Honda VTR1000 Firestorm. Is it still as good today as it was back in the day?

[@steveteasdale1971]

Bought an 02 in 2004 from Bill Heads Preston, still have the bike, pure magic!

[@stringandreed]

I love motorcycles! I've been riding them since 1970.

[@davapod]

I have just bought a very tidy Yellow 98 firestorm with 23K on the clock. To be honest the oldest and highest mileage bike I have ever bought. It is wonderful. It has benefited from a recent EBC clutch replacement, braided hoses and an excellent aftermarket full belly pan. I have never owned a big V-Twin before, my back catalogue includes quite a few 2 stokes ala RD 350 YPVS N2, TDR 250, NS 400r and a ton of inline fours, mostly GSX-R's and Blades with lovely time spent with a VFR 800 and a ZX12r. I have to admit the VTR never interested back in the day, but I am having a total blast with it. 👍

[@firmahilster]

I have the VTR1000SP2 now for 12 years , driving on the road and many times at the racetrack. Great bike !

[@banditime]

Great video, I live in Australia and have a 2001 model, we had already had the 19ltr tank and digital dash upgrade,, as with you, love mine, an absolute character of a bike to ride.

[@WeAreChecking]

Glad to hear it was your first bike, almost certainly going to be picking one up (also from a good friend funnily enough) as a first bike. Superhawk this side of the pond in bright yellow and really looking forward to getting out there. Such a cool bike, fits the "middle of the road" niche excellently. Hope yours is still treating you well!

[@jeffgantt5975]

Had a 1998 model and loved that thing,still brings a smile to my face !

[@iaintempl8]

I've owned my 2001 Firestorm for 16 years now, had to buy one after borrowing a friend's. The rear shock and fork springs have been upgraded and the engine has had the dreaded automatic cam chain tensioners replaced with manual versions and some fruity Yoshimura rs3 end cans. Love this bike.

[@peterbeck493]

I had one in 2000 wish i still had it now. 2000 rpm it had so much torque paid 6 grand for a 99 model would love to get another one. Honda build quality is the best

[@ransey895]

Nice nice bike bro....

[@GojuStu]

I'm considering a 2001 VTR at the moment. Last bike I had was a 2011 Fireblade but after some experience with twins with an Aprilia Millè, I'm looking forward to getting it.

[@ivy-mac]

I used to have one and loved it. I've just bought another that's a doer upper.

[@patrickmalone9380]

I can't believe how compact light it feels am going after 2005 model I been riding my st 1100 so sitting on vtr felt so diffrent

[@jd6549]

I've put over 60,000 miles on mine and it's still going strong, a great bike, you get about 100 miles to the tank before reserve. Mine is a 1997 and it is even Ulez exempt 👍🇬🇧

[@trackliferacing3017]

In the States, it was called the Super Hawk. I had the yellow 99' with Two Brothers exhaust. It was an absolute blast to ride. If I were in the market for a bike, I would buy one again.👍

[@donziperk]

I’ve got a 98 Super Hawk with Two Brothers and just love it. I live in Southwest Canada and rebadged it because I like it better than Fire Storm. Bought it on a whim not really knowing much about them. That was in 2014. My neighbour rode it and sold his CBRR and bought one then another one then a RC51 which I road then went and one. Damn things are infectious.

[@trackliferacing3017]

@donziperk yes that exhaust note and torque certainly is infectious. Enjoy it and be safe out there.

[@glennparrott3435]

I also had one for my first bike 15 years ago....had a few others, but now on my third one

[@Fast2Whls]

I have a 1999 in yellow with some minor mods and only 11K miles on it. Bought it new, had to sell it in 2000, but bought it back from the buyer in 2020 because I missed it so much. I have owned (and still do own) several other sportbikes that are "better", but man the VTR puts a smile on my face more than any other bike I've had. It just has "soul". I'll never part with it again.

