I'm probably going to sell my storm.

[Hanuman]

Had it 7 months and I must say it has been an excellent first post DAS bike.

I'm finding it very hard to have fun on it anymore unless it's cruising the A roads - which I'm bored of - they can be a bit predictable and dont take much skill and thought. Add to that that I can't stay under a tonne on the A roads I have to ask myself how long I'll have a licence.

So, lately I'm trying to ride it fast on B roads in Northumberland, roads that are hard to get over a tonne on, my preferred type of fast road riding and it's too heavy (used to cream all over these roads in my GT4), wont turn in sharp enough, the road surfaces are at times leaving a lot to be desired which is expected and known and the bike's feeling every piece of gravel it runs over, it feels as though it's nearly falling into pot holes. I'm coming home shaken and not stirred, tired, frustrated with fewer grins.

It's ace on the A roads and I'm not really slagging the bike, I want to ride roads that the bike simply wasnt designed to handle that well. It's being used beyond it's limits, I cant be fairer than that.

I can stay within 60 mile radius of my gaf and spend 3 -4 hours on roads that are endless, all small, tight, bendy, great fun - just have to watch out for farm vehicles, pot holes, mud and gravel etc. My fault or luck, which ever way you look at it, for living in the least populated UK county and having the Northumberland National Park on my doorstep.


So... I had thought about a sports 600. Looked at them and have since decided that they wont handle these type of roads that well either, I'll have a bad back, sore wrists, I'll be buzzed to bits and will go through tyres like no tomorow.

I'm settling on the idea of a supermoto perhaps dual sport.

Something like a CCM, KTM, MZ, Husky etc etc.

I might even look at a F650 GS Dakar.

I have a buyer for my bike, just need to wait til he gets back off holiday later this week so I see if he still wants to deal so I can get the cash for a new stable mate.

So... I may very well be posting up a farewell post before the year is out, with pics of my new R30 or similair.

Cheers

Karl

[Kitch]

This might come across as overly critical or very negative, but don't take it too much to heart, but maybe you're looking in the wrong place. (with "faster" or "better" bikes)

Hooning along A roads at over a ton, trying to hoon round B roads faster than the limits of a pretty competent road bike...

I just can't help but feel you're living on borrowed time.

In all honesty, I agree you need to look elsewhere in biking as sooner or later, you will come a major cropper riding like that out on the public roads, however quiet they may normally be.

I'm as for personal choice and a good blast as the next guy (or gal) but if this is how you ride most of the time, please stop.

This is my opinion, make of it what you will.

As for suggestions on where to go so you don't need to ride like that any more? I'd try taking up racing (New Era club racing or something) or look at motocross or doing supermoto full on in a race series. Maybe that will provide the kick you're lacking, with the added bonus that nobody will ever have to read about you smeared across the side of a tractor.

Thats how I feel about it, up to you to choose what you do.

*edit* P.S. I don't own a Sam Brown belt, I'm not a labour councillor or chief police officer, and I've had my 'storm well into the naughty numbers too, but I don't find myself wanting to do it most of the time, or wanting for more. Hard to convey in a forum post, but I hope you get the idea as intended.

[nuhawk]

It's been said wisely that it takes longer to become a good rider than to feel like one. Constantly stretching the boundaries of probability is never fun for long. Get some track time. The one thing I hear street riders say FIRST after taking some track instruction is how much better it makes you on the street. Faster is only one measure of better. Faster - smoother - quicker - smarter - better. Or something like that

[tony.wilde1]

if you sell your storm you will immediatly miss it,,,,dont do it!!IMO!

[Seeker 77]

As someone has already said, you will be hard pushed to find a bike that can deal with bumpy b roads. My SP can't, my old GSXR 600 couldn't and tbh a KTM will struggle, even the 990. But i know where you're coming from, i just wonder how much "borrowed time" we have left. An interesting thread me thinks........

[sirch345]

This might come across as overly critical or very negative, but don't take it too much to heart, but maybe you're looking in the wrong place. (with "faster" or "better" bikes)

Hooning along A roads at over a ton, trying to hoon round B roads faster than the limits of a pretty competent road bike...

I just can't help but feel you're living on borrowed time.

In all honesty, I agree you need to look elsewhere in biking as sooner or later, you will come a major cropper riding like that out on the public roads, however quiet they may normally be.

I'm as for personal choice and a good blast as the next guy (or gal) but if this is how you ride most of the time, please stop.

This is my opinion, make of it what you will.

As for suggestions on where to go so you don't need to ride like that any more? I'd try taking up racing (New Era club racing or something) or look at motocross or doing supermoto full on in a race series. Maybe that will provide the kick you're lacking, with the added bonus that nobody will ever have to read about you smeared across the side of a tractor.

