TL1000S
 

I was thinking of getting another bike for going to work on. I've always fancied a TL1000S and they are dead cheap now. Has anyone had one? i'm not interested in the handling issues becasue i dont ride hard enough on the road for that to be a problem. I'm more interested in reports of exploding gear boxes and cracked frames around the rear shock mount.

I bought one of the last ones brand new in 2001.

I thought it was a great bike, and great value for money....

....right up until the point at which it completely failed to take a (not very fast) left hander off a roundabout.

Result - one written off TL and one broken hip socket.

Still not sure what happened - could have been oil, diesel, whatever.

Conclusion - great bike within certain limits - trouble is, you can't be sure where the limits are.

Just my 2p worth

Still have one, which is the 3rd one I've had, i raced one for over a year and had lots of fun on it, this was the earlier one which was a lot better than the later ones in the engine performance stakes, it is still out racing with somebody else this year. I had it for 3 years did over 21K miles on it and raced it for more than one season. Ohlins shock or similar is a good investment.

Kev

Have you thought about a VTR1000?
Rob's seems to go quite well and you have the Honda build quality ;)

Darren

I've got to say I was quite happy with my VTR ... apart from the tank range which they fixed with a larger tank in 2001 I think, maybe 2002 - worth checking out.

TP

Yes i have thought about one Daz, just that the TL is a LOT cheaper! Mainly becasue of the bad rep they have i think. W plate one in the shop the other day for £3250.

I'm currently on SV1000S crescent (why can't they just stick to basic numbers like Dukes) courtesy of bar steward who rammed my 999 from behind (photos should be on photo board tomorrow).
I was told this was the successor to the TL1000 but I'm afraid so far I'm not gonna rush out and buy one.
Tinglin' through the bars, flat spot around 4~4.5thou rpm which just about equates to 70mph.
Pretty poor finish on the exhaust which I thnik should have been covered up at the front.
Riding position means I'm right up on the tank and the seat is more like a bath sponge for support.
My tuppence worth.

I was looking at the SV1000 as well. They are cheap new but not been around long enough to get to my used price threshold just yet.

I might just save the money and buy one of Skidlids tracktools! Got anything interesting at the moment Kev?

Aprillia Falco's can be had NEW now for £5400 !!! never ridden one but a n only slightly softened RSV motor in sit-up-and-beg mode sounds good to me.

I ridden my mates TLR quite a bit and have to say I'm impressed but I find the power delivery a bit bland..the handling was sweet but his is well sorted for the road.

I wonder why Yamaha have never made a supersports big V twin? 5 valve big-V would be good I think !!!

Tha spares problem with Aprillia is my main problem with the Falco, mille etc.

Hope to have the 748SP engined track only bike running before I head off to the TT, just need to finish fitting the Harness. Could put the S reg TL1000S together with all its trick bits, ideal for road and track. Other than that I have a tuned GSXR600K2 and a Fireblade.

HONDA VTR1000 FIRESTORM 97/98 (R)
1 owner from new, full service history, best colour, totally unmarked, pampered machine, 100% standard, except dark screen £3150.
ACE MOTORCYCLESTel: 01625 665029

Price: £3,150

PICTURE

Darren

Kev - how easily would a TLS motor fit in a 748 frame? ;)


May know of a track 748 with a blown engine, would make an awesome (more so than the mono :D) track weapon :sing:

Roy I was thinking about doing that all of last year, then I was talking to some lads at one of my race meetings at Donington last year and they had a couple of mates with them and kept mentioning ground clearance problems. After seeing the Yellow and Blue TL powered Ducati 748/916 chassid bike on Ebay I thought about arranging a viewing and getting uup to Lemington Spa to see it, but never managed to fit it in. Then I eventually saw the same bike racing with New Era at Mallory, must admit it went very well, but after taking a closer look I just didnt like the way the engine sat in the frame, looked as if the clutch was in the wrong place, things just didn't look right, so I went and got the 955 engine and then the 998 engine.

Given the choice between a TL and a Firestorm I would take the TL every time, certainly faster and a better hooligan tool, ace for wheelying at silly speeds, where as landing the front wheel on Senna3s old Firestorm at over 90mph sent it into a almighty tank-slapper, never had that from the TL

Spares problems aren't too bad for Aprilias - I've just come from an RSV. They are pretty reliable, with only minor niggles. The engines are pretty bomb proof.

The Falco can be pepped up easily with a fork re-valve and an Ohlins rear shock for around £750. They can be picked up pretty cheaply now used, I think around £3000 for a 2000 model. As a cheap second bike or track tool they make a lot of sense - they already have Brembo brakes and braided lines too. You can also get decent exhausts and airbox kits to boost power if you feel you need to.

Worth a look...

OK - supermono it is then ;)

tl1000s is a great bike,loads of horror stories from the press when first launched,but never experienced any of them.Peach of a motor,even better with a k+n filter,power commander and hi level harris system (which is still for sale),had mine 3 years,never had a thing wrong with it.Buy one.........

I think its about time I went and had a ride on a Falco.....but it looks 'unfinished' without any lower fairing.

Hee hee - how about a Falco with duke body work and maybe a 916 seat unit :devil:

I can feel a Paint shop pro session coming on :lol:

:D

TL1000s. I had one when they first came out. What a stonking bike. :devil:

The press thought the bike was crap. I loved it. I took the damper off which made the steering much better around town.
I dropped the forks down the yokes by about 10 mill and fitted the usual cans and air filter etc. I thought the bike was wicked to ride.
Stonking engine. OK frame. I had no problem staying with fireblades etc in a straight line and around the corners. Manged to get the rear tyre well shagged all the way to the edge!:devil:

Only sold it because i needed the money at the time.

I quite often think about grafting a TL1000 lump into a Ducati 748/916 frame. But i suppose that would be the greatest crime of all!!!!!!:o