Bikes wot I 'ave owned

[nickjtc]

Just because I have nothing better to do, here is a smattering of the machines I have owned/ridden over the years.

First powered two wheeler, a '72 Puch Maxi. I was a legend in my own mind!


Then the first 'real' bike, a '72 Honda CB175. Here hidden next to a friends CB250 on a camping trip to S.Wales.


Then a '73 CB250. Dig the '70s mop top!!


After sending the 250 down the road, sideways, I downsized to my first dualsport, a '74 Suzuki TS125


I also owned an AJS Stormer at this time, with grandiose ideas of going scrambling. It all came to naught, however. No pic, unfortunately.

This was going to be my first restoration project, a BSA C15 of indeterminate age, that never ran, and was pushed 4 miles from an outlying village to where I lived. Never restored because......


....... then it was off over the ocean to Canada, and my first 'biggie', a '77 Suzuki GS750


Followed by my first XT500, in 1980.


Back to Blighty in '81 and this....... it lasted one month before expiring spectacularly!!


Had a Honda XL125 as well, but never took a pic of it............

Back to Canada. The missis wanted to learn to ride so we got this for her. '84 Yamaha Virago, mildly de-cruiserised.

I ended up riding it more than her. Because she thought it was a bit of a handful we got this:


'90 Honda VTR250. And again I ended up riding it more than her. One of the few bikes I would like to get again.

While the missis was dabbling with her Yam, I became "born again" and got this, an '84 Yamaha XJ750RL. Nice bike.


Kids left home. Bit of dosh in the bank. time to get the brand I ALWAYS wanted, so got this in '98, a '96 R1100RS, the last one sold 'as new' in Canada.


But after all, it was 'only a bike' so it did not last long. Replaced by this, a '99 KLR650.


The novelty of the KLR wore off, so it was replaced by this, a '00 VFR800. My 'office' for five glorious years.


Restoration project #2. Never happened, but I had dreams...


'The Mistress' (long story), alas now gone. '71 Commando Roadster.


Sophie the '79 CB650. A trusty commuter who carried me 22,000 trouble free kms up to northern BC.


XT500, #2.


And back to a 'sensible' dualsport, a '08 KLR250.


Then I was into my 'minibike' phase.... for the grandkids, of course! A '69, '71 and '76



Tried vintage trials for a while and only succeeded in doing nasty things to myself!! '83 Fantic


Another dabble at 'older' dual sporting, a '73 Kawasaki 125


2010 Thruxton.


'67 N15CS. Didn't last long. Had to sell it, with the Commando, to make a down payment on the house.


Stanley the Steamer ('96)


'78 Cimatti moped, picked up to help a friend out. Languishing in the garage, as we speak.


Last, but not least, Rhoda, the Roadie.


Bored yet? 

[motoOzarks]

it only takes half of those to keep me entertained.

wouldn't want em all at once

[John Stenhouse]

Funny I'm looking for a moped almost like that, they were sold in the UK as NVT, yes that is Norton Villiers Triumph, and I had an ER4L which I would kind of like to replace if one came along.

[Sin_Tiger]

I like the "Garden Tools" pose, was that deliberate 

[nickjtc]

Funny I'm looking for a moped almost like that, they were sold in the UK as NVT, yes that is Norton Villiers Triumph, and I had an ER4L which I would kind of like to replace if one came along.

If you lived here you could have that one..... :icon_wink:

[nickjtc]

I like the "Garden Tools" pose, was that deliberate 

Which pic??

[JoeDirt]

Nice write up Nickjtc,

I like the adult owned ones. The Norton and Thruxton stand out the most to me...

I wish I could have had more bikes over the years. My photo album is a two-paged pamphlet. 69' Suzuki TC120 on one page and 01' Tiger on the other.

[nickjtc]

Incidentally, I invite any of you guys to join in on this and show what you've had over the years. Maybe one of you is as anal as I was and have pics of all of the bikes you have owned/ridden......

[nickjtc]

I wish I could have had more bikes over the years. My photo album is a two-paged pamphlet. 69' Suzuki TC120 on one page and 01' Tiger on the other.

I am actually envious of those that have owned only a few bikes, but kept them forever.

I have to admit that the procession of machines was not really intentional. Bikes were changed by me either because I moved house, or it didn't push the right buttons, or I needed to free up the $$ value in them (usually).

