This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

firestorm

B

BIG UN

just how bad or good are honda firestorms?
anyone owned one/had any experience of em?
i know theyre not the best looking machine
and they only do 10 mile with the poor fuel tank,
but as a cheap way of getting back onto 2 wheels and vtwins,
theyre only fetching £1500 on pistonheads.

only prob is £1500 aint cheap if theyre a bag of *****.
they dont get to bad a write up on mcn but...
we know what mcn's like!!

theres a few round here with the belly pan on and a few mods
to improve the looks,they sound nice too with the race cans on.

first hand advice appreciated.

also the vfr 800cc,not the v-tec effergy.
 
i had one before the rsv and loved it. would still have it but got written of by a **** on a 125. Have a test ride you should like it. Only problem i ever had was a cam chain tensioner went but didnt cause any damage
 
have they got decent power then mate,plenty of get up and go?
 
Hi,my brother had one for a couple of years he never had any trouble with it,apart from having cam chain adjusted and stopping for fuel all the time :roll,he fitted a bellypan and undertray which made it look a bit sportier,it sounded alright too even with oe cans?
Pretty quick aswell i couldnt out run him on my old zx9r but i bottle it after 70 :devious,he found loads of add ons cheap on ebay and as im sure you know a Honda will prob go forever if looked after,cheers
 
Hi mate,
I liked Firestorms, it was a toss-up between that and the TL1000S for me a few years ago. In the end, I got a TL and my mate got a Firestorm (which I had a few plays on).

The comments I'd make on them are. They're good bikes, they're smooth & forgiving, easy to ride fast or slow, well made, reliable etc. But...

1) They're quite little. I'm 6ft 2" and it felt like I was riding a mini-moto.
2) The power delivery is a quite limp compared to the TLS and therefore the RSV too.
3) Cam-chain tensioner went on it after 18,000 miles - a very common problem.

All in all, they're a good intro to big v-twins but you can get an RSV for less if you shop around.

Cheers,
Mike.
 
They are a nice cheap bike i had one in the shop for a couple of months they are a nice cheap bike which can keep up with most
 
thats buggered it then,my other fear was they look quite small
and narrow,as im a big lad too.
i fancied a tl1000r but they hold there money like fook.
theres hardly any cheap milles about at all.
plenty between 3-4k,but thats outa my price range im afraid
what with one thing and another.
only want a cheap play thing with plenty of oomph.
gotta be 900-1000cc to haul my big *** around.
cheers for the imput guys.
 
im over six foot 15 stone owned two of them never had any problems with them plenty of power just don't expect the handling of a rsv
and the original back shock can go of at 13000 miles
 
This might be a really stupid question but have you ever thought of an Aprilia RSV - I hear that they are pretty good:eek:
Prices from £2kish I believe....
 
yeah dude,had one last time round.
id love one but a decent one,
think 1500-1800k price range is a little low for a decent well looked after mille.
theyre all "cracked fairings" "track use".
id only buy a mille off guys like you lot on here,that know how to look after em right.
my last one was owned by an il4 numpty whod used the wrong oil + over filled it ect.
didnt know to check oil when bike was warm ect.
 
pointer rsv said:
im over six foot 15 stone owned two of them never had any problems with them plenty of power just don't expect the handling of a rsv
and the original back shock can go of at 13000 miles
Click to expand...

Yeah, I agree there is plenty of power in the Firestorm, but if you're used to an RSV or TL, you might not like the difference.

No harm in trying one for size, it might end up being just what you were looking for. It's definitely got a comfier seat!

I think if you play the eBay game shrewdly enough (and before the weather warms up!), you'll be able to pick up a bargain RSV. I paid £1300 for mine. A guy in Nottingham offered me his 2000 model for £1200. I sent him my offer in cash before the end of the auction, which he ignored. But when the auction ended without a winning bidder, he accepted the offer. That one needed a bit of paintwork doing, but that's just something to expect if you're not willing to pay full price.

