Friday throwback. What were your old bikes?

[Taipan]

These two stand out for me. Both have such unique sounds that you can’t forget what your riding. Both got a ridiculous amount of attention.

The Triumph saw loads of old boys coming up making conversation and a lot ride triumphs in the war etc.

The Harley was just a magnet for everyone. People stood next to it and took selfies etc. I rode with several others Harley’s to Southend and riding with a load of open pipes Harley’s has to be experienced! We parked them in line with their front wheels turned etc. There was a procession of people getting their photo taken and we ended up sitting kids on them for photos. Far from a great motorcycle in many ways, but probably the best motorcycle ownership I’ve experienced. Strange but lovely…




venice golf and country club

[Horse]

As a counterpoint to Couchy's list, mine is a bit shorter.

My list is only a bit longer, but it's easy to spot a theme or two.

Honda CB175, CB400F,
Honda CX500, Guzzi V50, BMW R65
BMW R100RT, K100RT, K100LT, K75RT, R850RT

I can't claim emotional attachments to any of them. They were all used daily for commuting, etc. None were ever sunny day, special events, etc.

However, I've enjoyed riding every bike that I've owned or borrowed.

Ok, some more than others, some had 'challenges'. When I had the 175, my mate had a Triumph 500. When out riding, we usually swapped; he enjoyed the reliability and smoother engine, I enjoyed the rorty noise and power. But on one evening out, the Triumph suffered three failures, most entertaining being the exhaust header falling free from the head and dragging along the ground at 60mph.

Another fun but challenging was an MZ TS250, borrowed while my R65 was having its gearbox rebuilt. The MZ had little 'power', so conservation of momentum was needed. Luckily, it had good tyres. That went all sorts of places, including needing mud cleaned out from the mudguards after some off-roading.

Another time the R65 was unwell, Beedubya lent me an old R60. On-off switch clutch, short wheelbase (ie shorter swingarm). I took an advanced test on that and managed to out-accelerate the examiner. The Beemer got grip when his Kwak didn't

So no emotional attachments to the machine, but to the experience. Rather than retype, here's what I wrote before:

Weeksy posted a similar thread on TRC, possibly 10 years ago! I'll try and remember roughly what I wrote then, but with an update.

My dad rode, as did his brother (used to do trials sidecars - until he ran out of passengers). Dad had a sidecar, went to four wheels after I arrived. He tried to talk me out of getting a bike, but I needed transport to work and hadn't passed my car test.

Within a few months of getting the bike, I went to a class reunion. Walking in with a crash helmet (actually two, as I was giving a lift for someone afterwards) led to a conversation with someone I'd hardly spoken to during the previous two years (he also had two lids and was giving another of the girls a lift home). That meeting led to a group of friends which has lasted for 43 years (not all riders, but several were). [45 years now]

I got involved with training. From that came another group of friends, and many opportunities.

I met my wife on a blind date, because she'd never been on a bike before. Married 24 years, son (who has no interest in bikes )

I was made redundant. The training experience partly led to an opportunity for an interview, which led to my current job - which has also resulted in travel abroad and some weird and wonderful experiences ('human crash test dummy' is probably the epitome/apex/nadir of 'weird'!).

A 'big' crash in 2001 (actually at only 12-15mph, but still spectacular) led to a neck injury. What I didn't then know was that it was a hint of things to come, health-wise. The outcome there is that the bike was sold a couple of weekends back [two years ago]. I said, very early in biking, that I would only stop if a Dr told me to. Actually, I knew before being told.

However, not having a bike won't stop me from trying to help others (perhaps whether they want it not). Almost 30 years of training experience doesn't just evaporate!

Anyway, you wanted pics?

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[ChrisW]

venice golf and country club

If you don't mind me asking, is there a reason for the link to some kind of report about a golf club in Florida?

[Taipan]

venice golf and country club

If you don't mind me asking, is there a reason for the link to some kind of report about a golf club in Florida?

