Bought my 750ie in 2003 after six years of no bike. I wanted a Ducati and I wanted something not too powerful. Perfect bike. In 2004, I bought the 999S, having fallen in love with the model when it first came out. No regrets for either purchase.
No,never got round to buying a guzzi, always fancied a mark1 lemon ,way out of my league price wise now tho.....biggest regret was selling the Jota, had it for years and was finally persuaded to sell it to a mate about six months before their prices went thru the roof. ....and the Bastard still won't sell it back to me
1098s I love v twins most rice burners are bland and I love to piss of my mates when everyone wants to look at the shiny ducati
ST4 - Was actually looking for a ZZR600. Saw the ST, loved the look of it. Went for a test ride, loved the torque = sold ! ( so, looks and engine ) CRF250L - Was looking for a decent modern trail bike. Found the CRF in the local Triumph dealer, decent price, new-ish, well looked after. One test ride later = sold ! ( so, price and ability ) Laverda - It's just ferkin gorgeous... no test ride needed... Saw it, fell in love, bought it ! ( so - it's gorgeous ! ) Three different reasons for buying bikes, but I have not had a moment of regret after buying any of them. I have had the ST4 for 13 years now and still love it, despite it being a complete shed and occasionally refusing to actually do anything... Isn't that just what they call "character" ?
Nothing wrong with ST2. Mine went for three reasons; i enjoyed scraping the stand on every corner bit. At 90+ on 272 if lifted the rear a little and had to stamd it ip...lucky nothing oncoming..plus it gave me tennis elbow unless I was racing-tuck ragging it, and the headlights and electrics were woeful But rode great, wheeleied pretty well and ace for a pillion
I got the 851 by accident. When I'd just passed my test in '96 I saw a 900SS parked and loved the look with the trellis frame, square headlight and plain red paint. It just looked like a "no messing" bike whereas the Jap stuff was a bit "shell suit". A ride on a friends Yamaha TRX850 put me off of twin cylinder bikes though. A few years ago I was chatting to some guys in the pub who also rode bikes and when I went on one of their rides they both turned up on Multistrada 1000Ss and went really well. It turned out one of them also had a 888 SP4 and he let me have a go, boy was that nice! So when I had a little cash I decided I wanted a 900SS thinking back all those years and not thinking I had enough cash for an 851/888. All the 900SSs were up North or in the West Country so nothing was happening, and then the 851 was advertised nearby for 900SS money. I bought it and am now a very, very happy boy. The Hornet 900 was more sensible. Had a VFR800 which was a mistake as they're so crap (made worse as I sold a VFR750 to get it and they're great). My uncle had a Hornet 900 and I kept borrowing it whenever I saw him just to get a ride that was fun. Honda couldn't sell them as the press slagged them for not being a naked Fireblade (which misses the point somewhat), so brand new it was £6k on 0%, with 2 years free servicing - it was in 2003 though. Since then it's done nearly 50,000 miles and been 100% reliable. It's been to France two-up, commuted in the snow, done 1,300 miles in a weekend, done silly speeds, does OK on the Saturday morning scratch, can get 55mpg if dawdling, etc. etc. I do really like it as it's a proper do everything bike. Which is why it's still here as no-one makes naked all-rounders anymore (they seem to be either big fat things that don't handle as well or tiny things that are too sporty and don't have a proper pillion seat). Don't even start me on "naked" bikes that have fairings..... So it looks like those two a staying and I just need to work out what to add to the fleet!
Reasons I got what I got.... 1. 1100 evo hyper.....closest thing I can find present day to my fave bike ever (tdr250)....like that but with more grunt. 2. Rsv4 factory. First race bike I've ever had....I like small bikes and it fits the bill perfectly. Perfect tool for the tt. 3. Building 525 supermoto conversion....love supermoto ' but usually pick holes in the ones I've seen that have been done so I thought I'd have a go myself. ...Under construction...
Got my first 916 about 12 years ago because....well, it's a 916 - in my view, the definitive style icon of the 90's bike scene and still hasn't been surpassed. They turned my head when they first appeared in the early half of the 90's when we were all getting over the shock of the Blade a year or two before. I was off bikes at the time because I was starting a family and came back to them in '98 with a brand new ZX-6R (which was fun and scary for someone who had been off bikes for the best part of 15 years) when it had just undergone its first major revamp and update after the square reared ones. One bike later - a Yamaha XJR1200 which was a lovely bike and I realised my dream (now having festered for about eight years) by buying a second hand 916. Anyway, I upgraded to a 998 a few years later and sold that three and a half years ago and regretted it as soon as I handed the keys over! (the owner is probably a member on here if he wants to sell it back to me? – you’ll recognise it as by its clutch cover on my logon avatar)...Got myself a new Speed Triple for the riding position three years ago, which I still have now and is my main bike. But a year ago I succumbed to the lure of Italian erotica again and bought myself a 998s on fleabay because....well, it'sTHE bike that everyone looks at if I ride into a petrol station with all the other Japanese IL4's - it's a twelve year old bike now and hasn't got quite the top speed as a modern sports bike might have, but Christ, it's got plenty for me!...and it's just so bloodySEXY!.... Thinking seriously about a new Multi next year because of the riding position and I will be able to touch the ground on the new ones!
996 (916/998), never been a better looking or sounding bike. Came very close to a Benelli but had a cold shower until the thougth went away. To be honest I struggle to understand why anyone would have something different unless you need a bike to commute and if that's the case get a CB500 and a 996. And if its your first bike get a 748 and then trade it in for a 996 in 2 years time when you have some NCB. In addition, they are also going up in value so its an investment, not that i'm ever selling if I can help it.
Bought my 620s in 2003 on my return to bikes. Previous bike was the Triumph Bonnie I had bought new in 1980. Thought how stylish and 'special' the Ducatis were. Traded it for a loverley yellow 900ssie that seemed a logical move up. Super bike and never put a foot wrong. Bought the 999 cos Forza Italia were daft enough to park it just inside their shop doorway! I think they are stunninly beautiful looking bikes from every angle (except possibly the front). Seriously wish I'd kept the Bonnie and the 900ss.....not that there was a anything wrong with the 620. Needless to say the 999 is going nowhere RB
I think they are stunninly beautiful looking bikes from every angle (except possibly the front). RB[/QUOTE] I think they're beautiful from every angle...and don't forget the old saying " you don't need to look at the mantlepiece when you're poking the fire "....
