Faults:

Purchased as a street fighter race bike and trying to convert it to fairing stock form. Some parts are hard to come by.

General Comments:

Coming from the world of a cruiser turned bobber, I went to a friend's dealership looking for a 600 sport bike. I quickly made eyes with a Mad Max Street Fighter-esque TL1000r. He told me I'd be bored with a 600 in a week, and to take it for a spin, it was one of his race bikes from home.

At first start, I wasn't used to the torque and low end power and weight; gotta say I was nervous as Hell and a little scared as s**t, but after mildly going around the block I realized I was in love. This was a more challenging bike than the sport bikes I've rode off and on over the years... The power delivery, the turning, everything required a lot more of me as a rider. Challenge accepted.

I learned it has lower geared sprockets, which explains why some of the 1st gears felt a little tight at first, Ohlins suspension, and a Power Commander 2.

Over time the only thing I can say about the TL1000 is it's definitely a different breed of bike and I don't think it fits everyone. I'm always learning on it and appreciating its features over other bikes. I enjoy its weight and the bulky fairing I've now installed. And I have a love for other v-twin sport bikes. If this one ever stops, I'd only hope I can find another TL one day to replace it.

Faults:

Outer clutch cover leak.

Push-rod seal leak.

Blown fuse - fuel pump.

Common charring on voltage wire (solid red) leading to starter relay.

Charging system.

Wiring.

General Comments:

I have owned a lot of bikes over my 15 years of riding, to include the GS550E, GSX-R 1100, ZX7R, and Daytona T595 to name a few, but the TL1000R is by far my favorite. The best comment I can leave is one quoted from a forum I once came across, where an OP questioned the difference between an inline-4 and a V-Twin. The answer given was flawless - "An inline-4 sounds like a bumble bee farting in a tin can, where the V-Twin sounds like the devil and his horsemen coming for you on a thundery night." The proof is in the pudding. After racing through the canyons one day, I actually had a fellow rider confess that I scared him when I went past. How many folks can say they've been told that about their inline-4s?

Sound and esthetics aside, the bike is comfortable and solid. All things being equal however, the TLR does require some modifications in order to correct well known design defects. Seals, wiring, etc... It can be a real headache, but well worth it in the end.

Faults:

Sprockets wear fast because of torque from the v twin. They need to bring back the TL; they are lasting longer than the GSX.

General Comments:

This is the all around sport bike. Not the fastest, but the best built all around.