Honda SP1/2 (2000-current)

It was the bike that actually drew my attention away from cars! Now, experiencing the dream, the bike hasn't failed to excite. Sure, bike technology has made leaps and bounds since the SP1/2s introduction, but the VTR still brings a smile to my face every time I ride it.

i live in bangkok, 1 of the worst motorbike cities in the world. english roads are silk in comparison, and no-one on the m25 knows what traffic really is! my past is gsxr and r1, and never liked twins. got sp1, 8yrs old now, never honda serviced! first few weeks, missed my gixxer so much, but as i got to 'feel' this bike more and more, it made more and more sense and i have to admit that this bike rocks!! i ride it like a currier in downtown traffic, then hit speeds of 150mph+ on open roads bumpy like the alps! this bike is mint, excellent quality - nothing even minor wrong with it. amazing shocks, and it loves to fly. nothing has unsettled this bike and i've put it through hell (serious headcase speed-freak!). still miss the noise and all roundedness of the gixxer (750), but the gixxer is so easy to ride (fast), a novice can get a lot out of it. this bike requires relationship-building with owner, and rewards with miles of smiles. there is so much power low down, yet still goes balistic higher up, especially in 3rd and 4th at near full rpm. i just can't describe the attachement with this bike? special in undescribable ways. whoever owns one of these and rides it "with respect" is missing the point. this bike just wants to prove to you that it is even better than you imagine! its not a nutter like the king, but it has in it more than you know, and the more you know and push it, the more it continues to surprise with its invincible capabilities. nearly 2 years and i am still getting surprises with this bike. i will go back to a gixxer soon as speed is the thrill, but there is no other bike that is 8 years old that can rival this bike, and if i can't afford to keep 2 bikes, i will always miss this bike and the amazments it just kep dishing out to me. serious respect to honda! press reviews make me think i should be a tt rider! what are these people talking about? twitchy throttle, heavy, hard to launch, choppy ride, etc? i think they must be 8stone stick-men in touch with their feminine side or lazy by nature? i'm 6ft, 15stone and nothing about this bike is negative for me, not even the low seat height. very comfy, usable and totally solid. the more you learn about this bikem, the more it shocks and the more every single detail makes complete sense. a living classic! QUESTION - IS GASSOHOL 95 OR 91 OK TO USE? (ok, 1 negative which is forgiving, fuel economy - i get more from my pickup than this bike! lol)

After much deliberating, I bought my SP1 after selling my R6 and it was the best decision i made. They are a bit of a beast, but I absolutely love the rawness of it - it's what riding a bike is all about (you can ,however, make it a bit smoother by adding a power commander and dropping one tooth in the front sprocket). I don't seem to have a problem with the tank range (it doesn't seem much different to my 6 to be honest) and would recommend one all day long -I get a real buzz from riding it and would never sell it!

how I miss my SP1 .... only the tank range made change it .... if they did the SP2 in red I'd buy one tomorrow

Took a test ride on my SP2 just over a year ago, & was sold straight away, & it hasn't failed to impress since. Considering the kind of bike this is (basically a race bike with lights on) it's so easy to ride, & the quicker you ride the better it handles. It's sort of like a fast VFR, but without the comfort. Having said that it's not that bad, sure in town it's not the most comfortable of bikes, as you'd expect, but get out on the open road & comfort isn't an issue. Similarly fuel consumption isn't as bad as some would have you believe. Even with spirited riding (enough to get me a stretch with bubba) I haven't seen anything lower than 42 mpg, & have even got as much as 50 mpg with relaxed riding. Build quality is superb, as you'd expect from a Honda, but it's not just typical Honda quality, it really does ooze quality wherever you look. Interestingly whenever I park near or next to a Ducati, it's always the SP that gets the admiring looks.

I have had my '01 SP1 for about a year now and i use it every single day for work. It puts a smile on your face in the mornings, i just love this bike, even with the quirky throttle, plus it is the most awesome sounding bike on the planet! I have the twat who knocked me off my 600RR to thank for the opportunity to buy this truly superb motorcycle.

I owned an SP1 from 2002-2004 and regretted selling it almost straight away. I'd put wp shocks front and back, steering damper, mag wheels, hugger, erion pipes..spent a fortune then bought a gixer 750 and spent the next few years asking myself why???? Six week ago I spotted it for sale in my local dealer went straight in and bought it back. It has 10,000 more miles on it but runs and goes as good as it did first time I owned it...a testiment to Honda quality...and looks as good too. I've had Blackbirds, Vfrs, an R1 & a gixer...the SP! is without a doubt the best bike I've owned. Buy one and you'll not be sorry. Sure there are faster 100 4's out there but the big twin is packed full os soul and raw racebred emotion.

I have admired the SP2 for a long time now, but have been put off by reading too many articles about poor comfort, lack of range, tall gearing etc. But when I took one for a test ride that was it, I had to have it! I am 6'2" and on the wrong side of large but have no problem with the comfort, in fact I feel more at home than on my old busa! I have twice got over 110 miles from a tank without any warning lights coming on and yes the first gear is tall requiring you to slip the clutch, but this isn't a major issue. A bit of suspension work and some nice exhausts to release that V-twin sound and I'll be a happy man!

The bike Honda built to beat Ducati in WSB (and it did) was always going to be a classic. The bike is awsome with loads of torque and a feeling you get from only a V twin. Yes, the bike is very focussed but, what do you expect? Loads of HRC design and tech stuff. When you buy one first thing you need to do is look at getting the suspension set up properley. When first ridden you will notice how hard the set up feels but, dont forget this bike is straight from WSB and has race pedigree written all over it. Once you are used to that side of the bike, the rest falls into place and the art of riding a race bred V twin begins!! Strengths: HRC design and technology.It's gorgeous. The motor is bullet proof. It sounds awsome. Weaknesses: Tank range (light on at around 90/100 miles)

I bought a vtr firestorm which I loved and then a gixer 600,but new it should've been the sp2, which later followed. after 10 minutes on the bike, I was in biking nirvana,in the last 3 weeks, I have never been out on any bike so much, the torque is awsome, and that v-twin boom is unbeatable, my mates hate coming out with me now, because everyone stares at the sp as we go by...they don't get a look in....(shame) feel free to read the press reports,,,not always the best,,,but ride the bike yourself and you wont want anything else. Strengths: Looks, sounds, presence, balance on road. Weaknesses: People say suspension is hard..which it is,, but there is a lot of adjustability for that reason..find out what suits, aint that difficult to put back to standard if you muck it up,,,fuel aint what the press say either...110-128 before fuel warning, medium to hard riding.