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Calling all Bikers


JSKS
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As there seem to be quite a few bikers on the forum I thought it might be quite fun to have a look at our biking experiences. So how about a few questions to get going?

1. What do you ride now?

Nothing - medical problem brought biking days to an end 3 years ago

2. What do you think was the best bike you have owned?

BMW r1150RT

3. What was the most disappointing bike you ever owned?

Honda CJ360T. It was slow, bad-handling and broke down all the time.

4. You can walk into any dealership tomorrow and buy the new bike of your choice. What would it be?

GS1200 Adventure

5. In your biking life which is the bike you have always regretted not owning?

Late 70s Guzzi Le Mans. (And can I put the Laverda Jota into second place?)

6. Most memorable biking experience?

Standing atop a mountain in Bavaria with half a dozen other enduro riders after a fantastic off-road blast to the top. It was just one of those unsurpassable moments.

Anyway. I'm sure there must be plenty of interesting histories out there.
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What do you ride now?

2009 Triumph America

1994 Honda Dominator

What do you think was the best bike you have owned?

2008 Triumph Sprint ST

Honda Fireblade

What was the most disappointing bike you ever owned?

Honda 650 XL

Honda CX500

You can walk into any dealership tomorrow and buy the new bike of your choice. What would it be?

New Triumph Thunderbird

In your biking life which is the bike you have always regretted not owning?

Ducati

Most memorable biking experience?

Riding the Route Napoleon

Any Track days

Previously owned?

James 150

Aerial Arrow

AJS 7R

Honda 250 Super Dream

Honda CX500

Honda 900 F2B

Honda 1000R

Honda Fireblade

Honda 650XL

Triumph Sprint ST 1998

Triumph Sprint ST 2002

Triumph Sprint ST 2008

Honda Dominator

Triumph America.

off-topic:

Are you the JK of JK Racing ?

.

.
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No, I'm the JK of not very much really!

Like the bikes owned idea:

60s:

NSU Quickly moped

Various single cylinder off-roaders (usually borrowed)

70s:

Again, many off-road bikes and again usually as loans.

Honda SS50

Honda CJ360T

MZ250 (Seriously cheap and seriously under-rated)

Z1000 (Seriously scary)

Honda C70 (probably the best designed bike ever!)

80s:

CB 650

First of many GS BMWs

A really awful Yamaha 400 thing

90s:

GSs again

A few F650s (the rotax-engined girlie bike) kitted for enduro.

CB500

RF600 Suzuki (what was I thinking?)

VFR 800 (one of the few Jap bikes with a character)

An F650ST for knocking around town on.

00s:

Still going with the the GS theme!

R1150RT

Used to get road-going BMs at about 65% of retail but only max of one per year which accounts for their predominance in the above list (and the fact that they are great bikes). Tried the brick but preferred the boxer.
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Suzuki "Boulevard" 50c (got it shipped straight from Oregon 3 years ago). It is called Suzuki "Intruder" in Europe. Lovely 800cc Cruiser. That is my first proper bike.

Toured Southern France Noirmoutier - Saintes - Montauban - Avignon - Le Puy en vellay - Limoges - Noirmoutier in 2009 over a period of 7 days. The best fun ever.

A small Youtube clip of our trip...    www.youtube.com/watch?v=mKW7Od2JKy8

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1.What do I ride now?

 I ride a BMW K75s & own 2 more.

 

2. What do you think was the best bike you have owned?

A Velocette Thruxton engine & Gearbox, mounted in a wide-line feather bed frame. It took me every week-end for 18 months to build. On a par with a Goldie.

 

3. What was the most disappointing bike ever owned?

A Matchless G9 500cc, oil circulation with the three bearing crank.

 

4. What would be the new bike of my choice?

BMW R800.

 

5. Which is the bike I regret not owning?

A, BSA Gold Star.

 

6. Most memorable biking experience?

Crossing the Pyrénées Mountains for the first time, it was an incredible journey.

