An intro

[srmajm]

Hi all,

Mines a pint of cider !!!!!

I'm based in the midlands and I currently ride a yellow VTR1000 which I have had for the last 4 years - love the bike but think it might be time for a change. I don't know very much about the Raptor but spotted a V Raptor on ebay and it looks a likely replacement for my storm but before I leap in I'd appreciate any advice you guys can offer - what's good and what's not so good? Any particular things to look out for in a second hand bike? From the specs these bikes look pretty good but the seat height is a bit low compared to the VTR - is this likely to be a problem for a 6 foot rider? My typical ride out is an 80 to 150 mile Sunday run - weather and the missus permitting - although I've done a couple of runs to Spa for the classic bike weekend over the last 2 years and the poor fuel range on the honda is a bit of a pain - what's the range of a Raptor?

Thanks in advance - Steve.

[Red Mist]

Hi Steve.

I've never actually ridden the VTR, so can't compare accurately, but here's my 2 penn'orth...

Can't think of anything that's "not so good" about the Raptor. I got mine by chance a few years ago and enjoyed every mile. I'm just under 6ft and the seating position is no problem. I often cover over 200 miles in a day with no discomfort and even 400 miles is no issue. Legs are bent a bit but unless you've got medical probs then the Rap's fine. Seat is also more comfy than plenty of other bikes that I've been on.

Petrol consumption should be better than the Honda, but not exceptional. I easily get 10 miles to the litre. Tank is 15 litres only, so you'll need to stop every 100 - 120 miles to refill. That's maybe one of the reasons that my legs don't seize up on a longer ride - I have to keep getting off to top the bike up!

The bike should pleasantly surprise you. The finish is pretty good apart from the footrest hangers. The instruments are clear, the switchgear feels good, and the controls are light. And after riding the bike through 3 kakky winters, I've never had the brakes seize at all. I had to strip my Kawasaki brakes at least twice a winter.

They can run rough at about 3,000 rpm, but there are fixes on here that will solve that. Just check that the engine revs to the red line ok, the gears all click into place without any problem, and that there's no undue smoke or noise from the engine, and all should be ok. Only real problem to look out for is that at some point the rear disc will probably crack. Easy and cheap enough to replace.

Hope you're still interested.

[snapdragon]

Welcome in

[shedmonkey]

Welcome

The only other problems to look for are leaks from the radiator (look for any staining near the brackets ) and oil leak from the clutch housing otherwise no problems.

[VRaptorMark]

Welcome.
I've had both.
Tank range not clever on either.
Raptor feels lighter and handles better in stock form.
Storm engine slightly better.
Storm has a taller seat height
Both are very good bikes.
IMO.

[srmajm]

Thanks all - much appreciated. I'm hoping to have a look at what appears to be a very low mileage 2000 V Raptor at the weekend so I'll keep you posted.

Steve.

[Spyke]

G'day and welcome aboard, mine's a voddy and coke, thanks!

I had a 98 'storm and found it just a bit more accessible than my Xtra - boring Honda make 'em real easy to ride, Cagiva's just a bit sportier feeling. The lack of a screen on the rap means you get a bit more wind blast, but it's not really any sort of issue up until about 200kph, which is 125 in old money, I think, and I don't do that unless I'm on a track, of course!

Other than that the only thing I can think of is the lovely Suzi gearbox, I always heard they did the best gearboxes, but as this is the first Suzi-powered bike I've owned I hadn't experienced the "hot knife through butter" feeling before, all good!