A CUT ABOVE

Four years on from the revolutionary release of the RCV-inspired Fireblade, Honda's given its flagship sportsbike a masterpiece of a makeover.

Some bikes just sound that little bit naughtier than others, that little more special, but even then, few come close to the audible ecstasy that was booming from the '24-spec Blade as I rounded Portimao's final corner.

Throaty, deep, and suggestive of absolute lunacy, you'd be forgiven for thinking I was on some trick racebike, with kit electronics and more firepower than you'd find down the local army range. To cut to it, it's obvious this wasn't the Blade of last year - not just by sounding different or looking different, but also riding different, too. A few days earlier, I'd been primed for this by Havier Beltran, Honda Racing UK's team manager, at its headquarters, where he'd gone through the mass of changes that have put the Honda on a whole different level to the two versions we've seen hit the market since 2020. 

The list was long and impressive, and chief among the tweaks was the introduction of split-throttle bodies, which meant that while cylinders one and two would be set to kick off the initial part of the punch out of a bend, the other duo would be moderating constantly to maximise the delivery of the remaining ponies as lean angle was reduced and the throttle position got cranked open.

Why? Well, it turns out Honda came to realise that accessing the latter model's armwrenching 214bhp was nothing short of terrifying at times... for both the rider and the rear tyre.

While there is undoubtedly so much to love about the revolutionary Blades of the last few years, I'd be lying if I said the either of the 2020-plus machines have been a polished product, in my opinion, with odd niggles dampening the brilliance of this flagship headbanger. On specs alone, it's been exactly where it needs to be since the get-go, but often lacked the refinement to make it as manageable and potent as some of its rivals.