New Firestorm Owner

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Tom87
Posts: 6
Joined: Sat Oct 26, 2019 11:15 pm

New Firestorm Owner

Post 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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Kev L
Posts: 11209
Joined: Tue Aug 24, 2010 9:57 pm
Location: Hertford, England

Re: New Firestorm Owner

Post by Kev L »

Welcome to the club mate. Enjoy the Storm :thumbup:
Carpe diem, quam minimum credula postero
F3, 954 USD front, K Tech springs, Braced swinger, Penske shock, Six spoke Mockesini wheels, Harris rearsets, QaT, Flywheel diet!, A&L stacks, stick coils, K&N, FP Ti jets, lashings of Ti & CF
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sirch345
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Joined: Mon Aug 25, 2003 10:35 pm
Location: The West Country.

Re: New Firestorm Owner

Post 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.
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MaroonMachine
Posts: 137
Joined: Mon Sep 16, 2019 2:52 pm
Location: Dorset

Re: New Firestorm Owner

Post by MaroonMachine »

Welcome Tom,and enjoy thecbike :biggrin
Not So lean,Not so mean,Ex-Maroon Machine
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alanfjones1411
Posts: 2789
Joined: Thu May 21, 2015 3:33 pm
Location: watford

Re: New Firestorm Owner

Post by alanfjones1411 »

Hello and welcome to the forum.
SO WHEN DOES THIS OLD ENOUGH TO KNOW BETTER KICK IN
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AMCQ46
Posts: 16534
Joined: Mon May 11, 2009 4:54 pm
Location: Worcestershire / Warwickshire border

Re: New Firestorm Owner

Post 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
AMcQ
Tom87
Posts: 6
Joined: Sat Oct 26, 2019 11:15 pm

Re: New Firestorm Owner

Post 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.
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alanfjones1411
Posts: 2789
Joined: Thu May 21, 2015 3:33 pm
Location: watford

Re: New Firestorm Owner

Post by alanfjones1411 »

I think most of us have had the same advisory. :)
SO WHEN DOES THIS OLD ENOUGH TO KNOW BETTER KICK IN
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sirch345
Site Admin
Posts: 21669
Joined: Mon Aug 25, 2003 10:35 pm
Location: The West Country.

Re: New Firestorm Owner

Post 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.
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fabiostar
Posts: 7542
Joined: Sat Jun 01, 2013 3:53 pm
Location: sunny belfast

Re: New Firestorm Owner

Post by fabiostar »

welcome along Tom. anything you need to know, some vtr pervert in here will know the answer :clap: :clap:
the older i get,the faster i was :lol:
tony.mon
Posts: 15943
Joined: Wed Jul 25, 2007 10:46 pm
Location: Norf Kent

Re: New Firestorm Owner

Post 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.
It's not falling off, it's an upgrade opportunity.
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