He's my story ,past my test in 2008 to be honest was never really into bikes untill I got dumped by a bird and I was feeling sorry for myself ,one day my best mate (he had a gsxr 600 at the time) gave me a bollocking,told me to buck up ,sort my shit out and said why don't you do your bike test to cheer yourself up?? Good idea i thought,so I did and got a zx6r but always fancied a ducati so along came the 748r and I haven't stopped buying bikes since.... The list.... First bike 2000 zx6r black and silver (sold) Ducati 748r yellow 2001 (sold) Gsxr 750 relentless 2007 (sold) Gsxr 600 white and blue (sold for r1) Yamaha r1 red and white 1999 (still got) Gsxr 600 track bike 2002 (sold) Ducati 748/853 track bike 1997 (broke Into parts) James toseland CBR 600 1997 race bike (still got) Er650 TT race bike 2012 (still got) Ducati 1198 white 2010 (still got) Ducati 996 sps 2001 (still got) Gsxr 1000 white blue 2002 (still got) Zx10r orange 2008 (sold for 1198) Ducati hypermotard black 2011 (sold) CBR 400 black green 1991 (sold) Honda crf450 2004 (sold) Kawasaki kx250f (sold) Gsxr 750 srad blue and white 1998 (sold) Think that's about it.
My French teacher at school had one. I though he was quite cool for riding a motorbike in a car park full of Cortinas. How little did I know.
Think there was thread, can't find in search...so here's mine (what I can remember) First bike @12 Suzuki TS50, bought with a borrowed £75 from my uncle Then a year later, a Suzuki TS100 that nearly killed me more times than I can remember (flat out along the old railway 3 up no helmets being chased by cops seems a lifetime ago) Traded that for a new Suzuki TS50 MX bike...could never get that working... First road bike 17th birthday an Yamaha RD125LC, AlL Speed pipes, Stevens reeds, mental at the time That went for an Honda MTX 125, another straight swap (the RD had been nicked and I got it back three times...) Found cars...then back to bikes after a couple of years (still no full licence) and had in the garage a Suzuki GT550 triple 2 stroke, a Honda CB400, a Honda 250 Dream and a couple of others Marraige and child came along then needed bike so passed test about 1994 and bought a Kawasaki GPX 250 to commute That turned into a Kawasaki ZX4R (ZXR400LS with a paint job) Another lay off bikes for a child 1996 as we needed two cars... Then about 2005 Ducati 748 Followed by a Ducati 916SPS, which I later broke and sold...but had a M600 at same time which went for a Ducati ST2 That was joined by a Honda Fireblade CBR1000, mental fast and easy to ride (saw 170+ on A272 when messing with a mate ) Needed something more sensible, so sold and bought a BMW 1200 GS, which was good and like crashing every corner That went for an Ducat 848 Which was sold for Ducati 1000 Multi and use funds to buy anther Ducati M600 to race Then that went for an Ducati M620 race bike alongside the Multi Big crash meant sold M620...and a Suzuki DR650 appeared as if by magic in the garage.. Until I decided I wanted another Ducati 848 EVO this time as I was trying to raise funds to do the Tri-options Cup. Awesome bikes, ohlins all round, loads of carbon, sigma clutch, loved it! Then 848 went for a Ducati skyhook multi and a Suzuki gixer k5 1000 Which I broke last year and used the funds for a Triumph 675 And I replaced the Ducati Multi for the latest DVT... Then a Honda CR230F came into the shed. The last three I still have
Edited for @BIG M with added pictures. :Snaphappy: Right, my memory isn't what it was, but I'll have a bash. Suzuki TS125 - I don't think I owned a camera as a young scroat. Yamaha RD350LC - Dream paint and Stan Stephens tuned. :Hungry: Also had another LC that I planned on restoring, but I didn't have the time and sold it after it sat in the garage for 4 years. 3 x Kawasaki KX250 crossers. I didn't ride on the road for a few years, but was well into my MX - I never took any pictures of my crossers for some reason. Suzuki GSXR 1100M Honda Fireblade RRW Ducati 916 (Yellow) The 1st Ducati. MV Agusta F4 750 Strada Honda RVF400 - Commuting bike Ducati 996 Yellow Ducati 1098S Suzuki GSXR 1100M again A few old scooters in amongst these. Lambretta GP200 and Vespa Rally 200 x 2 Vespa GTS300 - Use for commuting and have been to Belguim x 2, France, Germany and Holland on it. Load it up and twist'n'go. It's like a mule. (Still got) Aprilia Tuono Factory Ducati Desmosedici (Still got) Ducati Streetfighter S (Still got) Ducati 1098R (Still got) :handok: I think that's it. (Some others probably not worth mentioning)
Here is my list. I only ever had one bike at a time. Yamaha RS125 (a bit flaky) Honda 400 Dream (surprisingly good) Honda CB550F2 (problems with the tangs that hold the carb float bowls meant sub 30mpg) Honda CX500 (ugly yes, zero street cred, but a great bike) Kawasaki Z750L (high speed weaver) Honda VF750 (cams went). Learned to drive a car. Honda VFR750 (finally, a do everything bike, which did it for me for ages) 10 year gap. Deeply regretted. Yamaha TT600 KTM 950SM (full of character, berserk, heavy and would stop randomly for no reason) 3 year gap while I lived in USA, filled with hired Harleys. BMW R1200R (big shuddery thing) BMW R1200RT LC (amazingly capable bike, but boring) Ducati Multistrada 1200S DVT Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
Mine has to be one of the shortest 1997 - Honda CBR600 (sold) 1998 - Ducati 996 (current - love this bike) I really should add to this list, 1098R - 998R - DVT ?
