weeksy wrote: ↑Fri Mar 10, 2023 7:18 pm
Well it ain't that one.
I bid £1300 on the Silver Firestorm. But he's not replied either way yet
I thoiught you didn't want sporty?
I had a Firestorm about 20 years ago, it replsced a VFR750 and a CBR600. It was much less comfortable than either of those despite fitting higher bars and an aftermarket (Corbin) seat.
I know some people love them, but I couldn't get on with mine and sold it at a loss after 18 months - and I used to keep my bikes for 4 or 5 years
I didn't think a Firestorm was a sporty riding position. However I have only ridden one once.
I don't fit the zx6 for example, my knee struggles and I hate the forward riding position so that's what I'm trying to keep away from.
It's not so much comfort as in arse position, but in terms of bendy position that's important. Foot to arse giving less bend in the knees.
Having owned both I much preferred my Z750 to my Firestorm. The Firestorm was decent and better built but it was a bit mehh. The Z750 made me ride like a twat everywhere and encouraged me to rag it, it just seemed part of the bikes dna. So on that basis I'd have that £1k Z. They are a budget bike though, brakes are poop (as are the Firestorm's), finish was iffy and mine was written off at about 1.5 years, suspension was bouncy new but I rode round that to be fair the Firestorm is a similar there too. The Firestorm was decent handling but felt long and slow to turn so better at sweepers, the Z750 was much better at scratching.
If you get a storm I have a set of OE cans you can have if you wanted them plus a set of OE front brakes, I changed my front brakes to ones off a later CBR600/Blade
weeksy wrote: ↑Fri Mar 10, 2023 7:18 pm
Well it ain't that one.
I bid £1300 on the Silver Firestorm. But he's not replied either way yet
I thoiught you didn't want sporty?
I had a Firestorm about 20 years ago, it replsced a VFR750 and a CBR600. It was much less comfortable than either of those despite fitting higher bars and an aftermarket (Corbin) seat.
I know some people love them, but I couldn't get on with mine and sold it at a loss after 18 months - and I used to keep my bikes for 4 or 5 years
I didn't think a Firestorm was a sporty riding position. However I have only ridden one once.
I don't fit the zx6 for example, my knee struggles and I hate the forward riding position so that's what I'm trying to keep away from.
It's not so much comfort as in arse position, but in terms of bendy position that's important. Foot to arse giving less bend in the knees.
I didn't find the Firestorm overly sporty. Felt like a slightly more sporty VFR. Bars weren't too slow and don't recall legs being uncomfortable.
If you are leaving yours for a while my fuel tap diaphragm dried out and split over winter causing rough running and cutting out on the fast lane of the A1
Mr. Dazzle wrote: ↑Sat Mar 11, 2023 10:37 am
Whereas my (Druid's) old VFR had Firestorm brakes as an upgrade over stock
Pretty much anything's an upgrade over stock for those early VFR calipers <shudder>
I remember being sat behind a chap on an early VFR,we crested a steep hill at a pace and the road immediately turned uphill right. The VFR was the only bike,which after a pitiful attempt at slowing,went straight instead,down a handy farm track with an even handier open gate.
Mr. Dazzle wrote: ↑Sat Mar 11, 2023 10:37 am
Whereas my (Druid's) old VFR had Firestorm brakes as an upgrade over stock
Pretty much anything's an upgrade over stock for those early VFR calipers <shudder>
I remember being sat behind a chap on an early VFR,we crested a steep hill at a pace and the road immediately turned uphill right. The VFR was the only bike,which after a pitiful attempt at slowing,went straight instead,down a handy farm track with an even handier open gate.
Even when brand new and in 80s road conditions they were only just adequate - horrible sliding caliper things that stopped working with not much provocation meaning only one brake pad was actually gripping the disc. On today's roads they'd be verging on dangerous. That's why my old 1988 VFR has Brembo 4-pots up front...
Pretty much anything's an upgrade over stock for those early VFR calipers <shudder>
I remember being sat behind a chap on an early VFR,we crested a steep hill at a pace and the road immediately turned uphill right. The VFR was the only bike,which after a pitiful attempt at slowing,went straight instead,down a handy farm track with an even handier open gate.
Even when brand new and in 80s road conditions they were only just adequate - horrible sliding caliper things that stopped working with not much provocation meaning only one brake pad was actually gripping the disc. On today's roads they'd be verging on dangerous. That's why my old 1988 VFR has Brembo 4-pots up front...
You should try an early FZ750, scary bikes to stop from high speed, it's not the calipers on the FZ, it's the master cylinder, it's too big.
Le_Fromage_Grande wrote: ↑Sat Mar 11, 2023 9:25 pm
You should try an early FZ750, scary bikes to stop from high speed, it's not the calipers on the FZ, it's the master cylinder, it's too big.
Not just my old FZ then!That one of mine is the worst bike I've had to stop from high speeds,it got me out of my comfort zone more than once
mangocrazy wrote: ↑Sat Mar 11, 2023 4:31 pm
Even when brand new and in 80s road conditions they were only just adequate - horrible sliding caliper things that stopped working with not much provocation meaning only one brake pad was actually gripping the disc. On today's roads they'd be verging on dangerous. That's why my old 1988 VFR has Brembo 4-pots up front...
You should try an early FZ750, scary bikes to stop from high speed, it's not the calipers on the FZ, it's the master cylinder, it's too big.
I've never had the pleasure...
Early VFR brakes were just inadequate in all situations. High speed and with a pillion probably the most butt-clenching. The poor performance of the brakes was further compromised by the crap anti-dive system on the forks that Honda persisted with through all the 1980s models. Hit a decent sized bump on the brakes and the forks would let out a large 'bang' and the whole front end would jolt. I disabled mine as soon as I found out how to. Honda dropped the idea altogether with the 1990 RC36 VFR750.
Yes 16" front wheels were in fashion then, the first 2 years of VFR750 bikes had 16" fronts. I've never ridden a bike with a 16" front, by the time of my first VFR they'd moved to 17" F/R. I'm told they were an 'acquired taste'...
mangocrazy wrote: ↑Sat Mar 11, 2023 10:52 pm
I've never ridden a bike with a 16" front, by the time of my first VFR they'd moved to 17" F/R. I'm told they were an 'acquired taste'...
mangocrazy wrote: ↑Sat Mar 11, 2023 10:21 pm
Did Yamaha dabble with anti-dive in the 80s?
Everybody did I think, it was touted as the best thing since sliced bread. I had an 83? XJ900 which had anti dive until I disabled it
Early FJ1200s had anti dive but dropped them after a couple of years, that was another yamaha that took some stopping from speed, had a few will I won’t I moments on mine.
