My list of bikes

[Mav617]

I want to break down and cry looking at AMCQ's LC wheelie picture - I had the most fun ever on bikes (so far) with those Yam pocket rockets, I'd have another tomorrow if I could afford a decent one.

[Pem Brooke]

Great thread!

Started at 14 in 1969...

James Captain trail bike...thought it was fast and had my worst off in a field trying to ride it like a grass tracker.
Bantam engine off roader...fancy front forks (no oil in them...didn't know) and rigid back end
BSA C15 one mile push to bump start then 10 mile ride to work...blew the big end trying to race an Austin Cambridge pick up LOL
BSA Starfire...thought I had arrived!
New Honda CB250 in 71....definitely thought I had arrived!
Hiatus in the 70's and 80's
Yamaha Serow 225 green lane bike, small, light and went anywhere off and on road...unstoppable.
Moved to Canada then...
Kawasaki 250 Sherpa...not bad.
Kawasaki 750s I4...just to get my experience on Canadian roads.
Buell Lightning...flippin fab bike - wish I never sold it.
VTR 1000 Honda Firestorm (first one) red, unloved but great first experience of a VTR...couldn't believe the instant throttle response. Had the Buell at the same time...total extravagance.
Sold the VTR and Buell for a
Victory Vegas...what a mistake! Beautifully built bike but the cruiser thing is just not my bag...
BMW R1100S...nicest bike I've ever ridden...most unreliable bike I've ever owned...seriously
VTR 1000...second one (current bike)...year 2000. Stunning condition with lots of goodies...previously one owner, and he owned the Honda Dealership...so lots of trick stuff and babied since new....coming back with me to UK in March...

[StormingHonda]

Great thread!

...

I kept looking at getting a victory, but have decided to get another Harley in the near future.

The thing that put me off was that they seemed to have so much plastic on them.

[lloydie]

I do like the look of them victory's but what puts me off is the cost of the extras !! It's fecking stupid

[magnum]

I want to break down and cry looking at AMCQ's LC wheelie picture - I had the most fun ever on bikes (so far) with those Yam pocket rockets, I'd have another tomorrow if I could afford a decent one.

Sham most of the lc's ended up on the track mine was rescued from the track cracking little bikes I would buy another if weren't so expensive.

[Pem Brooke]

My Victory was built really well, and had loads of grunt....but shocking brakes (both ends), dodgy handling (feet forward, skinny front tire).

I liked the look of it...but I looked liked a knob on it....sold it after 12 months and bought the BMWR1100S....that's another story....

[popkat]

Suzuki AP50
Honda CB50J
Yamaha SR125
Yamaha RD250E
Yamaha RD250E
Honda XL500
Suzuki GP100
3 x Honda CX500
Honda Silverwing
2 X Honda CB550
7 x Yamaha XJ600f
3 x Yamaha XJ600 Diversion
4 x Honda VFR750
Honda VF750s
3 x Suzuki GSX750SE Katana (popup headlight model)
Kawasaki KE175
2 X Kawasaki GT550
CZ125
2 X Suzuki gsx1100EF
Honda CD185
Yamaha Passola
Yamaha FZ750
Yamaha XJ900 Diversion
Suzuki GSF600 Bandit
Yamaha FZR600R
Yamaha Thundercat
Yamaha R6 (race bike)
Honda CBR600FT (race bike)
Yamaha Tzr250
2 x Honda VTR1000 Firestorm
Aprilia RSV1000 Millie R
Aprilia Tuono
Triumph Speed Triple 955i
Triumph 675 Daytona
Yamaha FZ1 Fazer
2 x Yamaha 600 Fazer
Suzuki GSX750W
Suzuki GSX750es
Honda VFR800 vtec
3 x Suzuki GSXR1000 K4/5/7


That's 62 bikes, there's more, quite a few more, must be up to over 90 by now but I just can't remember them all. First of these bikes was 1984, 30 years and I still can't make my mind up I've had some top bikes in the past, some I wish I'd kept and some I have, now my newest bike is 23 years old and the only one I have on the road is a 1987 VFR750. One day I'll have something new again, just have no idea when

[Pem Brooke]

Found these images of my Vegas.... (or Vague ass...if you don't like the handling...)

[Jamoi]

I love the way the huge Vtwin is presented, there's nothing to hide it up and everything else seems to be moulded around it

[bigtwinthing]

The stroke looks about 2' 6" it looks huge. i would much prefer them to a HD

[Pem Brooke]

Yep, I loved the looks, and the engine was very very sweet. About 100 hp and gobs of torque....good job, as the brakes were useless! Ride was great, didn't jar your spine...
Noise was fab, had aftermarket (Victory) pipes fitted.
Alas, I could not live with the handling...with the feet forward I just felt as though I had little control in the bends (of any sort). I tried fitting a new set of peg hangars from a Vic Hammer, which put the pegs back 1.5 inches, but not a lot better.
Preferred it over the Harley's though...over here in Ontario the Harley's attract a different group than you might imagine.... I'd rather be just a regular biker than a 'Biker'....
Nothing at all wrong with the bike, but just wasn't for me.