Right then, NSU quickly, Honda 100N, Yamaha RD 200, Honda 400/4, Moto guzzi v 500, Ducati SS 900, Ducati S4 Monster, Ducati S4RS Monster, Ducati Mutistrada touring S (current) ???????
My first bike was a VFR400 NC30 though the first bike I rode was a CD175 in a field! Then bought a ZX6R G1 in '98 brand new. CBR900 Urban Tiger Fireblade '94 Ducati 916 Senna ( still got ) '97 Kawasaki VN800 Drifter '02 Honda CB750 K8? '78 CD175 '74 ( still got ) Laverda 750 S Formula '98 ( still got ) Ducati 1098R Troy Bayliss LTD EDT '08 ( still got )
I got the bike bug when i lived in Andorra...the winters were full of snowboarding but once the snow went a few lads had dirt bikes, a mate had a trials bike sat in the garage and gave it me for the summer...i had a ball finding out how it worked and buzzing over the mountains on it! Beta 250 trials bike Ktm 525 exc Harley 883 sportster iron Honda cb1000r 96 Monster m600 (yellow) 899 Panigale (white) Scrambler Icon (red) And currently looking for a 749s
This is great - here's my list - if I can remember them all Wipac power assisted bicycle bought for 10 shillings at age 13 Honda C50 ohv written off when I hit a pallet which dropped off a flatbed lorry right in front of me in the Hanger Lane underpass Honda C90 - at 16 the footrest rubbers were more often on the road than was really sensible 1948 G80 rigid Matchless acquired at age 17 for £10 - fabulous bike wish I had it now 1958 Velocette Venom 500 swinging arm bushes were knackered and did not steer very well CB160 Honda sold when the big ends went through over revving it every time I rode it. G9 Matchless twin which very nearly killed me when I decked the chain case at Ginger Hall on Mad Sunday, broke its crank on the M6 on the way back from the Island - pushed it into a ditch and left it there 600 Norton Dominator powered Matchless sidecar outfit - £20 lash up which expired about 72 hours after I got it running 650cc Bonneville powered Triton RRT2 box and Triumph clutch converted from a race bike (bought for £175) to road then back again. Did my first ever full power 2 wheel drift on A1 on this one and then went racing 750 Norton Commando powered Triton disastrous race bike which kept breaking its crankcases and had me falling off regularly for no apparent reason, discovered at the end of the season the frame was bent which probably was reason for both Bultaco 350 TSS absolutely brilliant bike, no brakes to speak of and consequently learned how to get round tracks with high corner entry speed. Would buy it back in a heartbeat. "Yamsel" TD250 bought in Belfast but turned out to be a faux frame - totalled it at Brands practice day- full out of body experience when I ran into back of school rider and spent a week in a coma Yamsel TZ 350 - competitive the first year but following year could not live with cantilever suspension TZ 350s around Gerrards or Corams Marriage interval Suzuki X7 good fun until it got nicked K400 Kawasaki 4stroke twin - rather boring agricultural commuter but did c30k miles trouble free GS400 Suzuki bought for £300 also commuter but did my first continental tour on this 3 weeks all around Italy (2up) - a great bike 100% reliable also did about 50k miles with no parts required apart from consumables 1974 Moto Morini 3 1/2 bought for £50 to give my dad a hobby restoring it when he retired - lovely characterful light agile bike, still got, but now needs a second restoration 1992 Ducati 750 SS only ever new bike bought as 40th birthday present to myself, did 3 trips to Italy on this one 2 up - loved this bike and still got it (on the restoration list) parked in a corner of the garage when either the rectifier alternator made battery charging/ starting an issue. 500 XBR Honda commuter - a bit dull and surprisingly not as reliable as the 750SS - the swinging arm rotted out from the inside - sold to a mate of a mate who did a fabulous restoration on it 650cc Honda Bros a great bike to ride although you did notice the weight of the single sided rear swinging arm but had electrical gremlins, sold to a mate who fitted over bored Africa twin barrels to make it 800cc 1994 M900 Monster - my favourite road bike - now subject of "slow monster" rebuild thread 2004 S4 Monster - nowhere near as nice as M900 not that reliable either - coils x 2 and oil pissing out of rear cylinder base gaskets x 2 - did one continental holiday on this one - still got not really sure why. ZX9R - fast and overweight, immense engine with a glorious induction roar but not at all agile, you have to set the bike up about 1/4 mile before any half fast corner - still got and on restoration/breaking list? 2002 S4 Monster - bought from a friend at mate's rate price when S4 above was in shop getting base gasket fixed for second time - used and abused as a commuter - still got not really sure why err that's it so far
Only been riding for about 3 years. Always liked the riding position of a sports bike. Yahama yzfr 125 - wrote it off after I rode it into a roundabout. GSXR 600 - got stolen Panigale 899 - only had it 4 months now so still learning... Hoping to get the girl on a bike soon.
