Why do you own a firestorm...

[popkat]

I had a new one in 2000 because i wanted one, did a bit of despatching on it, toured the south of the country, went to le mans, entered 2 race meetings on it (won 5 races) all in 9 months, i thought it was all going too well, then had a ride on a 955 speed triple so got rid of the storm and bought ST.

The next 12 years saw bikes like Mille r (1st one with Ohlins) gsxr1000 x 3, 675 triumph, tuono factory, FZ1s, then for some odd reason bought a BMW R1200s sport. What a fantastic bike, boxer twin with 120+ HP, ohlins front and rear, full schnitzer exhaust, carbon everything, i loved it and it was as quick as anything on the road (real road not just straighline speed) I thought i'd keep it for a long time, but then i heard about a race series for 80's production bikes and the old racing spark reignited, i had an old XJ600 as my winter hack and got it race ready very cheap, but after one meeting i realised that the entry fee's were the killer financially as well as the travelling, the BMW was just sitting there i couldn't warrant spending out on taxing it, a decent rideout anywhere would cost a £50 a go, fuel was more as it ran much better on super unleaded (knock sensor), i sugested that i might sell on another forum as i couldn't afford to run it and race, this guy kept on and on at me until a gave in, i really didn't want it to go.
He paid me and that day i looked for something else cheaper, was thinking gsxr1000 K3/4 or 03 mille r for around £3k, but the insurance wanted more money off me and i'd just renewed, looked on ebay at bikes nearest first and a firestorm popped up 30 miles away, insurance said no money to swap over so went and got it. they really aren't great as std but a few mods and they get alot better. i've Fitted Penske shock, Beowulf cans, ractec springs and I'm happy with the bike infact i've grown a little fond of it, it's a good "just get on it and go" bike and having the 19litre tank makes it better than the last one i had. will i keep it ?, don't know, if someone offered me good money then i guess it's go but i've not got it up to sell, looking forward to enjoying some rides on it this year



*reading back over that i ain't half thrown some money away on on bikes over the years, yet i've always been skint, wonder why , think i better hang on to the firestorm for about 20 years just to make a few quid out of a bike for once

[Ckennedy]

Haha. They are a money pit. Iv got to admit I love mine for the mod-ability (I believe I just invented a new word) It is so easy to work on a changes things. I love to have my bike a bit different to the rest. Even if I went out and brought a GSXR750 I would still have to do something to it. OK the set up of the firestorm was to a price but you can easily change the forks, the shock ect for different bits from different bikes and make it to suit rather than buying one of these expensive bikes and still have to change bits on it. Cheap and cheerful all the way!!! until the mods start to kick in

[Pete.L]

CKennedy Said

I do like the look of the SP1 but do not know if I would have one. More so to do with price and what else you could get for the same money, GSXR750 triumph daytona 675 ect

Price wise I have to agree but when I go out with mates no-one comes over to look at the GSX R or CBR, the Twin is a little special . I've had everyone from young kids to old Grannies and even a couple of crazy Italianos want to come over and talk. Some just want to look whilst the old boys like to listen and remember their youth.
I think soul has to be in the equation somewhere and the old girl can still keep up with the GSX750 or Triamph 675 if she has to. it's not all about the money

Pete.l

[gissmo50]

I got mine after falling out of love with my cbr600, I started out on a gpz il2 then went on to the cbr and I never clicked with it, then on holiday my gf heard a vtr go by and asked what it was took me 6 long months to sell the cbr and once I had and test rode the vtr I was hooked its got a few bits on it like hyper pro springs, dyno jet kit, high rise art cans, she's not the cleanest of bikes but she's mine and definitely a keeper.

And then there's the power wheelies......

[agentpineapple]

i wonder if the firestorm is seen as a real keeper by most of there owners, the bike seems to attract either someone who wants there first 1000cc bike or owners that have tried alot of bikes but want to dip their toe into the v-twin water at a reasonable price. that way if its not for them they can sell it on without taking to much of a loss. most owners that sell there storms seem to go onto own other less than main stream bikes, not many tend to go back to il4's, but if they do they seem to go for more modern machinery. i can't see me selling my spondon bike, even tho its in a hundred pieces atm.....

