Essential Modifications for Honda Firestorm VTR 1000

[@matts2581]

Good post. I've owned my '01 Superhawk for over 14-years now. Definitely change out the cam chain tensioners for manual ones - if you can, do 'em up with some safety wire. Research the maintenance of them as the miles go by; also note things may be slightly noisier with manual cam chain adjusters - you'll have to live with it. The automated cam chain tensioners springs are prone to failure. This was supposedly to be remedied with the '01 and newer series, but my rear had failed, and I've heard of others of that series ('01-05) failing as well. The rectifier: I've got mine with a CPU heatsink strapped to the aluminum face; with silicone thermal paste in between mating the surfaces - try to get a legitimate thermal paste (the grey/silver stuff), as silicone as the tendency to "weep." I don't have the Honda front fork fluid name/spec off the top of my head, but I believe it has been changed from SS-7 to SS-8 - I upgraded to the SS-8 around the time when I did the fork seals. In addition, keep an eye on the rear exhaust header - mine had been prone to slipping off and causing a real degradation in performance. I've had to DIY stainless steel cable braid around things to keep it in place, and am still "testing it." As my ride is now 20-years old, I am eyeing an upgrade to SS front brake lines. If you're in the market for parts from the Honda shop, note that some of the part numbers have changed/revised - keep an eye on this in the diagrams. I haven't had the best of luck with a K&N high-flow-rate air filter, and others have had difficulty as well. Word of mouth has it that the Factroy Pro jet kit supposedly easier to tune in comparison to the DynoJet kit. Also of importance, is the ignition advance (mounted on the side of the carbs); they have been found to be set to be "higher" than the manual specifies (700+ ohms?) - I don't remember what I found mine at, but it was higher than the specified 500ohms (+/-10ohms); have the carbs synced prior to making the adjustment. For my mild riding, I've found the Pirelli Angel GT series (Now, Pirelli Angel GT II), have been outstanding for getting mileage in excess of just above 20k miles. The rear is a dual compound, and the front is a single compound. I don't remember the "high tensile" RK chain I've been going with, but highly recommend it - invest in it - don't get something cheap, or you'll be doing adjustments more than you want. Also, over the last year for the age of the bike, I have found cracks developing in the carb diaphragms. I have seen resellers out of China for new ones, at ~$25 each - I do not know anything about them, but am "looking at them." One of the most important things... ...I would not fiddle with the pilot screws - leave those alone - the end - the end. (Sigh! :\ ) I have upgraded the headlight bulb with a DC-based HID bulb setup, and I like it - but remember that it is not a true HID projector setup, and you may be impeding other's view after dark if not set properly. When it comes to the wheel and steering stem bearings, I've gone with All Balls Racing bearing kits. I also went with their fuel tank petcock kit, instead of the Honda one - the original [Honda] one had developed a tear in the diaphragm. Also as I have chased "glug-glug" sounds of air entering into the fuel tank after riding, I have questioned the carbs not getting the fuel they need during riding and have moved the fuel diaphragm vacuum line to the front cylinder lately - i am monitoring this. I believe I have an air leak that is influencing the throttle response and can see a dissimilarity of vacuum draw when I open the throttle that is considerable when I have the mercury synchronizer hooked up - with more vacuum coming from the front cylinder - which is why I have moved the vacuum line to the front heads intake. Oh, and try not holding in the clutch master cylinder for an extended period of time - this can cause something in the gearbox to lose its place it seems and things sound unsightly when you let it out. Also, be careful when power shifting from 1st to 2nd, as it can slip out at times and permanently screw up the shift-dogs (Do i have the terminology right?). I have found SuperhawkForum.com and VTR1000.org to be go-to resources for my ride. Cheers. :) -Matt

[@ryan3656]

Jesus that’s a whole operation haha

[@vtrnutter]

Good advice. I used to have a '99 VTR1000, loved it after suspension was properly sorted. My camchain tensioner failed (despite me asking Honda to check it several times) but I was incredibly lucky. Despite jumping a tooth, no pistons or valves met up, it just made the most horrendous sound. Sold the bike after that as I lost confidence in it. Honda refused to acknowledge the problem.

[@mcycle24]

Yes I’ve heard it’s usually the front tensioner that goes , The theory is that the front cylinder does not receive enough oil pressure due to the design of the engine causing it to fail. Either way, Honda should have done something to sort it. Thanks for the comment.

[@grahamjohnson7934]

i changed my cam adjusters for manual ones, but did'nt have to take carbs off, i to had a problem with the regulator , boiled my battery. i fitted a yamaha r1 , , work's great and does'nt get hot.. great vid m8

[@teages078]

What year r1 is it off of?

[@grahamjohnson7934]

@@teages078 around 2003... .... there is a guy on youtube, who has made a vid, , just type in yam r1 regulator for honda vtr. so easy to fit

[@davapod]

Bought a Firestorm recently and it came with manual cct's and a quality rectifier. These are without a doubt the weakest link in an otherwise super reliable power train.