Thats how I feel about it, up to you to choose what you do.

*edit* P.S. I don't own a Sam Brown belt, I'm not a labour councillor or chief police officer, and I've had my 'storm well into the naughty numbers too, but I don't find myself wanting to do it most of the time, or wanting for more. Hard to convey in a forum post, but I hope you get the idea as intended.

Very well said Kitch

I know it's everybody to their own idea of safe riding, but I am wondering if that's how you ride the Storm how do you ride your Busa

I would have thought doing some track days as suggested would be a brilliant idea

I've always fancied a supermoto myself, perhaps one day, but i won't be getting rid of the Storm

What ever you decide, look after yourself

Chris.

[Squiffythewombat]

I just can't help but feel you're living on borrowed time.

I think this is the most important statement, as Kitch said. This is only my opinion and in no way ment to be harsh BUT:

youve only just passed your test? maybe its the skills rather than the bike thats the issue?

[alan]

I just can't help but feel you're living on borrowed time.

I think this is the most important statement, as Kitch said. This is only my opinion and in no way ment to be harsh BUT:

youve only just passed your test? maybe its the skills rather than the bike thats the issue?

My thoughts exactly

[Kitch]

I believe cubi has done a lot more riding than the average post DAS rider, which is why I think you'll enjoy some proper racing. Most people who are quick on the road find out there's lots more speed and skill to get once they get out on track with some seasoned race guys.

Fast as you like, dice with others, learn new stuff that you wont master in a month and nice comfy gravel traps and run off

[Wildfire]

Reckon Kitch has it bang on IMHO - I rode for years on old Jap 4's that handled like a bag of sh1t.
When I got back into bikes last year after 5 yr lay off - I got a sports 600 and it scared me to death to start with.....I had to learn to slow down, and get my techniques right to get the best from the bike, else I was going to leave my kids without a dad .....

I've just upgraded to my Storm and come next spring the learning starts all over again....

I reckon the guys are right...get yourself some track time and get your speed kicks that way

[Zer0Zer0]

im only three years post DAS and reckon im pretty quick for my skill levels.
believe the advice the other posters have given in this thread. ive done track days and never had so much fun and learnt so much .it definatly helped my road riding but look what happened to me back in may. im lucky to be alive let alone still have my left arm..we are never as good as we think we may be
and most 1000 cc bikes are far more capable than the people who ride them.
i mean even valentino rossi et al fall off and some of them [SATO ] DIE and these guys ride at THE limits of thier skill and most within the capabilities of the bikes they ride ,and those guys do it for a living...stick with the storm get your front end sorted by roger. or even see if you can improve it yourself .
make it into the bike you need for the riding you enjoy most..inline fours may be fast .and have a superiour top end but they carry the same risk of licence loss as any other modern bike of 600cc+ but IMO are completely without soul
or character be different keep your storm every fker seems to have a gixxer or a blade or some pocket 600. swim against the current and enjoy...

[Hanuman]

I know it's everybody to their own idea of safe riding, but I am wondering if that's how you ride the Storm how do you ride your Busa

I ride the Busa on A type roads and motorways only, sees a B road when necessary for the journey. I hardly take it for a spin at weekends, it's for long haul and I'm planning a big 2 week trip next year to Italy. Of the two machines it is better balanced and by a long way far smoother than the firestorm on A roads. But we all know that, the beasts have very different natures. Busa is a relaxed bike, yeah ok so it does hypersport speeds if your daft enough. It's very overated with regards to people banging on about how mental it is... it's not, it's a piss easy bike to ride and very comfy... whilst the acceleration is blistering fast its easy to handle. it's very underated with regards to people saying it cant handle... it can. It sweeps nicely round bends without any fuss. I've hustled on it plenty of times when it's took my fancy and it blows the firestorm away in everyway for doing things in a more relaxed manner.

A hayabusa is simply a great tool for crossing continents. When I'm older I'll end up with a Big BMW, for now i'll tour on a Busa.

I find the Firestorm a completely different machine, obviously, I love the charecteristics of the V Twin, it feels tiny and light in comparison so naturally I'm expecting it to be able to handle tighter. It doesnt, it struggles, it twitches, it leaps about. I knew all of this before I bought it from reading reviews and owners stories about needing better brakes and suspension. I've never really been able to tame it I think and it feels a bit like a bucking bronco. I just dont get it. Some of you folks love them to bits, it doesnt seem to fit into my expectations. It is only now though, with 10,000 miles between the two bikes, with improved skills honed from both, that I'm finding this out for myself.