1993 Yamaha RD350R - My first bike. I really wanted an RGV250 but my budget couldnt stretch that far. Had it about 6 months I think before someone in a Porsche pulled out in front of me writing the bike off. Insurance paid out in full and let me keep the bike. I swapped the smashed up RD & the insurance money for my ZXR750L2. 1994 Kawasaki ZXR750L2 - Still got this in the garage. Wrote it off twice and repaired it myself. Once I ripped the entire back end off it on a crash barrier after a massive highside. Ended up buying another one with a smashed up front and made a good one out of the 2. It was dynojetted, had k&n filter & different exhaust. Used to easily keep up with my mates fireblade. Only bike i have ever had totally flatout (on a private road). Had race bodywork on it, no headlamps, no indicators back in the day when noone really did that. That bike suffered immense abuse. Great fun. 1998 Kawasaki ZX6R - Bought off a mate who bought it brand new the year before. Plan was to use this whilst I rebuilt the ZXR after its engine overheated. I ended up never finishing the ZXR and its been sat in my garage ever since. The ZX6R was a great bike, only bike where I actually felt you could ride everywhere flat out and the bike wouldnt kill you. Whilst it didnt handle as good as my ZXR the engine felt much more responsive. I had it for a year I think then sold it to a mate. 2000 Ducati 748S - Bought it when it was about 6 months old as accident damaged, having only done 500 miles from new. I repaired it as it was quite minor and used it as my daily commuting bike to work. Had carbon termignoni`s, single seat & was chipped. I did about 100 miles on it then had a valve drop straight into one of the cylinders destroying it. Went back to Ducati under warranty for them to fix which took them about 4 months. I then did about 8000 miles on it before selling it for cash to a guy who drove all the way down to Peterborough from Glasgow to buy it. He didnt even try it out. Interestingly after a few years the bike was marked as being exported by DVLA. It then came back in to the country last year and was up for sale at a bike shop as a "biposto" and stickered up with foggy stickers. 1999 Yamaha R1 - I felt the 748 just wasnt quick enough and I never got on with it as well as I did my ZXR750L2. I missed the scream of a 4 pot. So I sold it and bought this R1 when it was just 2 years old. Ive had it ever since. Its on its 2nd engine now after I destroyed the gearbox on the original through too many 2nd gear wheelies. Again, race bodywork, no headlamps, no indicators, full titaniam akropovic exhaust, modified airbox, rejetted carbs, harris 916 style steering damper, plus loads more. Ive never felt the need to sell it as i know it inside out and on twisty back roads it will keep up or be quicker than nearly any other bikes I come up against. 1996 Honda VFR750 - I bought this at the same time as the R1 with the idea that id use the VFR as my daily commuting bike and the R1 at weekends. Worked for about 6 months then I ended up launching the VFR into the back of my house trying to bump start it at 4am one day. That certainly woke me up that morning. Buckled forks and bashed up the whole front end nicely. I ended up repairing some of it and selling it off as a project. Had it been 2 foot further to the left it would have gone through my patio doors and ended up crashing into my telly, so it could have been worse! 2000 Ducati 996 - I had about 4 or 5 years where I hardly used my bikes. Mainly cos I met my missus and every weekend was spent seeing her, then house renovations etc. Anyway come 2012 I get the R1 MOT`d again and start occasionally using it. I also thought about getting another Ducati or an MV Augusta. I spot a nice 996 on the net and persuade the wife to drive me to Oxford "just to have a look". End up laying the cash down and riding it back home. Interestingly it must have been registered the same day as my 748 as it came from the same dealer & the number plate was just 1 digit different. Got it home and found that the rear wheel nut was only done up finger tight (eeek!). Gave it a full service myself incl the belts and took it out and I hated it. I hated its handling. It just felt so clumbersome and heavy and slow compared to my R1. It just wouldnt handle and wouldnt brake. So as with all my bikes they cant keep stock and so I immediately started tweaking it to improve it. I added loads of carbon, Carbon 45/50 Termignoni`s, chip, single seat, alloy seat subframe, Brembo P4 calipers, Ohlins damper, Ohlins rear shock, Race bodywork, lithium battery etc. Still have a pile of other bits in the garage to fit like digital race clocks, quick shifter & a slipper clutch, but so far its been very rewarding improving the way the bike handles and goes. I still think its not as quick and doesnt handle or stop as well as my R1, but after my tweaks and setup its now very nice to ride, and the noise! I keep toying with the idea of getting an RGV250 but other than that im happy with my current collection and cant see me ever selling any of them. Especially as the wife dont like them!