[seb421]

i wonder if the firestorm is seen as a real keeper by most of there owners, the bike seems to attract either someone who wants there first 1000cc bike or owners that have tried alot of bikes but want to dip their toe into the v-twin water at a reasonable price. that way if its not for them they can sell it on without taking to much of a loss. most owners that sell there storms seem to go onto own other less than main stream bikes, not many tend to go back to il4's, but if they do they seem to go for more modern machinery. i can't see me selling my spondon bike, even tho its in a hundred pieces atm.....

if i had an infinite supply of cash i would have kept the storm, had it all repainted in a candy color might have tried powder coating the frame and swinger whiter or gold fitted the WP shock, done a single sided swingarm with a cbr1000rr 2006 rear end for the under seat system and then bought crashed bike with low miles on it just for the engine


the blade is a great ride, but its not exciting or as grin factory unless your on it and the revs are screaming and the airbox is howling but by this time you're way way over the speed limit

the storm you could sort of be plodding along see a crest raise up on the pegs and just give it a little gas and it would loft over it

when you're cruising on the blade it doesn't have that sudden snap of grunt like the storm does if you're low in the revs it kind of builds you hear the induction roar then it rushes you forward

there is still bags of torque you can be in top gear at like 40 mph or so and that will take you to mental speeds but the pick up from low revs is totally different

told my neighbor my new bikes on its way he just said oh christ and then went in his house he's probably expecting another house shaking twin

[Saintsman27]

Well its a load of fun and satisfaction for me . Looks
Engine power and handling issues..
Alb

[Rob]

It was cheap when I bought it new in 2002 because it was the 'old' model.

Pretty much sums up why I bought it. Only had my full license for a year and didn't know a lot about bikes but fancied a twin.

No regrets

[Whoa Nelly]

Because riding it makes me feel like this...

[StormingHonda]

I have had two Firestorms and thought they were great bikes, the only thing that I really did hate on both of them was filling up so often, on the last Storm it did really start to grate on my nerves. The only other thing was the CCTs with them, but thats fixable.

I have the blade now, and although it is faster than the storm, you dont get that feeling of the engine under you, its to smooth

the blade is a great ride, but its not exciting or as grin factory unless your on it and the revs are screaming and the airbox is howling but by this time you're way way over the speed limit

you sure you dont own a CBR400 Baby blade, not as exciting isnt a word I would use to describe it.

[Furrybiker]

For me it was the only V-twin in my price bracket. I had always loved my mates V-twins in the 80's so when the biking bug bit again in 2009 I started looking for a big V.
It had to be 90 degree as my mates had all had Dukes and Guzzis. Looked at the SV1000 but when I found on the forum a thread called "What fell off yours today?" I stopped looking! Also when the Mrs. had owned a Suzi ages ago the build quality was poor, and I didn't see much to say it had improved greatly over the years..

Just before I bought it I bumped into a Storm owner who had owned eight of them, he would see something else buy it and after a few months be back out looking for another Storm. Then found someone who had owned four, same thing, he had just bought a bike but knew he would be back on a Storm one day.

I love mine, cant think what I would prefer apart from a Panigale for silly stuff, a Pan European for long stuff and a BMW M5 for wet stuff

[sirch345]

After owning a Suzuki GS1000 for almost 20 yrs, and numerous bikes up until then, I was intending to either (1) refurbish the GSThou or (2) Sell the GS on and get a Suzuki 1200 Bandit
That was until I saw the Firestorm in my local bike shop and decided to take it for a test ride. The Shop owner said I would either luv it or hate it. I absolutely luvved it I think the amount of torque at such little rev's blew me away. I did however lock the back wheel up twice when approaching roundabouts, but soon got the hang of not doing that.

