Some Honda VTR1000F Firestorm owners complain of the forks diving too much under heavy braking but, apart from that, it works a treat. Handling is sharp yet forgiving, the brakes do a good enough job, it’s pretty comfortable (somewhere between sporty and relaxed) and the grunt provides huge fun. The Honda VTR1000F Firestorm is very stable at higher speeds yet easy to manoeuvre nearer a standstill, too.
The Firestorm's engine is well tried and tested in a number of 1000cc Honda v-twins (such as the SP-2), it thunders out mountains of low to midrange grunt, powering through traffic or around corners. There’s less “up top” than a full-on sportsbike but the Honda VTR1000F Firestorm’s more of an all rounder and the engine does the job beautifully. The fuelling is absolutely seamless, even two decades later.
Great but not perfect. The Firestorm is well built and sturdy but problems have been reported with cam chain tensioners, failing water pumps and corroding downpipes. In the main, however, keeping it clean and serviced should ensure years of trouble-free service and most Honda VTR1000F Firestorms are in pretty good nick.
Read our most recent thoughts on the VTR1000 Firestorm in our 2019 used buying guide.
Honda Firestorms are great value and there are plenty of bargains to be found. Perhaps because they were never really regarded as “sexy” - especially compared to the Suzuki Tl1000S - they were largely overlooked, hence some bargain machinery being available. Find a Honda Firestorm for sale.
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The Honda VTR1000F Firestorm seat’s a little bit hard, but fairly comfy, whilst the fairing provides some good protection against the elements. The clocks are dominated by a huge, analogue rev counter plus there’s an analogue speedo and digital screen with fuel reserve, clock etc. Extras on the Honda VTR1000F Firestorm included heated grips, luggage and a rear hugger, but compared to modern day bikes they're pretty basic, as you'd expect.