Since my decision to buy a new VTR has been rapidly followed by a lot of technical research into why it's such an unreliable dog, I have come across so much material that I wish I'd found before I made the purchase.
So purely with the intention of helping potential new VTR owners make an informed decision I have cut & pasted a review from UK Motorcycle News:FINISH
On the whole the finish is very good, but there are a few areas to check. The front of the engine may have a small fairing, but it still gets most of the road muck and the join of the two exhaust pipes is a weak point. Also check the radiators are not full of muck and the pillion seat cover comes with the bike.
CHAINS
AS well as using a lot of fuel, the FireStorm also eats its way through chains. Part of the reason for this is the cushdrive rubbers wear out quickly, but also because of the power characteristics of the pulsing V-twin motor. Between 6000 and 10,000 miles is considered the normal life of a chain on a Storm, while you'll see 10,000-plus miles on other twins. Always check how much adjustment is left on the chain and take a good look at the state of the rear sprocket. This will give you a good idea as to how much abuse the bike has had. Replacement sprockets can cost over £100 and a chain around £50.
TYRES
Chains, fuel and now tyres - this FireStorm is a hungry beast. In about 4000 miles you'll get through a rear if you're using normal, not-so-sticky road rubber like a Dunlop 204 or Metzeler MEZ4. Put a set of stickier tyres on and you'll get half that mileage and even less if you ride everywhere with the throttle pinned to the stop. When we had a FireStorm on our long term test fleet in 1997, over the year the best choice of tyres for grip, wear and stability were the MEZ1s, closely followed by Bridgestone's BT56s.
CUSHDRIVE RUBBERS
IF you buy a FireStorm be prepared to shell out around £30 every 4000 miles for rear wheel cushdrive rubbers. Honda's claimed to have cured this problem on bikes from 1998 onwards, but if you're looking at a '97 model be aware of this. With the engine switched off, put the bike in gear and raise the rear wheel off the ground. Then hold the wheel and move it back and forth while watching the rear sprocket. There should be a little movement. If it looks excessive then you'll need to replace the rubbers.
SUSPENSION
IF you're the type of rider who likes the occasional track day and is prepared to give it some stick on the road, check with the owner if they've had the forks re-worked. For really fast riding the forks are too soft and the back end is too hard. A lot of owners get the front forks re-worked with stiffer springs and revised damping. If the bike you're looking at has had this done ask who did the work in case you want to make further changes. An aftermarket rear shock is also a bonus and well worth paying an extra £100 or so for.
FUEL CONSUMPTION
OH dear. The FireStorm is one bike you really need to keep clear of if you want to cover a lot of miles in one go. If ridden steadily you can get a less-than-impressive 36mpg. However, under normal conditions this figure will drop to as low as 30mpg. Take it on a track day or German autobahn and keep it pinned and you'll be lucky to see 66 miles before the tank's dry! That's a measly 18 miles per gallon. Because of this, and the tyre and chain wear, the VTR is expensive to run. So, if you want to clock up the miles and not the cash steer clear.
ENGINE
Apart from the water pump, the engine is very reliable. But you would still be wise to fire it up and check for any unusual noises. If you've never ridden a big V-twin before, get the current owner to agree to a test ride. The nature of the bike means the engine is very lumpy low down in the rev range and around town you'll need to keep the motor above 2500rpm if you want a smooth ride. The tickover and low rpm running does get worse as the bike comes up to its next service. You can use this information to see if the service history is in order.