I use IMGBB.com for free picture hosting, when it generates the bb code links it always sneaks an advert in as well.

[cheb]

Is the bb code editable? Flickr does similar but I edit the url before posting.

[Horse]

I can't claim emotional attachments to any of them.

Actually, perhaps one. A borrowed kawasaki 250. The emotional aspect is retrospective, I didn't know at time that this was probably the final time that I rode. The sign is prophetic and ironic.

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[DefTrap]

- 199x Yamaha dt125r. Bought off my younger brother, thrashed, later neglected for ...
- 1981 (gp)z550d1. Terribly ratty but arguably the bike I did most miles on, certainly the most rebuilds ...
- 1988 honda bros 650 MK1. Loved that one but then I found a nicerer ....
- 1991 honda bros 650 MK1. Might have been raced that one, either that or some plank just liked lockwiring. Put the best bits of the two bros together and flogged the older one to my brother. Did a lot of commuting miles on it . However ...
- 1997 Suzuki tl1000s in BRG turned up on eBay and I couldn't resist. Lovely but didn't really fit me and too stupidly fast for commuting, so it didn't stay long and I sold to a guy on vd, so ...
- 1998 Ducati m750 in silver turned up. Local student couldn't start it and the city bike shops shied away from it so it was a bit of a bargain. Started first time for me with new plugs. Absolutely beautiful with a custom seat. But it was a slug and I found I preferred riding the old Hondas. Sold as I was moving abroad ...
- 1996 honda ntv650p. Ex commuter chopped and grunged by me. It should be terrible but I love it.

I still have the NTV on the road and the 2nd bros is mothballed

I should really try something made this century at some point

[Druid]

So, as we're doing lists and pics I thought I'd expand on my previous post. Also, I'm bored

CB250K

My first bike

CZ250



Horrible thing. The brakes were as bad as they look, and it had the original Barum tyres which made me long for the grip and feel of 1970s Bridgestones or Japlops. The gear lever doubled as a kickstart, and would also disengage the clutch with the first bit of pedal movement. I left it just outside Worcester after it fired on of its spark plugs into the bottom of the tank, stripping the thread as it did so.

Yamaha YR5



350cc air cooled twin, the predecessor to the RD350 and 400. This is not mine, but it was that colour. Mine has RD350 forks and a disc front brake which was very effective. It was also fitted with Pirhana electronic ignition which was so unreliable it might have been made by Lucas, and it had an astonishing appetite for spark plugs. When the seat cover split I re-covered it using a cushion borrowed from the students union bar, a brown leather effect. Hipsters eat your heart out.

Suzuki T500



500cc air cooled 2 stroke twin. Originally blue, a mate of mine sprayed it black for me. The rear hub and the spokes are all my own work, sorry. It was parked in front of the house one evening when a bloke knocked on the door and offered me £100 more than it was worth. I accepted, he paid me there and then and rode it away.

Suzuki GS425



Boring, gutless little twin, but it was newish, low mileage and reliable. I rode it to the Isle of Man in 1984

Honda CB750F2



This is the first bike I borrowed money to buy, I was amazed that the bank manager agreed to lend me £800 for it. By the time I finished with it there was a noisy Alfa 4-1 exhaust, black & red tank, a red frame and gold wheels. Fortunately there are no pictures

Ducati 900



The bike I had lusted after for years. This one was slightly modified with 750SS twin plug cylinder heads, AP brakes, spoked wheels, an alloy Imola tank and a non standard seat. A right hand gear lever added to the fun. Its performance, handling and braking was so much better than anything I had known before. It was also uncomfortable and unreliable. The big end bearings failed, taking out the con rods, pistons and cylinder bores. It cost a small fortune to put right and I had to sell it to cover the costs

[Druid]

Honda CB400F



Cheap runaround which I bought when the Ducati above was off the road. It was stolen from Wolverhampton town centre and reported abandoned in a school playing field the next day, fortunately without too much damage.