[@TheVaughan5]

Absolutely v-twin guy all the way. I’ve owned loads of in-line 4’s but when I bought my Honda rc51 it was a life changing experience. Never even consider a 4 cylinder bike again.

[@michaelforrestal1964]

Hi Loved the video! I have only had my vtr1000f for about two months and yes love it! Torque to boot, fuel capacity is questionable and handling is great yes perhaps a little soft as you said and yes perfect down the middle bike. You are spot on!!!

[@silviofontana5144]

just love the sound of these twins as you wind on the throttle, I ride a 2007 919F hornet, stay safe

[@ih8momjokes1]

i had a firestorm then a gsxr 1000 and wanted to buy a 919 hornet how do these compare? which did you ultimately like the most

[@murmurha2084]

V twin absolutely rocks, heartwinner, totaly agree with you 👍

[@mrcrankyank]

Stunning bike mate and good story behind it. Thanks for the video 👍🏽

[@alrodney777]

Great bike, since I got knowledge this bike was created by Honda motor Inc just for try to kick ducati as well she is the only Japanese bike wt the similar sound. Beautiful bike congrats.

[@kacperkowalski1854]

Just bought orange 2000 vtr1000 with dominator exhaust and it is sick! Rumbling neighbourhood

[@richcousins9328]

Great vid, getting a 2000 reg bike delivered tomorrow

[@markdennis930]

TLR is not the widow maker, that is the TLS.

[@bhghjhjlbhb357]

Great vid. Today I serviced my 2001 Firestorm which had been sitting in a garage for 4 years. New oil, filters and battery and fired up right away. Did a mini tour and it was like new. I have a Dynojet kit installed btw, which I can recommend very mucht. Great bike.

[@malcolmcurtis7645]

Love em, had a 98' one phenomenal

[@clemfandango7175]

Lovely bike the same as mine

[@barneywaygood9037]

My first big bike is a VTR not as nice as that one but it was cheap as Chips. I seen the like on the fb group

[@markyoung6027]

Great video, like yourself i started on a Firestorm and angering to get back on one.

[@peteremmons515]

I notice it still has the automatic cam chain adjusters, you need to change these for manuals ASAP or risk having to rebuild or throw away the engine- Google it or join one of the many forums for advice, otherwise she looks great.

[@JohnSmith-ws1dp]

Overly paranoid I’ve had 5 vtrs

[@BearsTrains]

@@JohnSmith-ws1dp Yep, this is common theme "it's a ticking timebomb" blah blah blah. The reason the spring tang on the CCTs fail is lugging the engine. People ride them like a Harley, no no no, rev that engine and never ride under 3000rpm.

[@JamoZNL]

@John Smith Iast week i picked up a '98 vtr with 60k on the clock in really good condition, but it had the automatic cct's. Yesterday I went by a little shop nearby who specialises in Honda bikes and he also said people are way to paranoid about it. If the engine sounds good with no excessive rattling than there is no reason to panick. They won't instantly fail, as its usually a gradually progressive issue which you will slowly hear coming, or sometimes not at all. He said he'd seen vtr's do 150k with the original cct's...

[@karlwalker1771]

I had cbr 600 Ultima and this bike is Fantastic ! POWER IN EVERY GEAR Pmsl

[@glennwilson465]

Awesome video! I'm in NZ and own two of these presently as i purchased a 2007 model to replace the 2001 model I also have (and am in the process of selling). Only reason for doing so was the awful range of the 2001 model - 150km between fills?! For a bike designed over 20 years ago the performance (particularly mid-range) is superb. And the noise with aftermarket pipes is head-turning & adds to the enjoyment every ride. Bang for buck I can't think of anything better. They sell for around $5k here, and depending upon rider ability will keep up with most any modern sports bike through twisty roads.

[@_RicksGarage]

Greetings Glenn. Thank you for viewing my video and for commenting. Yes indeed, the fuel capacity and range is pretty woeful to say the least. I may look into upgrading my tank for the later, larger fuel tank however I need to do some research on the topic first and most importantly actually find a tank because they seem to be rare as hens teeth!

