What should my next bike be? Is the answer really that obvious?
 

G`Day all. I'm sux9000 and I'm a VTRaholic. Well, I'm planning to be.
I've been a rider for only a couple of years. My machines so far, a Honda VTR250 '05 which i just adored (IMO the perfect learner bike) and my current ride, a '99 Kwaka 400cc Vulcan Drifter. You may have heard of the Drifter, "but a 400cc version??" I hear you exclaim. Yes. I am living in Japan, the only place (I think) where 400cc road bikes are really prevalent.

OK enough raving and on to the point. I've basically had enough of this gutless, overweight cruiser and I'm looking to purchase a bigger, shinier ride. I'm tossing up between the 'Storm (cos V-Twins just own!) and a 'Busa (cos well, its a Busa!). Now I've loved the SuperHawk / Firestorm since well, forever. Its a vtwin and it seems a good bike for what I have in mind. But, I was thinking, so does the Busa. I'm not a racer, more of a tourer. And I live in a certain area of Japan famed for its curvy, bike-friendly roads. I'm a big guy too, destroying the scales at 110kgs. (Big, heavy bones, honest.:rolleyes:)

Basically, what are the pros/cons of both bikes? I only have limited knowledge (having never ridden either) of the Storm (though I've been reading a lot on this forum in the last couple of days) and pretty much no knowledge of the Busa apart from it's immense power and good touring capabilities.......so if you please, enlighten me. :)

PS yes I realise, this being a VTR1000 forum the answers may tend to "lean" a certain way, but hey, go for it! Convince me the Storm is the right bike for me! :D

What a massive first post. sorry bout that!
s9k

Welcome aboard!

The VTR is going to lack the range that you want for touring. Did Japan get the larger fuel tank? Even so, it's only 19L. Other than the fuel range, the VTR trumps the Busa in handling. It's lighter and has more "character" than the Uglybus.

It's more flickable than a Wee-Storm, front forks are crap, but the bike is still doing good in the twisties, fron fork mods would be the greatest mod that could be done to the VTR, the busa is quite heavy for the tight twisites, all those hp become useless and raise the consumption (you guys pay the gas:shock:), I'm not biased toward the hawk since I'm ready to part with it (liscencing rates up by 400 %). In Europe, a guy with a supermoto passed me, I started to chase him in very tight curvy roads and to my surprise, never in hell I could keep up with him, his bike was too light, I think it was a Husqvarna. Check this avenue too if you goal is an absolute blast in the twisties.

Thanks for the replies, guys. :D I think I have been denying what I know to be true. That I really do want a Firestorm! Since the bike is a reverse import (Honda don't offer this model directly to the bike buying public in Japan, so you have to get it through a third-party dealer) I can get basically any OS spec bike. So, a few q's?
What should I be looking for/at on a prospective purchase?
Are there any differences between the various countries' VTRs?
I know about the slightly limited fuel range of the US version, and the different meter layout from '03 on, but apart from that and the name, oh and possibly colour choices, are they all the same? Should I be looking at a more recent model or doesn't that matter?
Probably cheaper to get an earlier one maybe... More money to use on speccing it up :o

Oh yeah, not too worried about fuel range here, cos its pretty much impossible to go from one end of this country to the other without running into some form of service area every hour or so.

The VTR did not change except for the gauges and, for non-US bikes (or is that UK-only?), the larger fuel tank. So, buy the bike that is in the best condition you can find.

As you have probably already read, CCTs and R/Rs are prone to failure, but there are easy solutions to those problems.

Japan, huh? Perhaps you could send US some of those gray-market bikes! :D

Cheers for the infos,　marmaladedad. Ive looked at a couple of em now, at two different branches of a great bike store called Red Baron! Both were in that awesome blue that I love, both were '03s, one was from UK or Aus at 650,000yen (about $5500 US) and the other, a US branded SuperHawk at 880,000 ($7500 US). they both looked pristine, but I was only in drool mode. Didn't have a real discerning eye at the time.

Apart from those, I haven't seen many others for sale and only a few on the roads here. I might try some private trader ads, but with the problems I've been having on my current bike, I've made some friends in the service dept of my local Red Baron store so I believe they'll look after me. I'm thinking of cheap servicing or some discount trick gear !:D

hehe I should start a bit of a OS trading scheme: FRESH PICKED BIKES DELIVERED TO YOUR DOOR or somesuch bull. ;)

pssssssssst..

