since we're at this sort of thing...

....which bike did you at one point consider buying, then catch
yourself on and bought something completely different instead?

For me, before buying the SZR660, I briefly considered buying an
XV250.

I can't help thinking that, had I bought it, my life would have taken
a turn for the worse.

 

When my black R100/7 did its wossnames, I went out with the vague intention
of getting something like a decentish CX500 or the like. Ended up with a
brand-new VN800-C2.

I guess it made my life a little less ordinary.

 

I know - what a lucky escape, eh?

heh.

 

I always assumed you'd bought that to cheer everyone else up.

 

A slightly foxed Aprilia RS250 in a breakers with the intention of hill
climbing it. Bought the 510 Husky instead. Just as well really, as Pat
Sefton I ain't.
--

+-------------------------------------------------------------+
| Pete Fisher at Home: |
| Voxan Roadster Gilera Nordwest Yamaha WR250Z |
| Gilera GFR * 2 Moto Morini 2C/375 |
+-------------------------------------------------------------+

 

At lunch on the ferry, later that day, I remarked to TOG that I considered
it a privilege to be able to purchase such an elegant and stylish
motorcycle. He seemed to find this disconcerting.

 

After passing my test I almost bought a Brazillian RD350. Fortunately the
Honda dealer had a pre-reg Dominator which tempted me.

 

70s Ducati 900ss bought the Guzzi

 

And then some. That would have been a mistake as great as Doc Gonzo
buying that Laverda twin.

In 1983, I went into Moto Vecchia to buy a brand new Morini 500 Sport.
They had a used Guzzi Spada in, and I took it for a spin, and bought
that instead. Probably a wise move, with hindsight. I went everywhere
on that bike, and chopped it in for the later Spada NT. Went
everywhere on that, as well. I have a feeling the Morini would have
been a woefully unreliable money pit.

 

Almost bought an R1150GS, bought a GSXR1000 instead.

 

These recent similar threads have left me out in the cold somewhat, as
I am an impecunious newby.

I don't regret buying or selling the CB500 it was a great 1st bike.

I don't regret buying the Zephyr as it was (and is) to me iconic.
Despite the fact it's basic and not the most up to date machine I can't
fault it and really can't imagine life without it. I always wanted
one, and as soon as I felt able to deal with a larger machine went out
and bought one. I didn't really even consider anything else.

I guess the only bikes I regret going as such were my lad's bikes:
The TS50 is, literally, fucked, which makes me sad everytime I look at
it, as we had an adventure in getting it in the first place, spent many
hours fettling it, I was superdad when I found it after it was stolen,
and we both had much fun trying to tune the little fucker.

I would have liked to have kept the NSR125, as it was a delightful
little bike, plenty fast and handled really nicely. It would have been
fun to have derestricted and tuned it to **** to see what could be
possible, but he needed the money so off it went (eventually).

Maybe if theis FZR400 materialises we may have some more "fun".

But, hey ho, there we are...


--
Dan L

http://thebikeshed.spaces.live.com/
1996 Kawasaki ZR1100 Zephyr

BOTAFOT #140 (KotL 2005/6/7)
X-FOT#000
DIAABTCOD #26
BOMB#18 (slow)
OMF#11

 

Not bikes, but cars - I nearly bought the Maserati Merak SS that was
sat next to the Porker I did buy in the showroom. It was one of the
rare times my head won over, but I do regret it.


--
Krusty
www.MuddyStuff.co.uk
Off-Road Classifieds

'02 MV Senna '03 Tiger 955i '96 Tiger '79 Fantic Hiro 250

 

But, but - they're so *pretty*

And don't forget I've got a C3 'vette - awful but pretty cars appeal to
me...

--
Krusty
www.MuddyStuff.co.uk
Off-Road Classifieds

'02 MV Senna '03 Tiger 955i '96 Tiger '79 Fantic Hiro 250

 

Oh, that is a slightly longer list than bikes in my case. The list
includes an XK120, a Saab 96 Two Stroke Sport complete with Halda Speed
Pilots, and a genuine DTV Rally Vauxhall Magnum.
--

+-------------------------------------------------------------+
| Pete Fisher at Home: |
| Voxan Roadster Gilera Nordwest Yamaha WR250Z |
| Gilera GFR * 2 Moto Morini 2C/375 |
+-------------------------------------------------------------+

 

Pete Fisher says...

When I was 17 I passed up a Jaguar E-type FHC in immaculate condition
for 350 quid only because I couldn't afford the insurance. One of my
first cars was a 2.3 Magnum Coupe with the 5 speed ZF box and LSD out of
a factory demo VX4/90. The Magnum was ex-Metropolitan Police with vinyl
seats rather than the flash cloth the civvies got, and was strewn with
NATO coloured wiring all around it and a screwed in black plastic panel
that covered the hole in the rear shelf where the POLICE light box once
lived. It went very well for an 8 year old car with lots of miles.

--
Lozzo
Triumph Daytona 955i SE
Suzuki SV650 K3
Honda CBR600 F-W
Suzuki GSX-R750L
Yamaha SR250 SpazzTrakka

 

Hmm, cars. Now there I have made some fucking awful choices.

