vtr or sv (again)

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haynesjones66
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vtr or sv (again)

Post by haynesjones66 »

i know this one has been discussed to death but i'd like some specific advice relating to my needs. i get the impression that the vtr is an enthusiasts bike, meaning that they need a little fettling quite often. i'm currently working on two resto projects, and another two lined up so i really dont have time for fettling. i just need a bike that i can drag out of the shed and fire up on the button, go riding for a few hours and park it up again for a couple of weeks. i'm also not over fond of fairings and dropped bars so i would probably modify a vtr to suit my self which is something of a crime, as i think vtr's are future classics. the sv on the other hand appears to be more reliable and less liable to fettling and it wouldnt really matter if i butchered one. obviously the fuel issue is a concern as i do sometimes head up to scotland for a thrash and petrol stations are few and far between along the west/north coast. there are plenty of other IL4's out there but i really fancy a big v twin, so those are my two options. so, vtr or sv?
tony.mon
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Re: vtr or sv (again)

Post by tony.mon »

Asking this on the firestorm forum is likely to attract a somewhat biased response.
Perhaps you need a Mille?
It's not falling off, it's an upgrade opportunity.
haynesjones66
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Re: vtr or sv (again)

Post by haynesjones66 »

goodness no, not a mille! a former colleague had one and was forever having to tinker with it! i'm raising this on here because you guys ride your bikes often, so would you class your vtr as a 'fire on the button' machine?
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Wicky
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Re: vtr or sv (again)

Post by Wicky »

Sort the CCTs, upgrade the R/R, keep the suspension linkage bearings greased up every couple or three years and the terminal on the starter motor, upgrade chromed rust prone oil lines and the Storm will be a reliable bike.

Bought mine with 6000 now onto 70,000 with all year commuting and the above were things that unexpectedly put a spanner in the works - rest of the bike is normal regular maintenance. Fill her up (often), change the oil, filters and fluids and it won't be a maintenance monster. If you ride it through Winter then salt will eat into it esp brakes, wheels.
It may be that your whole purpose in life is simply to serve as a warning to others.

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fabiostar
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Re: vtr or sv (again)

Post by fabiostar »

change the ccts once, change the rec unit (ten mins) and ride a storm for the next 100k free from hassle...

the SV ,good bike as it is, will always be a watered down version of the mighty TL thou... :clap:
the older i get,the faster i was :lol:
haynesjones66
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Re: vtr or sv (again)

Post by haynesjones66 »

i think there is always a danger with these forums in that you read about all these potential problems and you assume that the bike is then unreliable. it's comforting to read your comments about reliability though.
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fabiostar
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Re: vtr or sv (again)

Post by fabiostar »

with the ccts.rc changed they really are bombproof. the reason a lot of us work at them is not because they need fixed. its because we keep changing,modding,improving,making faster,better looking,buying bits,cant help ourselves lol
the older i get,the faster i was :lol:
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sirch345
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Re: vtr or sv (again)

Post by sirch345 »

Wicky wrote: Tue Jul 31, 2018 8:03 pm Sort the CCTs, upgrade the R/R, keep the suspension linkage bearings greased up every couple or three years and the terminal on the starter motor, upgrade chromed rust prone oil lines and the Storm will be a reliable bike.

Bought mine with 6000 now onto 70,000 with all year commuting and the above were things that unexpectedly put a spanner in the works - rest of the bike is normal regular maintenance. Fill her up (often), change the oil, filters and fluids and it won't be a maintenance monster. If you ride it through Winter then salt will eat into it esp brakes, wheels.
Nicely put Wicky :thumbup: I'd say that's a very fair opinion for the Storm.

I'll just add one thing to that list, especially if you're expecting to leave your next bike laid up for a couple of weeks at a time in the winter. And that is a good battery is a must for these big twins. A battery monitor is a very good investment.
fabiostar wrote: Tue Jul 31, 2018 8:27 pm with the ccts.rc changed they really are bombproof. the reason a lot of us work at them is not because they need fixed. its because we keep changing,modding,improving,making faster,better looking,buying bits,cant help ourselves lol
That is also very much spot on Fabio :lol:

Chris.
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Shauned71
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Re: vtr or sv (again)

Post by Shauned71 »

I have not had any trouble with any of my storms since I started riding them other then things that should be addressed when you first get the bike... r/r fried on one bike and ccts started to rattle on another but didn't completely fail.
As for 'firing on the button' I can leave my bike for weeks at a time and she starts just fine.. saying that.. over last winter the bike sat in the shed for 2 months or more. Was rough all over the winter period so couldn't ride the bike if I wanted to.. Just chucked her i the shed sometime in November, through a cover over and that's it.. Feb 2nd (I know this cause I took a photo of my bike in the sunshine) an unusually nice day with clear blue skies... something bugged me to get the bike out that day... choke, couple seconds on the start and off she went... no charging, no messing about.
haynesjones66
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Re: vtr or sv (again)

Post by haynesjones66 »

thank you for all your advice. i was drawn to the vtr to start with so i'll go with my gut on this one. having had two gs500s for commuting, i know the quality on suzukis is poor! BTW, this is not a thinly veiled attempt to up my post count!!
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popkat
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Re: vtr or sv (again)

Post by popkat »

I've had a lot of bikes and work with a lot more, this is not a bias opinion of the Storm, but compared to the SV it is the better bike (although they both ride fine) as others have said do the mods and it will be reliable. SV's have poor build quality, ally parts corrode badly, have heard of cranks failing too, lots of niggles.

Do a flat bar conversion and the storm will be comfy for you, leave the fairing on (except for trimming for the bars) it's only a 3/4 fairing anyway.

Also remember these bikes are up to 21 years old, anything old will need some looking after. If you want 100% reliable you'll need to buy new or nearly new.. KTM 1290 or MT10 (not a twin but feels a lot like a twin on steroids :lol: )




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haynesjones66
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Re: vtr or sv (again)

Post by haynesjones66 »

you guys are very convincing. i just put an offer on a red one and i'm picking it up week saturday. well maintained, cct's done. all i need are bar risers.
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fabiostar
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Re: vtr or sv (again)

Post by fabiostar »

LADS. heres another one on the slippery slope of storm ownership lol :clap: :clap:
the older i get,the faster i was :lol:
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BigVeeGrin
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Re: vtr or sv (again)

Post by BigVeeGrin »

Good move. As others have said really. I'm not a fettling person, nor a natural born mechanic and have done the stuff mentioned and used to just enjoy riding it. It was laid up for a couple of years, battery left on a conditioner, started pretty much on cue and just carried on where left off. Looking forward to getting to ride it more and just do the usual maintenance. That's why I'm biased now :thumbup: :wink:
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Re: vtr or sv (again)

Post by KermitLeFrog »

Not sure about the KTM 1290. Having now had a chance to ride a couple I'm not really impressed. The engine feels a little "dead". A bit like a Multistrada, plenty of linear power and torque but, somehow, not "alive". The VTR has a much nicer feel to it. Less overall power but delivered in a more interesting way.
"I spent a lot of money on booze, birds and fast cars. The rest I squandered" (George Best, RIP)
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