Cheers mate. You're too kind. Best colours? Yes I think so too. I sat on a bike with those colours 18 months ago at the NEC Bike Show and I remember thinking, "It's beautiful! But how on earth could I ever, in my wildest dreams, get to own one of these?" Now, I'm not one of those rich pensioners with a load of dosh stashed away 'cos my motto is, 'Money in the bank is life unlived.' (It's always worked for me). But anyway, I decided, there and then to give up drinking, (and I do like a pint or three) live on baked beans, and skrimp and save every penny I could untill I had enough dosh to buy one. Time passed and as my savings went up the S/H price came down. Eventualy the two lines met on my imaginary graph just as 'Hunts', the 'Honda Main Dealer' in Manchester advertised just the very (ABS equiped) bike I'd been saving for. So..., I snapped it up! I suppose I could have got my hands on one earlier if I'd have been prepared to P/X'd my BMW R1100s, but that's my 'shaft-driven, all-weather, long distance, full-luggage sports/tourer' that'll take me across Spain this summer, where-as the 'blade is my 'fine weather, Sunday-morning, blast-with-the-lads' weapon-of-choice. Living here in the Marches we've got some great roads just across the border in Wales and most of 'the boys' have got ZX10's, R1's, 'blades, etc. Trying to run with them on my big heavy 'boxer' last year was hard (and sometimes heart-stopingly dangerous) work so I'm hoping the new bike will make life easier. Mind you, If it proves to be too much of a handful I could just park it in my living room and sit there and admire it for what it is; A very, very pretty motorcycle.
I'm right on the A44 about 15miles west of Leominster mate. Just where it starts to get 'interesting'.
Hey nicko, know what you mean, I lusted after the repsol for ages then the hrc came out and i could not resist it so when it came to parting with my cash hrc it was. Still happy with my choice too, you'll love it after the bm have fun mate.
