New firestorm- I love it (but my butt don't)

[fatfreddy000]

Sounds to me like you just need to spend more time on it so you can ride it like a twin and not a il4 .
The vtwin likes to rev and don't like being at 3k or lower , as for the seat ,yes it's hard and slippery as it's a sports bike .

Little concerned about your broken foot peg ! What mount has broken off ?

Your right. I'm not used to sport bikes and this is the main issue not the bike itself.
The first 50 miles in the twisties I was concerned that this bike wasn't for me, then for the next 100miles in a gale on a motorway I felt pretty much the same, just trying to hang on against a head wind with gusts from the side and aching everywhere.
I felt like I was precariously balanced on top of the machine but not really a part of it- like it was far too small or something..
After a good break and a change in the weather i relaxed and it just started to fall into place and the bike began to feel familiar.
The last 200 mile of my journey yesterday was great fun (apart from the slippy saddle)
It just take a bit of time to feel out a new bike I guess particularly if it of such a different style as your previous bikes.
By the time I got to the B roads on my home straight I felt natural slinging it in and out of courners, although they were not like the hairpins from earlier in the day.
I'm about to head back to London now so another 120 miles and can't wait to get back on.
I am very god of this machine already.
Regarding the lh footpeg:
On the peg there are 2 'lugs' that a bar with splitpin passes through to secure to bike. One has broken off and is missing and so it's only supported at one end and is wobbly.
I will get that sorted immediately as could be nasty if it came of.
In addition the gear shifter is bent.
I wonder if both these things happened in the same incident.
there is no other sign of damage in the area so unsure how it happened..

[fatfreddy000]

I was sat in 6th gear for an hour or cruising along just occasionaly whipping the throttle back to be astounded by the instant torque and power that translated to very rapidly finding myself travelling at speeds I should probably not mention (is it safe to do so here?) Effortless, just seems to be ticking over.. It feels like there's so much grunt there it could do with another bloody gear.

Glad to hear all went well with picking up your new bike despite the gale force conditions

This is a public forum, so anything you post can be seen by anybody.

It might be worth checking what sprockets are fitted seeing as you were looking for 7th gear. Standard sprocket gearing is 16 tooth front and 41 tooth rear,

Chris.

I am wondering if perhaps the speedo is a little out as I managed to get 170mph out of her (off road of course at wisly airfield) and it seemed that that was a little more i there too if I'd kept accelerating.
I thought these would be good for maybe 160mph?
The odometer seemed to match the miles I was covering but maybe the speedo could still be a touch high?
Astounding anyway..

[KermitLeFrog]

Hairpins: Can be tricky chaps. They are most often on a hill and an uphill hairpin (and many flat hairpins) responds to a particular style. What works for me (me only, other people will have different ideas) is to pick a gear and get the bike under gentle power BEFORE turning. Control speed with the back brake and not the throttle. On/off off/on the throttle gives and takes up slack in the drive train (gearbox and chain) and unsettles the bike with a lurch. Corner with the throttle slightly open and control speed with the back brake. Not the front brake.

Downhill hairpins are similar but it's even more difficult to start the corner under power. The trick again, is the rear brake. Dragging that greatly reduces the lurch you get from going from a closed to an open throttle.

Give it a "gentle" go.

[fatfreddy000]

Hairpins: Can be tricky chaps. They are most often on a hill and an uphill hairpin (and many flat hairpins) responds to a particular style. What works for me (me only, other people will have different ideas) is to pick a gear and get the bike under gentle power BEFORE turning. Control speed with the back brake and not the throttle. On/off off/on the throttle gives and takes up slack in the drive train (gearbox and chain) and unsettles the bike with a lurch. Corner with the throttle slightly open and control speed with the back brake. Not the front brake.

Downhill hairpins are similar but it's even more difficult to start the corner under power. The trick again, is the rear brake. Dragging that greatly reduces the lurch you get from going from a closed to an open throttle.

Give it a "gentle" go.

That's kind of the way I would of done it on my other bikes be them il4's or my old tsm850.
For me mainly about entering the corner with the throttle not shut off and definitely not needing to be shut off. and once the rear brake is sorted I'll be be mutte off too. I just struggled to to find that yesterday..
Thanks for all the advice..

[KermitLeFrog]

Yes, Grandmother, sucking eggs and all that business. I presume you took the road from Hexham through Whitfield, and over Hartside to Penrith. A couple of real hairpins going down to Cupola Bridge over the river Allen. Past Whitfield it's a very popular road (especially with Ziggy and Al) but it does have some very tight bits interspersed with the more swoopy bits. We might see some of it next weekend on the Yorkshire run. Can you make that? We promise not to laugh at the bike (well, not much anyway) and it's possible one of the attendees might have a footpeg in their pocket. I don't have a spare but I would be surprised if there wasn't one kicking about.

[MacV2]

Re the footpeg issue...You will need a new hanger as the bit thats broken is part of the casting.

Will have to check but I might have a a spare but it is bare minus the lever & footpeg IIRC...