1st mode of transport as an 18 year old was my honda 250n it struggled with me and my girlfriend round a trip to Scotland, so I upgraded to a whopping 400 lol.It could take panniers and a top box for the weekly shop too Along came my interest in cars,they could carry more shopping and kids. So I had a short break then back to bikes with a CB900f2 which I'd always wanted but rose tinted glasses and all that. Along came my a CB600rr and finally a Fireblade followed my love for Honda's. Owned a Gsxr 1000 for a while then I decided to do some touring again.Along came my love for Ducati's with an ST2 followed by an ST4 and finally my favourite bike to date the ST3s which I still have. Most recently I've had a 999 that I had for 10 years but sadly now written off. A 675R Daytona which I part ex last year for a Thruxton R, still awaiting delivery of :hearteyes:And finally I also bought a 916 last year just to scratch the itch.
Here goes mine, not as impressive as some but I’ve never been without a bike since 1973! No pictures of the early ones – I spent all of my money on bikes not camera’s! Pre-legal age: Norman Nippy 49cc, 2 speed with LH twist grip gear change. ½ share with a mate. Triumph Tiger Cub In a BSA Bantam frame, never actually ran. Post legal age: Mobylette moped I was one of the first year group after the 250cc provisional licence age was increased to 17, Fizzies hadn’t been invented yet! Puch Maxi S Inherited from my Mum. Yamaha YDS7 Bought 6 weeks before my 17th birthday, quite possibly the longest 6 weeks of my life. Honda CB 500 – 4 Bought after passing test aged 17 ½. Montessa Cota 247 Thought I’d try trials as a cheaper alternative to road racing – was never going to happen! Rickman Metisse Commando 750 Briefly used on the road, then converted for racing. Rickman Metisse Commando 850 850 motor replaced the 750 that was blown into a million bits (4 wins in one day in 1978). Yamaha TZ 350 E Pukka race bike! Won first time out on it in 1979. Suzuki GS 1000 S Bought after a big crash curtailed the racing. Suzuki GSX 750 ESD Lighter, faster, better handling – well that’s what the press said. Suzuki GSXR 750 G A flexi flier! Suzuki GSXR 750 WN Overshadowed by the Fireblade. Ducati 916 Biposto Still got. First registered March 1995, owned since March 1998. 36,000 miles on the clock, don’t think I’ll ever sell it. Triumph Daytona 955 Centennial Bought while living in the USA. Aprilia RSV1000R Great bit of kit, owned at the same time as the 916 – what a choice to open the garage door to! Suzuki GS 1000 S Still got. Bought as a corroded heap in 2009, restored and put on the road in 2010 and used every year since. Suzuki GS 1000S Still got. Bought in 2010 as a box of bits, restored but not put on the road (yet). Yamaha TY 250 Still got. Given to me by a mate. In boxes of bits but forks missing. Ducati MTS1200S Sport Just a fantastic bike. Kawasaki J300 SE Still got. Maxi scooter, titter ye not! It’s a brilliant commuter, shopper etc. and I use it more than anything else. BMW S1000XR SE Still got. Taken over from the Mutley as the upright sportsbike for the hip replacement generation (in my opinion).
Wowzers...... - Proper bike that one @Carr01 For those of you who don't know what the NSU quickly looks like, here's a fine example (not mine BTW)