[@mw8653]

Great looking bike I got one in July a 98 with 6100 miles looks about on par with yours, same owner for last 24 yrs. Haven't managed to sort out random lurching and misfires between 2/3k revs which is annoying, it's already burnt out the regulator and fried the battery so replaced both of these along with coils plugs and plug caps Trying to adjust the TPS now best result so far is at 430 ohms, when I get some free time will have another go at it. Is running a non standard stainless exhaust with V-Power badging on the cans can't find much out about them they are quite loud but maybe upsetting the jetting.

[@_RicksGarage]

Hello Sir. Thank you for sharing. I too have had a failure of the regulator rectifier but that has since been replaced. Thankfully it didn’t ruin my new battery. With regards to the exhaust; I have read that VTR’s fitted with aftermarket cans with the baffles removed can harm the engine. Why this is the case I don’t know, I need to research into it. My bike bike does have aftermarket cans fitted and it did come with the baffles inserts fitted too which I have since removed. Generally the bike does run perfectly fine however it does occasionally backfire on over rev which isn’t necessarily a great thing. I do plan on researching more into this and I will post my findings on the channel soon

[@donziperk]

@@_RicksGarage The reason after market exhaust can harm the engine is they run too lean on them. You mentioned it backfires occasionally which is an indication of running lean. Check your plugs if they are not light tan you are running lean.

[@jonb8241]

Last bike I had was a SV650 about 8yrs back, great little bike. Won’t have one now as I don’t have the confidence I had back then, and with the amount of idiots on today’s roads, not worth it.,.. look forward to seeing some future content 👍

[@Chilluminium]

Hello! Is it that bad? Where do you live? India?

[@ih8momjokes1]

what i hated was the choked down near the engine and u had to do an awkward twist of the back to warm up the engine. doesnt look very cool when you're with your buddies on their FI bikes :/

[@perryburns6515]

Hey Rick. I had a firestorm as my first bike also. Loved it until the CCT failed and wrecked the internals 😢. Thinking about getting another one though. Did you ever track yours? Have you done the manual CCT upgrade? And is it quicker off the line than the TLR? Cheers. Phil

[@ianrayfabros3784]

Man i really love this bike. Thinking about buying a 2003 model. But my concerns are availablity of parts here in the Philippines. I currently own a 1993 Cb400 inline 4, and i would have to agree that inline 4's lack character.

[@gruffrossi5420]

Is that I've been thru the cb range liked the twins as well the four 4⃣ waz fast never had k1 but had cb900

[@purebloodheretic4682]

Is that a Custom Paint Job? I've Never seen that Colour, we Never got that Colour in Australia! Great Bike! Cheers👍🇦🇺😁

[@BearsTrains]

It's a Honda colour called Teal

[@Keri-c3t]

I Ric i just watched your video honda vtr firestorm i have 2004 model love it,but u loss my keys to it any thoughts how do i get another set the easy way

[@anastasijajelic3298]

I have the yellow one...I doubt I will ever sell it. The only thing I find annoying is to high first gear (at least for me). Even today I manage to put it in neutral by mistake from time to time 🤗

[@gruffrossi5420]

I've found that have to thrash it a bit to set second gear or it's lumpy I'm used to combos had big bigs I prefer brit singers got yellow an black got some half decent pipes sound nice still keeps up wit new bikes like yer said juicy but fun an cheap

[@tompwh]

I love my firestorm, I saw in the video you riding on one of the roads i ride near rainford! I live near there. You still have the bike?

