Any tl1000r/s riders on here?

I've got a R it's been a good scooter. It's got a TRE, modded airbox, and yosh rs3s with a +2 rear sprocket. It's still a little big for my nephew though <img src="" />

+2 rear sprocket? Wow. I bet the wheelies on that thing are monstrous.

I had a '97 TL1000S. Stock it was a wicked runner.

Several of the guys in the SHO community have them, they all seem to love them too.

They seem to be really short money compared to a comparable gsxr, great value at the moment.

I have a '97 S streetfightered (half-assedly) by the PO. Full Yosh/PC/open airbox, high bars, no steering damper, no bodywork. It's...a handful.

I keep saying I'll sell it for something simple like an aircooled, carbed single when I get it running again (fuel pump issues), but man, the power and that WWII fighter exhaust note are ridiculously addictive.

That sounds like a wild combo! What's the deal with the pump?

In reply to carbon:

Aside from being a Suzuki, probably an issue with a weak pump or wiring.

alex wrote: I have a '97 S streetfightered (half-assedly) by the PO. Full Yosh/PC/open airbox, high bars, no steering damper, no bodywork. It's...a handful. I keep saying I'll sell it for something simple like an aircooled, carbed single when I get it running again (fuel pump issues), but man, the power and that WWII fighter exhaust note are ridiculously addictive.

No steering damper. You're a braver man than I.

Does the "hedge seeking missile" nickname fit these? I've never ridden one, but I do love a big sport twin

Xceler8x wrote: No steering damper. You're a braver man than I.

I still don't have one.....

In the years I've owned it, I've only had one brown-pants moment that a steering damper would have likely quelled, so I feel like I'm doing all right. I have a lot of respect for - or perhaps more correctly, a healthy fear of - this bike's combination of quick steering, short wheelbase and snappy power, so I'm mindful about my right wrist.

The fuel pump just up and died a while ago, and I've been cobbling together an aftermarket solution, since OEM stuff is hilariously expensive. But mainly I've just been too busy to work on it and distracted by other projects in my spare time. That and I got really frustrated with it for another problem and I couldn't bring myself to so much as look at it, but that's another story.

ahutson03 wrote: Does the "hedge seeking missile" nickname fit these? I've never ridden one, but I do love a big sport twin

Mine never was directionally unstable but I left the steering damper on from Suzuki. The other guys, who removed the "tank slapper nanny" could comment.

alex wrote: In the years I've owned it, I've only had one brown-pants moment that a steering damper would have likely quelled, so I feel like I'm doing all right. I have a lot of respect for - or perhaps more correctly, a healthy fear of - this bike's combination of quick steering, short wheelbase and snappy power, so I'm mindful about my right wrist.

Sounds like you've got the right mind set. Mine was a '97 and I hear that the TL/S in 97 was the most....rowdy.

Check out this dyno chart:

Note the 20 hp jump at 6k - 6.5k. That's where the magic, or tragic, happens. Torque climbs at the same rate during the same rpm range. That's the reason for a steering damper. That power rise, almost like a two stroke, with a short wheelbase means things get interesting in a hurry.

Xceler8x wrote:

ahutson03 wrote: Does the "hedge seeking missile" nickname fit these? I've never ridden one, but I do love a big sport twin

Mine never was directionally unstable but I left the steering damper on from Suzuki. The other guys, who removed the "tank slapper nanny" could comment.

I ride "enthusiastically" on the street, and I've had it on the track a couple times, and again, I've only had one capital-m Moment. And even that was mainly attributable to my bad line through a corner and an unfortunately-placed driveway crest that I didn't notice until the front end was already voicing its displeasure.

The real key with this bike is to be mindful of throttle application while cranked over. The stock shock...well it kinda sucks, because it was a packaging compromise. So it's the perfect storm when you're leaned over, you hit that power peak around 6k, the rear squats a bit and the front end gets light - that's the recipe for head shake, and a tankslapper like that is what earned this bike its widowmaker reputation. (It actually killed a British journalist on a press launch at a track. Suzuki issued a recall after that, and their fix was a steering damper.)

If you're not riding like a jackass or hammering it around a track, it's no more dangerous than anything else on two wheels. But it will put you in your place if you think you can hop on and ride it like any other bike at 8/10ths or above. It does not suffer fools gladly.

In reply to alex:

Just imagine that with 40-50hp more on tap, 30-40lbs lighter, and a shorter wheelbase yet and you get the untamable beast I ride.

I still want to try a tl though, they have a reputation of being great bikes. Oh, and I would love to try the rsv4 and rc51 eventually as well.

I'm more of an owner than a rider.

No hedge seeking moments on mine (that weren't a result of my running out of talent). Mine was a little lethargic in stock form, so I dropped the forks 4mm into the triples, totally fixed that and it only wiggles a tiny bit when the front wheel is light and skipping along while leaned over a bunch. I've never ridden an S, maybe they're a different animal than the R.

I tagged along with a R earlier today down a few twisty roads. They sound great with the yosh duals.