Honda VF750F



The one with the chocolate camshafts. I got knocked off this by an uninsured driver. The bike was written off and my insurance paid out more than I paid for it.

Yamaha XJ900



A US import that I ran for a few years. Boring but reliable, I used it when I was dispatching in Birmingham. I got knocked off this one too, bought it back from the insurance company and fixed it cheaply.

Honda CBR600F



One previous owner who had absolutely pampered this bike. Full service history, even had a record of how much fuel he's bought. It had 25000 miles on it when I bought it, and 74000 when I sold it

Honda VFR750F



Honda's finest offering. Well designed, superb build quality but they don't crash too well. I hit a car at about 50mph on the M5 one morning and came off second best. This is still on the road according to the DVLA

CBR600F2



I bought this in a hurry after writing off the VFR. Originally grey/pink/black I stripped it down over one summer and had it all sprayed black, looked pretty good. Some scrotes picked it up and threw it in the back of a van in Middlesbrough and it's never been seen since.

Honda VTR1000 Firestorm.



The only new bike I have ever bought. I never really got on with it and sold it after 18 months

Triumph Speed Triple 955i



My first Speed Triple. Not the fastest, best handling or most comfortable but I really enjoyed it. I sold it because I needed the money

VFR750F



My second VFR. Bought for not much money, I kept it for a couple of years and sold it to Mad Ax, late of TRC, who passed it on to Mr Dazzle of this parish

Triumph Speed Triple 1050



My second Speed Triple. Made me smile every time I rode it

Yamaha R1



I thought I had better try one of these litre sports bikes while I could still bend my body into the required shape. It's actually much more comfortable than it looks. It tempted me to do silly things every time I rode it, and my willpower is weak. It scared me a bit too, so it had to go.

Aprilia Dorsoduro



Absolutely bonkers. I really enjoyed this, it's ideal for the bumpy, winding roads over the moors. Unfortunately the 65 miles till the fuel light comes on can be a problem. If they made this with a bigger tank than 12 litres I'd have it like a shot

MV Agusta Brutale 990R



The most exotic bike I've owned. Beautifully made and detailed, it has some quirks that you might call character but you might call annoying, like the "choke" lever that needs careful ajusting for the first couple of miles, and the complicated display that needs half a dozen button presses - some long, some short - to reset the trip meter

Ducati Monster 1100



Surprisingly small, easy to throw around. I took this on a tour of Scotland, about 1200 miles in 4 days iirc, and thoroughly enjoyed it

[Yorick]

So, as we're doing lists and pics I thought I'd expand on my previous post. Also, I'm bored

CB250K

My first bike

CZ250



Horrible thing. The brakes were as bad as they look, and it had the original Barum tyres which made me long for the grip and feel of 1970s Bridgestones or Japlops. The gear lever doubled as a kickstart, and would also disengage the clutch with the first bit of pedal movement. I left it just outside Worcester after it fired on of its spark plugs into the bottom of the tank, stripping the thread as it did so.

Yamaha YR5



350cc air cooled twin, the predecessor to the RD350 and 400. This is not mine, but it was that colour. Mine has RD350 forks and a disc front brake which was very effective. It was also fitted with Pirhana electronic ignition which was so unreliable it might have been made by Lucas, and it had an astonishing appetite for spark plugs. When the seat cover split I re-covered it using a cushion borrowed from the students union bar, a brown leather effect. Hipsters eat your heart out.

Suzuki T500



500cc air cooled 2 stroke twin. Originally blue, a mate of mine sprayed it black for me. The rear hub and the spokes are all my own work, sorry. It was parked in front of the house one evening when a bloke knocked on the door and offered me £100 more than it was worth. I accepted, he paid me there and then and rode it away.

