`Storm or SP ? (Now with pics)

[encee]

Question for you gents, to those that have owned, or ridden both:

Which should I get, the Firestorm, or an SP ?

I can afford either (just about), and whilst I would love the iconic SP, for the looks and the heritage alone (along with the power/handling/noise, of course), I`m getting to be a bit of an old git (48), and I`m just wondering if the SP would be a bit too radical as regards riding position ?

I have owned a Firestorm a long time back, so I do know that they`re great bikes and will be comfortable, and useable, for my 45 mile a day commute to work, but I`m unsure as to whether, or not, the SP will make enough sense in the depths of winter, when I`m riding in/home in the p*ssing rain and cold.

It`s the usual head versus heart choice.............

Any thoughts anybody ?

[tattoo]

i know blokes of 65 and 70 that ride sp1/2's but only you can decide on which you want m8

[benny hedges]

sp isnt too much an extreme riding position imo, compared to some newer sports bikes anyway.
they are pretty awesome.
depends how you ride....
ive got both & wont part with either

[encee]

sp isnt too much an extreme riding position imo, compared to some newer sports bikes anyway.
they are pretty awesome.
depends how you ride....
ive got both & wont part with either

Okay then Benny, I`m gonna pin you down now then mate.............which one would you sell then, if you could keep only one of them ? I presume you do the faster riding on the best summer roads on the SP, and the commuting, more ordinary stuff on the Storm, so again mate.............which one would have to go if you really needed to ?

[benny hedges]

thing is mate my storm is faster than my sp, has better brakes and tbh handles better.
work that one out!
took a long time and a lot of work to get it there like, but in some ways it is better bike.
for example, 2 up riding... imo the storm handles even better 2 up & isnt troubled at all by an adult pillion, you hardly notice the extra weight.

saying that, i havent even started modding the sp yet, apart from quick throttle & flapper mod... it's already got a pc3 & was dyno'd at 139 by the last owner with microns & pipercross filters.
all i'll probably do is port the heads, add sp2 throttle bodies & injectors, drop a tooth on the front and sort the suspension to my liking.

the sp is a truly awesome beast when you give it beans though.... a bit lame in the straights compared to the latest 200hp IL4s but there is something there..... you need to go ride one and see what you prefer.

i find it hard coming off the sp onto the firestorm for a few miles as they are set up so different... the sp feels so tight and smooth... the storm is much more upright, even with standard bars and it kicks you up the butt to 160+
most ive took the sp to so far is 182 indicated, on std gearing.

but to answer your question... if i had to sell one the firestorm would have to go. but i dont have to so its staying put, seeing as it owes me nothing and i love it to bits

[encee]

thing is mate my storm is faster than my sp, has better brakes and tbh handles better.
work that one out!
took a long time and a lot of work to get it there like, but in some ways it is better bike.
for example, 2 up riding... imo the storm handles even better 2 up & isnt troubled at all by an adult pillion, you hardly notice the extra weight.

saying that, i havent even started modding the sp yet, apart from quick throttle & flapper mod... it's already got a pc3 & was dyno'd at 139 by the last owner with microns & pipercross filters.
all i'll probably do is port the heads, add sp2 throttle bodies & injectors, drop a tooth on the front and sort the suspension to my liking.

the sp is a truly awesome beast when you give it beans though.... a bit lame in the straights compared to the latest 200hp IL4s but there is something there..... you need to go ride one and see what you prefer.

i find it hard coming off the sp onto the firestorm for a few miles as they are set up so different... the sp feels so tight and smooth... the storm is much more upright, even with standard bars and it kicks you up the butt to 160+
most ive took the sp to so far is 182 indicated, on std gearing.

but to answer your question... if i had to sell one the firestorm would have to go. but i dont have to so its staying put, seeing as it owes me nothing and i love it to bits

Nice one Benny; just what I was looking for, the definitive answer from someone who owns both...............can`t get better than that really !

I particularly like the bit where you`ve said that the SP feels "tight and smooth", and no, I`m not taking the p*ss here bud, as this one line seems to typify EXACTLY what you like most about the SP, and the fact that the SP is the one you`d keep says it all really !

Again mate; many thanks...........

[Simon-l]

Would love to have an sp

[tony.mon]

thing is it owes me nothing and i love it to bits

As many bits as your Ped?

[encee]

Nobody else to come in on this one lads ?

[benny hedges]

cheeky kev's got best of 3.... firestorm, fireblade & sp2.
all great bikes for their own reasons.
if you have the opportunity you need to get them all lol!

[Steve6088]

All I can add is that I test rode an sp1 a couple of weeks back.

It seemed very twitchy to me. Almost bought it but then my brain kicked in. Thought it would be best to run the storm through this winter and consider the sp1 come next summer as I have a habit of coming off the things each winter I might be safest on a bike with handling which I am comfortable with.

[benny hedges]

All I can add is that I test rode an sp1 a couple of weeks back.

It seemed very twitchy to me..

mine did at first.... checked tyre pressures and the front was on 16psi. put it back to 38 and it was bob on.
the handling does feel 'stiff' in comparison the the storm but trust me when you get a move on the thing comes alive.... very stable at speeds.
there is one particular stretch of er... 'testing track' that i use which always induces a slight wobble on the storm at 3 figure speeds.
(ziggy knows where i mean)
on the sp1 i could not get it to budge off its line regardless how hard i tried.

not sure i'd fancy riding it 2 up though....

[YETI]

ive had a test ride on an sp1 not long after buying my first firestorm
and i couldnt see what the fuss was about, imo there wasnt enough of
a difference to warrant changing, plus it was a bit cramped for me ( possibly ok for tiddlers )
so now i have 3 firestorms .( i think i know where this is going )
so in answer to the question STORM
regards
YETI..

[tony.mon]

It's down to your riding style.
Sp is a focussed animal, great if every ride you do is a balls-out/wall-of-death/trying to scare yourself silly/thrash your mates sort of go, but the storm is lazier steering, more stable, never going to scare you, but competent enough to quietly get the job done, sort of bike.

So how do you you ride?

I suppose theivability and insurance costs also come into it somewhere.

And for me, tuning and availability of bits, Storms are cheap as chips, so you don't need to take much care of it as they're fairly disposable, inasmuch as if I blew mine up or crashed it I could just buy another.

[benny hedges]

Sp is a focussed animal, great if every ride you do is a balls-out/wall-of-death/trying to scare yourself silly/thrash your mates sort of go.

ah i dunno.... i find it quite relaxing to ride tbh as theres no effort required.... it just does it.
it's there when you want it like but it doesnt make you ride mental.

kev said the same about his sp2.... you find yourself riding it slower & just enjoying the ride, knowing it will do everything you ask of it.

my storm on the other hand does.... it's only happy when it's accellerating!
i still find myself trying to race everything on it which i know is terribly immature and irresponsible lol