The way a fine fettled Firestorm takes you through that set of your favourite bends, just as you're powering out of that last right hander (especially the one I have in mind as it's an up hill gradient to a degree, it makes the V twin pull harder) the V twin engine is well on song working so well as it pulls you effortlessly over the tarmac. It makes me feel part of the bike, man and machine working as one, magical IMHO You don't feel like the bike is one and you're just sat on top, perhaps that's just me

Regarding the riding position:- I fitted the later model handlebars that have less of an angle than the earlier ones (approximately 3/4" higher at the bar end weight), with those bars and reworked front forks I find the riding position fairly good, even for an oldie like me If the time comes and I decided to do a flat bar conversion I have the bar-risers in stock ready to go.

Chris.

[Ckennedy]

After owning a Suzuki GS1000 for almost 20 yrs, and numerous bikes up until then, I was intending to either (1) refurbish the GSThou or (2) Sell the GS on and get a Suzuki 1200 Bandit
That was until I saw the Firestorm in my local bike shop and decided to take it for a test ride. The Shop owner said I would either luv it or hate it. I absolutely luvved it I think the amount of torque at such little rev's blew me away. I did however lock the back wheel up twice when approaching roundabouts, but soon got the hang of not doing that.

The way a fine fettled Firestorm takes you through that set of your favourite bends, just as you're powering out of that last right hander (especially the one I have in mind as it's an up hill gradient to a degree, it makes the V twin pull harder) the V twin engine is well on song working so well as it pulls you effortlessly over the tarmac. It makes me feel part of the bike, man and machine working as one, magical IMHO You don't feel like the bike is one and you're just sat on top, perhaps that's just me

Regarding the riding position:- I fitted the later model handlebars that have less of an angle than the earlier ones (approximately 3/4" higher at the bar end weight), with those bars and reworked front forks I find the riding position fairly good, even for an oldie like me If the time comes and I decided to do a flat bar conversion I have the bar-risers in stock ready to go.

Chris.

How exactally did you rework the forks? I could do with raising mine a bit more than they are already as my right hand thumb and finger next to it go numb. Already raised my bars on the forks by 5mm or so.

[seb421]

I have had two Firestorms and thought they were great bikes, the only thing that I really did hate on both of them was filling up so often, on the last Storm it did really start to grate on my nerves. The only other thing was the CCTs with them, but thats fixable.

I have the blade now, and although it is faster than the storm, you dont get that feeling of the engine under you, its to smooth

the blade is a great ride, but its not exciting or as grin factory unless your on it and the revs are screaming and the airbox is howling but by this time you're way way over the speed limit

you sure you dont own a CBR400 Baby blade, not as exciting isnt a word I would use to describe it.

The blade is very exciting but at the speeds and revs that becomes exciting to ride your looking at a ban

The gixxer, tho it has more power and is faster still than the blade it is much more enjoyable and character full at low rpm

The blade was so smooth and civilsed coming from the storm it just felt to smooth and to liner it was like wafting on a stealthy assain and not being able to hear it roar and feel it surge

Dont get me wrong It's a stonker of a bike that RR3 but it's just bloody boring on a commute, it was just sort of to perfect never any niggles or something out of the ordinary to ride around, it just got to work and back with out batting an eye, in summer it's a different beast once you open the tap it wants to climb to the moon it's got one hell of a surge on it once the revs build but non of that character it has in the revs is there from a day to day use

The Gixxer however has that something special when plodding along that the blade doesn't, the way it responds and sounds is totally different

Going to have to get this K6 booked in at Kais as the suspension tho its nearly new is nowhere near as good as the blade and that's on 27k so might just need adjusting the rear feels to stiff for road use I'll get them to properly set it up as it's only 50 quid

Sent from my GT-I9300 using Tapatalk 2

[nobby]

I saw it, I liked it "yellow" and very clean, Sounded Brill, so bought I it , job done. when got home with it, her in doors lol. Last road bike i had was a z650 in 78, didnt have forums like this then always had to go back to main dealer if you had any problems and get ripped off, bikes and clothing have come a long way since then.