Move over @PauloHRC , someone changes thier socks more than you! Fucking hell Mattie660, you chopped and changed quite a bit in your time! You must be 100 years old plus some... Chin
I haven't got a car, don't really do cars. Last car was a Land Rover Discovery 300 TDI in about 2003 - not owned or had a car since. Also here in the Channel Islands we were allowed a 100cc bike at 14 year old, had my licence on my 14th Birthday. Before I left school I had had two bikes already - and one of them was written off by a mate (showing off in the car park) before I had even left school ! The rate of bike turnover has sped up in the last few years, put about 10,000 miles a year on them - then trade them in while I can still get a decent price. No VAT here either so they are 20% less than in the UK so the prices are not too bad. Not going to be putting many miles on my bike this year though !
First bike was a Suziki RG80 @ 16 years old. Didn't get another bike till 2004....a Fazer 600 Then a Honda X11 Then a 2011 VFR800 Then a 2008 CBR100RR Then a Suzuki GSXR1000l5 Then an Africa Twin And my current bike
On paper the Gixer has 10hp more, but in every day riding there's no difference. Very close really, no bells or whistles on either bike. Think I put 20000km on it in 2 yrs. Only traded it in to do a big Euro trip last year. Paint was a little thin on the Suzuki compared to the Honda.
Ok here we go. Not got pics of them all as mobile weren’t available back in the day lmfao Suzuki TS 125 Yamaha DT 80 LC Honda CG 125 Yamaha TZR 125 Kawasaki GPZ 1000 RX Took a break, got married and divorced blah blah Ducati 900 SS Honda CBR 918RR W Kawasaki ZX6R J1 Suzuki GSXR 600 K5 Yamaha R1 5VY Honda CBR 1000RR 7
OK Here goes mine... Got into bikes late, didn't do my CBT until I was 30! managed to pull a wheelie by mistake and drop the learner bike in the car park and had to do an extended CBT as quite frankly I was rubbish!!! So had this lil beaut to wobble ab out on (quite literally).... I think my bicycle has wider wheels! After surviving for 6 months on the roads with this and passing my DAS, naturally I needed to go faster than 60mph downhill!! so.... Fancied something a bit more racy next so got myself a GSXR 600... Despite my lack of skills, I decided I clearly needed a litre.. just to see if I could hang on.. so along came the R1.. R1 was great, scared the cr*p out of me for the first month or so but having so much more power does make you learn throttle control and self discipline... and having a healthy self preservation criteria is also helpful! Tinkered, added bits to make it my own and then got bored (seems to be a theme with my bikes, and I'm sure loads of you are the same).. so next I started off my Ducati dream..... Loved this bike, only bike I've ever missed... sold it due to working away and not using an awful lot, also needed extra funds to buy my flat... wish I had started trackdays with this... After 6 months or so without a bike (dark times...) I had a deposit down on a flat and scratched the Ninja itch with the following ZX10r... did my first ever trackday on this and was hooked!! Great bike, loads of fun, a proper top end screamer.... was pretty docile at lower revs but deserved its reputation when pushed! proper flighty and slap happy at speed! Made the mistake of visiting MotoRapido a couple of years later and came out with a deposit down on an 1199 standard..my first foray into the over 5K bike world! chucked a load of money at this one and did love it... although it's not like the ducati's of old which is why I chopped I sold it a year and a half later... Decided I'd chucked too much money at this to use it too much on trackdays so bought a do it all bike (commuting & Trackdays) in the shape of a CBR600rr.... I did like this little beauty but found it too cramped and to be honest I found a litre bike easier on track as I'm not skilled enough to maximise a 600's cornerspeed and went out hunting for a GSXR K5... Another brilliant bike, deserving of it's reputation, a proper allrounder, would have one in the garage again if money was no object.. in fact I would have tried to find another one if I'd not recently got my blade.. I wasn't using the Panigale all that much now and did some man maths and decided that I needed to sell it to get myself a Ducati that would hold it's value better and delved into the world of the 'R' versions.... This bike is truly amazing... it's a proper animal, I've never ridden anything like it.... If I had to describe it in two words, I'd use Beautiful & Violent!... a proper keeper, I don't use it as much as I'd like but it does one trackday a year and a few spirited road rides when I get a chance... will probably be a nice little bit of dosh for when I'm older if I keep it that long..
