Why do you have your current bike?

[onearmedbandit]

We've got such a wide range of bikes ridden by members here I thought it might be interesting to see why we have choosen those bikes.

Ever since the GSXR750 came out in 1985 I wanted one, but being 10yrs old at the time it was a bit hard to convince my father I needed one! Luckily enough one of my brothers friends owned a number of them over the years, and I would get lifts to school on them (12yrs old and turning up to school on the back of a gixxer, what a feeling!) and he would take me on the back when they went to parties etc. Then one night in town I met up with him and he chucked me the keys!! 15yrs old and out on a gixxer 750, I was sold!

So now I've owned 3 GSXR750's, two prior to my accident and the SRAD after my accident. The last one was meant to be mine, I had just got back from Japan and had picked up my leathers (in blue and white, I knew I wanted a 96-97 750 in those colours) over there in anticipation of buying another gixxer. First day back at work and what is sitting in the showroom, a 1997 Gixxer 750 in Blue and white. A bit of negotiation with the owner and she was mine forever, or so I thought.

Long story short, an opportunity to own a K2 Gixxer thou for fuck all money plus my bike came along and I couldn't refuse. So my gixxer fetish continues, in Blue and White of course!

So fess up, what made you choose or how did you find yourself with your current bike?

[Sniper]

Been riding for 7 years. Started out on a CG125 and then moved to and RG400. Got taken out by a jag failing to give way so after a break I bought the CBR as it was fast enough to keep me excited at the time but also tame enough to look after me

[Str8 Jacket]

Started riding 7 months ago, wrote my first (brand new) bike of 2 months into riding. With the insurance pay out I got the KR. I fell in love with the KR the moment I test rode it, loud, obnoxious and temperamental (sp?) just like me! I love her so much that when I upgrade im gonna keep her as a racer!

[nudemetalz]

Well, my last "big bike" was back in 1992 being an FJ11.
Decided I wanted another big sports-tourer so I can do a good bit of open road touring with the missus.
The ZX-10 came along at a bargain price and the rest is history.
Starting to slow down now as I'm getting older and enjoying riding for the pleasure of it rather than 10/10's riding....however I do hustle the old girl (the bike, not the missus) through the corners when the mood arises.

[Grahameeboy]

Been riding since 17, had an 8 year break before coming here.
Had 1 take out by a guy who ran a red light in London....I was lucky.
Love my SV1000S......no other bins but I have fallen down a mountain so don't want too lose to many lives.
I guess I am a medium to sometimes fast rider.....well I was fast yesterday....just sorted my suspension and was in he groove.
I chose my bike cause I wanted a change and price wise it is hard to beat and it suits my riding style.

[Colapop]

Because I like to walk everywhere....

[Str8 Jacket]

Because I like to walk everywhere....

Umm, I saw you out running yesterday?...

[35tickets]

Wanted a bike for years and my parents said they'd disown me if i got one (nice!) anyhow left uni and got my first it was the KR 1-s 2 stroker from kawasaki. I'd always wanted the suzuki GSXR250 with the yellow headlights but then read an article in Performance Bikes magazine saying the KR 1 was the best pig paiting bike of all time, and fortunately as it so happens my local kawa agent had one in so off and bought it.
Then a year to the the minute later i traded that on the ZXR 750 H1, had that for 4 years and sold it to do my OE then when i got back i just had to get another bike so bought a GSXR1100 L (1990) Fuck was it fast, and then my local bike shop said there was a guy looking for a GSXR and would i l;ike to sell so I said what else do you have and they showed me the ZZR1100, and i've had it ever since (5 nearly 6 yrs) Love its my best bike ever done over 93000 on it never given any probs

[MSTRS:Me]

After 13yrs off bikes, the subject of returning to the fold came up. I decided OK, why not. I wanted a big bike and the GSXR was available at the right price. The rest is history.