 

7. Previously owned.

James 98cc Cadet.

Francis Barnett Fulmar.

BSA George Todd engined 150cc Swing Arm Bantam.

Honda 50cc.

Honda 90cc.

BSA C15.

Matchless G9 500cc

Triumph Tiger 100cc

Norton Domminator WL Frame with 500cc Thruxton Velo Eng/G-B.

Moto Guzzi T3 850cc 1976

Royal Enfield GP 250cc R/racer Rolling chassis purchased from Sir Len Onslow,with another purchase from Les Williams, a tuned Suzuki 500cc & Yamaha forks & twin 4 leading shoe front brakes & twin L/shoe Rear wheel.

TZ 350 E Yam.

BMW R90/6 1978.

BMW R100Rs 1980

MZ 250cc

BMW K75s 1990

BMW K75s 1991

BMW K75 Rt 1994

 

 

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Riding now: 1998 Honda VFR800 Brilliant bike. This was, and still is!, my comeback bike after a 20 year layoff following an accident (Sorry, I didn't see you).

I started in the 60's as a "Mod", before discovering proper bikes! All bought secondhand apart from the Lambretta and VFR.

1964 NSU Prima D

1965 Zundapp Bella

1966 Lambretta GT200

1968 Honda 90

1968 James Captain

1968 Triumph Tiger Cub

1970 Honda CB350 ridden until 1978 when it was written-off!

1998 Welcome back with a Honda VFR

Fancied a few years ago: Triumph Sprint ST.

Recently fancied: Yamaha FJR1300.

Worst buy? The James, just completely unreliable; I was late for work SO MANY times!

Best trip; 2000 tour of Spain and including Motorail to Tarbes.

 

 

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Riding now: Nothing they have been sold.

Best bike: 2004 BMW K1200GT

Bikes owned:

Honda CB250K4

Honda CB250N

BSA C15

Honda CJ360T

Suzuki T500

Honda 90

Honda 70

Honda 350/4

Honda CB750 F2

Yamaha 900 Diversion

BMW R75/7

Kawasaki GPZ305

BMW R1150RT

BMW K1200GT

BMW R1100S

Worst bike Kawasaki GPZ305 - I am sure mine had a plastic engine!

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What a good idea for a thread.

1. What do you ride now?

KTM 690 Enduro, BMW R100GS, Sherco 450 enduro

2. What do you think was the best bike you have owned?

BMW R100GS but hoping to better it soon

3. What was the most disappointing bike you ever owned?

Suzuki SP400DR (1981 model) pneumatic drills got nothing on this.

4. You can walk into any dealership tomorrow and buy the new bike of your choice. What would it be?

KTM990 Adventure (probably)

5. In your biking life which is the bike you have always regretted not owning?

Owned a Guzzi Le Mans 2 (still got it) so it would have to be a Jota (1978 in orange)

6. Most memorable biking experience?

Travelling from the UK to South Africa on the R100GS (2 up, 1 year, 30,000 miles)

Other bikes owned: Velocette LE200, BSA C15 x 4, BSA A10 (650cc), Yamaha XS650, Kawasaki Z1, Triumph Bonneville 650/5 speed, Moto Guzzi Spada, BMW R80ST, Yamaha RD400, XT500 and XT 350, Honda XR 350, BMW K100RS, BMW R1150GS, KTM 530EXC, BMW R80G/S and several others
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[quote user="cooperlola"]

[quote user="Bob T"]Doesn't really work for cars as they have no character.

[/quote]I am spluttering onto my keyboard!  

By which I suppose you mean they are reliable, warm, safe and comfortable (comparatively!)[6]

Tin hat on.....

[/quote]

And sitting at home is warmer cheaper and much safer. A car is a mode of transport (in most cases) while a bike is a way of life.

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As bikes become less viable as a practical means of transport and cars become more reliable, sanitised and less identifiable I'm inclined to agree. Whilst I can't even be bothered to change the oil on the car I'll spend hours tinkering with the bike.

