Honda SP-1 (Honda VTR1000 SP-1)

Member Name: Firestormmike

Product:	Honda VTR1000 SP-1
Date:	17/02/09 (331 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Sublime handling, looks, build quality and reliability

Disadvantages: Rider comfort, tank range, slow speed manouvrebility

Saw it, rode it, bought it. That was me 6 months ago when I saw this bike in a dealers close to home. I'd been after a good one for a loooooong time.
6 months in, and the butterflies are still there everytime I open the garage door ! Once you set up the suspension to suit you style and weight, (and believe me you need to, to get the best out of the bike), The riding experience is extremely rewarding, except around town. The SP-1's fuel delivery and low speed manouvreing are not the greatest, but then again, that's not what you're buying one for is it ? Get it out on the open road and you won't stop grinning until you have to put it away again. The handling is superb, the brakes make your eyes fall out and the acceleration as it claws at the horizon, is nothing short of awesome for a bike of it's time.
The build quality is typical Honda, but with a sprinkling of HRC quality. Removing panels leaves you staring at HRC embossed engine covers, and there is nothing out of place. Aparrently Honda lost money on every SP1 and 2 they sold, even with a £10k asking price at their release.
The finish on my 2001 model is as crisp as the day it left the showroom, with no signs of fading or corrosion anywhere, these bikes are built to last.
Bad points are... Pillion, forget it. Riding 2-up is a nightmare, the rear squats way too much and the bike runs very wide in the corners, even with the lightest of passenger. The rear seat is nothing more than an afterthought, and about as comfortable as sitting on a housebrick.
The aforementioned slow-speed running leaves a bit to be desired, riding in traffic will require a good degree of clutch control and see the temperature rise very quickly, which can be felt in your legs and the bikes frame is extremely hot to the touch.
The riders seat is not a comfortable place to be for 250+ miles, it's cheek-numbingly hard, so regular stops will be inevitable.
It's these niggles which in my opinion would not make the bike suitable for a novice straight out of their test, but if you can live with these niggles, then you are left with a WSB race bike for the road which at 10 years on will still turn heads and get people talking at the meets. Go buy one.

Summary: A fast, raw bike. If you're not, forget it.

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