VTR 1000 Good for the last hurrah?

[porkerhol;ic]

Hi riders, I've just joined the forum. I'm nearly 70 years old and I'm looking for my last hurrah! I have three other bikes which I love, all twins, but I'm looking for that last twin, something....different, something that will give the same rush as my 1981 Duke 900ss gave me in 1983 but without the kickstart, and a comfy seat! (less flesh on the butt nowadays!) oh yes and for less than 5k. I've had many, many, bikes, the good the bad and the ugly. Is the VTR the bike? If so which year? Did they loose something with time? I am not looking for ultimate speed, just something you can look at after a good ride and say....that was good! James

[sirch345]

Welcome aboard James

The earlier Firestorms have a 16ltr fuel tank, whereas the later ones have a 19ltr tank, so if you are planning on doing more than 100 miles or thereabouts before stopping for a break and fill up that could be a deciding point. In my opinion the Speedo's are easier to read on the earlier versions, on the later versions the Speedo face has a smaller area of display meaning the markings are compressed down closer together.

You should be able to find with some searching a very good example of either bikes for a fair amount less than 5k.

The only thing that may not be to your liking is the seat, they are not the most comfy, but that’s not the end of the world as there are companies about who can modify that for your liking.

The fact you already have experience of a big Vee twin and other twins makes me think you will find the Firestorm to your liking,

Chris.

[Kev L]

Welcome to the club James

[alanfjones1411]

Enjoy your last hurrah on the Firestorm.It was the last bike I had before my retirement from bikes (or so I thought) at that age of 73.I sold it to a fellow member about 3 years ago who sold it to a another member.So it is still owned by a forum member.But bikes get in your blood,so I now have a 250 KTM for green laning and having a great time on it.Anyway ,welcome to the forum and enjoy.

[fabiostar]

welcome along sir, as you are a V twin man the storm would be a good choice, think ducati without the hassle,(yes iv owned both)

2k gets you a minter these days, personally i like the upto 2001 bikes, bigger speedo and they do for some reason seem a little sharper, get a nice of open cans, change the oil every few thousand miles and enjoy many years of biking

[Dino Costa]

Hello and welcome James, I'm 60, I bought my much-delayed 2007 VTR beauty just a month ago end I'm enjoying it big-time! It feels far more civilized than my 795 Monster and although not a Goldwing two-wheel armchair it's still comfortable enough for sport-style touring. Turn radious is quite wide, handlebar is a bit low but not too extreme, clutch operation is a bit heavy and a seat upgrade will be useful, but narrow V2 width and a motor that pulls pleasantly from 3000rpm make it easy and fun to ride even at low speed. And it's well-built as you'd expect, I bought mine with 50000km and the only thing the Honda garage had to do was check the valve clearance and change oil and oil filter! Cheers, wish you many happy miles ahead!

[haynesjones66]

as far as my aching joints are concerned, the storm is not the ideal bike for us elderly gentlemen, unless youre reasonably supple. which i'm not. however, i'm refusing to get rid of mine and trying to modify it to be more comfortable to ride. usual mods are flat bars and dropped pegs, but my problem is hoiking my leg over the seat. so i'm still messing around with a lower stumpy rear but funds are a bit lacking at the mo. im aiming to get it sorted by spring next year.

[tony.mon]

as far as my aching joints are concerned, the storm is not the ideal bike for us elderly gentlemen, unless youre reasonably supple. which i'm not. however, i'm refusing to get rid of mine and trying to modify it to be more comfortable to ride. usual mods are flat bars and dropped pegs, but my problem is hoiking my leg over the seat. so i'm still messing around with a lower stumpy rear but funds are a bit lacking at the mo. im aiming to get it sorted by spring next year.

You might need to adopt the tall trailie method if getting on. Use the lh side peg with your left foot to climb up and then throw your right leg over the saddle; once aboard you kick the stand up and ride off.
You run the risk of bending the side stand, but it saves responsibility asking a dislocated your hip kicking up and over the tail.

[haynesjones66]

i've seen a few bmw gs riders doing just that!

[MK_WF]

You may be old enough to remember Gaston Rahier, multiple Paris Dakar Winner on BMW.
He was a rather short dude and the bike was huge, so he developed a special starting procedure. He stood next to the bike with one foot on the peg, then released the clutch and when the iron horse started moving he pulled the other leg over the seat.

I guess that's why he won. He avoided crashing under any circumstances because he may not be able to get it moving again on his own:-)

Around 11:20 min you can guess what I mean: