ahem dont shoot but

[davepreston]

just had a sit on a honda firestorm and what a comfy riding position especialy concidering im 6" 8 ive arranged a test ride for the new year but was wondering if any of you have got one / had one/ riden one. any feedback would help eg handleing problems if there are gremlins with the bike so on and so on thanks in advance dave

[STRAMASHER]

Had mine for 3years and abused it for 36k. An R reg. The ones with the low bars and 16l tank. Later ones with the funny speedo and digital bit had 19l and higher bars. 100 miles before the light if you are being relatively well behaved, 70 odd on the track............ where I only went 3 seconds quicker than my previous 44bhp Bros, which was pretty much the straights. So I would say its not a scratcher unless you really make the effort. Great road bike though.

What it was was proper V-Twin thin, torquey and fast. Mates on 600's would get past on the straights but out of corners on the road it was "see me wave goodbye".:cool:

It power wheelied in slow motion in 1st gear, really easy and really early in the revs. Everytime you stop, you have to make a decision.;) Definately check head-bearings as they may well be oval!:p

Cos it has huge carbs its party piece was big flaming back fires and mortar-ing other peoples gloves out of the high-level pipes. I had the OE pipes on once and it sounded like a sewing machine. Loud pipes are necessary (I had Renegades , a mate had Remus on his and thats what I would go for, or Yoshi if I had the cash)........and they not only keep your speed down in town but cos its a big lazy twin it never sounds like you are "trying". Nice.

I had the paint come off the forks and sub-frame in places and the paint was not great on the tank. A new regulator/rectifier was required shortly before I got rid. Wanted a 2week two-up tourer, and the tank range and seat/luggage did not cut it. Apart from that, nothing. A mate had a cam-chain tensioner go and bent a valve though. Have a good listen after its properly warm.

I'm 6'2" and found it comfy apart from the slow speed doddle (any sports bike ever:rolleyes:) and the handling is typical V-twin, ie high centre of gravity compared to a 4cyl. You get used to it/takes a wee bit more to learn so arguably more satisfying. No compression adjustment on the front or rear, typical Honda.

Absolute bargin. Bit of a sleeper down the pub/on the road.:cool:
If it has proper pipes on it you will be sold! Have a good one!

[Dangerous Dave]

Tank range on the earlier models (think it went up in 2001) was a little poor, I had to keep filling up but you could get a little more decent range if you rode sedately.

The forks were a bit soft, a decent spring swap and oil did the trick and helped balance the front with the rear.

Nice bikes in general, usual Honda quality but not the best from Honda, easy to work on and doesn't cost much to service yourself. The engine is great, also has a fair bit of tuning potential too if it is something you may consider in the future. As for comfort, well that depends on the rider. I found it comfy for long distances.

[davepreston]

its a 2003 with 12000 on the clock with full honda history 2500 price tag but the more i look at it the more i like it

[Baph]

A mate of mine had one, and claimed it was so loud he could set off house alarms let alone car alarms.

So I had a go (after calling him a few names along the lines of 'liar'), and counted 36 cars & 3 houses. Man that thing was loud.

When stopped, I remember a copper saying "That's a rediculously loud exhaust isn't it?" To which my mate replied "Yes, yes it is! :D"

Get one, you won't regret, even if it's just for the noise. :D

[fatneck]

When stopped, I remember a copper saying "That's a rediculously loud exhaust isn't it?" To which my mate replied "Yes, yes it is! :D"

That just cracked me up, nice one :-)

[northwind]

I like em too, never owned one but I've had a few goes and they do the job well. A lot like a big SV really, more like a big SV650 than the SV thou I thought. Did feel incredibly cumbersome after my SV but then, so do most things.

[Lozzo]

I had a red 1998 model for 18 months from new. It suffered a water pump failure within 2 weeks, which was sorted 2 days later under warranty, and from then on it was 100% reliable. Handling-wise it was ok on stock suspension settings for my then 9 and a bit stone (I've since put on loads of weight), the riding position was comfy for all day riding. The biggest gripe I had was the tank range - 100 miles if you were lucky, and I managed to drain a full tank in 63 miles of hooning round country lanes with two mates (the fuel light is awfully small and difficult to see on the early ones).

Here it is about a week after I bought it, with my old van and the ex's Rover outside my old gaff.

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/127/359852469_63316b9034_b.jpg

Whilst I'll never regret buying it, I don't regret selling it either. It was a typical Honda, did what it was meant to and no more than that.