Suzuki GS425



Boring, gutless little twin, but it was newish, low mileage and reliable. I rode it to the Isle of Man in 1984

Honda CB750F2



This is the first bike I borrowed money to buy, I was amazed that the bank manager agreed to lend me £800 for it. By the time I finished with it there was a noisy Alfa 4-1 exhaust, black & red tank, a red frame and gold wheels. Fortunately there are no pictures

Ducati 900



The bike I had lusted after for years. This one was slightly modified with 750SS twin plug cylinder heads, AP brakes, spoked wheels, an alloy Imola tank and a non standard seat. A right hand gear lever added to the fun. Its performance, handling and braking was so much better than anything I had known before. It was also uncomfortable and unreliable. The big end bearings failed, taking out the con rods, pistons and cylinder bores. It cost a small fortune to put right and I had to sell it to cover the costs

You were doing well until the GS425

[Le_Fromage_Grande]

Yorick's being generous, the YR5 is okay, the rest is shite.

I haven't got any digital photos of my old bikes, and I can't be arsed to fire up the scanner, I think my only entry into the shite bike list are a GT185 and a GSX750ET, and both of those were bought pre fucked, unabused and looked after they might have been good bikes.

[Skub]

I rode a YR5 on L plates,it looked the same as the 250 YDS7. It was monster power for a noob like me.

[Druid]

Yorick's being generous, the YR5 is okay, the rest is shite.

I haven't got any digital photos of my old bikes, and I can't be arsed to fire up the scanner, I think my only entry into the shite bike list are a GT185 and a GSX750ET, and both of those were bought pre fucked, unabused and looked after they might have been good bikes.

True. But I was young and poor, my bikes typically cost a couple of hundred quid so I couldn't be too choosy. All of them were better than the bus... except the CZ, maybe

[Cousin Jack]

I the only one who started in the pre-Japan era?

You young whippersnappers don't know the meaning of true shite.

[Newey]

Druid, never knew the YR5 came in purple thought only the 200 did.

[Bustaspoke]

In 1977I had a moped to get around on & I've always had a bike since,bur I reckon I've had less than twenty bikes in total.
Here's the only new bike I've owned,back in Sept 1981 Yamaha XJ550.I almost bought a Kawasaki GPZ550,but the Yamaha dealer was just down the road
.
It was my first Yamaha, & must have made a big impression as I've always tried to own a Yamaha ever since.I owned that bike for not much more than a year,did my first foreign ride on it,with mates down to the south of France & covered over 20,000 miles & swapped it for 1 1/2 250LC's to go proddy racing.
The bike that I've owned the longest is this Yamaha FZ750 1FM,it's a JDM 1985 bike,I bought it in 1991,lots of memories tied up with this one,I even did a few cheeky laps of Circuit Paul Ricard on it after the 1992 Bol D'or.It's currently a non runner parked in the garage with a fully repainted body kit to go on when I get around to rebuilding it.

Along with the FZ750,there's another Yamaha project in the garage,my XT600, it appears to have snapped it's crank.

Current running bikes are a 675R Street Triple,probably the best bike I've owned & a Suzuki SV650s for running around on.The last Suzuki I owned was a 250X7 that I traded in for the XJ550.

[Le_Fromage_Grande]

I rode two different XJ550s when I had a 350LC, the LC was a lot better bike to ride.

[Horse]

I the only one who started in the pre-Japan era?

You young whippersnappers don't know the meaning of true shite.

See my post. I had Munchausen's British Bike Shite By Proxy.

[Count Steer]

I the only one who started in the pre-Japan era?

You young whippersnappers don't know the meaning of true shite.

See my post. I had Munchausen's British Bike Shite By Proxy.

I couldn't even summon up the enthusiasm to mention the POS that was my BSA A7. (The Panther was though). Never been much of a one for photos and there hasn't been anything that would be of interest anyway - although I've covered most BMW engine configurations + another make of V-twin.

[Taipan]

Is the bb code editable? Flickr does similar but I edit the url before posting.

Yes and I normally delete the link but confess to not bothering lately...