unbiased vtr roadtests

[chric]

it's the noise for me blueflame exhausts makes me smile every mile.The power delivery is nice and smooth.crap on petrol but love every mile of it.And it's red to top it off
Bad points wrists feel like I have been a thousand miles but not been far.Other than that exellent bike

[seb421]

it's the noise for me blueflame exhausts makes me smile every mile.The power delivery is nice and smooth.crap on petrol but love every mile of it.And it's red to top it off
Bad points wrists feel like I have been a thousand miles but not been far.Other than that exellent bike

Get away! gotta be a midget to struggle with wrist on this bike, with the standard bars it was a well plush riding position

I did enjoy my blueflames when i had them too

[lloydie]

I'm tall 6f4" and had bad wrists after 50 miles so I put renthals with risers on and no more bad wrists


Sorry officer
The voices made me do it

[lumpyv]

i would agree that they arnt that brilliant in town as they dont like the low revs so much, but what litre bike with drop handlebars is? also if you live in cornwall the only town down that way appears to be penzance which is not exactly a huge metropolis?. i would buy one and if you dont like i,ll eat my hat . they are a fantastic bike for the money you will not be disapointed.

cheers

[tony.mon]

If you buy one, they are now cheap enough that you get your money back easily if you don't get on with it.

Just don't spend more than £1500 on one, they don't age and so a higher mileage one will still be fine.

Sirch is down your way, I think- see if you can arrange a tryout?

[Furrybiker]

The best "roadtest" was from two guys I met just before I got mine. Between them they had owned 15 of them. They both kept seeing something they wanted and then after a few months went looking for another Storm. When I met them one had just got a xjr1300 it was only a few months old but he was already hankering after another storm, this time to keep. The other guy had just got one so cheaply he could see no reason to sell it even if he found something else to try.

I cant see parting with mine, I look at other bikes but the simple practicality of a carbed 90 degree V-twin, which is to me THE motorcycle engine, gets my vote every time.

[smithie]

hi guys
once again for all your views and posts they have been a great help.
now let me throw this question without people making vodoo dolls of me and stabbing me to death....
how does a zuk tls1000 compare to the vtr,from what ive read it seems to have the same performance up to around 6000 revs than goes alot more balistic,obviously this sounds like it could be alot more fun,but the downers are certainly big...bit of a tank slapper issue and im not over struck on the looks.
having ridden neither i just dont know what to aim for,the tl option came into play because theres one for sale quite close to me...well 80 miles and the nearest vtr ive found within a resonable price is double that+
im also alittle worried after owning afew hondas that it may not be exciting enough for me as the hondas ive had in the past have been excellent all round bikes but have lacked that certain x-factor,but at the same time i dont want a total animal that has killer power with no hope of ever getting it down and ending up riding slower then a moped
like people have said...a quick test ride would sort out my dicissions for me,alas that just isnt going to happen...so once again im at the mercy of this forum and its peeps for total un-biased enlightenment
all the best
smithie

[Wicky]

In comparison to the TL yes the Firestorm will be come across as more of a 'steady Eddy' - Many moons ago my club were on a weekend cricket tour to Somerset and a friend picked up a TLthouR on the Friday to ride down from Essex > Taunton. By Sunday morning the TL was a write off...

Again read the respective reviews on each bike and if possible get a test ride before committing your hard earned wonga.

[pinkyfloyd]

Depends what you want from a bike. If you want a bike that will kill you dead and then come back for your family then go for the Suzuki "Widowmaker" TL1000.

If you want a bike that will take you places, give you a big grin while doing so and then treat your wife to cream tea while entertaining the kids with its pops, burbles and farts then get the Storm.



Where are you based? Because I am sure, insurance depending, there are storm owners willing to let you have a little blast on theirs in the area.

[AMCQ46]

I ride with a bloke who has a TLS, and although we only swapped bikes once this is my take on it.

Normally on the road, we are failry evenly matched, and we know how to make progress, so with the correct owners we are even, when I was on his bike he struggled to keep up at first till he worked out how to adapt to the Honda and then we were matched again [I am a fast learner ]

they are very different beasts with the suzuki having more power, stiffer frame, more agressive riding position, feels sportier, but not faster if you understand!

at the end of the swap I didnt think, wow, I wish I had one of those, I left thinking that I never realy gelled with it, and was glad to get back on my Storm.

I can report that it showed no widowmaker tendencies [they all have steering dampers now, and you can get a maxton damper to allow you to bin the rotary one that caused the problems], and that the finish is crap compared to a honda of the same age.

you could enjoy either, but you should buy based on condition

[seb421]

I ride with a bloke who has a TLS, and although we only swapped bikes once this is my take on it.

Normally on the road, we are failry evenly matched, and we know how to make progress, so with the correct owners we are even, when I was on his bike he struggled to keep up at first till he worked out how to adapt to the Honda and then we were matched again [I am a fast learner ]

they are very different beasts with the suzuki having more power, stiffer frame, more agressive riding position, feels sportier, but not faster if you understand!

at the end of the swap I didnt think, wow, I wish I had one of those, I left thinking that I never realy gelled with it, and was glad to get back on my Storm.

I can report that it showed no widowmaker tendencies [they all have steering dampers now, and you can get a maxton damper to allow you to bin the rotary one that caused the problems], and that the finish is crap compared to a honda of the same age.

you could enjoy either, but you should buy based on condition

This is very true, all TLS ive seen that have been used as much and as often as the storm dont fair well, the salt rips them to bits, Honda looks great winter after winter so long as you give it a clean and some wd40 or winter protection every now and then

[Animal]

I have had my Buddy (Firestorm) from new, purchased in 2000. Now with over 75k miles on it and it still makes me smile, I love it.

Modifications:
Manual CCT's (One of the originals failed and caused lots of damage, piston met valves)
Penske shock
Rogered forks (Re-valved, re-sprung etc, Roger works as Revolution racing there is nothing he does not know about the Firestorm)
K&N air filter
Changed sprockets (45t rear std is 41t, now has awesome acceleration)
Plus all sorts of titivation.

You will only notice the standard rear suspension not being up to scratch if you start to really push it, if you scrape the foot pegs then I would say get the suspension up-graded. The rear shock overheats and the forks suffer from fluid lock. This is why its so hard on the wrists.

I first rode one in 1999 and said if ever I can afford one i'll buy one, I just loved it. A good bonus and pay rise the following year I managed to get one.

Its crap on fuel, expect to see the red light of doom come on in about 80-90 miles, track days will see it come on in 60, but it all depends how you ride it.

It's a very easy bike to ride quick and is fairly forgiving.

But if you are able to test ride then do so, if not and you go ahead and get one, I'm sure you wont be disappointed.

[Flatline]

£1300 to £1500 should get you a sweet one no problem

If I am not mistaken, a few new guys have bought them at around that price

[smithie]

guys
ive been looking at usa import,does anyone know if there different spec,strangled compared to a uk version performance wise or different in any other way,should i worry about it or just go for it
all the best
smithie

[Wicky]

US Superhawk will likely have a PAIR emissions system that would need stripping out and blanking off, odd side reflectors and headlight & l/h switchgear would be wired to stay on constantly, different graphics and for all years will have a 16L tank, even after '01.

At least it will have a MPH speedo. Unless it's an absolute steal consider a UK version that wouldn't need fettling on top of just sorting CCTs & R/R.