Hauling the Blackbird off the centrestand is one of those things that actually seems far harder than it is, but it’s approached with trepidation the first time anyway. No problem, balanced on the sidestand and swing a leg over the surprisingly low seat. In a typical Honda way, everything fall exactly where you would expect and hope it to be. the instruments are clear though slightly dated in layout, the bars are just the right height and reach and the mirrors give a pleasing view of the scenery behind me with barely an elbow in sight. So on board and comfortable it’s time to get moving. Start the engine. Check that the tacho is actually registering and that the oil light has gone out. There is a little noise, its true, but no vibration whatsoever. This really is like a jet. There is an immense feeling of potency from the 1100cc engine but it is so incredibly smooth. I am impressed. Pull in the pleasantly light clutch, engage first and pull away. At any revs at all. There is a huge amount of low down torque and the transition from stationary to urban speed limit is almost instant. While we’re talking about outright performance, it’s probably worth mentioning that the Super Blackbird, even in this stealth colour scheme, is not radar invisible. We know because we tested it, fortunately without the benefit of a ticket afterwards – the wonders of a controlled environment.
On the move and it’s time for a cliché. The weight simply disappears. And it’s true – the weight really does stop being an issue as soon as the Blackbird is moving. What seems unwieldy and threatening at a standstill becomes stable and reassuring at town speeds and even more stable and reassuring at Autobahn speeds. And when it comes to Autobahn speeds, the big Honda has it right. I sat at well over 130mph for just about a full tank of fuel. Just because I could. The Blackbird didn’t even break a sweat. And I was perfectly relaxed – exactly the way you want to be when you’re going somewhere in a hurry and don’t want to be completely strung out when you get there.
