Featured Your Motorbike History?

Good on ya, I to have had a similar story and time gap between my last bike and now, 2023 was my first year back on a bike and loved it. Enjoy yours happy riding

 

1071 Honda CB125
1970 Triumph Trophy 250
1950 Lambretta LC125
1969 BMW R60/2
1964 Honda CA95 Benly Touring
1974 BMW R60/6
1966 Suzuki S32-2 Olympian
1976 BMW R75/6
1959 BMW R50/2
1972 BMW R60/5
1972 BMW R75/5
1989 BMW R100 GS
2003 Moto Guzzi V11 Sport
1993 BMW R100R
2009 Moto Guzzi Griso 1100
2014 BMW R Nine T
Currently:
2019 Vespa GTS 300 HPE
2020 BMW R Nine T Pure
2023 Triumph Speed Twin 900

There are a couple I wish I had held onto, but….

 

Gotta ask you from a list that long, what would you consider as your top 3 road bikes & reasons why

 

1982-90 first spell on the road from being 16:
Honda C50 (Oops wasn’t a moped )
Yamaha MT50
Suzuki GP125
Honda 400N Superdream
Honda CBX 550 FII
Yamaha RD350LC YPVS
Honda CBX 750 F
Got married so no bikes for a while

1999-2002 scrounged funds together for
Honda CBR600 FV
Had to sell to pay for the new double glazing but made Mrs Boothman happy

2014 to date, got back on two wheels (much to the disapproval of the long suffering Mrs Boothman) after a bit of a health scare
Triumph 650 Daytona
Honda CBR1000RA ‘Repsol’
Honda CBR1000RR ‘Black Edition’
Triumph Tiger 1050 SE

 

Hmm, first two are easy.

Bandit 1200.
Loads of grunt from the 1200 motor, handling was so so in std format, but mine had Ohlins rear shock uprated springs etc.
It was nice and easy to work on .
I toured France numerous times on one, did my first trackday at Cadwell, drag raced it, scared god knows how many pillions lifting the front wheel thanks to its inherent wheelie ability.

Tiger 800XRt
Bought this when I retired in 2018 as a bike specifically for touring, wish I had got one a lot sooner.
With the luggage, tank range, cruise control etc, doing 400 mile days was no problem and it handled reasonably well for an tourer/adventure bike sans luggage.

3rd choice is more difficult, nothing that stands out particularly road bike wise, although the Street Triple RS does but as track bike that I could still use on the road.
Had it for 4 years now and it's only because I put slicks on it recently that I can't use it on the road now.
It lets me get away with some ham fisted riding on the track and has surprised some on the track, all done with std tyres on until the last trip.
And while every one else 'fettled' their race bikes, put tyre warmers on etc, I would just check the heated grips still worked

 

Nice one, thanks for the reply

 

Notice you’re on your second’9T’ now, that must have hit a nerve?

 

I had one in the states, bought it used. 2015 classic. Loved the bike, fast but easy to navigate around town. My wife and I decided to relocate to Portugal so I sold it to my brother. A couple of years later I saw a good deal on a 2020 pure so I got it. Great bikes, they lack soul a bit but are a real blast to ride.

 

Bought a Yamaha Thundercat in the early 2000s in anticipation of passing my test. Dropped it on my leg resulting in a broken fairing and a bruise lasting half the year.
Failed my test a couple of times and sold it.

Came back to it all 20 years later, passed all the tests, bought an XJR1300, then a Tiger Explorer 1200, then a Thunderbird Storm.

Still have all three.

 

T140Vs - the full set along with a few swaps. Also had a D (didn't like the mag wheels) and an E (changed it back to a V)....not had a J though (the paint and chrome is just plain silly).

 

I just did my license in October last year. The T 120 will be my first motorcycle ever.

 

Still have the bold.

'79 Honda CX500
'83 Honda CX650
'64 Fuji Rabbit S-202
'94 Honda VFC-750 Magna
'94 Suzuki GS550
'95 BMW R1100GS
'08 Kawasaki KLR-650
'03 Suzuki DL1000
'99 BMW R1100RT
'09 HD FLHRC Road King
'14 BMW R nineT Classic
'95 BMW R100R
'16 Triumph Thruxton 1200 R
'

 

My list is pathetically small but fortunately I’m used to tiny things, IQ being but one thing ….

