What Bikes Have You Had. - Page 3

matt · 09-07-2008, 07:45 PM

1968 Honda CB125 twin
1963 Norton 650ss cafe racer
1974 Honda 750-4
1976 Gold Wing
1977 Honda 750 F2
1979 Honda 900 later bored out to 998 Honda RSC bits
1985 Kawasaki gpz 900
1989 Kawasaki ZX10
1994 Kawasaki ZX9
1996 ZX9
2000 ZX9 worst bike i ever had
2000 ZX12
2007 ZZR 1400 still got it

manx67 · 09-07-2008, 11:05 PM

b120 suzuki
xl 125
tl125
cb250
rs250
rd 50
250 scorpion
in process of getting a xl125v varadero

BigSteve · 09-08-2008, 06:22 AM

I started off when I was 17, I think, with an MZ ES125. A friend of a friend was selling it and I was desperate to get a bike for not very much money. It was a dark turquoise colour and the strangest-looking thing I'd seen. The headlight was fixed to the front part of the tank and the handlebars kind of slotted through it. I think the head had been swapped for a 150 at some stage back in the day when such parts were available and this gave it a little more poke, but not much. I passed my part 1 on this machine. The coolest part about the whole bike was a little lockable compartment on the side of the frame that was ideal for stashing waterproofs, fags and such. It got nicked from outside a mate's house one evening and the coppers found it still smouldering away on a rugby field the next morning. A glutton for punishment, I got another one all the way from Mold in North Wales, but it was never the same. I think I gave it away when I bought a KH125 from a lad round the corner.

The KH was a real technological step up for me, a separate oil tank - imagine that! I went all over the place on that bike and loved it to bits. I eventually painted it black and made quite a good job of it for my first time. It all started going wrong when I knocked it over one day. The kickstart swung out as it was falling and it snapped off at the shaft. It was okay bump-starting it for a while but it was around this time that I started to realise that I don't mix well with 2-strokes. I had a part 2 test cancelled because the frickin' thing wouldn't start. Minutes after I was told by the examiner that the test was jacked, the bitch started quite happily and I rode home promising myself I was going to burn it.

I borrowed a mate's KH100 to have another stab at the test but the indicators wouldn't work properly once we got on the road. The examiner wouldn't let me use hand signals as the indicators had to work if they were fitted and he canned the exam early. I got back to give my mate a bollocking but by the time we arrived everything was working fine and he thought I was taking the piss.

I then picked up a used blue CG125 from a dealer for an outrageously high price. Still, it was a 4-stroke and again, was a massive improvement on anything I'd had before. I signed up with a riding school just to be sure and eventually flew through my part 2 with no problems.

Eager to move on to bigger and better things, I bought a used CB250N from a dealer. As you know, 250 Superdreams are the biggest load of shite on the road but it was my pride and joy for a couple of weeks. Until it started showing its true colours and falling to bits, that is. Most memorable outing was a trip back from a campsite in Derbyshire in the pissing rain when the needle dropped through the left hand carb. I eventually ratted it after getting another engine from a mate when the existing one self-destructed. I think I eventually gave it away.

Still a sucker for old pieces of junk, I bought a CB500T next. I loved the torque at low revs and probably became a twin fan then, despite the problems soon to come. I firmly believe that the old CB5oo would have been a good bike if the brakes worked and the cam followers weren't made out of cheese. The brakes were really, really bad. There was a disc on the front that took Herculean effort to coax a respose out of, and then it siezed on. I remember just leaving work one Winter's night and I had the front brake slightly on, trying to get the rain off the disc surface. I squeezed a bit harder to try to get a response out of it, and then a bit more see if it felt like working yet. I was on a bit of a right-hander and the front end dived as the pads decided to have a go. To stop the bike going down I slammed my right foot down so hard I could see to next christmas! The cam followers really were that bad too. I was forever adjusting them, but it seemed that every second trip out had it sounding like a sewing machine again and the cam lobes had eaten a bit more away. I started to get lots of starting problems and the battery was only ever good for a few turns of the crank. There was a kickstart on, and I lost about a stone and a half during the time I had it! The worst thing was that I never really felt part of the bike, rather I was always perched on top of it. It never felt really stable. To be fair though, it got us two-up all the way to Torquay and back.

After a bike-free 12 months or so I picked up a used XV750SE that I pootled around on for a while. I discovered that the forks were shot during my first proper trip out, making the bike weave all over the place alarmingly at anything over 40mph. There was also a constant drip of oil. The mirror stems never fitted the brackets properly and were always swinging round during a ride. It was a bastard to start from warm, it delighted in sooting up when using choke from cold, and it often coughed and died when rolling off a kerb or over a small bump. Still, I've got a full gasket set for it and another set of forks. It's going to be a Winter project that I can use daily next year so that I can keep my new bike for best.

Yes, my new bike. I recently got a 2000 Harley Davidson Superglide Sport, my first proper bike. I'm still getting to know it so I don't have any tales to tell except that it never missed a beat on my recent trip to Wales, and it's a damned site better than getting the bus to work and back!

jamiesk · 09-11-2008, 09:11 PM

A bit of a list, but here goes....

Puch Maxi pedal power moped
FS1SE ( customer version of the fizzy )
CB125 for the test passing, engin blew and I put in a CB200 Benly engine - 6v to 12v, points to CDi, etc tooooo much hastle
RD350F new C-reg powervalve with full fairing at 18years+11days when C reg was released

H100 for commuting after the above went
CB250 and a "new" engine after 2 years commuting.

Then I got rid of other half, not married but might as well have been

RG250 about 3 weeks later

Within 2 months it broke the crank but got Japan to give me a new one because it was a bad cast! And they covered the labour too. I guess the last owner did not use it!

KLR650
FZ750
TDR250
RD350F2
I think this is right and I got them all!

DR650
Fazer600 written off
FX650 excellent town / commuter bike

soon ... a Hog ?

Keith

Rerb · 09-11-2008, 10:54 PM

Good mix there

Nice to see a few two strokes especially the TDR, RD and RG

Quote:

Originally Posted by jamiesk

A bit of a list, but here goes....

Puch Maxi pedal power moped
FS1SE ( customer version of the fizzy )
CB125 for the test passing, engin blew and I put in a CB200 Benly engine - 6v to 12v, points to CDi, etc tooooo much hastle
RD350F new C-reg powervalve with full fairing at 18years+11days when C reg was released

H100 for commuting after the above went
CB250 and a "new" engine after 2 years commuting.

Then I got rid of other half, not married but might as well have been

RG250 about 3 weeks later

Within 2 months it broke the crank but got Japan to give me a new one because it was a bad cast! And they covered the labour too. I guess the last owner did not use it!

KLR650
FZ750
TDR250
RD350F2
I think this is right and I got them all!

DR650
Fazer600 written off
FX650 excellent town / commuter bike

soon ... a Hog ?

Keith

Tonyxxv97 · 09-12-2008, 12:39 PM

Honda 50 "Step thru" thing! (went on forever, gave it to a friend)
BSA 175 Bantem (Project, never completed it)
CB250 Dream (125 learner law came in)
CB125J (I loved this bike, (Brakes were useless) crashed re-built, crashed re-built, sold)
CB400 Dream (same bike, I swapped engines, Re-painted it white with red wheels and the engine enameled black/red), (I dont know why?) constantly overheated after re-build then sold it.
YZ 125 Moto X (Very second hand), Good fun destroyed it.
RD 350 F2 Crashed, re-built, Crashed re-built, Crashed(bent crank)sold it for parts.
VF 1000FF Never-ending engine problems, sold it.
1100 Zephur I found it to under powered, even compared to the "VF", also missed a full fairing, traded it in.
Blackbird (present day)

Tony

jamiesk · 09-16-2008, 12:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rerb

Good mix there

Nice to see a few two strokes especially the TDR, RD and RG

Cheers. I do like a bit of an rev now and again

I followed a 125 recently as the smell was just so good at bringing the memories back

Keith

Baggy · 09-16-2008, 12:45 PM

Been riding for just under 5 years and have had the following...

Aprilia RS125 (03 reg)
Honda Varadero 125 (Y reg)
Yamaha Fazer 600 (w reg)
Honda hornet 600 (05 reg)
Yamaha Fazer 1000 (03 reg)
Suzuki Intruder M800 (05 plate)
Honda CBR600F (06 plate) current bike

Its a bit of a mix.

motorrad1527 · 09-20-2008, 05:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jamiesk

A bit of a list, but here goes....

Puch Maxi pedal power moped
FS1SE ( customer version of the fizzy )
CB125 for the test passing, engin blew and I put in a CB200 Benly engine - 6v to 12v, points to CDi, etc tooooo much hastle
RD350F new C-reg powervalve with full fairing at 18years+11days when C reg was released

H100 for commuting after the above went
CB250 and a "new" engine after 2 years commuting.