My very first car was a 1964 Morris Minor 1000. It was my grandfathers,
the same car I had done the "Brrrm Brmmm" thing in as a child, adored,
and always swore would be mine. I paid £60.00 for it in 1980.

I fucking loved that car. It only had 29k on the clock (genuine,
previous owner was my gran's dead brother in law). It was not that
slow (I did a RWYB at Santa Pod in it, and fucked an 1100 Mk 1 Escort
on the quarter mile (it was prolly fucked anyway)).

I sold that to my best mate and bought a turquoise MG Midget 1275 (I
shit you not). I had the choice of 2 cars, the MG or a MK2 Jaguar 3.8
M-O-D which my tame mechanic used to race. I still dunno why I bought
the MG, perhaps it was my dear old dad telling me "you're not parking a
bloody Jaguar outside my house" that did it.

The MG was a fucking money pit:
The rear suspension literally collapsed one night; I was taking SWMBO's
sister out to Friars in Aylesbury, and whilst reversing out of the
driveway there was a bang and a sinking feeling. Yes, one of the leaf
springs had completely sheared through.

Oh, and then there was the wandering starter motor that literally fell
out in Marlow. The incredulous look from the mechanic at the MG dealer
was only surpassed by expression as i realised whilst being towed there
that the ignition key was in my pocket as we turned sharp left and the
steering lock deployed.

Then there was the front wheel bearing incident (we don't talk about
that), the roof which only leaked on the passenger side, so I wasn't
bothered, the loose air cleaner bolt which jammed one of the 2 SU's
wide open (oh how we laughed), the comedy electric fuel pump mounted on
the front of the rear wheel arch etc, etc...

I had the chance to PX it for a Mk2 GT6, but like a twat I didn't...

I PX'd it for a sensible Ford Escort Mk2 1100L. Satan's own Dagenham
dustbin. It was Pea Green and I PX'd the MG for it at the garage next
door to where I worked in Beaconsfield. The garage was owned by a
bloke who made the Krays look like the Chuckle Brothers (he liked me
however, cos I did his punters cheap car insurance). The Escort was a
fucking lemon; 0-60 could be measured in minutes rather than seconds,
sparks emitted from the steering column, and (worst of all) it leaked
like a fucking sieve. I Niged it out via Thames Valley Trader, truly
the worst night of my life as I had £800.00 cash on my mum's coffee
table following it's departure, and the phone just kept ringing....

I invested the money in a '77 Honda Civic Hondamatic. Now bear in
mind, this was 1983, so the car was only 6 years old. It was utterly
and totally fucked. Having lived most of it's life in Scarborough it
had rotted like a pear, and with only 33k miles on it and one lady
owner, the only explanation for the rattling camshaft could be that she
mistook the choke lever for a handbag hook. My Tame mechanic (yes, the
MK2 Jaguar ****) dragged it to his shed and fitted a 1250cc motor with
the biggest twin choke carb I have ever seen to it, fresh from a
container newly arrived from Japan's finest scrap yards.

I did some miles in that fucking heap but kept having to pop rivet bits
of tin plate over the rusty holes which kept appearing. In the end I
just Hammerited the bastard and removed all the extraneous loose bits
of trim. That old heap only came to my new home town once. The next
time it saw the light of day my next door neighbour towed it to the
local scrappy who gave me £12 for it, which I thought was a bit poor
bearing in mind he gave my neighbours brother £20 for his fucked Austin
Princess which actually had it's engine on the back seat.

So there you are, sorry to ramble etc...

--
Dan L

Too much time to think, too little to do.


http://thebikeshed.spaces.live.com/
1996 Kawasaki ZR1100 Zephyr

BOTAFOT #140 (KotL 2005/6/7)
X-FOT#000
DIAABTCOD #26
BOMB#18 (slow)
OMF#11

 

I spent a week going around Corfu on a new TW200 in 1993 with my then
girlfriend. Everything seemed perfect; the holiday was a gift from
the guys at Sky News, the weather was hot and sunny, my girlfriend
was a ballet dancing primary school teacher and model. I shit you
not.

I thought that it just doesn't get any better than this.

Then we took in a girly lodger (her best friend) who was a cute nurse
and liked it up the arse.

 

Father had a Manta A Berlinetta as a company car. It was the first
decent car I got to drive after passing my test. Otherwise his choice of
cars was usually abysmally dull.

An early Audi 80 wasn't too bad, but then my mum persuaded him to get
nice safe Volvo 3xx things. After she died he got a Honda Civic MkIV,
but I couldn't persuade him to get the VTEC version. That 1.5 was
surprisingly fun to drive though.


--

+-------------------------------------------------------------+
| Pete Fisher at Home: |
| Voxan Roadster Gilera Nordwest Yamaha WR250Z |
| Gilera GFR * 2 Moto Morini 2C/375 |
+-------------------------------------------------------------+

 

Yeah, like end prematurely. The thing handled "like a drunken three-legged
pig on stilts". Geometry, brakes, suspension and last but not least,
factory-equipped tires were abysmal. Fucking poser bikes and all that damned
"choppers/cruisers are so cool" fad back in the early 90s.... Nice engine
for a 250 though.

Geo

Geo

 

When conflict resolution goes the wrong way...