Of course, if you can afford the sort of cars that Clarkson drives around on Top Gear you may have a different view
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1. 2009 FJR1300 AS

2. 2009FJR 1300 AS

3. Honda 250 Super Dream (Gutless)

4. A new FJR1300 AS  (gets boring, don't it...)

5. A Moto Guzzi Le Mans 2

6. I'm with Bugsy on this - the N85 the 'Route de Napoleon'

7. Previously owned:

Yamaha 80 Step-thru

Honda CB200 (cable operated disc brake which was useless)

Honda CB125

Honda CB400 Superdream. (Great little bike)

Honda CB500 Silver Wing (Screen like a barn door - no windblast at all!)

Honda CB250 Superdream (gutless)

Honda ST1100

Honda ST1100 ABS/CBS/TCS

Faithful to Honda until the FJR, which I think is pretty damn good. Early bikes mainly for commuting - did use the second Pan for courier work for a year, but gave up because of the huge mileage I was putting on the bike.

Now solely into touring. Moving back to UK next month after 9 years here. (so we can have touring holidays to France!)

David, not Janet.

 

 

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[quote user="David_Janet"]

Now solely into touring. Moving back to UK next month after 9 years here. (so we can have touring holidays to France!)

David, not Janet.

[/quote]

I'm sure there is more to your move back but just to say we find living in the Dordogne, we like the fact that it is so central for touring holidays and saves all that messing about on boats or trains (and the expense!)
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  • 3 months later...

I also live in the Dordogne and it is an excellent starting point for motorcycling, but then everywhere is really.

1.What do I ride now?

1998 Honda VFR800, owned from new and it is a superb bike for touring and even track days. In the 13 years I have owned it I have only replaced the battery once. All the light bulbs are original. It would be top of my what is your most reliable bike category and also the best bike I have ever owned..

I also ride on nice days

a 1974 Triumph Trident T150V

a 1960 Velocette Venom (the one with the chromed tank)

a 1949 Sunbeam S8

a 1990 Ducati 906 Paso (not strictly ridden as it is still on the workbench awaiting its maiden voyage).

 

2. What do you think was the best bike you have owned?

See 1

 

3. What was the most disappointing bike ever owned?

A 600cc single cylinder Panther, fitted with sidecar. This had brakes that encouraged forward planning !

 

4. What would be the new bike of my choice?

I really dislike the way Honda have gone with the VFR so it would either be a BMW boxer twin or one of the touring Triumphs. This is all hypothetical as her indoors will not allow me any more garage room !

 

5. Which is the bike I regret not owning?

A, BSA Gold Star, a Laverda Jota, a Vincent Black Shadow (or any of the V twins), a Velocette Thruzton ................

 

6. Most memorable biking experience?

A superb twisty road between Spain and Portugal, with nothing else on the road and the sun shining. It was tempting to buy a house there and a Ducati 746 and spend the rest of my life on that road.

 

7. Previously owned.

As above +

Honda CB250

Honda CB750

Triumph 21 (350cc)

Triumph 6T (Bonneville specs)

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1) '73 Norton Commando 750

2) '73 Norton Commando 750

3) BSA Bantam D10 (but it did teach me a lot about mechanics !)

4) Norton Commando 961

5) Jota (but now pleased I didn't bother)

6) Going over the alps to Italy in '77 on the Commando.

7) Triumph Daytona 500, Honda CB175, Lambretta 125, Honda C95 150, Bantam D10, Honda C70, Honda PC50
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  • 2 weeks later...
vespa 150 sportive

lambretta gt200

honda cb200

suzuki gt500

honda c90

hondac90

honda 90 cub

suzuki burgman 125 k5

suzki burgman 400 k7

1998 honda cb250 w nighthawk (current)

I prefere light economical bikes.

honda 90 cub most impressive commuting bike.
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