First bike was a Bandit 400 variable valve control which I don't have any photos of (not digital anyway). A year later I bought my first VTR...did vinyl graphics on it by hand, added high level carbon migs, moriwaki bellypan and some other bits & pieces.
After a few years I also bought this, a TM250 supermoto. 2-stroke, 90kg and 50bhp. With the AP 4-pot and 320mm front disc it stoppied like you wouldn't believe. It also didn't like anything other than being held wide open in each gear, a complete nutter of a bike.
Then I had to sell it
and a year later sold the VTR to get this...an XR650R, talon hubs, excel rims, braking wavy disc, titanium pipe. Was proper grunty and handled pretty well, quicker than VTR down certain roads (especially wet ones)
While I had the XR I got another VTR for commuting. This one had a blueprinted motor, balanced crank, moriwaki carbs, titanium pipes, PFM 6-pot setup, Rogered forks, Penske shock, larger master cylinder, loads of other bits that I can't recall, it didn't look much but it rode and handled great. The balanced crank meant it revved like you wouldn't expect for a VTR.
Then I got this, a Husaberg 501SM. 110kg with road kit, 55bhp, WP forks and shock, Beringer 6-pot disc setup, really agile and torquey yet revvy too. Did 12 trackdays in a year on it, and it handled it all without a sweat.
Then I got a Z750, mainly because I fancied a change, something that I could do distance on (compared to a supermoto!) and this one came up at the right money. By the time I sold it, it had a blueflame ti rainbow pipe, ohlins shock, custom seat and a few other bits. Went to Germany twice on it.
Then I sold that late last year to get this, a Buell X1 lightning. Vibrates like a b8stard, the engine tries to escape, the gearchange sometimes needs bolting back in whilst on the move, it cooks your right leg and is more fun than anything I've had for the last 5 years. I also can't resist doing stuff to it. While it's been in the garage over winter I've removed the airbox and fitted a forcewinder cone filter, changed it to US gearing (much lower geared) with US speedo, removed the hugger and belt guard, cut the swingarm lugs that the hugger mounts to off, got swingarm polished, repacked pipe...made no difference, still LOUD like the coming of the apocalypse!!!. Pix before anything done to it. Haven't rode it since doing all this stuff but it fired up after months no problem. The gearing makes it more of an animal and it will be getting the race map blown onto the ECU soon.
Well that's me up to date, be good to see other people's bikes.