[dansrockin]

great thread!! i cant remember dates, but i started riding in 1995 at 15 on a little puch maxi that someone gave me to learn on, took my cbt at 16 and from then on ive had
honda h100
1953 ex gpo bsa bantam d1
kawasaki zxr750j1
yamaha vmax
suzuki sv650s
harley xl53c sportster custom
harley softail standard 1450
kawasaki zxr750l
honda st1100 pan european
triumph sprint st 955
yamaha vmax
kawasaki zx9r c2
yamaha xj600 diversion
honda vtr1000 firestorm

[Wonky Donkey]

Love this thread - great to see what you've all had and the different routes through the biking world. Good stuff

I'll struggle with dates too, mainly cos so many of them shared time in the garage. However, from 1993 to date:

Yamaha DT50MX
Honda NS125R
Suzuki GS500E (with VX800 front end - no, really).
Honda VFR750FL
Honda CLR125 CityFly (crap name, great bike ).
Suzuki GS450 (rubbish!)
Kawasaki ZX-6R J1
Honda VFR800 VTEC
Honda CB500
Honda VTR1000F (trackbike)
Triumph Sprint ST 1050 (also rubbish)
Yamaha XT660R
Honda VFR800 VTEC (again. Best bike out of this whole list so far by a mile)
Suzuki SV650SK6 (road then converted to trackbike)
Suzuki SV650SK3 (café racer/special project - current)
Honda VTR1000F (current, but has to go )
Ducati 750ss (coming soon...)

MICK..

[StewartR]

85-86: RD50M
Hooligan! Wore a denim cutoff over a leather and thought I was the b@llocks. If only I could go back in time, slap myself in the face and say 'DON'T!'
86-88: GP125
Thought this was super fast! Old school so 15bhp baby!
88-89: GS550
Fell asleep on this once -Had to crash. How not to impress a pillion.
89-89: XJ900
Bad buy - Had to crash.
89-90: Ural 650 + Sidecar
21 up down the strip at the Bulldog but had to start downstream of the Christmas tree so no time - made third gear...after a while. Needed new barrels and pistons at 4,000km. Weirdly brilliant bike. Also cheapest at £125 of your pounds sterling.
89-90: XBR500
Don't tour The Alps in November - 'So when the sign says the Grimselpass is closed it really means it?' And 'How do I get out of this snowdrift?' and 'How the f@ck did we start in a tent and end up in the Savoy' and 'F@ckin cold innit!'
90-90: Some Ossa trial thing I thought would be fun but which really wasn't.
90-92: CBX550
Inboard discs and other weirdness that I should just have walked away from. Rode back from Italy using instant gasket as a substitute for engine oil...Stitch that stupid Honda!
92-95: GSX1100EF
Sharpened the back brake lever going outside a mate's Fireblade on a roundabout. Toured most of Europe from Cape Wrath to Monemvassia - That's as far as from 'over there' to 'over there' and with temps ranging from 'Hotter than a witches tit' to 'Colder than a witches tit'.
Got a parking ticket in Venice!?
95-'98: GSX1100S Katana. Continue Euro touring and stuff. Had to replace 4th gear meaning a stripdown so went mental and spent £3k on making it the Uber Kat. Rode to Motoclub de Faro rally in Faro Faro Away. Dark shades, dark tunnel, unseen pothole - Ooh matron, I've split me rim! Discovered Spanish for non-malleable is also non-malleable. Who knew? Came home in hire car. Bike came home 6 weeks later butchered by AA 5 Star sub contracted thugs - sold for pitiful loss.
98-00: Bros 650
Had rabies and also the plague but was impervious to idiotic cornering. Ate tyres and brake pads at an obscene rate. Had to start commuting by car to save money and prolong life.
00-12: Bike free wilderness years of child rearing.
12-13: SV650
Like a motorbike in many ways.
14:....To be continued.

[Troutman]

Absolutely mad on bikes since an early age but both parents very much against them. Used to ride my mates Honda Z50 and would have done anything to have a bike but when I was 17 in a rebellious state went and bought a C70.
So I was born in 1970

1988 Honda C70
1989 Honda XL125 K2 (got 13points at Uni. no tax MOT or Insurance)
Sold both for beer money
Then a big gap as no money at Uni and then 2 kids. 11years Rode a few mates bikes that didn't have kids. No test though.
Took my test in 2004
2004 Suzuki DR750 (DrBig) bought from a virgin ebay when you could get a bargain. Pile of sh#te
2006 Triumph America (brilliant bike but lacked power even with a 904cc kit)
2009 Honda XR650L bought it from Ireland (always wanted one in my early 20's)
2013 Honda Vtr1000F got locally and a real peach. Hate to see it go.
2014 Yamaha TR1 ( currently being converted into a Cafe style thing)
I'm OK for now, I love the VTR and this Cafe project is great fun but I just love bikes, don't know why that is.
Another thing is I don't like new bikes, they need to be about 10yrs old before I start to see something in them.

I'm not a fast rider but not a fanny either. Never had a crash. Don't like Jap in line fours. Like Ducati's.
I would love an old Indian or an old Harley FLH from the 60's.