Then I got rid of other half, not married but might as well have been

RG250 about 3 weeks later

Within 2 months it broke the crank but got Japan to give me a new one because it was a bad cast! And they covered the labour too. I guess the last owner did not use it!

KLR650
FZ750
TDR250
RD350F2
I think this is right and I got them all!

DR650
Fazer600 written off
FX650 excellent town / commuter bike

soon ... a Hog ?

Keith

A Hog?, really? maybe a buell then you can have the big twin torque without the ymca connection?
never mind just get what you want, you'll only regret not getting it if you dont

moto

alzano · 09-23-2008, 11:00 PM

For my list have a look at my website.Tony. http://www.tonymooring.co.uk/my_bikes.htm

09-07-2008, 07:45 PM	#21 (permalink)
matt Member Join Date: May 2008 Location: tyne & wear Posts: 45	Re: What Bikes Have You Had. 1968 Honda CB125 twin 1963 Norton 650ss cafe racer 1974 Honda 750-4 1976 Gold Wing 1977 Honda 750 F2 1979 Honda 900 later bored out to 998 Honda RSC bits 1985 Kawasaki gpz 900 1989 Kawasaki ZX10 1994 Kawasaki ZX9 1996 ZX9 2000 ZX9 worst bike i ever had 2000 ZX12 2007 ZZR 1400 still got it

09-07-2008, 11:05 PM	#22 (permalink)
manx67 Junior Member Join Date: Aug 2008 Posts: 6	Re: What Bikes Have You Had. b120 suzuki xl 125 tl125 cb250 rs250 rd 50 250 scorpion in process of getting a xl125v varadero
manx67 Junior Member Join Date: Aug 2008 Posts: 6

09-08-2008, 06:22 AM	#23 (permalink)
BigSteve Junior Member Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Manchester, UK Posts: 28	Re: What Bikes Have You Had. I started off when I was 17, I think, with an MZ ES125. A friend of a friend was selling it and I was desperate to get a bike for not very much money. It was a dark turquoise colour and the strangest-looking thing I'd seen. The headlight was fixed to the front part of the tank and the handlebars kind of slotted through it. I think the head had been swapped for a 150 at some stage back in the day when such parts were available and this gave it a little more poke, but not much. I passed my part 1 on this machine. The coolest part about the whole bike was a little lockable compartment on the side of the frame that was ideal for stashing waterproofs, fags and such. It got nicked from outside a mate's house one evening and the coppers found it still smouldering away on a rugby field the next morning. A glutton for punishment, I got another one all the way from Mold in North Wales, but it was never the same. I think I gave it away when I bought a KH125 from a lad round the corner. The KH was a real technological step up for me, a separate oil tank - imagine that! I went all over the place on that bike and loved it to bits. I eventually painted it black and made quite a good job of it for my first time. It all started going wrong when I knocked it over one day. The kickstart swung out as it was falling and it snapped off at the shaft. It was okay bump-starting it for a while but it was around this time that I started to realise that I don't mix well with 2-strokes. I had a part 2 test cancelled because the frickin' thing wouldn't start. Minutes after I was told by the examiner that the test was jacked, the bitch started quite happily and I rode home promising myself I was going to burn it. I borrowed a mate's KH100 to have another stab at the test but the indicators wouldn't work properly once we got on the road. The examiner wouldn't let me use hand signals as the indicators had to work if they were fitted and he canned the exam early. I got back to give my mate a bollocking but by the time we arrived everything was working fine and he thought I was taking the piss. I then picked up a used blue CG125 from a dealer for an outrageously high price. Still, it was a 4-stroke and again, was a massive improvement on anything I'd had before. I signed up with a riding school just to be sure and eventually flew through my part 2 with no problems. Eager to move on to bigger and better things, I bought a used CB250N from a dealer. As you know, 250 Superdreams are the biggest load of shite on the road but it was my pride and joy for a couple of weeks. Until it started showing its true colours and falling to bits, that is. Most memorable outing was a trip back from a campsite in Derbyshire in the pissing rain when the needle dropped through the left hand carb. I eventually ratted it after getting another engine from a mate when the existing one self-destructed. I think I eventually gave it away. Still a sucker for old pieces of junk, I bought a CB500T next. I loved the torque at low revs and probably became a twin fan then, despite the problems soon to come. I firmly believe that the old CB5oo would have been a good bike if the brakes worked and the cam followers weren't made out of cheese. The brakes were really, really bad. There was a disc on the front that took Herculean effort to coax a respose out of, and then it siezed on. I remember just leaving work one Winter's night and I had the front brake slightly on, trying to get the rain off the disc surface. I squeezed a bit harder to try to get a response out of it, and then a bit more see if it felt like working yet. I was on a bit of a right-hander and the front end dived as the pads decided to have a go. To stop the bike going down I slammed my right foot down so hard I could see to next christmas! The cam followers really were that bad too. I was forever adjusting them, but it seemed that every second trip out had it sounding like a sewing machine again and the cam lobes had eaten a bit more away. I started to get lots of starting problems and the battery was only ever good for a few turns of the crank. There was a kickstart on, and I lost about a stone and a half during the time I had it! The worst thing was that I never really felt part of the bike, rather I was always perched on top of it. It never felt really stable. To be fair though, it got us two-up all the way to Torquay and back. After a bike-free 12 months or so I picked up a used XV750SE that I pootled around on for a while. I discovered that the forks were shot during my first proper trip out, making the bike weave all over the place alarmingly at anything over 40mph. There was also a constant drip of oil. The mirror stems never fitted the brackets properly and were always swinging round during a ride. It was a bastard to start from warm, it delighted in sooting up when using choke from cold, and it often coughed and died when rolling off a kerb or over a small bump. Still, I've got a full gasket set for it and another set of forks. It's going to be a Winter project that I can use daily next year so that I can keep my new bike for best. Yes, my new bike. I recently got a 2000 Harley Davidson Superglide Sport, my first proper bike. I'm still getting to know it so I don't have any tales to tell except that it never missed a beat on my recent trip to Wales, and it's a damned site better than getting the bus to work and back!