RC51!

best of both worlds (as close as you'll get)

btw, ship me over an x9! states don't get them :|
or silvia parts =)

I'm with Anto , RC51 .

RC51 eh? that is one sexy bike fo' damn sho'. Wouldn't mind one of those!
But I need something that I can use everyday, and from what I've heard I think the HawkyStorm is a better option. And I'll still have to set it up for touring, (raise the 'bars, comfy seat, panniers of doom etc)

BTW Anto, excuse my ignorance but are we talking about the Piaggio x9? :confused:
Also which model silvia do you have? dunno how much cheaper they would be here, since the cars out of production... but hey it can't hurt to look!:)

RC51....from everything I've heard of that bike, if you plan to ride a lot, forget about it. You mentioned your desire for touring. You know, a lot of what makes a touring bike comfortable is a more upright riding position. Puts less stress on your back and on your wrists. Ever look into a Triumph Speed Triple? Sure it's no twin, but the later 1050 years make pretty nasty horsepower and it's a triple, so you know you've got a fair midrange. Not to mention, how many triples do you see on the road? And it's got a very upright riding position, I'd imagine pretty comfy for a longer haul! The only downside I can see is, it's got a short wheelbase, torque, and 130+ horsepower....needless to say, it's a wheelie monster. The mags call it a "hooligan bike". ;)

Yep, I don't mind the Speed Triple, its a mean looker, and I haven't seen any Trumpys around where I live, so I'd certainly stand out (I already do, being 5'11" and big x2). But at the same time the amount of SuperStorms/FireHawks you see around here is also hella low. The trend in japan atm is naked I4s like the CB1300, or American armchairs (I'm ashamed to say that my ride atm is a couch, an ooooold Kawasaki Drifter, so at least I have a couch with _some_ style!). The sportsbike crowd are mostly buying the latest, greatest, fastest ways into hospital. I'm a Honda man at heart and I reckon I'll be at home on the VTR. Of course, until I've test ridden some actual bikes I wont know for sure!

There is something I do want to know. I've never ridden a 4cyl bike before. How different is it to a twin? Please enlighten an ingnorant pleb.
Cheers :D

Yeah, I'm actually taking a long, hard look at the speed triples. Hey, you can buy my SHawk from me and then i can go buy an S3. deal.

hayabusas are nice. distinctive looks, amazing engine. basically people like the power delivery of the twin - lots of midrange power, especially torque - you have to go to a very powerful inline four to get similar torque and power usually comes at relatively high rpms. the benefit of a monster like the busa it that it has so much excess everywhere that that argument doesn't work anymore - I'm pretty sure anywhere in the rpm range the hayabusa makes more hp and torque than the SH. Vtwin vibes are different too, more of a thumping, less buzz. the busa is pretty smooth engine. Riding position is a bit forward on either bike but I think the busa would be easier to set up for longer distances and particularly if taking a passenger. plus, its really a cool bike IMO, and lots of options, performance or otherwise. Even with little change in the model its still one of the best selling sportsbikes in the US for a reason.

I was in the bike shop today. Saw an Aprilia SL1000 Falco. Hadn't even considered it before. Until I looked at the price, something like 5 grand.
I asked the guy, Why so cheap?
he said, yellow isn't a popular colour for Aprilias.
So whats wrong with it?, I asked.
Nothing, he replied, the previous owner wants it sold, thats all.

Faaaark if thats the only reason why its so cheap, could I have found a bargain? Cant remember the year, might be an '01.

similar to the SH. Resale on the SH is cheaper than that but you had mentioned you'd hvae to get one imported so maybe easier. cheap because of the same reasons as the SH - overlooked, not updated etc. I think parts are harder to come by but you could verifythat with the dealer if they sell them where you live.

some summaries

http://www.motorcyclenews.com/MCN/bi.../?&R=EPI-20198

http://www.motorcycle.com/manufactur...00v-14759.html

i was gonna say look into the Aprilias they are very nice bikes

Hi Ho SUX9000

If you are looking for a well sorted Firestorm....I have one for sale.

Original owner...set up for sport touring. 1999/Black/Racetech/Ohlins/Sargent/Helibars and much much more.

Ping me at geoffrey dot helmes at sympatico dot ca if you are interested.

Cheers!

Geoff in Almonte