Got myself a decent contract and after to getting the mrs a new kitchen, I thought it rude not to treat myself to a new steed, so the K5 made way for an Aprilia RSV4... I loved the sound and the size of the Ape but for some reason never really got "that feeling" with the bike... I test rode and R1 down the road from me at Crescent and was sold... traded in the RSV4 for this stunning brand new R1.. This is bar none the best bike I've ever owned (read... not necessarily my favourite) but let's face it, it should be being brand new with all the electronic toys etc... so so easy to ride quickly... it sounds amazing and on my first time at Silverstone (after a week of ownership) I smashed my own personal best laptime by 8 seconds!! (goes to show how slow I am .. have never felt so comfortable with a bike... but sadly after a year and a half of ownership I traded it in with the blade! funds were required to finish some bits on the house and I couldn't really justify two pricey bikes in the garage when I wanted to finish the house.. So this brings me to this forum, you lovely people and a bike that sadly I've only had a quick spin on due to the coronavirus.... so I've spent some dollar on it already, fitted Gilles rearsets, new braided lines and some blingy ASV levers and Domino Grips.... got some other bits on order but will fit them as and when they arrive.... so here she is.. First impressions are good! me likey!! but can't wait to get out once lockdown is eased and have a blast on road and track
Thanks mate, yeah the 999 is not everyone's cup of tea (particularly in the ducati world) but it was the one that first caught my eye... ironically people are now liking them and values have shot right up!! Great bikes... enough power to keep you busy and very easy handing...
Strange as I had always wanted a ducati until I test rode a 999 when they were first out and decided I just couldn't live with it. Ended up with my first zx10r The Duke was lovely on open flowing roads and an absolute pain everywhere else. May have just been that bike but it was a new demonstrator. Lumpy motor, heavy clutch, very 'wristy', poor turning circle, just generally hard work below 60mph or in traffic or on crap road surfaces. Most importantly, it didnt scare me like the zx10 did when I rode that The Duke was pretty though
Pretty much bang on that Paul.... I probably should have been a bit more detailed... they are horrible at low speeds (same as the 1098) lumpy and a bit of a handful with the clutch but as you said and what I was referring too, on decent runs they are fab... but then I expected nothing less, they are built with a purpose in mind, IMO Japanese sportbikes have a much broader spectrum of usefulness (if that's the right term to use)..
I did try and add pics but it said the post was too big. I don't think it was as such, user error no doubt, if someone wants to send me some simple advice on posting pics (I mean really simple) then I'll try again. Anyway: Kawasaki AR50: My first bike as a 16 year old back in 1995. Absolutely loved it, thrashed it, fell off, thrashed it, fell off, etc. Would love a decent one now but can't really justify spending circa £2k on a bike I'd realistically never ride. Kawasaki AR125: Made the step up at 17. Went everywhere on it, thought nothing of going down to see relatives in Shropshire for the weekend and coming the long way back via Wales (300+ miles). Never missed a beat, bit ugly looking but brilliant memories. Kawasaki GPZ500: Bought brand new in 1997 (R147 JCK). I still remember my excitement at buying a brand new bike and waiting for 1 August when I could officially ride it. Shine quickly fell off when I binned it, not badly but enough to make it very 'un new'. Also had a habit of cutting out at speed due to a dicky side stand cut out switch. Some good memories but not the best bike I've owned. Honda VFR400 NC30: Hence why I sold the GPZ after a year and bought an (older) NC30. Wow, what a bike, knee down everywhere, was still only 19 and happy to race anyone on the road, regardless of power output. Yes, I was young and stupid but boy what a bike. Went everywhere on the redline, never serviced it, never missed a beat. Looking back I had no idea how to ride until I got this bike. Honda VFR750: For some reason, after 2 years I treated myself for my 21st and moved up to the VFR (not an RC30 sadly). Think I bought into all the 'Best Bike in the World' hype at the time. It maybe was, if you were aged 50, after the NC30 it was just fat and boring. Became a bit disillusioned and sold it after about 6 months. Yamaha Thundercat: Was many years later I got the itch to have another bike. Drunk in the pub one night in 2013 I put a bid in on a Thundercat, never expecting to win. Lo and behold a day later the auction ended and I'd won it. Hadn't seen the bike, had no gear and had to explain to the missus what I'd done. Spent as much on new gear (leathers/helmet/boots/gloves) as I'd spent on the bike and went to collect it. Thought I could still ride, turned out I could barely set off without stalling or lofting the front. Looked a right tit! Soon clicked again though and spent 5 years enjoying being back on 2 wheels. Blade RR6: Until 6 months before my 40th Birthday in late 2018 I took the plunge and bought my childhood dream, a Blade. I purposely opted for the RR6 as I thought it was the best looking of them all. Haven't regretted it for a second, all the brilliance of the NC30 but somehow made so much easier. Touch wood I'll be keeping this one for many years to come.
@Frazzle Yeah the sort of bike you can love and hate in equal measures. I remember taking the kawasaki back to the dealers and thinking " feck me" this thing is mental and just for nutters I took the duke back thinking "I ache all over" and I thought it would be faster Ducati do know how to make a good looking though they're suuuure priiiitty!
My old Ducati 1299s is the only bike that I actually miss, smile for miles no other bike I've ridden like it. When I demo'd the new S1000rr for an afternoon, took it back thought it's ok, got back on the 1299 and thought I'm gonna miss this. Just wish it was reliable as it would still be with me
