Am looking for some advice regarding the Honda VTR SP1. I have seen one at my local dealerships here in the UK, it is a 2000 model and appears to be in good condition.
My question is, is there anything I should look out for? Or concerned with on a 6yo bike?
Also I have only ever ridden inline 4's and never a vtwin so Im concerned about how different it will feel to ride.
You won't regret it if you make the change. I have never ridden my 2000 on the road (race only) so I can't say what they are like. But if you track that baby.....you won't be dissapointed.
I moved from a GSXR 600 SRAD a couple of years ago now, sure they are wierd to start off with, I kept hitting the rev limiter 10500????shit the GSXR was just begining to purrr then......and this baby runs out!
Also if you buy it, DON'T down shift like you would on the I4, it will bite unless you blip the throttle and then ease the clutch out.....you'll get the tail swishing all over the place and tyre smoke and......and.......and......great big smiles!
Really I will be biast towards the bike, I think we all (most of us) are on here....
Take it for a test ride and see what you think...?
life should be measured not by the amount of breathes you take but by the amount of times you breath is
taken away.........
You begin your riding career with an empty bag of experience and a full bag of luck. The trick is to fill the bag of experience before you empty the bag of luck.....
I don't know the condition of that bike but it's pretty much bullet proof. I threw mine a few times down the road and she still loves me enough to get me back home on long trips.
I have over 100k on my motor. just replaced the original clutch and it look awesome. 40k the rectifier went out on it. 70k the Stator was next. Mainly she took more abuse from me then anything else.
Welcome to the darkside if you do pick it up..tons of fun to ride.
Tai
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Don't worry your dogs/cats too are safe ...FOR NOW
there are a few of us Limeys on this site. I have a 2000 SP1 and to begin with i hated this bike but now i am really beggining to love it. I have had a Yamaha R1 and a Ducati 916 before this. I loved the Ducati handling and also the big twin engine, i loved the all around ability of the R1.
The SP1 has the potential of both Honda reliability and build quality but with the Ducati big twin attitude. You need to play about with the suspension my was way off, painfully too hard. Do the flapper mod and lower the gearing by fitting a 15 tooth front and a 41 or 42 tooth rear and fit a powercommander which is my next mod, when funds allow. You will now have a real weapon.
Probably not as fast as a GSXR1000 or a R1 but who the hell cares and plenty quick enough for UK roads.
A big twin wil give you loads of torque you simply do not have to rev like on an i4 but the SP1 likes to rev, but you do not have too. Also much more of an attitude and charachter with a big twin and an unbeatable sound.
I had an SP1 (sold last week ) but it was the most fun I've had. I only had it for a year and earned over $1200 in tickets; it likes to go fast and it's easy to go fast confidently. It's alot of bike and way to much fun to just go slow. Anyhow, I'm paying for it.
The only thing I would say is to look out for a gas leak under the tank. The SP1s are notorious for this manufacturer defect. I got mine fixed out of warranty and just had to pay $50 labor.
If you buy it, take it to the track to see what it can do.
I just bought a 03 RC51 two weeks ago....this is my seventh sportbike, the rest were I4 and a ripping GP bike (in Europe) and this V-twin is by FAR the most surreal and enjoyable of them all. You'll love it, better go get that bike before someone else does! You'll kick yourself!
I just bought my 2001 RC51 with the HRC swing arm 2 weeks ago. I got a sweet deal $7000. cdn. Much stronger than my little SV which is now a track bike. Good luck.
They want £4300 for it, its done almost 14000miles, no extras except a hugger and I would be px'ing my Gixxer for about £2800/£3000.
don't do it thats not a good deal IMO I paid £4500 for a 51 plate with cans, PC111, hugger, double bubble screen full service history and three months warranty and all the std bits part exing an R1 and I got £4500 on the R1 that I paid £4000 for. I've checked parkers guide for you and a W plate SP1 at a dealer should be £3795 and a V reg is £3910.
Have to agree with cheekybloke on this one , sounds way too expensive, i'm guessing you know your way around a bike so why don't you sell the gixer yourself and buy the sp1 private ,
Advice on an SP1...
Gas Leak
) but it was the most fun I've had. I only had it for a year and earned over $1200 in tickets; it likes to go fast and it's easy to go fast confidently. It's alot of bike and way to much fun to just go slow. Anyhow, I'm paying for it. 
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