Your bike history

Aprilia RS125. I did 10,000 miles in 6 months on that.
SV650S.
CBR600RR.

1st bike - very old W-reg suzuki GSX250 in silver. Had it for about 3 years I think. It spent a lot of time on the floor but I learnt a lot and went loads of places on it. Ace bike

2nd bike - Old Y-reg Yamaha 350YPVS in red, white and blue. This was the right price at the right time so I bought it but it had problems so I got rid quickly.

3rd bike - F-reg Kawasaki GPZ500S in matt black. I had this for about 5 years I think and went all round Scotland on it one year. Sold it to a mate for £200 with well over 100,000 miles on it and it was still going years after that

4th bike - N-reg red naked bandit. One of the best bikes I have ever had. I loved this bike and will always regret selling it

5th bike - I've still got this one - a G-reg yamaha FZX750 in stunning pink and black It's been slightly modified so I'm quite attached to it somehow so can't bear to sell it even though it takes up space in the garage

6th bike - I sold the bandit to buy a blue 2001 SV650S. I kept it a couple of years and never really got on with it to be honest. I liked it but it wasn't right for me somehow, so I sold it and bought...

7th bike - a 2002 Cagiva raptor 1000, in red. This is the best bike I have ever owned - stunning looks, fun, low seat height and sounds ace. I wanted one for years but could never afford the insurance but now I have one and I wouldn't get rid for anything

Originally Posted by Amanda M

2002 Cagiva raptor 1000, in red...........now I have one and I wouldn't get rid for anything

Not even a bag of chips and a pint?

[northwind]

Very short history for me... A Yammy Virago XV125, which was a lovely bike when it wasn't broken down. And then the SV.

Next bike? Depends. If the SV was stolen or destroyed tomorrow, I'd buy another carbed SV. But if it lives its natural lifespan out and gets converted to a toy, which is the plan, I'd probably look at a Falco or, depending on what it was for, maybe a Deuville.

Done this before i think. These bikes i had for at least 2 months (including courtesy bikes)

• Kymco Zing 125cc (rusted within a year, useless thing)
  Yamaha FZX750 Fazer
  Yamaha YZF R600 Thundercat
  Yamaha FZ750
  Fazer 1000
  SV650S
  Honda VFR800i
  GSXR 600

1st - CB125 Superdream - twin carbs on a 125! Written off when pedestrian walked out in front of me. It was the cheapest 2nd hand bike I could find and even then I couldn't really afford it.

2nd - Suzuki Intruder 750 - What can I say? I was into the cruiser thing then.

3rd - Harley Davidson Dyna Low Rider 1340cc - As above, but the 'real thing'. Bought new during the Internet boom and sold last year.

4th - Ducati ST2 (944cc) - Saw a low-mileage one and bought it as a second bike. It quickly became 1st bike as it was more fun than the Harley. Great when it worked but eventually spent more time broken down than actually working.

5th - SV650 - Bought new as a cheapish replacement for the ST2. Was stolen after about a year.

6th - Triumph Speed Triple 1050 (current) - I sold the Harley and used the cash + the insurance payout on the SV to buy this new last year. I just *HAD* to have one.

Ok,

Started a few years back, aged 16 with a Suzuki Katana 50cc sit and screw. Was an alright machine, good for 35mph restricted, and handled well.

Sold that and upgraded to a Gilera DNA 125 4stroke sit and screw, but styled like a motorbike (altogether now "ohhhhhh" ). Had that for about 18 months, before flogging it.

Then i did my restricted test, and purchased my first "real" bike.

Silver, SV650S K2 with 6000miles on the clock for £3400 sold it 11 months later (was under the illusion that i didnt really need a motorbike, and that the money could be used to clear my rapidly increasing credit card balance). Sold it for 2400 with 37000miles on the clock.

A month after selling it, i was climbing the walls as it was a WONDERFUL summer.

I bought a ZXR400 H1 from Ebay for £1100. Picked it up from a guy near spalding ( i had been down to check it over before hand and it appeared alright). Got 10 miles up the road.. and


BANG!!!! Oil cooler exploded, urinating oil everywhere. Managed to keep on the bike and stopped urgently. recovered the bike to a friends house, and its stayed there ever since! Reason for this being that when i went into the local import dealer to buy some parts i fell in love straight away with a 1999 registered CBR400RR NC29 which was right by the door. The sales man saw me drooling, he came out, started it up (had an ART can on) and that was it. I asked if he did finance, he did, i signed that day! Rode away the next day. Bike was up for £3500 throw in the finance and that bike cost me £5000 almost.

But i wouldnt have it any other way.

It was a DREAM!

Sold it in July last year after getting caught speeding too many times..

The ZXR remains in my mates shed. If i can twist my dads arm to let him keep it in his garage, ill get it up there, and start working on it - by the time i get my license back in *COUGH* three years *COUGH*it should be nicely done up and ready to roll.



In my time ive also ridden though:

Bandit 600
Bandit 1200
ZZR1100 (180mph indicated) down M1 "just to see what it'll do mister"
Firestorm
ZX7R
CBR600RR
Pegaso 650 (commonly known as the pigs ar$ehole due to its questionable handling)
Varadaro 125 and 1000

They were all bikes of my friends, which i was insured to ride.

sv650s

Garelli 80 cc - toured Europe on it!!!

Moto Guzzi Imola 350cc. Lovely looking bike and brilliant when it ran, but jeez talk about active ownership. Eventually self destructed spectacularly.

Moto Guzzi California: the tourer, good bike but oh so much maintenance

Moto Guzzi California: the later version: gave up on Guzzis at this point

Honda Deauville - much derided but a fantastic distance bike 54,000 miles and wrote it off

Suzuki SV650s - the love affair continues

[squirrel_hunter]

Started @16 with a Speedfight 50. It really was a fight to get any sort of speed out of the thing, but an indicated 34mph will live in my memory forever.

Year later got the TZR125L and learnt how to crash and some spanner skills on it. Power Valved it and it felt like a rocket. Looking back now must of been nuts to ride it how I did, you had to give a weeks notice in writing to stop. Still went through a pair of boots by leaning it!

At 18 I got the CBR400RR NC23. It was stunning once the ristricors were out but the insurance was cripiling. Handled like a dream and I learnt knee down on it. Was never the same after the engine poped (not my fault) and is missing most of the plastics now, though they can be found on the M32 where they fell off!

Then got the SV650S when I was 19ish. V-Twin power is great. 3 engines later I still have it and I'm still having fun, wouldn't give it up for anything.

Looking to get a R7 in a couple of years after I finish Uni and get my bikes to how I want them...