All the motorbikes I've owned down the years

[Deleted Member 1156]

I live within walking distance of Poole Quay which has a well known bike night on Tuesdays during the summer. Quite often walk down to look at some of the fabulous machines. No desire to get another one but some modern bikes are gorgeous.

 

[Sats]

How did you find the Brutale?

An absolute beast, like riding a tiger with PMT on fire with rockets strapped to it's rear end. Got A LOT of interest in it when i had it, very cool looking bike. I seem to have a thing for the slightly rare, hence my bettinardi instead of a scotty like every one else.

 

[Blue in Munich]

An absolute beast, like riding a tiger with PMT on fire with rockets strapped to it's rear end. Got A LOT of interest in it when i had it, very cool looking bike. I seem to have a thing for the slightly rare, hence my bettinardi instead of a scotty like very one else.

They always look good & it's a stand I always visit at a bike show, but I'm probably more suited to a Turismo than the Brutale.

 

[Swinglowandslow]

I live within walking distance of Poole Quay which has a well known bike night on Tuesdays during the summer. Quite often walk down to look at some of the fabulous machines. No desire to get another one but some modern bikes are gorgeous.

Yes, quite a sight! Sometimes wish there were bikes like that when I rode them. Then, again, I feel I was lucky not to have rode them?
Beautiful, but lethal!

 

[Whereditgo]

A few over the years:

• Honda SS50 at 16
• Suzuki X7 - supposedly the first 100mph 250
• Honda CX500 - Ugly as, but really comfortable for touring
• Kawasaki GPz 750
• KTM SX 250 - Crosser
• Suzuki RM 250 - Crosser
• Honda Firebade - still in the garage
• Aprilia RSV4RF - still in the garage

 

[Deleted member 21258]

A moped, was my mums I think, rode it once or twice iirc and thought not for me

 

[Reemul]

I live within walking distance of Poole Quay which has a well known bike night on Tuesdays during the summer. Quite often walk down to look at some of the fabulous machines. No desire to get another one but some modern bikes are gorgeous.

Yeah I too live in Poole, I remember taking my FZR 600 down there and a Japanese family asked me to pose by the bike so they could take photos back to Japan, i was grinning like an idiot at the time.

Some fabulous bikes down the quay, i actually used to work on the quay front and bike night had some pretty great bikes down there.

 

[backwoodsman]

Had small and nippy when i was young & foolish, then went for the comfort and ease of big scooters when I returned to 2 wheels some 30 years later.

Raleigh Runabout moped
Yamaha YAS3 125 (was nippy as hell for a 125 - outpaced many a bike twice its size)
Suzuki 125 Trail (forget the model).
Honda CB250
then a break
Yamaha Majesty 250 scooter
Yamaha Majesty 400 scooter
Honda FJS 600 Silverwing.

Loved the Silverwing - like cruising in an armchair. Never knew how fast it would go - once wound it up as far as 95mph on the M2 and decided that was fast enough.

 

[IanM]

Perhaps not so many have had bikes, or even still have them, but maybe interesting to know what 'beast' you've had down the years.

1976 - Honda CD175. Not my bike but the bike I learned to ride on. At the time I was living just outside Ambleside, and the roads were quiet.

My first bike was a red one of these. Bought for £100 in 1981, I think it was about a 1974 model - passed my test on it and it had a 2 into 1 Dunstall exhaust system fitted when I bought it. Sounded like very mean! I took it to Dixon Racing in Godalming who changed the jets and it went much faster than it was meant to, Rubbish drum brakes and didn't handle at speed, how I am alive to tell the tale I am not sure.

I had a progression of bikes after that... Z400, Z650B... haven't ridden in years... shame.

 

[Blue in Munich]

A few over the years:

• Honda SS50 at 16
• Suzuki X7 - supposedly the first 100mph 250
• Honda CX500 - Ugly as, but really comfortable for touring
• Kawasaki GPz 750
• KTM SX 250 - Crosser
• Suzuki RM 250 - Crosser
• Honda Firebade - still in the garage
• Aprilia RSV4RF - still in the garage

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Can I just say that a 'blade & an RSV is just plain greedy. I'm obviously not jealous as I probably wouldn't fit either...



Very nice.

 

[Hobbit]

Can I just say that a 'blade & an RSV is just plain greedy. I'm obviously not jealous as I probably wouldn't fit either...



