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New Firestorm Owner

Posted: Thu Nov 07, 2019 11:27 pm
by Tom87
Hi guys,

Bought a 1998 Firestorm from a dodgy guy in Liverpool a couple weeks back. Everything seemed OK and at 35K miles I thought that was good for a 20 year old bike. The bike started easy after opening the choke a little (hadn't been ridden much recently) but the guy said he'd let the front tire down so thieves couldn't roll it out the back. Made sense considering the area (if you're from Liverpool you know what I mean). Checked it over and apart from some wear n tear didn't spot anything obvious. He pumped the tire up and I went for a ride, all good. Passed last MOT just an advisory on noisy exhausts.

When I got it home, the next day I realised the front tire was flat. So it was a slow puncture not an anti-theft strategy as advised. The next day the headlight bulb went and I noticed the indicators were incredibly dim and the LED ones he'd put on back were 50% dead. Took it in for a service the next day to get it all up to scratch, asked for new sprockets and chain, oil and filter, fluids etc. They found the header bearings were worn down to the point the bike wasn't safe to ride and somehow the front wheel had been put on back to front. Ended up paying almost £600 to get the bike in working/safe order including new parts. Then a further £230 on new tires so not a cheap venture.

Despite all that I love the bike. The V twin sounds incredible especially with the after market exhaust system it came with and it rides like a freight train. It's my first liter bike. My last bike was a 2015 Tracer 900 and before that a 2006 ZX6R. I am OK with general maintenance and the most complex thing I've done was replacing the stock exhaust on the ZX6R with an Akropovic slip on. I want to get to understand this bike inside and out and maintain as much of it's operation as I can so I am learning.

Thanks

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Re: New Firestorm Owner

Posted: Fri Nov 08, 2019 7:43 am
by Kev L
Welcome to the club mate. Enjoy the Storm :thumbup:

Re: New Firestorm Owner

Posted: Fri Nov 08, 2019 11:37 am
by sirch345
Welcome aboard Tom :thumbup:

I'm pleased to read your unexpected extra expenditure hasn't soured your opinion of the big Vee Twin :D
Hindsight being a wonderful thing, if you'd bought the bike with an mot most of those problems should have been fixed. Although I imagine, and I hope you paid less for it without an mot, making your extra outlay less painful :wink:

You've come to the right place to learn about your bike,

Chris.

Re: New Firestorm Owner

Posted: Fri Nov 08, 2019 1:18 pm
by MaroonMachine
Welcome Tom,and enjoy thecbike :biggrin

Re: New Firestorm Owner

Posted: Fri Nov 08, 2019 2:06 pm
by alanfjones1411
Hello and welcome to the forum.

Re: New Firestorm Owner

Posted: Fri Nov 08, 2019 3:43 pm
by AMCQ46
welcome ... we will get you deeper involved in the spanners ... its the only way on these old bike, as dealers will charge you too much

Re: New Firestorm Owner

Posted: Fri Nov 08, 2019 4:34 pm
by Tom87
sirch345 wrote: Fri Nov 08, 2019 11:37 am Welcome aboard Tom :thumbup:

I'm pleased to read your unexpected extra expenditure hasn't soured your opinion of the big Vee Twin :D
Hindsight being a wonderful thing, if you'd bought the bike with an mot most of those problems should have been fixed. Although I imagine, and I hope you paid less for it without an mot, making your extra outlay less painful :wink:

You've come to the right place to learn about your bike,

Chris.
Thanks guys! Oh it did have an MOT. It was just an advisory on the exhaust noise but not a fail.

Re: New Firestorm Owner

Posted: Fri Nov 08, 2019 5:57 pm
by alanfjones1411
I think most of us have had the same advisory. :)

Re: New Firestorm Owner

Posted: Fri Nov 08, 2019 7:42 pm
by sirch345
Tom87 wrote: Fri Nov 08, 2019 4:34 pm
sirch345 wrote: Fri Nov 08, 2019 11:37 am Welcome aboard Tom :thumbup:

I'm pleased to read your unexpected extra expenditure hasn't soured your opinion of the big Vee Twin :D
Hindsight being a wonderful thing, if you'd bought the bike with an mot most of those problems should have been fixed. Although I imagine, and I hope you paid less for it without an mot, making your extra outlay less painful :wink:

You've come to the right place to learn about your bike,

Chris.
Thanks guys! Oh it did have an MOT. It was just an advisory on the exhaust noise but not a fail.
Oops my bad, scrap that then :wink:

Chris.

Re: New Firestorm Owner

Posted: Sat Nov 09, 2019 9:49 am
by fabiostar
welcome along Tom. anything you need to know, some vtr pervert in here will know the answer :clap: :clap:

Re: New Firestorm Owner

Posted: Sat Nov 09, 2019 10:01 am
by tony.mon
Tom87 wrote: Fri Nov 08, 2019 4:34 pm
Thanks guys! Oh it did have an MOT. It was just an advisory on the exhaust noise but not a fail.
That pops up on the MOT screen as soon as you enter VTR.