[@billmcgarry3300]

I adapted a Superbike bar with custom riser/adapters, no more numbness on long rides. Braided lines, Manual cam chain tensioners, MOSFET rectifier, Doherty shifter, LED head and tail lights, leather seat, titanium exhaust, double bubble screen….should be good for another 24 years 😎

[@ghraffydd5275]

did you have to cut the fairing?

[@billmcgarry3300]

@@ghraffydd5275 No the fairing is still stock :) I did reroute the throttle and clutch lines. I am really happy with the results. Way more comfortable but still sporty!

[@DomRivers67]

EBC clutch and Barnett plates, polished clutch rod, they can grab badly especially when cold. If bike is stock, then jet up one size, then another size for each of the following, higher flowing exhaust, high flow air filters.....the (emissions) flat spot at 4500 is pretty bad, and very bad if it's got a fruity pipe. Keep the correct grade of fresh oil in it, helps both the clutch and original tensioners. Fit braided lines, seems to help a bit with front brake bite. Good road bikes though overall, the engine sounds great, better than the TL of the era and as good as the Duke but without the deathly rattles of a dry clutch. Mines got a wide bar conversion, kind of a bargain bin Tuono feel about it lol

[@darkknight1340]

Currently running a 2000 Firestorm and have fitted the manual tensioners,was looking to buy a Fireblade this year,but after reading some of the appalling customer service by Honda comments re the faulty auto tensioners I will be looking at a S1000RR instead.

[@darkknight1340]

@flip inheck BMW seem to have ironed out a lot of the problems with the S1000 the 2020 model is something else.I've only had mine for less than 2 months,so no problems noted yet,but having test ridden both the fireblade and the S1000,I much prefer the handling of the S1000.The acceleration is mind blowing too.

[@darkknight1340]

@flip inheck The majority of the problems stemmed from premature cam wear,but this affected a small percentage of the bikes,sounds like your friend was very unlucky with his engines,but for 2020 models,BMW have changed the metallurgy of the camshaft and cams to,hopefully,ensure they do not wear as quickly.

[@darkknight1340]

@flip inheck Of course,if the cam chain tensioners fail the damage can be catastrophic but maintaining the correct tension is a relatively simple procedure.

[@darkknight1340]

@flip inheck My Storm has not given me any problems,I've only had it since October 2019 and did look at the SP-2,but the BMW completely grabbed my attention, I'll see how it is after the first year of ownership,It has less than 200 miles on it at present,and it will be serviced by the local BMW dealer,but if any annoying problems do occur,I would consider getting rid of it and buying the SP-2.however,my original comment regarding Honda's complete lack of customer care when the problems with the auto tensioners came to light,still makes me very wary of buying another Honda,but we'll see.

[@robertgibbons7494]

The original ones typically go between 10-20,000miles. So changeing them every 8000 miles would be a good routine maintainence item, for your maintainence schedule. If you fit manual ones, good luck on adjusting the forward cylinder, as its buried in the engine. The rear one shown is easy.

[@shnarklevonbarkle110]

That was my biggest concern. How much trouble is it to get to the forward cylinder just o adjust the thing?

[@anthonymillard30]

Great vid. Getting the tensioners changed and fitting 20 mm risers

[@TheSixYardBox]

I was looking at getting another firestorm but the owner has already fitted manual tensioners and I really don’t trust someone else’s work when it is so critical to get right. If I end up buying I think I’ll get the Honda tensioners and do the stopper mod so that at worst the chain will rattle not jump a tooth

[@Desertduleler_88]

I've done the same on mine, even though I couldn't tell from the condition of the tensioners being low klms 17K they looked brand new when pulled apart.

[@perryburns6515]

Definitely get a manual cam chain tensioner installed! Everything you described went wrong on mine! Failed on the highway and bent the valves, was a costly repair. This is a well known common fault on the firestorm you would expect Honda to be able to fix but they don't want to know you and won't acknowledge they messed up. Turned me off Honda for life. Solid bike until that happened

[@mcycle24]

Perry Burns Yes I agree, It shouldn’t be up to owners to fix problems, Honda sorted the small fuel tank , Handlebars and rectifier on later model VTR but did nothing to the tensioners. They could of changed the design, But instead refused to accept there was a problem, Maybe to avoid expensive recalls.

[@ikilforkut]

Perry Burns how many kms did your bike do?

[@perryburns6515]

From memory I think it was mid 30's

[@johnpartridge7623]

Good advice & thanks for sharing 👍

[@shnarklevonbarkle110]

Great video, but it wasn't clear to me if one needs to remove the tank, carbs, etc. to adjust the cam chain or just to replace the manual tensioner.

[@mcycle24]

Valve covers need to be removed to check chain tension before and after fitment.

