VTR thou

[jonbuoy]

I don't think Honda knew what the VTR was supposed to be. It wouldn't have taken much to make it into a great bike instead of an average bike. Regardless I loved mine, toured it all over north and south Island. I liked the low down torque, bit breathless at the top end but still enough to keep up with most bikes on the road.

[Drew]

You could pick up a Aprilia RSV for around 8-10k even a standard model would show up a TL / VTR

What year are you talking about? Cos I'd take the TL over a '99 '00 rsv any bloody day. And that's from experience road and track, on both bikes.

[Sensei]

What year are you talking about? Cos I'd take the TL over a '99 '00 rsv any bloody day. And that's from experience road and track, on both bikes.

Your opinion noted & stored thanks , as well as your Race track input . Ridden both as well , but still stand by the Aprilias been a better bike , To be fair tho Drew can't say I'v seen to many TL's or VTR's racing lately but see afew Aprilia's do very well . Will have to come down to Manfield this weekend to check things out by the looks of things

[Sidewinder]

if you want it you will get it no matter what ppl say!
just do it

[mossy1200]

Your opinion noted & stored thanks , as well as your Race track input . Ridden both as well , but still stand by the Aprilias been a better bike , To be fair tho Drew can't say I'v seen to many TL's or VTR's racing lately but see afew Aprilia's do very well . Will have to come down to Manfield this weekend to check things out by the looks of things

I owned the 2000 rsv mille (first of eprom chip model) and a honda sp1.
Aprilia better all rounder(especially with passenger)
SP1 better for fast riding on twisty roads but not for longer rides.
VTR SP1 was the most thirsty bike around.Welly to Foxton = 1tank
140-180ks per tank at sensable speeds.
Have riden TLR1000 and didnt like the way it wouldnt hold lines in corners but as it wasnt mine im unsure what the owner did with the front end cause it just wanted to run wide.May not be a fair rep..Did seem to have the most torque of the three though.

[Fatjim]

I am not say it is the bike he should get, nor am I say he should get something else, just saying what the VTR is.

What I don't get is why you thought I disagreed with you?

[Gerbs]

Some background - might be a good idea to mention this

Stepping up from a 250 cruiser wannabe (Hyosung GV). Previous bike was GSXR750 -which I sold coming up 4 years(ish) ago.
Had the Hyobag since February this year, as my left knee was having issues healing after a dislocation. Unfortunately this meant I couldn't get a sports-style bike, as my knee would start screaming within 5 mins.

Kinda regret wasting the money on the cruiser, but justified it by trying to change my riding style to a cruiser-style.

However, knee is OK now, and after having a decent fang on a few sprotsbikes the knee hasn't complained.

Just have some concern that this is a bike much more capable than me - and because of that (and lack of common sense) I'm gonna push myself too hard and bin.
Hence - part of deal is new jacket/gloves/boots/pants.
Figure seeing as I know I'm gonna come off, I might as well be prepared

[Sensei]

[QUOTE=mossy1200;1129359940]I owned the 2000 rsv mille (first of eprom chip model) and a honda sp1.
Aprilia better all rounder(especially with passenger)
SP1 better for fast riding on twisty roads but not for longer rides.

Interesting Mossy > road the first SP1 in New Plymouth & took it to my test road & thought it was very flighty in the front end when pushed , along with piss poor low end fueling . To each there own view at the end isn't really

[jonbuoy]

Some background - might be a good idea to mention this

Stepping up from a 250 cruiser wannabe (Hyosung GV). Previous bike was GSXR750 -which I sold coming up 4 years(ish) ago.
Had the Hyobag since February this year, as my left knee was having issues healing after a dislocation. Unfortunately this meant I couldn't get a sports-style bike, as my knee would start screaming within 5 mins.

Kinda regret wasting the money on the cruiser, but justified it by trying to change my riding style to a cruiser-style.

However, knee is OK now, and after having a decent fang on a few sprotsbikes the knee hasn't complained.

Just have some concern that this is a bike much more capable than me - and because of that (and lack of common sense) I'm gonna push myself too hard and bin.
Hence - part of deal is new jacket/gloves/boots/pants.
Figure seeing as I know I'm gonna come off, I might as well be prepared

I found my knees would get cramped on long rides on the VTR, not as bad as a full on sportsbike crouch. What about a z750? Simillar power to a VTR and more comfortable.

[mossy1200]

[QUOTE=Sensei;1129359965]

I owned the 2000 rsv mille (first of eprom chip model) and a honda sp1.
Aprilia better all rounder(especially with passenger)
SP1 better for fast riding on twisty roads but not for longer rides.

Interesting Mossy > road the first SP1 in New Plymouth & took it to my test road & thought it was very flighty in the front end when pushed , along with piss poor low end fueling . To each there own view at the end isn't really

When you take the induction restrictor out of nose cone the bike transforms.Add set of arrows and could take it down to 80 in top with power avaliable.Stock standard struggled below 110 in top.Fuel economy increased by 30k per tank also.

[vifferman]

I don't think Honda knew what the VTR was supposed to be. It wouldn't have taken much to make it into a great bike instead of an average bike. Regardless I loved mine, toured it all over north and south Island. I liked the low down torque, bit breathless at the top end but still enough to keep up with most bikes on the road.

Good comments, jonbuoy.
The VTR was designed (mostly in Mrka) as a competitor for the popular Ducati 900SS, and a replacement for the Hawk v-twin (sold elsewhere in the world as the Bros). It was very much a budget bike, whereas Honda could've fettled it with decent suspension and brakes from the CBR range. Oh - and given it a few more horsies.
Unfortunately, it was releaed at the same time as the TL1000S, which was more sporty, faster, and less bland.
I enjoyed mine, and has some fun on it, but it was pretty uncomfy as a tourer, so it was lucky (?) the tank was so small (and the thirst for petroleum distillates so prodigious), as it gave me an excuse to stretch my screaming knees and wrists. The later ones have bars about 19mm taller and differently angled (fixed with some GenMar risers on mine), and the seat was like an upholstered plank. It was also a bit cramped two-up, and the front wheel took some finesse to keep on the road when accelerating uphill. Nevertheless, despite this, the crappy camchains (and being rather ugly), I miss mine.

[Skinny_Birdman]

Mate, if you want a sprint, then look at the Blackbird.

If he can't afford a Sprint, he can't afford a GOOD Blackbird IMHO, for two reasons. 1) They seem to hold their value to a ridiculous degree. I lost $500 over two years and 15000km of owning mine. 2) and more to the point, the Blackbird is vastly more likely to disappear off over the horizon with your license, because it is so stupidly easy to go fast on.

As far as value for money in twins goes, the new 03-05 model Tuonos that keep surfacing on Trademe at circa $14500 seem a bit of a steal for a pretty wicked piece of kit, though I am perhaps biased.

The trade Gerbs has been offered sounds pretty suhweeet.

[Clivoris]

The trade Gerbs has been offered sounds pretty suhweeet.

Yeah man. I think this is a pretty big persuader for him despite there being other options. Better make sure there is enough leg room on it though.

[Skinny_Birdman]

Better make sure there is enough leg room on it though.

Uh huh. I'm only 6 foot, and I've never ridden a sports bike which had 'enough' leg room, including the VTR thou, 'bird and Tuono. VTR with legroom = Varadero perhaps..?

[Fatjim]

How many k's gerb. I sold my blue 03 to a guy up that way a couple of years ago. It had 70k on it when I waved goodgye.