09-11-2008, 09:11 PM	#24 (permalink)
jamiesk Member Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Ipswich Posts: 34	Re: What Bikes Have You Had. A bit of a list, but here goes.... Puch Maxi pedal power moped FS1SE ( customer version of the fizzy ) CB125 for the test passing, engin blew and I put in a CB200 Benly engine - 6v to 12v, points to CDi, etc tooooo much hastle RD350F new C-reg powervalve with full fairing at 18years+11days when C reg was released H100 for commuting after the above went CB250 and a "new" engine after 2 years commuting. Then I got rid of other half, not married but might as well have been RG250 about 3 weeks later Within 2 months it broke the crank but got Japan to give me a new one because it was a bad cast! And they covered the labour too. I guess the last owner did not use it! KLR650 FZ750 TDR250 RD350F2 I think this is right and I got them all! DR650 Fazer600 written off FX650 excellent town / commuter bike soon ... a Hog ? Keith

09-12-2008, 12:39 PM	#26 (permalink)
Tonyxxv97 Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Posts: 45	Re: What Bikes Have You Had. Honda 50 "Step thru" thing! (went on forever, gave it to a friend) BSA 175 Bantem (Project, never completed it) CB250 Dream (125 learner law came in) CB125J (I loved this bike, (Brakes were useless) crashed re-built, crashed re-built, sold) CB400 Dream (same bike, I swapped engines, Re-painted it white with red wheels and the engine enameled black/red), (I dont know why?) constantly overheated after re-build then sold it. YZ 125 Moto X (Very second hand), Good fun destroyed it. RD 350 F2 Crashed, re-built, Crashed re-built, Crashed(bent crank)sold it for parts. VF 1000FF Never-ending engine problems, sold it. 1100 Zephur I found it to under powered, even compared to the "VF", also missed a full fairing, traded it in. Blackbird (present day) Tony
Tonyxxv97 Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Posts: 45

09-16-2008, 12:45 PM	#28 (permalink)
Baggy Member Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: West Midlands Posts: 65	Re: What Bikes Have You Had. Been riding for just under 5 years and have had the following... Aprilia RS125 (03 reg) Honda Varadero 125 (Y reg) Yamaha Fazer 600 (w reg) Honda hornet 600 (05 reg) Yamaha Fazer 1000 (03 reg) Suzuki Intruder M800 (05 plate) Honda CBR600F (06 plate) current bike Its a bit of a mix.

09-23-2008, 11:00 PM	#30 (permalink)
alzano Junior Member Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: U.K. southeast coast & spain Posts: 23	Re: What Bikes Have You Had. For my list have a look at my website.Tony. http://www.tonymooring.co.uk/my_bikes.htm Last edited by alzano : 09-24-2008 at 04:33 PM. Reason: added website

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