Yes, this wasn't my first Rodeo either! EDIT - Didn't stop me riding like a tw@t , just do it in a bit more safety these days as there's not normally something coming the other way on the track!
I don't suppose if I still had it, I could ride it far. The reason I sold it about 7 years ago was because my wrists couldn't stand the prone riding position, but the bike was (and is IMO) a thing of beauty, Tamburini's finest hour possibly? I've been very lucky to own many motorbikes with a wide variety of types over my riding career but there aren't many that I would just go and look at in the garage on a winters evening when it was perhaps snowing or freezing outside. The F4 was the exception.
Yes same bike I’m pretty sure, just had a different name on this side of the pond. It was actually not even available in the US because of emissions so it was a Canadian bike. Those RG’s had an even more vicious power and than my bike and I agree, my friend had the Gsxr1100 was an absolute missile
You are not joking, an MV a very nice bike indeed, but I have to agree on the wrists problem I find any bike of that ilk gives me issue's if not I would have another Moto-Guzzi Le-mans mk1
The styling on the F4 was way ahead of its time. SUCH a beautiful assemblage of shapes. Many designers used elements of this design after it came out. Still using them in fact.
Turning the thread on it's head for a moment, this is one bike I wish I'd never bought and was glad to get rid of. Had all the "toys", quickshifter, riding computer, Ohlins supension etc,.Took a big hit on selling it.
Its sex on a stick, tho. I see why you bought it! And there should def be a “crap bike you don’t miss” thread
I've got to ask the obvious question, why? I have a mate who had one, he loved his and wishes he still had it.
Over here we were well into Rave in 89 - think Disco with a turbo @Sandi T. - that'd explain 'em! As to bike I wish I still had - well the list is a long one. First 'big bike' - Moto Guzzi V50. Lovely bike, would like another to restore. Didn't sell it, it blew up on the M4, but still wish it hadn't and I still had it. Blade, a 97 model - think everyone regrets selling a Blade. Although having said that, I couldn't justify having a Blade and the 01 Dayt, so perhaps the Blade had to go. An XT250 I restored and then sold a few years back - should have kept, especially as I'm now looking at little green laners, but I needed more room n the garage for a track bike, that was not such a success story. DS
Yes it was and I did test ride one, albeit a “standard” 1198, before buying and liked it on the day so, in some respects, it’s my own fault. It was a nice sunny day and I was all fired up for a bit of spirited sports riding. The one I bought was the last SP model prior to the launch of the 1199 Panigale. Pros: Looks obviously. You could knock one off into a sock just looking at it. The explosive punch out of corners was fantastic, provided you had at least 4000 rpm on the clock. Handling was excellent once you got used to it’s tendency to run wide in corners (I’m comparing to my R1 here). Brakes. Two finger stoppy power (not that I ever did one). Build quality was very good especially with the premium components fitted to the SP. Cons ( apologies for any offence caused to the Ducatisti) You’d expect a big V twin to be really tractable low down. No, as mentioned above you couldn’t just roll the power on from low revs like you can on a 4 pot, it just felt like it was going to explode into pieces. To be completely fair the sales guy did mention this prior to the test ride, “you can’t ride it like your R1”, fair enough and it is basically a road going race bike but I found the engine characteristics a bit of a pain when you weren’t in go-for-it mode. Heat from the exhaust was very uncomfortable on long runs. the CAT is almost directly under the seat. I fitted a piece of polished aluminium plate below the seat which made it marginally better but still an issue for me. De-cat anyone? It didn’t do traffic well, the fuelling wasn’t perfect and the pickup from idle wasn’t clean. I’m comparing to the R1 (and previous Jap 4’s) here. It had a slipper clutch, as does the ZX and many other bikes these days, but it would emit a horrible screech if you tried a quick launch. When I mentioned these things to the dealer the response was “it’s a Ducati they're like that". I guess a real Ducati fanboy would call them quirks. I call them design faults. I can cut the bike some slack, it's race pedigree is unquestionable but perhaps I just found it a bit too race focused for the road. Had I bought a Multistrada I would probably have been much happier but, in the end, I just got fed up of living with it and the prospect of long rides to Scotland or trips round Ireland scared the pants off me. Certainly a contender for a trackday bike or maybe a second or third road bike but not for me.
I bought this CB750 K1 in 1974 for £500 with 2k on the clock at age 18. I recall the annual insurance cost me £80 fully comp. I still remember the first time I swung my leg over it and thinking “what have I done, is this too big for me”. Having just past my test on a BSA 250 Starfire a couple of weeks earlier.
For me it was my Rd350lc, bought brand new in 1982.... Absolutely perfect. I would still have it now if it hadn't been stolen in 87.. My dt175mx's were good but... Not quite tug at the heart strings in the same way.... The KH250 I sold to get the lc always makes me smile wistfully too...
Remember these on some old Suzukis....? https://www.isaydingdong.co.uk/ours...et-Disc-Brake-Warning-Stickers-35mm-Pair.html
I suppose if they'd said: "These brakes are shite in the dry, but in the wet just forget it" , might have been a bit blunt. Lol
Well discs were a bit of a novelty in the 70's and as my mate found out on his Yamaha although it made them shine really well polishing your discs with wd40 didn't really help the wet weather braking even though it was supposed to repel the water.