Why did you choose the storm

[Miztaziggy]

I moved house at the beginning of this year, so needed some money. The plan was to sell my R1 and use the cash from that, but Sarah insisted that I get a bike, even just a 'cheap' one so I could still go for the odd ride out.

I decided I wanted a Honda just for the reliability and the general bullet proof-ness of the engines, so I looked through e-bay at Honda bikes ranging from £1000 to £1500. Im not a big fan of old bikes and the majority of bikes were of that ilk, including the VFR 800 which I considered but thought the back end looked too dated, and it wasnt loud enough.

I liked the look of the storm and liked the price tag too, for some reason I still havent worked out, these bikes are really, really 'cheap'. I went to see one and it had Scorpion exhausts and just loved the sound. That was it, I thought no more and bought the next good one I saw.

After owning one for a while now, I dont think that 'cheap' is the word to describe them. I think they are just really good value.

Im not into all that V twin stuff and low down torque, as personally I cant tell a huge amount of difference between this and an IL4, but I just love the noise it makes, which you dont get from an IL4. As long as the bike goes from 0 to illegal as quick as this, im happy

[uptonpark64]

had a 600 bandit and just wanted a litre bike, went to sheldons in brum and saw a TL1000 in red(sick) and a stunning firestorm in yellow(sweet),
heard the honda, got a hard on and bought it!

[Furrybiker]

Way back in the 80's mates had Guzzis or Ducs. Always loved the 90 degree v-twin, but in 85 bought a Gpz 550 cos it was the mutts nuts, well it was at the time! Fast forward to 2009 I still have the Kwak but the V twin thing is gnawing away at me, looked at Suzi SV1000's but when I saw on their forum a thread entitled "What fell off yours today, I realised it was not a good idea also the thought of a fuel injected bike standing for possibly months in the winter and then being expected to start was not a good one.

Prefer the look of the Suzi but as a teal owner I subscribe to the thought that you cant see it when you are riding it!

Would I replace the Storm not at the present and I dont see anything I want more, nothing else is cheap reliable simple bit of a hoot and sounds like this does

[Steve97]

Learned to ride on an old BSA C11 when i was 10, (now 54) me and some mates would ride it around the local playing fields, since then have never been without a bike, about 8 years ago had a 97 Bandit 12 in black, decided to sell it and buy two trials bikes so my lad and me could do some off road competition stuff, after 3 months he decided it wasnt for him, so sold everything, and i knew a mate up in Yorks had a Storm in his garage that he just didnt use ! so asked him, he said have it, £1200 97 model, completely standard, 11000 mls one owner, i bit his hand off !
I love it, will never sell it, its the best bike ive ever owned, or ridden come to think of it !

I find that Matalan socks more than fit the bill, very hard wearing, and as there all black, dont have to match them up, or worry about odds

[pinkyfloyd]

A long time ago a little pinky was even littler than he is now he dreamed of one day owning a superbike. When I say superbike I meant the +750cc bikes. At the tine the Fireblade was released as a 900cc beastie and that was my first big bike love.

First bike was an RXS 100 and then I moved away and the bike was sold. Couldnt afford another bike for 15 years so pinky was sad. Last year I went through the DAS course with the promise of a 1991 Gixxer 750 for a free loan until I got myself a ride sorted out of my own. The instructor rode a TL1000R and when the bloke opened it up I stopped hearing my training bike beneath me. Gone was the dream of owning a Fireblade I wanted a bike that sounded like that.

Passed my test, enjoyed the Gixxer for 6 months while I done my research. The TLR seemed to be a bit of an animal in all reviews. The cheaper TLS was simply named the widowmaker. That left the Suzuki SV1000, the Aprillia Mille, the SP or the Storm. The first 3 were out of my budget and the Storm reviews all seemed to point me in the right direction. They have a reputation of being good fun and new rider friendly with bags of grunt and noise.

After a near miss, outbid by £20 on a yellow one in Portsmouth I found the black one I have now going for a song. Little bit tatty, had been dropped at a standstill and has a tiny dink in the tank but the price was right and I bought it. Took the train to the town, a mere 70 miles away, and picked the bike up. It was pissing down with rain as I left Bexhill for the ride back to Portsmouth so I took it really easy. The clunky gear box and the whirring engine, and the engine braking, I wasnt sure of at the start. Infact I had started to wonder whether I had made the right choice or if I should have stuck with an Inline 4 like the Gixxer.

Just outside Brighton the sun had came out and the roads had dried enough to have a play. I twisted the thottle and the bike shot forward. One second I was doing a sedate 40mph and the next I was doing over 80 and the bike wasnt even trying. Any doubts about the bike being wrong vanished in that instant as the whirr of the engine was replaced with the clatter from the exaust. I was converted.

I've had the bike about 8 months now and still love the beast as much as I did in that moment. Sure she's not as pretty as a sports race rep thingy. Sure she's a noisy clunky thing at times and she's as thirsty as an alcoholic but she's good fun and she's fast enough for my needs. I cant see myself getting rid of her anytime in the future.

Unless I'm offered an SP at a price I cant refuse.