In 1986 I bought my first, a white & red Yamaha TY50 BKP252T - and used it until 1987 for commuting to college

In 1987 I worked all summer to scrape together enough for a white & red Yam DT80 C961GKM The insurance for the more desirable DT125R was ridiculous and beyond my weekend / summer job pay so I took the 80 which did me for 18 months, but the 50 mile daily commute once I started working for real took its toll, the exhaust split & the piston needed replacing. it did get me through my test though

On the 1st August 1988 I got my hands on the one I miss the most my RD350 YPVS F2 F488CKL. I wish I’d had, found or stolen enough money to enable me to keep her (called Jezebel - she was wicked). I was a hoon, a rebel, a tear away (or as much of one as a nineteen year old civil servant could be) - wheelies followed & my devotional love to two wheels was cemented in my soul.

But

In 1990 my head was turned from 2 stroke to 4 by a savage looking black & grey FZR600, G150RKO Once again I was scuppered by prohibitive insurance costs as I really wanted either the EXUP (70 mph in first gear, & a tendency to warp brake discs) or the ridiculous but awesome ZXR750 H2 (hoover pipe edition) but the 600 was, just about affordable and cc’s beyond were not - I was mortgaged and married by then but was “allowed” something so ridiculous because we didn’t have a car (that didn’t come until ‘92). I commuted on that for 18 months before coming a cropper on the way home from a late shift. The FZR ended up on the track, I ended up with a CBR600 FN black, grey, purple & orange J660MKE. It was a great bike, comfortable, quick & agile but I had “The Fear” after my off & knew I had to grow up. In ‘92 I passed my driving test & traded the CBR for a white VW Polo 1.0l 4+e - the acceleration was breathtaking lol

Seasons passed, there was always THAT one day in Spring every year when I yearned for the freedom of two wheels, but it passed. Then in 1999 Suzuki brought out the SV650S & I knew I had to have one. That dream was realised in 2002 when I bought my three year old Yellow SV T280LPP. I always thought I’d keep her forever but age & age related stiffness happened. In 2019 my local dealer commented that I’d not done many miles since the last MOT - it was less than 200 in a year, & it dawned on me that I was just too old for the SV.

Then a little bug called C19 ruined a perfectly good year, during which I had an epiphany about speed, I didn’t fancy it very much by anymore, an experience realised whilst watching Henry Cole circulate the Isle of Man on his “bitsa” Norton on the Motorbike Show in January - very much off bike season !

So to close the saga on the 21st April 21 I very reluctantly traded the SV for Belinda my beloved T120. I doubt I’ll ever part with her, but I’m long enough in the tooth to recognise I’ve said that before (but I’m still going to try to get a YPVS F2 when I retire)

 

Peugot Speedfight 50cc scooter
Derby 50cc scooter
had the scooters from age 17 until age 21

Yamaha R6 after passing direct access. Probably my favourite bike to date it was 2003 with the deltabox iii frame.

Good 6 years or so break
R6 on a 57 plate.
Not as good as first bike imo.

Small break then Yamaha XT660X
Such a boring bike to ride.
Mid life crisis time KTM 990 Superduke.

8 year break currently have The Thruxton R and dont plan on ever selling it just want to get a couple more bikes in future as a small collection before batteries and hydrogen bring an end to motorbikes as we know them.

 

That's quite the list, Geoff! Which are the couple that you wish you'd kept?

 

Great list, @Boothman! I had to laugh, though, when I read "Got married so no bikes for awhile". My hubby has had more bikes since getting married to me that he had while he was single! I guess I'm a good influence.

 

@tim scott
I thoroughly enjoyed reading your motorbike history saga, Tim. Thanks for a great write-up!

 

"Mid life crisis time KTM 990 Superduke." Yep!

So, @timboo, what which couple of bikes might you add to create your small collection?? Asking for a friend...

 

I would like a Honda VTR SP2 not the best bike to ride but lovely to look at is going up in value and prob last bike of that era which remind me of the old VFR 400. Best colours is the white black with yellow detail. Its also based upon colin edwards superbike.

Suzuki GSXR 750. Some of the originals are worth good money now, so last version made might well do the same especially with the euro 5 emissions over here making it less likely that another will be produced.

Honda 900rr Fireblade Fi version. Really hard to come by in a nice colour with low miles.

BMW M1000RR but need to save some serious money for one of those.

Think thats about it, I did consider buying the final edition of the thruxton rs until i saw it.

 

Mostly the 76 R75l6. I owned it for 25 years and it went through several incarnations. Finally as a r90/6. I put on an r90/s top end: pistons, barrels, heads and beefed up the suspension and added the Hoske exhaust. I wanted a quasi period correct speedy airhead. It was faster and handled better than the stock bike but still not really all that fast. In a moment of weakness I sold it so I could buy a Moto Guzzi.
Also wish I still had the Trophy 250 of course!