[T.W.R]

Mmm interesting concept really, the ZXR was a case in the right place at the right time. After a few years off the road just working on bikes & playing around on trailies decided it was time to head back to the road, brought a Honda CBX Bol dor' & found it was just too plain, so spread the word around that i was looking for something a bit more spicy & an old associate waved his hand with ZXR , it was bargin so jumped at it.
Had done my time on litre plus bikes so wanted have some fun on a smaller toys.

[emaN]

worked in Phil Turnbulls (part-time) in '96; a whole lotta RF's came thru',and all the buyers were stoked with them...so i filed that one away in the grey matter area.

fast forward to London, 2003. insurance premiums dictated (ie-narrowed down) bike choice; RF's were cheap big bikes to insure...as well as being quick and comfy.

since then we've toured Europe, Scandinavia, all over the UK (incl Isle of Man) and she hasn't let us down once!

working on some mods at the moment, which should make her a bit more 'unique'...

she's a bit porky and bouncy at times; but 80% of the time she's got what it takes!

[Fishy]

Been road riding for 11years but had a 3 year break, and just got back into it last November. Have had 1 major accident which left me pretty badly smashed up and twisted as I got hit by a fucken Volvo. Broke just about every bone on the left side of my body and dislocated my knee real bad. Was on crutches for 9 months and lost a lot of my vastus lateralus (outer quad) as the bone ripped out of my leg and ripped the muscle to bits. Had 2 compound fractures from that accident.

I bought another bike as soon as I could hobble around on 1 crutch instead of 2 haha the guys in Red Baron thought I was mad hobbling in on a crutch and buying a bike from them.

Bought my current bike as it was cheap!.

Really wanted a K4 Gixxer but deal didn't work out and the blade came up on trademe - I made the guy an offer and he accepted.

Only really own a thou because I am always 2up and the extra torque in the bigger cc engine helps. If I was single I would have either bought a ZX636 or a Gixxer 750.

[limbimtimwim]

I'd always wanted a VTR250 when I saw a picture of one, it looks quite good from the side. A dash of style most 250s lack. I got one, it was great. It has since been sold on. I regret selling it.

Always wanted an RVF400. Saw one on the cover on a magazine doing a mono (Performance Bikes, I have a copy somewhere unless my parents threw it out when I moved out) when I was 16 or so when they were a current model. Now I got one, I am not selling it ever because I regretted selling the VTR so much.

Next bike, a 749s biposto. Why? Because it looks cool.

Hmm, funny that, I only want bikes that look good to me. I think about it like this, if I couldn't stare at it and think "yeah" then I couldn't fall in love with it. Hence I have a soft spot for stuff like ugly-as-sin-but-lock-up-your-daughters ZRX1200 . Sure, a CBR600F4i or a GSXR600K1 is probably a better bike than the RVF, but fuggit, I could never fall in love with those.

[Mental Trousers]

Got the bike cos it was a good bike at a good price from someone with a good reputation (Frosty). I've pretty much decided that I'm keeping the old girl even after I upgrade and turn her into a trackday bike as it's got all the good bits straight from the factory (6 pot Brembo's front and twin Brembo's rear, upside downers, 39mm flat slides, close ratio gearbox, Ohlins rear shock blah blah) and lots of cheap parts to get more go (heads/barrels/pistons from FZR 1000 bolt straight in etc).

At the moment I'm going to upgrade the fork springs and ride her for a bit, then upgrade later on.

[buellbabe]

Buell X1 Lightning/ Sex on wheels......I've been riding 20+ yrs, had a bike long before I ever got a car. Started on a Yamaha dirt bike and then pretty soon was lusting after an RD350 but my mates talked me out of it cos they knew my need for speed and reckoned I'd probably kill myself on it!!! Rode OP's for a few years then 1 day out of the blue I found myself in a bike shop with money to burn and became the proud owner of an 883 HD Hugger. Loved that bike and wish I still had it but time marches on and 14 yrs and 2 Harleys later they just weren't doing it for me anymore, I had the measure of the bike and wanted something more challenging but being brand-loyal there was only 1 logical choice! Test rode the Buell for a couple of days then bought it. 5+ yrs later the love affair shows no sign of waning... more and more in love with it everytime I go for a ride!
oh yeah baby...