I Need To Know !!!

[Loopy]

I went to the show on Sunday. The Freestyle display was awesome if any of you managed to see it. Gary Taylor the lad who won the freestyle competition is simply amazing, one of the best in the world. Garys dad bought a moto cross track in Coventry for Gary to practice on when he was about 7. Even at that age on a piddly little 60cc he used to p*ss past most people on the track. Thats like someone on a CB500 blowing you away on your Storm !

Like most show goers I had a sit on lots of bikes. Dirt bikes, Supermoto's and big V twins. Didn't bother with the 4 cylinder ones. I was doing fine until I sat on the SP2. I was stunned to find that it did not feel any more scrunched up than my Storm. I really had thought the SP1 & 2 would be hunched up race bikes, this is why I never even bothered to get a ride on one before I bought my Storm. When I realised it was quite comfortable and started to look at the detail I'm afraid I became smitten. Have you seen a more serious swing arm on any road bike ??? The gold forks were gorgeous. None of the other big V twins interested me after that.

So now I need to know. What are they like ? Are there any Storm riders who have owned or seriously ridden an SP2. Can you ride for a couple of hundred miles around the Peak District on a Sunday and bog off to Le Mans in the summer. Is the ride much harder, is there much more weight on the wrists, is the tank range even worse ? If you put loud racing cans on does the fuel injection have to be recalibrated ? Tell me, I have to know !!!!

What does everyone else think of the SP2 ?

[essexbloke]

sorry m8, never ridden one, but kow a man who has, reports suggest that they are much heavier on the wrists... apparently 75% of owners complained. I heard that tank range was about the same (here or there),

but ooooooohh suits you sir......

(i'm saving up for one as my next bike....SP2 that is)

[Loopy]

It is a seriously beautiful bike, but I would feel pig sick if I sold the Storm and bought a bike that I was not able to ride for a couple of hundred miles without needing serios physio therapy.

In all honesty I dont ride the Storm flat out although I do like to nail the throttle accelerating out of corners. So the extra performance is not totally essential. It was just the detail and spec was exquisite and I knew that I should want one !! No doubt an SP2 would run rings around me flying through the Cat & Fiddle, just like a GSXR or R1, but I would still need to enjoy the ride there and back home again. So I still need to know !!!

[firestorm_al]

On the subject of comfort I know of someone who took their SP1 from Aberdeen to the south of France for a long weekend and didn't have a problem with comfort.

[Loopy]

Al.

Was your mate a big lad ? (Not in the biblical sense!)

I am 6 foot and the wrong side of 15 stone. That is exactly the information I need to know and not a moment too soon. I have advertised my car for sale and I was going to by a big Jag to ponce about in, but the Jag might be put on hold now that I have got SP2 eyes.

[stormcloud]

LOOPY - dont underestimate yourself, or your storm.
You may go no faster on and SP-2 on the road than you do on your Storm, especially if you put a small portion of the trade-in cost towards setting the suspension up just for you.
The VTR is capable enough, when well set up, to go more than fast enough on road conditions except when you are on open roads and nailing the throttle. (including R1, GSXRthou, 999 etc). The rider is probably the limiting factor unless you're doing seriously risky riding.

Not saying dont get an SP-2, I like them myself, but I can think of many reasons why I'd rather have a 'Storm.

Also, consider this....... with the release of the Suzuki SV1000, the storm may see an update again soon, with the Suzi bringing forward the expected four yearly update so Honda keeps an edge.


Cheers, Stormcloud

[firestorm_al]

Al.

Was your mate a big lad ? (Not in the biblical sense!)

I am 6 foot and the wrong side of 15 stone. That is exactly the information I need to know and not a moment too soon. I have advertised my car for sale and I was going to by a big Jag to ponce about in, but the Jag might be put on hold now that I have got SP2 eyes.

I would guess he's around 15 stone or slightly more. ( Don't fancy asking him or I'd get a slap ) and he's probably about 5ft7inch.

But at the end of the day, every rider is different and it'll depend on how you ride the bike.

Having been bitten by the FireStorm's cam chain bug the idea of gear driven cams seems quite appealing so I'll just need to see what kind of bike I eventually get to replace the stom.

Al.

[essexbloke]

i'm 6ft 1 and weigh 16+ stones, although never actually ridden an sp2, sat and played on few, didnt seem too much different to the storm, (ok, maybe a bit "sportier")... wouldnt have thought you'd have a problem.....

As they say, it's all about how you ride.... (butr they do tell me they are a bugger around town on the wrists...

[Loopy]

I get aching wrists on the Storm if I spend too long in town (or Matlock Bath on a Sunday). I wonder if the SP2 is any worse ?

I will need to ride one to know for sure.

I think part of my problem is that I have not ridden the Storm for 3 weeks. I will go and fire it up tomorrow and see how good that gorgeous noise makes me feel. Now that I have improved the bike beyond all recognition with the addition of Dells clock , I may not be able to part with it anyway !!!

ROLL ON SPRING