Bikes That I Have Always Wantd But It Never Happened!

@Plezier All great bikes i have had a few of them. Had a few Norton's and would buy another in a flash as i love them. Also had the Sturgis It was a nightmare kept snapping chains. Had loads of BSA;S mostly a10 and a65's and loved them as well. Never had a Ducati well not for long as i did buy a 200 elite then cut my thumb of and left it at a friends house when i returned for it it was gone. I do agree with you Triumph's are great bikes but the old Meriden bikes were special loads of oil and tinkering.

 

I rebuilt a Honda CB72:250 in the late 70's. First in dark green, which we had lying around, then the following year in original red after the MOT garage were so interested in it. Great bike, as ridden by Elvis in Roustabout!

 

I've had a Commando and a highly tuned Sportster, almost double the horsepower, but my favourite bike of all time was a black and gold bevel drive 900ss in about 1980. Never had any issues with it and it was the most beautiful and best bike I have ever owned.

 

Yes, I think it did, same engine as the CB77, which was just "bored out" to around 305cc..... I sold it in the late 70's.

 

You know i have been musing since we mailed earlier in the day. And i think my love was for my BSA Firebird. I found buried in a patched club bikers garden Swapped him my stacking stereo for it and restored it the way i wanted it.

 

I'll stay humble and just ask for a street triple 675, round headlights please! Thank you!

 

I can honestly say I've been fortunate in being able to buy the bikes I really wanted, with one exception, a RC30. I could just about have afforded one back in the day but after getting to sit on one, was shocked at how small they are compared to the contemporary litre+ bikes I was used to. Obviously designed as a full on race bike first with road use a secondary consideration so not only very cramped but little room for clown's feet.
I wish I'd bought one and squirrelled it away........

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/25666494...yCKAhSOpVqoZb3YXMFGypG8w==|tkp:Bk9SR4zo3tHhZQ

 

I've had a few on your list - 900ss Ducati and a couple Sportsters, and still have one Sportster that's in the midst of a custom bobber/cafe racer project. Just added a new Moto Guzzi to the stable, my first one ever a V85TT.

I owned the 900ss the longest of any motorcycle. I'm hoping the V85 will beat that record since it's much more practical.

 

Had one of them for a bit .. nowhere near as nice though ? Sold it to a bloke who only wanted it to use the engine in his '69 or '70 Lightning .. on which he'd managed to do the ole drive side " leg out of bed " trick !
Always had a slight hankering for a 180 crank Jota ... rode a mates, (with a 3/1 straight pipe, once !!! ).. how could you not, after that..... ear-grinding perfectness !!!!!!!



oops .. then there was another mates, Guzzi California... ugliest, ( one of, anyway) bike made I reckoned !

So he let me have it for a couple of weeks to make an exhaust to take it Bear's racing .. and I fell in love with it ! Same with his VOXAN ... only 2, I think ? ever came to New Zealand .. so I was very priviledged, what a GREAT machine !!
Rang him race morning to tell him it was ready, come and get it .... to be told he was ill, and as it was already signed in, etc, I should take it out and have a good time ?

Wringing of hands, sweat ...... nah, couldn't ..... we all know what would have been guaranteed to happen ?

 

In terms of "dream bikes" I guess a Desmosedici rr might have been on my list, like a kid daydreaming about a Lambo.

But then reality hit when a friend offered a ride on one of the twistiest roads in New Mexico. I turned him down thinking, "What if I scratch this thing that cost more than my first house?" - or worse.

Also just came off a Panigale test ride - might have been disappointed.

Should have done it!

 

I’ve been lucky enough to own several of my dream bikes. But there are a few that are/were missing.

1. BMW HP2 Sport. So many beautiful parts you could just walk around it for half an hour looking at them. The classic BMW Alpine white and blue colorway is perfect, too. But so rare and impossible to find parts for—I’d be gutted if I low sided it. And I’m a little short for it at 5’-8”.

2. KTM RC8. What an unusual bike; there’s nothing like it and it’s adjustable for a wide range of rider heights and weights. I’m a little short for this one, too. It’s made for Austrians.

3. Aprilia Tuono, specifically the 2016 before they went to the TFT instruments. I’ve owned both a first gen Factory and a second gen, both terrific bikes.

4. 2001 Speed Triple in f*uck you Nuclear Red (aka pink). Cool bike, fantastic color.

5. 2002 Yamaha R6 in the blue and white colorway. A pinnacle of accessible sporting excellence in its day; I bet it’s still relevant.