If I could do it again I wouldn't have sold the Suzuki GS750 in 1980. But as fate would have it I got it back in 2013 anyway and am now resurrecting it. The VFR800 only went because it was pushing 90,000km and I wasn't instructing any more so wanted to let it go at a point that it would realise some of its value.

I've searched for that first CB175 on the DVLA database, but alas it is no more.

The biggest disappointment of the lot was the BMW. I could never afford one as a youngster and always wanted one, especially when the oil heads were launched. The R1100RS was a great deal, but in Montreal, so the missis and I flew over to pick it up and ride it back to BC. Within half a day the reality struck that it was "just another" bike, not particularly memorable. Two years later it had 32,000km under it when a student asked if I wanted to sell it. The price was right so I kissed it goodbye.

[JoeDirt]

In the 80's I had my eye on VFR's and the 90's it was CBR's and 00's it was Tigers for me...

I still search the classifieds for a nice used VFR or CBR.

[John Stenhouse]

Had 3 VFRs cracking bike. One of Hondas best.

[nickjtc]

Had 3 VFRs cracking bike. One of Hondas best.

Yes indeed!!

[Bixxer Bob]

Had a TS125 as well Nick, two plugs in one cylinder.  There's a story behind that.....  

[nickjtc]

Had a TS125 as well Nick, two plugs in one cylinder.  There's a story behind that.....

Do tell.

With mine I went over the recommended service interval at 1000 miles by about 100 miles and succeeded in holing a piston on the A1. On 9 quid a week apprentice wages the 4 quid they wanted to fix it was hard to take. Nevertheless I really enjoyed the bike.

[Bixxer Bob]

Do tell...

It was 1982, I was serving in the RAF, a friend was locked up for three months and had left a TS125 in bits in a box at work.  The boss told me to get rid, so I wrote to my mate and said £10 a month to put it in my garage, or sell it to me for £35.  He chose the latter so I bought a Haynes and got cracking.  I had the frame, tank and plastics painted in our spray shop, paid for a rebore and new piston, bought new seals and gaskets and put it back together.  Come the big day I put fuel in and kicked it.  Nothing.  Checked all the electrics, kicked it. Nothing.  Checked the carb and fuel, kicked it.  Nothing. Bought a new plug as per the Haynes, kicked it.  Nothing.  Nice fat spark, fuel in the cylinder, but kicking it?  Nothing.

Pushed it up and down the road till I thought I was going to have a heart attack.  Nothing.  Enlisted a biking friend to push it up and down the road till we both thought we were going to have heart attacks.  Nothing.  Not so much as a cough.  You can see a theme developing here eh??  I thenstripped the engine to check I hadn't nipped a seal, re-assembled it but still.... Nothing!

Next I contacted the bike shop in Stafford where I got the rebore done.  He asked me to bring it in so we took a van from work on an extended test drive and just "popped in".  He was just as baffled as we were.  But, as luck would have it, the NGK rep was in the shop while we were there.   He looked at the plug and said, "I don't think this looks right"..   I said, "It's what the Haynes says....".  He asked us to give him a few minutes while he made a phonecall.  To Japan.  Some minutes later he came back, picked a plug from the shop rack, put it in the head, kicked it and  "WWIIIINNNGG  DIIIIIINGGG DIINNGGGG". What the f**k.......

Turns out the reason for the two plugs in a single cylinder is because the bike needed a hot plug to start it and for normal running; but if it got hot you could have a cold plug in the second hole ready to swap the plug lead over.  The Haynes recommendation was for the hot plug which would spark in free air, but not under compression in the cylinder.   Happy days!

Or so I thought.  I  knew MOT time would be tricky because I'd cut the exhaust in half to remove all the rattly bits which were in fact the baffles, then welded it up again and given it a coat of high heat black.  It was a bit on the loud side but the old guy was sympathetic and let it through anyway.

I rode it home along a bumpy country road and, after hitting a fairly big bump, thought I'd knackered the suspension because it rode several inches lower.  I decided to continue home with care, but while negotiating a right hand bend there was a sort of "Boingggg" and I found myself sat on my arse on the road.  Turns out one of the read shocks was bent, and had stuck in the down position, which then unloaded mid bend and threw me off.

I sold it for £100 and was happy to see it gone, but looking back I wish I'd finished fixing it and kept it because it really was a fun little bike.

Have you see what they fetch now....