[geoff996]

WHY O WHY. Did i choose a storm, Honda relaibilty, alot of bike for your money. Love the sound art cans,and with a tweek or 2 good fun, does everything i want from the TT 2 up with tent and panniers all in it's stride.Fast enough (getting on now 49) not a boy racer anymore quite happy not getting my knee down VALUE FOR MONEY AND FUN

[davros]

I've been into bikes since my teens but always had off-roaders, at the tender age of 45 decided to do my direct access and get a road bike, had a couple of enduros first then got my first proper road bike a 2006 ZX636R never quite got used to the manic power charactoristics of the 600 though, My brother had a Storm he was using as a commuter at the time, had a go, it was a hoot to ride, grunty power and awesome sound from the exhausts. That was it, sold the ZX and bought the VTR off my brother been messing with it ever since, main mod being changing the forks to SP1 units. Only one slight draw back, can't quite live with the modern 1000's (brother now has a BMW S1000RR awesome bike) but still have a grin on my face after ride outs.

[Ro88o]

cause it tickles ma nutz a lot,
shes a slapper

[Darknomad]

i was stuck i nearly got a vrf
both was yellow the vfr had a history the vtr was an imported mystery
i sat on them both the vtr felt lighter more capable of filtering the a406
i had looked up reviews and didnt fancy being stung when the vfr needed
servicing
when i was my my little KE100 years back i ballsed up a quick getaway at the lights made the most pathetic wheely ever
totally unintentional
there was a guy coming opposite on a vfr a silver one lol who just hoiked up his front wheel and disappeard out of sight pointing at the sky
from that point i wanted a vfr
but the vtr's number plate made me laugh i loved Dnd i still play it plus it was 500 quid cheaper
felt better when i sat on her remembered hearing one years back in loughton and went for it
later learned of cct's reg/rect both been checked and sorted where needed
have progressive springs in her after market microns 78quid of ebay for the pair
and met some really nice people
i dont regret buying her at all

[SimonSays]

For me I want a bike to keep clean and love to play on in the summer.
I've had a Honda in the past and it was brilliant (lightly customised '98 Hornet 600) in terms of build, design, performance. I want something with a bit more grunt than the 600s I'm used to, so I can hold my own with the big boys and also now that my fiance has started coming out with me on pilion now and again. I definitely want a V-twin, there's just comething about the way they sound that nothing else can match (except maybe a triple?). SVs and RSVs are all out of my budget, I don't fancy a TLR, so I'm going for a 'storm.

[Opel]

After having a 955i Tiger and prior to that 1200 Trophy and other Triumphs, I needed a small, nimble and last but not least, cheap bike. This was due to a change in personal circumstances that required my commuting into Leicester city centre.

I always liked the idea of a Storm and when one came up locally late last year, I had a test ride and was hooked!

Being that I’m little bigger than a Smurf, filtering through rush hour traffic was a no no on the Tiger, but the Storm was made for such a situation, rapid between the lights and then straight down the middle of the miserable f..ks, stationary in their cars!

There’s also the advantage that bits are readily available and relatively cheap. Also, being a carb bike without EFI, I can get my head around most of the tech and thus do all the necessary spanner work.

Incidentally, I was thinking about getting some new aftermarket exhaust cans this autumn, but for not much more, I’ve modified this to wanting a second hand pair with a next to free Storm thrown in! In other words, these bikes are a steal and it’s a crime to see them going for next to nothing…

[tony.mon]

it’s a crime to see them going for next to nothing…

Shhhh- don't tell everyone.......

[darkember]

I decided after 3 il4's that I wanted a change. The last il4 was a 1200 bandit, I was finding it a little heavy & being jacked up to improve handling it was also a handful at standstill manoevering especially since i only weigh 11stone & am a rather short butt at 5/8. I will admit at the farmyard while turning at full lock, speed zero mph I managed to stall & having my lad on the back well down she went. No damage but damn embarrssing.

Well that was the last straw, it had to go. Since getting the VTR I can honestly say I will never go back to an il4 no matter how good they become. I love the lack of painful vibration & the fact u can ride for 100 miles get off & do the same again.

[seantopbloke]

Noise !
The one i bought was a bit rough around the edges but as soon as Solorider started it up i handed the money over before i took another breathe, i have tidied her up a fair bit now & i am on the verge of selling her due to needing better fuel economy, unless i can find a way to make her run sweet with a k&n & art race cans fitted, i do 150 mile round trip every weekend so the fuel can get a bit pricey along with using her for work as well ?

[tattoo]

i bought my first storm because my surgen told me i'd not ride again after nearly cutting my hand off..challange accepted...after a very short stint on a cg125 just to see if i had some grip i moved onto a bandit then cbr600,zx6 then one sunny afternoon this thundering thing came flying passed me,after giving chase for 20 miles it finally stopped....it was a yellow storm with microns..after chatting to the owner and finding out it was for sale i asked if i could test ride it...i loved every minute i was on it,the grunt was awsome,the sound,the lightness..i knew there and then i had to have it...24hrs later it was mine...although that bike was sold on because of the pain in my wrist,(which wasn't caused by the bike but because of trapped nerves) i promised myself i'd buy another as soon as my pain was sorted...roll on 2006 when i had to retake my test for doing doughnuts in the police station carpark .. oct,2008 i buy my silver storm,fit microns, a K&N and DJ kit,dec i buy a yellow one(xmas prezzie to myself),march 09(birthday prezzie) i buy a frontend writeoff to rebuild....i have a few bikes,mainly il4's but the v-twin alway has and always will get the heart beating with excitement everytime i ride them.