Just a cursed bike in general, purchased with 5 miles on the clock, started only when "it" wanted, conk out at the lights, uncomfortable, vibes through the pegs could give you shin splints after 30 mins in the saddle. you cannot ride it in a straight line.... arms locked plumb straight and you would travel a foot either side of line over 100 meters. A truly shocking experience... A Norton enthusiast would say "that's the character of the bike"..sod that. BUT it was a work of art to look at in my humble opinion. One to stick up on the wall NOT to ride.
DT125 '88 model, used that to pass my test in '94, had it for a year and chopped it in for....... ZXR400 '93 - Stolen never recovered (well not officially). Got a letter from the DVLA a year or so after it had been stolen and I'd been paid out saying someone had applied for a V5 for it and did I still own it? Took the letter to the police, they said they would handle it and left it at that. Another year or so later a guy I worked with rocked up to work on it, still on the same plate, he'd just bought it out the paper. Docs inc the V5 the DVLA had queried with me! Told the guy its nicked and sold him a load of bits I still had for it. ZX6R '96 - bought new, chopped in for....... ZX6R '00 - bought new chopped in for....... ZX6R '03 - bought used chopped in for........ Z1000 '07 - bought new, chopped in for....... Z1000 '10 - bought new, chopped in for....... MVA Brutale 800 '13 - bought new, chopped in for........ MVA Stradale 800 '15 - bought used (1yr old ex demo with 15miles on the clock), chopped in for..... Z1000SX '17 - bought new, written off May 2018. Had 18 months off while moving house etc and then bought my Multi.
KTM Comet Cross Honda CD175 Villiers 197 Trials DOT 250 Trials Suzuki GT250 Yamaha RD250 Suzuki Beamish RL250 Trials Ossa MAR 250 Trials Suzuki GT750 Triumph 900 Legend Kawasaki 750 Zephyr Kawasaki 1100 Zephyr Suzuki GT250 Restoration Yamaha XJR 1300 Yamaha 900 Tracer Yamaha XT1200 Tenere All gone now.
-Yamaha RD125 passed my test -Kawasaki GPZ750 Turbo, week after I passed test -Suzuki GSX650ES -1971 Laverda 750SF, had it 29 years -Laverda Jota -1998 Fireblade, fab bike -1994 Foxeye Fireblade -2005 Aprilia RSV1000 -2002 Fireblade 926 -2005 BMW K1200S -2004 BMW R1200GS -2013 BMW R1200GS -2015 BMW R1200GS Triple Black -2014 BMW R1200GS About 15 Ducati’s
RD 125 (twin Cyl ) Yamaha YB100 Kawasaki GPZ600 Yamaha FZR 600 Yamaha R1 1998 Yamaha R1 2001 Yamaha R1 2004 Yamaha R1 2010 Honda ST 50 Panigale 899 2014 Panigale 1299S 2015 Bsa Bantam 1959 Panigale V4S 2020
Honda CBR600 - great (first bike) until you get a Ducati (748) and you see it as a heavy rubbish lump Suzuki Bandit - I wanted a sh*t bike that I did not need worrying about in London and this is exactly what I got Honda Firestorm - OK bike for commuting and certainly not a Ducati, even if it has a twin BMW F800 ST - great little commuter but dull as pond water On the other hand, looking back, 748 x 2, 916 (track), 900 Superlight (loved it!), ST2, 996 SPS (why of why did I sell it?), 998S/RS (track), 996 (track), 2 x ST4s, 996 Foggy/RS (unfinished project), 1098s and MTS (current) and looking at 888 and 916 or 996r next.
Digging thru old memory cards and found this. Bought in October from main BMW dealer Guildford way. Rode all winter down to minus 4. ACF'd it a handful of times. Cleaned in spring. Came up like new with zero corrosion. Sold for £500 less than I paid.
That Honda is the model Laverda copied (motor) to produce the 750SF. Here is mine after I modified it.
Hyosung MX125, learned to ride on it at 17. Then a gap until KTM Adventure 640, rode down Africa. Then a KTM Superduke, the proper one, 990. And now my Pani.
Of those that hold fond memories, starting in 1979 ... 1976 fantic caballero, then 1979 Yamaha rd250 e , then 1981 Yamaha rd250lc , then 1978 suzuki gs750 1981 Yamaha rd350lc , then 1980 honda 750 fa then took a break for a couple of years until 1987 .. 1985 suzuki gsxr 750, then another short break until 1990 , then 1989 Suzuki gsxr1100k , then 1981Yamaha rd350lc , then another short break until 2001 , then Kawasaki zrx1100 ,still got much modified , then 1977 Yamaha rd250d resto which a mate owns now , then 1981 Yamaha rd250/350lc still got , then 1976 fantic caballero resto , still got , then 1997 Ducati 748bp , then 1988 suzuki gsx1100efe, still got , then 1975 kawasaki h1f , just bought , amongst many others. Puddy