Very nice.

Did you notice how small the chicken strips are? Great skills!!

 

[Blue in Munich]

Did you notice how small the chicken strips are? Great skills!!

Many years ago I noticed my Skipper's Fireblade in the yards with an unusual set of tyres on it. "oh yes, I'm just scrubbing them in for a track day at Brands tomorrow." Tomorrow came & went and the following day there was some debate in the yard as to whether they were still legal.

The most interesting feature was that there was absolutely no chicken strip whatsoever; just a row of little puckered rubber balls around the very outside edge. Hands down the best rider I've ever met, I tried following him once and never made that mistake again.

 

[Deleted member 18588]

Many years ago I noticed my Skipper's Fireblade in the yards with an unusual set of tyres on it. "oh yes, I'm just scrubbing them in for a track day at Brands tomorrow." Tomorrow came & went and the following day there was some debate in the yard as to whether they were still legal.

The most interesting feature was that there was absolutely no chicken strip whatsoever; just a row of little puckered rubber balls around the very outside edge. Hands down the best rider I've ever met, I tried following him once and never made that mistake again.

When I was doing some work on the promotion side for Yamaha I made the same mistake at Donington Park in a charity event.

Albeit on road bikes it was still very much a mistake to attempt the same corner speeds, braking points and lines as the bloke in front.

You may have heard of him, his name was .........

Mike Hailwood!

He was absolutely, bloody unbelievable.

My hero from when I first saw him race at Mallory Park in 1963 until the tragic car accident.

 

[Deleted Member 1156]

This thread reminds me of a mate who had a Kawasaki 750 turbo. Was on the M8 late one night, no other traffic about. There was 1 lane closed for roadworks and a reduced speed limit. He got clocked doing 129.5 in a 40 limit. 12 month ban ?

 

[MegaSteve]

When I was doing some work on the promotion side for Yamaha I made the same mistake at Donington Park in a charity event.

Albeit on road bikes it was still very much a mistake to attempt the same corner speeds, braking points and lines as the bloke in front.

You may have heard of him, his name was .........

Mike Hailwood!

He was absolutely, bloody unbelievable.

My hero from when I first saw him race at Mallory Park in 1963 until the tragic car accident.

Mike 'the bike' Hailwood is probably my all time two wheel hero...

Well, there's actually no probably about it...

 

[Whereditgo]

Can I just say that a 'blade & an RSV is just plain greedy. I'm obviously not jealous as I probably wouldn't fit either...



Very nice.

The blade is mainly used for when the little lady wants to come out to play, the RSV is for solo hooligan shenanigans. In many ways I prefer the blade to ride, it pulls from virtually no revs so is much more relaxing, the RSV is really too much for the road, an amazing weapon though with all the electronics - and very anti-social, its sounds like the devil has opened the gates to hell!

 

[Whereditgo]

Did you notice how small the chicken strips are? Great skills!!

I was hoping nobody would notice, the blade had new tyres on, so steady away for the first couple of rides.

 

[Robster59]

I remember when I was being taught to be an instructor. Our tutor was a police sergeant who taught the Police motorcycle riders. I learnt so much from him, not just about riding fast but riding safely and keeping going at slow speeds without paddling. My riding enjoyment was totally transformed as a result.
But get behind him and his mate (another police rider) on their BMW K100 tourers and you couldn't keep up with them. Their ability to cover miles quickly, smoothly and safely was awesome to behold.

 

[Blue in Munich]

The blade is mainly used for when the little lady wants to come out to play, the RSV is for solo hooligan shenanigans. In many ways I prefer the blade to ride, it pulls from virtually no revs so is much more relaxing, the RSV is really too much for the road, an amazing weapon though with all the electronics - and very anti-social, its sounds like the devil has opened the gates to hell!

At 6'6" I doubt I will ever get to find out. I am very much a confirmed MultiStrada/GS type of guy now, although the new Streetfighter or a KTM Super Duke might just fit.

 

[Whereditgo]

At 6'6" I doubt I will ever get to find out. I am very much a confirmed MultiStrada/GS type of guy now, although the new Streetfighter or a KTM Super Duke might just fit.

The Blade is ergonomically quite user friendly and you may be surprised, the RSV not so much so, more like a 600 of old, albeit with 200 hp.