My riding is naturally taking me in a direction the Firestorm wasnt meant to go. It's a bike, as I was told when I first considered it, for experienced riders who can get more out of it. A post DAS rider will not become a progresive rider using a Firestorm as the tool to craft such skill.

I just can't help but feel you're living on borrowed time.

I think this is the most important statement, as Kitch said. This is only my opinion and in no way ment to be harsh BUT:

youve only just passed your test? maybe its the skills rather than the bike thats the issue?

Yes, a lot of truth there and it is the whole point of the thread. 7 months ago. 10K miles in now. About a third on motorway, a third on A roads and the rest spilt between town/city driving and B roads.

More or less anyone who is mature with a car licence for years with lots of car/van etc driving under their belt , as we all know, can hop on a big bike after DAS and manage motorway riding and can during a season get better on the A roads to a point where they are making very good progress. Such DAS riders they are just changing the rules for long term habits. I'm in this box.

City/town roads and B roads are harder to master as there is much more going on and this is where actual biking skills are needed.

I admit that it's these roads with more going on, which need more mastery that I'm struggling with and what I'm saying is that the firestorm is not the bike to master them on. I'm not making good progress, my lack of skill on a big heavy grunty V twin is holding me back. I will make better progress on B roads on one of these;

CCM R30 (644)

KTM SMC 625

Husky 610 sms


For those with years of experience, they can probably hustle along nicely and enjoy themselves on a VTR, yes the bike does it, but not in my hands.

I'm finding the firestorm stubborn and just dont think i'm going to get the skills i'm after on this beast.

I'm like lots of other DAS riders who buy their first bike with their heart and not their head to find after a season they need to improve their skills on a smaller bike.

I have absoluteley no regrets owning the firestorm. As it's a low mileage mint example I'll be sad to see it go as I know the chances of finding another in such good nick in the future will be slim, at least I got to have a go on one while they where about

cheers

[Seeker 77]

Okay, where to begin? You're getting an awful lot of advice here and i feel that we are in a similar boat. I passed 2 years ago and have had a GSXR 600, Firestorm and the SP1. I swapped the Firestorm for the SP for exactly the same reasons that you are looking for another bike, the Firestorm just didn't cut the mustard for me. I put 12000 miles on the GSXR, 10000 on the Firestorm and the SP1 is now up 8000 from when i got it. The majority of those miles were put on on local roads around Surrey. A couple of big trips and an awful lot of commuting added to this.

I like my bikes to handle and despite comments like "Gixxers have got no soul" ( ) i am currently negotiating the purchase of a tax free GSXR 1000 K6. I have never been on a track and perhaps i should but you have to go with your heart. If you aren't enjoying the bike then try something else, just don't expect anything to keep up with a Celica turbo on a back road (used to have a Scooby).

Lots of people have lots of advice about what to ride and how to do it but you have to make your own decisions and ride your own way. I never go on rideouts, i went on one once and found everyone rode like lunatics racing each other. I do it all on my own now and take things at my own pace. That's not to say that others have fun in groups, it's just my way. That's my two penneth anyhoop, take it or leave it.

[Squiffythewombat]

some intresting points!


If the storm isnt the bike for you thats cool, im not dissing that in the slightest! I think the best step might be to see exactly what "skills" you want to have!

The ccm et al are all good machines but a VERY different riding style to the storm! eg: leg out is a guide and to aid quicker turn in by putting weight forwards - its not in case u crash lol! HOWEVER thats running before you can walk and the taller bike will handle in a very different way!

Im not trying to put you off, simply trying to show some of the various factors you may have or have not thought about!

You say your not having so much fun on your storm, and that this would be more suitable... can u list ten reasons?

Either way, your loving the whole bike scene regardless and im sure as everyone on here will agree thats the main thing, and be you a ccm rider or storm rider your always welcome here!

T

[Wroey]

Cubicincubi,

Reading back through the posts, it looks like your original post may have been just a little too direct, hence the response that was given.
Now that you’ve fully explained it, I tend to agree with you on certain aspects.

The ‘Storm is a Marmite bike, you either love it or hate it ! Its all about personal taste, and how the machine matches your riding style.

Exactly as Mellis says, I too had a ‘Storm but something wasn’t right for me and although it was fun, I just didn’t feel as one with it. That’s why I went and bought the bike I have now.

As for going down the supermoto route, I personally feel that if you do this come a few months time you’ll be back in the same situation. Yes I agree they’re an absolute hoot around the B roads, but they lack the top end of the A roads and I think you’ll become frustrated with it …. As from what you’ve said, you do seem to like your speed.

From all that has been said, the main factor seems to be that you should just enjoy your riding whatever machine your on, and be safe with it too.

If you decide to sell the 'Storm, best of luck and let us know how you get on with your next purchase.