[@shnarklevonbarkle110]

@@mcycle24 That seems to be almost an intuitive claim. I would certainly agree were it not for a few other videos on KZbin which depict people pulling their stock CCT out and replacing them with manual CCT's without removing the valve covers. Instead, they removed the tank and plastic crap underneath, the spark plugs, and then turned the crank until they could see that the valves were closed at top dead center. Then they just put the new CCT in and put it back together. Here's just one of a few examples: kzbin.info/www/bejne/aqindnSkrJeWr9U In theory, I much prefer just about anything that is "automatic" so my question is why can't someone come up with a CCT that won't fail? If it's just the spring, can't a better spring be installed into the automatic CCT? Is this an issue on all Hondas that come with a CCT? I'm seriously considering purchasing a VTR, but I've never encountered this issue with my other bikes, although my VFR has a gear driven cam which is proving to be a wet dream when it comes to hands free maintenance and reliability. I change the oil, flush the radiators, and change the tires once in a blue moon.

[@boombatz3973]

Good video mate! Thanks.

[@karlwalker1771]

3000 thou on original cam chain adjuster should I be worried ? I love my ride BUT SHOULD I BE WORRIED? if so what does the community suggest I live in NOTTINGHAM, any helpful comments would be appreciated as I love my 3000 MILE RIDE! I truly love my Firestorm and would love to keep it FETTLED, any help would be truly appreciated, THANK YOU :)

[@Desertduleler_88]

They look similar to the VFR tensioners.

[@mcycle24]

MrStoneycool69 I think they fit them on a variety of Honda models.

[@Desertduleler_88]

@@mcycle24 Yes, they do...But they can fail catastrophically on VTR's without warning I've heard.

[@DomRivers67]

Bit of a double edged sword this one, a well serviced bike with constantly fresh oil will rarely fail, but an infrequently serviced bike WILL go.... On the other hand I'd be pretty scared of something whacked on there by Billy Bodgybollocks with his Halfords socket set....and cranked up too tight

[@Nothanks199]

How tight should the cam chain tensioners should be? How do u when to stop?

[@mcycle24]

Proper way to do it: Remove both cam covers line up timing marks and measure tension on chain with standard tensioners, Then fit manual ones and set to same tension.

[@bigboi9611]

In the forum people say you have to set it to tdc to swap,is that true?

[@mcycle24]

@@bigboi9611 Yes, I followed the forum’s posts to change mine.

[@bigboi9611]

@@mcycle24 thx mate,ordered new valve cover gaskets already👍

[@rob.1963]

Which model/year reg rectifier should I use please?

[@mcycle24]

robin walford I used a 2000/2001 Yamaha R1/R6.

[@rob.1963]

@@mcycle24 thanks, much appreciated.

[@mcycle24]

Also check out VTR owner’s forums/ Facebook groups for more information on reg/rec that can be fitted.

[@flow_922]

Are they pretty easy to install?

[@Str3p3X]

How mutch torq did u screw the manual ones in ? I mean how mutch Nm

[@mcycle24]

Factory spec.

[@stefansk8]

After installing the front one, can you adjust it without taking parts off?

[@mcycle24]

I took both cam covers off, lined up the riming marks and measured chain tension on both cylinders.

[@stefansk8]

@@mcycle24 sure but what do you do afterwards? do you take the carbs out for each adjustment?

[@mcycle24]

@@stefansk8 If I remember correctly you have to take the carbs off to get to the cam covers.

[@toyotacelica6397]

Model of VFR for handlebar???????????? RC36?RC46? 5:50

[@mickeymouse4897]

Need a wind sock on ya microphone.

[@adriancastellanos2605]

I have a 2005 what year is yours?

[@mcycle24]

2000

[@adriancastellanos2605]

@@mcycle24 thanks for the information I really appreciated.

[@emmettdoliveiro4327]

What year r6 did you used

[@mcycle24]

2000

[@kellyboon8458]

Just use VFR bar's instead

[@papercut1987]

are the ACCT for VFRs better than VTR? I'm living the same nightmare. I don't want to put the manual one cuz take off the carb is a pain.

[@flow_922]

This is what I don't get we all know that they don't make it past 32 33 thousand miles videos are all over the Internet this is a 30000 mile bike once they hit 30,000 or 33 the timing chain tensioner goes out and they blow up but nobody wants to get behind me on this recall I know they stopped making them an 05 but still does not make it right Honda owes me a motorcycle. I took the best care of that like I do all my bikes I got two thousand miles out of it spent $5,000 nobody wants to get behind me on this Recall why? A bike should last longer than 30,000 miles Honda owes me a bike or Fix-It recall something you can't tell me it's okay to buy a bike at 28,000 miles I write it for a couple thousand and it blows up right at 30,000 miles just like all the videos say but I did not see before my bike blew up I can send them to you this page all day long it is a known fact these bikes do not make it past 30,000 miles unless you change that sh-t out