. :cray:

*******************************

How do the Feejer and the blackbird compare?

 

[ndivita]

Congrats on an awesome bike! I had the original 1997 XX that I liked so much I kept it for 10 years, but only put a measly 35k miles on it in that time due to family responsibilities. Not enough room in the garage back in 07 when I bought my FJR, so I sold the XX to a guy from MO who flew out and rode it home. Almost had a tear in my eye when I watched it roll down the driveway. :cray:

*******************************

How do the Feejer and the blackbird compare?

Others on this board have more experience with both bikes but I have my share on each. The FJR is the perfect sport tourer in my opinion whereas the Blackbird, if set up properly, can come damn close to being the perfect sport tourer. The Blackbird is super-fast, stable and drop dead gorgeous, to my way of thinking. It has a near cult-following and a certain mystique about it the FJR lacks. Both exemplify reliability and each instills high degrees of rider confidence (but it better not be overconfidence) even in a ham like me. I have a pet theory that there are certain vehicles, at certain times, that certain manufacturers just get right. I include the FJR 1300 and the CBR1100XX among such vehicles. You can find bikes that surpass either of these bikes in a given performance characteristic, though I don't know why that would be necessary. But when you add them all up, you will look long and hard before you can find better all around motorcycles. I could argue the Blackbird is not sufficiently different from the FJR to warrant its presence in my garage alongside the FJR, but I cannot help myself. It is just too good and too beautiful a machine. It is one svelte and swift beast. Besides, it drives my Harley-bound brother and riding partner crazy, and it will make my FJR last longer.

 

[FlyingJ]

Congrats on an awesome bike! I had the original 1997 XX that I liked so much I kept it for 10 years, but only put a measly 35k miles on it in that time due to family responsibilities. Not enough room in the garage back in 07 when I bought my FJR, so I sold the XX to a guy from MO who flew out and rode it home. Almost had a tear in my eye when I watched it roll down the driveway. :cray:

*******************************

How do the Feejer and the blackbird compare?

Others on this board have more experience with both bikes but I have my share on each. The FJR is the perfect sport tourer in my opinion whereas the Blackbird, if set up properly, can come damn close to being the perfect sport tourer. The Blackbird is super-fast, stable and drop dead gorgeous, to my way of thinking. It has a near cult-following and a certain mystique about it the FJR lacks. Both exemplify reliability and each instills high degrees of rider confidence (but it better not be overconfidence) even in a ham like me. I have a pet theory that there are certain vehicles, at certain times, that certain manufacturers just get right. I include the FJR 1300 and the CBR1100XX among such vehicles. You can find bikes that surpass either of these bikes in a given performance characteristic, though I don't know why that would be necessary. But when you add them all up, you will look long and hard before you can find better all around motorcycles. I could argue the Blackbird is not sufficiently different from the FJR to warrant its presence in my garage alongside the FJR, but I cannot help myself. It is just too good and too beautiful a machine. It is one svelte and swift beast. Besides, it drives my Harley-bound brother and riding partner crazy, and it will make my FJR last longer.

Nice find,I remember when this bike first came out. I've always wanted one myself. Maybe someday along with all the others I want.

 

[Fred W]

You lucky bastid!!

That's a beautiful Blackbird. That bike's kind'a like my 5th gen VFR, except in oh so cool black, and on steroids!

Honda did know how to make nice SPORTtouring bikes. They seem to have lost the recipe more recently.

How someone(s) owned it for that long and only put 3 thousand miles on it is both astounding and a crime.

Some day I'll fall on one like that (when I actually have the money to spend) and add it to the stable.

 

[Greatlakesrider]

Beautiful double X. That's one hell of a find you got their. I owned a 97' Blackbird and can honestly say that the XX has the SMOOTHEST engine of any motorcycle I have owned or ridden. An FJR is smooth, but not near as buttery smooth as an XX and the XX has more HP with less weight as well. Just my $.02

 

[BIODSL]

Beautiful. A good friend of my has owned a 2000 for the last 7 years or so. One of the best street bikes ever built.

 

[escapefjrtist]

Great looking bike, congrats on finding it! Passed up a similar low mile '03 a couple years ago, still wondering what if...

--G

 

[ahchiu]

Nice bike, I was looking at a Blackbird before the FJR but decided on the FJR

 

[scubatech]

I liked my "red" bird 2001. Interestingly though when I sold these things they were hard to sell. I think they are more popular now that they are gone! Buyers in the sport bike classes always want the fastest bike out that week. There isn't a smoother engine out there as mentioned above.

 

[Fred W]

Interestingly though when I sold these things they were hard to sell. I think they are more popular now that they are gone! Buyers in the sport bike classes always want the fastest bike out that week.

Probably Honda's fault for not fully promoting the bike as a do-it-all sport touring bike instead of making a big deal about it being the fastest production bike (when released).

 

[seventyss]

Good for you. I spent quite a while choosing between the bird and the FJR. The main factor was much higher insurance cost to cover the older Honda. I spent some time at cbr1100xx.org getting educated on the bike. Some good info there and some wild folks to boot.

 

[scubatech]

Interestingly though when I sold these things they were hard to sell. I think they are more popular now that they are gone! Buyers in the sport bike classes always want the fastest bike out that week.

Probably Honda's fault for not fully promoting the bike as a do-it-all sport touring bike instead of making a big deal about it being the fastest production bike (when released).

Yeah, shortly after it barely nudged out the ZX11 the 'Busa and GXSR1000,ZX12R came out.I think that would have been the time to release the 1200 V4. Honda doesn't like to get in these shooting matches any more. The company exec's hold a more conservative line.