[KermitLeFrog]

Re the footpeg issue...You will need a new hanger as the bit thats broken is part of the casting.

Will have to check but I might have a a spare but it is bare minus the lever & footpeg IIRC...

Aaaah, you could be right. I was assuming it was one of the two lugs on the peg itself. Perhaps Freddy can confirm.

[MacV2]

Re the footpeg issue...You will need a new hanger as the bit thats broken is part of the casting.

Will have to check but I might have a a spare but it is bare minus the lever & footpeg IIRC...

Aaaah, you could be right. I was assuming it was one of the two lugs on the peg itself. Perhaps Freddy can confirm.

Could be I'm just asuming it's the lug thats broke not the peg...A photo would help...

[KermitLeFrog]

Re the footpeg issue...You will need a new hanger as the bit thats broken is part of the casting.

Will have to check but I might have a a spare but it is bare minus the lever & footpeg IIRC...

Aaaah, you could be right. I was assuming it was one of the two lugs on the peg itself. Perhaps Freddy can confirm.

Could be I'm just asuming it's the lug thats broke not the peg...A photo would help...

It's more likely to be the bracket. The footpeg lugs are pretty hefty.

[fatfreddy000]

Re the footpeg issue...You will need a new hanger as the bit thats broken is part of the casting.

Will have to check but I might have a a spare but it is bare minus the lever & footpeg IIRC...

Aaaah, you could be right. I was assuming it was one of the two lugs on the peg itself. Perhaps Freddy can confirm.

Could be I'm just asuming it's the lug thats broke not the peg...A photo would help...

To confirm it is the peg itself. The hangar looks fine.
The rear of the of the 2 cast lugs is broke/missing.
I onlu noticed it on a fuel stop as a few miles earlier I felt a definite movement under my left foot.
I'm assuming it was cracked and just wedged in there or something and that movement was it falling out so that the peg swung out a little at the rear.
Another thing I've just notice OS a tiny bot of play/clicking from the headset- are they equipped with tapered needle bearings so cam can adjust easily?

[KermitLeFrog]

The OEM headstock brearings are ball bearings. Yours probably need replacing. Mine certainly did a little while ago. The clicking coming from the front is a dead givaway.

Make sure you refit taper roller bearings. I used the Wemoto kit which comes with everything needed, seals etc.. Easy job. They need readjusting a couple of times after fitting though.

[agentpineapple]

glad to hear that you're enjoying the bike. you mention slower corners and a slight lack of throttle smoothness. i'd suggest setting the tps to as near as 500ohms as possible. it might help.
but mostly you'll need more time in the saddle to get used to the bikes quirks. as wicky said, a flip screen helps when mile munching. I've also had my seat reshaped and recovered. no more crushing of balls under heavy braking....
there's several firms out there that can sort the seat out. iirc yeti/ian is 6ft 10 and he manages ok...
i'm back in the uk next week. I might be picking my cab up from lea bridge rd. so we might get a chance to meet.

Yep the seat is like a sheet of teflon.
It a shame cause it's about the tidiest part of the bike.
I think it will have to be recovered with something courser, maybe I will add a little extra padding too, I could possible rough it up in the mean time as suggested.
Message me if/when your at lea bridge and I come find you if I'm about..

[sirch345]

I was sat in 6th gear for an hour or cruising along just occasionaly whipping the throttle back to be astounded by the instant torque and power that translated to very rapidly finding myself travelling at speeds I should probably not mention (is it safe to do so here?) Effortless, just seems to be ticking over.. It feels like there's so much grunt there it could do with another bloody gear.

Glad to hear all went well with picking up your new bike despite the gale force conditions

This is a public forum, so anything you post can be seen by anybody.

It might be worth checking what sprockets are fitted seeing as you were looking for 7th gear. Standard sprocket gearing is 16 tooth front and 41 tooth rear,

Chris.

The odometer seemed to match the miles I was covering but maybe the speedo could still be a touch high?
Astounding anyway..

Worth checking the gearing as I said before, but usually if the speedo is out so would the odometer be,

Chris.

[fatfreddy000]

Glad to hear all went well with picking up your new bike despite the gale force conditions

This is a public forum, so anything you post can be seen by anybody.

It might be worth checking what sprockets are fitted seeing as you were looking for 7th gear. Standard sprocket gearing is 16 tooth front and 41 tooth rear,

Chris.

The odometer seemed to match the miles I was covering but maybe the speedo could still be a touch high?
Astounding anyway..

Worth checking the gearing as I said before, but usually if the speedo is out so would the odometer be,

Chris.

every bit of spare time i get will be spent tinkering on her for a few months now.
firstly i will check the sprockets...
is it really feasible to manage 170 though?

[lloydie]

The odometer seemed to match the miles I was covering but maybe the speedo could still be a touch high?
Astounding anyway..

Worth checking the gearing as I said before, but usually if the speedo is out so would the odometer be,

Chris.

every bit of spare time i get will be spent tinkering on her for a few months now.
firstly i will check the sprockets...
is it really feasible to manage 170 though?

Nope unless it's a stage 1