[@_RicksGarage]

Small world! Yes I still have the bike 👍🏼

[@jamesbottger5894]

I've got a question for you Superhawkers. I have a '98, and I absolutely love everything about the bike, however, the handlebars absolutely kill my hands. It puts so much of my upper body weight on the heels of my hands, its actually painful. There are lots of options for installing different bars, risers, etc, but in order to change the position enough to make them comfortable, the fairing either has to be removed or cut. I really don't want to cut it, as the Honda plastics are no longer made. The other option would be to remove the fairing, but this bike is funky looking as hell without the fairing. Though about polishing everything under the fairing, but I would still have to install another headlight assembly. There really is no easy solution. Do any of you have any thoughts on this subject?

[@WanabeeCNC9697]

I have a Firestorm 2000 model in Australia. I too had serious issues with the riding position of the bars (the joys of being an old fart). After much research, I discovered that you can replace the standard clip ons with the clip ons from the VFR800. (I can attest that they are a straight replacement with a bit of drilling of the new bars required to match the lugs on the handlebar fittings, and reasonably easy to obtain second hand quite cheaply.) They raise the bars by about 40mm - which makes a big difference to the riding position. However, they will foul the fairing at full lock, and you will probably need to lengthen brake and clutch lines. (I didn't see that as a problem, as it gave me the opportunity to install steel braided lines). As to fouling the fairing, you have several options. You can reduced the full lock position, but this will increase the turning circle (just epoxying extra pads on the steering head can achieve this - or I have seen examples where owners have tapped and installed bolts to do the same.) It may be possible to distort the standard fairing slightly forward to provide more clearance by modifying the mounting frame attached to the instrument binnacle, or installing spacers - but this is not something I would do, and I can't say I have seen a real life example of this. The other option is to trim the fouling part of the fairing - in my opinion the easiest and neatest option. This does not have to be unsightly or obvious - it depends on your skill level. I have seen examples where you need to look very carefully to even know it has been done. I am currently rebuilding my bike and that will be part of the final modifications. Lastly, the later factory models of the VTR1000F already had slightly higher bars and I understand that they are a straight replacement with no need to modify the fairing, but the change in riding position is not that great, and may not suit you. I certainly wanted more.

[@rob.1963]

Spot on, that's a minter.

[@_RicksGarage]

Thanks Robin. It will be 👍🏼

[@gizzync1525]

Fukkers drank like a car! put that engine note! Loved mine. had its flaws, but busting with character. they don't make bikes like her anymore sadly

[@scottycuk]

I thought straight away I reckonised that area from 6:06 lol near southport/billinge by any chance? ;)

[@_RicksGarage]

Close. It’s in Rainford/Crank.

[@gruffrossi5420]

picked one of thees cheap 31an half on the clock

[@gruffrossi5420]

It still holds its own with bikes of to day can't beat the sound with decent pipes on it mine is yellow and black like a wasp that's wot it like

[@davapod]

I might also add, having a dark screen looks a bit rubbish. 🤣

[@truckinghell1655]

What are these like for the taller bigger framed rider not had chance to sit or ride one but would very much would like to have a go after having Italian twins

[@_RicksGarage]

You shouldn’t have a problem in my opinion. Best bet is to add yourself into the firestorm owners group on Facebook and ask the question. I’m sure there are many big fellow firestorm owners

[@alessandrorossi5992]

The only fxxxking question to Honda: WHY DIDN'T USED CBR900RR FRONT SUSPENSION 46 MM (TRADITINAL) ON VTR 1000 FIRESTORM IN PLACE OF THOSE SHITTY 41?

[@directorstu]

Yes. Loved my vtr but it never felt quite right in the corners. Some ppl put fireblade forks on. I let her go in the end.

[@leejones7965]

V twin all day.ducati supersport s.

[@_RicksGarage]

Beautiful machine. I would love something Italian. I keep looking at the MV Agusta F4 though not a twin

[@wokeybrokey8006]

Sorry. The TLS whipped its ass…had a 1997 then, have a 1999 now….cool

[@nikitapet8111]

А это оригинальный цвет ? Ни когда такой не встречал? Мой серый матовый 2004 года