Mike.
 
true mate.
i just thought id be better with a good bike that cost less when new,therefore getting a bike in better nick for the same cash that id get a rough mille if you get me.
i loved my old 2003 mille,never should have sold it,but illness forced my hand.
now with lack of wages due to being off sick long term ect,
im really at the peasants end of the bike market.
but it isnt meant to be pride and joy and polish.

i need to be back on 2 wheels,and have sumat thatll go some,and get out and ride.
biking clears my head,makes me forget the bad stuff and cheers me up.
just cant afford to buy a dog that needs loads putting right on it.
 
i had a firestorm a early 99 on a t plate good bike plenty of mid range grunt only probs i had were sometimes stalling when idling, and if you fit after market belly pans watch out if carry a pillion as speed bumps very limited ground clearance
 
if i was you i would buy a firestorm or a tls forget the tlr i had one and it was pants because the tls was a bit flighty they killed the r with to much weight, a crap damper and wooden brakes. when you are buying an old bike the firestorm has honda reliability.. and they sold plenty so parts are cheap...the mpg will be crap but you can't have it all and anyway it was the first bike i ever got my knee down on so they must be good the vfr 800 is ok but watch out for a slipping clutch when it gets up to normal temperature
 
firestorm sounds a good budget summer fun tool.
guess ill have to find a good un and try it out for size.
once im back on my feet,i can always use it to trade up to something better later on.
itll just be an means to an end.

another option is the suzi sv1000,seem very cheap for a newish bike and a bit better tank range.built to a budget and suzuki never had great build quality anyway,but beggars cant be choosers.
 
soggy front and rear end, low seat height , cam chain tensioners need replacing to make sure they dont give up, sound nice with decent cans on , go fairly well, poor fuel economy and range, grabby clutches, poor headlight, rectifiers go up in smoke for fun, cheap and cheerful.
Go for a TL and be a man lol
 
i like tl's,just not the tls,dont like the look of it.
prefered the tlr in gsx blue and white.
the tls looked like someone nicked the fookin fairing off it!
then there was the problems with the frame cracks ect.
and cos theyre a bit of a cult bike,folks want daft money for them,
like v-max's ect.
not much good in your previous firestorm ownership tho,lol.
for everyone that likes em,another doesnt.doh
 
Hey up Big_un. Have you thought about a Falco? I had one for 4.5 yrs before I got my RSVR and they're cracking. Big enough for a big lad and its pretty much a Mille underneath (slightly less power but that can be sorted). Loads cheaper too for some reason, I've seen lots of nice Falcos go for £1500.
 
Hey Big Un mate, I think you shouldnt stop looking for a decent early Mille. My mate sold his mint 99 for £1800 a couple of months ago. There are gooduns out there.
 
ooo never thought about a falco tbh my nemesis.
ill have a look into that cheers mate.
hi sabre old pal,true there are the odd gems hidden out there.
when the time comes,hopefully ill drop on lucky.
just trying to weigh up the alternatives just incase there isnt a nice well loved early mille about.
wanted another vtwin,theres loads of zx7/srad gsxr750's/early zx9's and early blades ect.
but you cant beat the twins torque or sound for that matter!!
idealy,ill be back on a mille,cos it was the cheapest ive ever spent on a bike,
but the one i have fondest riding/ownership memories of.

cheers for all the replys/advice fellas,much appreciated.
 

Similar threads

C
Another new RSV Mille Owner/Fan
Replies
3
Views
1K
redratbike
redratbike
Renevator
Comparing an RSVR to a Multistrada 1000S ??
Replies
4
Views
978
ian11
I
L
2001 Aprilia RSV-R FOR SALE
Replies
8
Views
3K
RSVRNuT
RSVRNuT
aka_Gilo
FFS!!! New tyre lowside........
Replies
45
Views
6K
newelly
newelly
A
A year in the life of a Tuono
Replies
31
Views
4K
england 2
england 2

New Posts