• Welcome to the new B.I.R.D. Forum. Please be sure to read the "New Member / New Registered ? Please Read" thread in the Coffee Shop. This contains some important information. To become a full member ( £5.90 a year ) simply click on your user name near the top on the right I hope you enjoy the new site ................ Jaws ( John )

You'll like this What was your first 'keeper' bike ?

T.C

Been there, and had one
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On the other side of the coin, the one bike I could not wait to get rid of was my GSX1100EFG which I purchased new in about 88.

I made the mistake of buying new from Motorcycle City. When I went to collect it, they were reving the nuts off it on a brand new cold engine because they had not put enough fuel in to fill all 4 carbs.

I did about 30,000 on that bike in a year and I never really enjoyed it. Poor ground clearance, engine that vibrated a lot. I always liked the look of the bike but I guess I was expecting a bigger version of my old CB900 which I loved.

Anyway, in 89 it got sold so I could get my first CBR1000FK which was a revelation for its time, and of course was the forerunner to the Bird.

Did 130,000 on that bike and apparently it is still going to this day with over 400K on the clock.

But the big Suzuki? That was a big mistake

GSX1100EF.jpg
 

Jaws

Corporal CockUp
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Probably a 250 continental engine someone had stuffed in it if it was a 250 or a the frame from one if it was actually a bullet engine, I had one with a triumph 500 twin in it
Nope.. It was a 350 Bullet. Guy I bought it from ( neighbour ) bought it new when he was demobbed. The shop registered it as a 250 for him so it was cheaper to tax and insure.. Back then you could get away with all sorts of shenanigans !
Bought new from Nelsons, Green Lane Goodmayes :)

A few years later when they were closing down they asked me if I would like some of the stuff they were skipping
Took away several tea chests full of gaskets that dated back to the 1920's, and an Arial 350 NH... and that was registered as a 250 as well
 

Cougar377

Express elevator to hell
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Whoever did the block paving should be shot.

The drain cover is a total balls up.

You're back then. :rolleyes:

This is the part of the forum where we actually talk motorbikes (shocking, I know). The Gardening Section is over there.....
 

Beardybiker

Old Hand
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My TL1000S. Absolute nutter of a bike. Part exchanged it 15 years ago for my bird and regretted letting it go ever since. But they will have to dig a big hole when I go cos the bird is getting buried with me.
Yep the Suzuki big twins are nice and torquey -had the Sv1000S from new and did 13k miles in the year
Nice rumble from scorpion cans as well:camper:
 

Cougar377

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Yep the Suzuki big twins are nice and torquey -had the Sv1000S from new and did 13k miles in the year
Nice rumble from scorpion cans as well:camper:

Loud cans, V twin....what's not to like. :D
 

Duck n Dive

Rebel without a clue ...
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I made the mistake of buying new from Motorcycle City. When I went to collect it, they were reving the nuts off it on a brand new cold engine because they had not put enough fuel in to fill all 4 carbs.

Motorcycle City .......? Oh the memories.

Great to go and browse the stock but their reputation was pants.

I did actually buy a bike off them once, ex demo CB750F2 (last of the SOHC) with about 200 miles on it. Kept it for many years until eventually it was stolen from outside T1 at Heathrow while I was on a late shift.

The best/keeper bike would probably be the Suzuki GT380. Did mega miles on that. Part ex it for the CB750.

Bought the 380 from Ken Heanes motorcycles in fleet, my first brand new bike.

If I'm honest the 750 (and the blackbird) can be a handful at a standstill as I've only got short little legs. The 380 was "just right" for size/weight. Once on the move though it doesn't matter!
 

derek kelly

The Deli lama
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The first bike I had from new was in 99, it was a 600 bandit, bought from powersport in Bradford, sales & aftersales were brilliant, took it for it’s first service & they lent me a 1200 bandit which was a lot of fun, I later received a recall letter from Suzuki there was a fault & metal filings were getting into the fuel, powersport had got rid of some staff & installed the son as customer manager, he was a complete wanker, as a courtesy bike they lent me some 500cc kwaka that kept Cutting out, his parting words were “it’s a full tank, make sure it’s still full when you return it”
When I went to pick my bike up I handed him the keys to the kwaka & said “thanks for the loan of the death trap, you have just lost at least one customer”
 

T.C

Been there, and had one
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The best/keeper bike would probably be the Suzuki GT380. Did mega miles on that. Part ex it for the CB750.

Shows how opinions differ doesn't it? My first bike after passing my test in 1976 was a GT380. What a pile of poo that was.

As an L rider I had been hooning about on the likes of RD250's, GT250's, KH250 Kawasaki's including the worst of all bikes the Honda CB250G5 and I thought the 380 would be cool. A triple, looked the dogs danglies, gear indicator, but how wrong I was.

But on the subject of Shitty City, I had a VF1000F with the Chocolate cams. It went through replacement camshafts like a knive through butter. All done under warranty until eventually Honda replaced them with titanium cams but the same result, made from chocolate.

Anyway, I got rid of it because I was so fed up, but one day I was patrolling in the area and thought like you say, I would call in and have a browse.

Imagine my surprise when I saw my old bike taking pride of place in the secondhand aisle (It was about 18 months old at this time) and they were asking silly money as in expensive.

I was in uniform with my job bike parked outside and the salesman came over and was very polite and thought he had a customer with me looking at my old heap of junk.

Anyway, he then proceeded to regale me with tales of how he knew the previous owner personally, it had been 100% reliable and, and, and, You get the drift.

Imagine the look on his face when this hairy arsed bike cop who says, "well I don't know you" "I have never met you before" The bewildered look on his face was a treat as I then proceeded to tell him the bikes history, how many sets of cams it had received, what was currently fitted and Honda UK had brought the bike back and given me a VF1000R as a replacement. (1000R as you know was gear driven as per the VFR750 which never had the same problem)

That was the last time I ever called in to that branch and they started going bust shortly after.

Still makes me smile when I think back, but I always wonder how many other riders parted with their hard earnt having been conned.....
 

Jaws

Corporal CockUp
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I would like to own a 1967 K1 Honda 450 Blackbomber... I think it was the first bike I did the ton on
 

Pow-Lo

Make civil the mind, make savage the body.
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It’s not an age thing, it’s muscular, it’s already getting harder to swing my leg over, I can tear a muscle just by putting my boots on.
Damn, that sounds rough. Sorry to hear.
 

ianrobbo1

good looking AND modest
The favorite bike I should have kept was an rd350 Yamaha, next was a VFR 750 fh, a great bike did thousands on that as a courier darn sarf, my cars and bikes 005.jpg
 

andyBeaker

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You're back then. :rolleyes:

This is the part of the forum where we actually talk motorbikes (shocking, I know). The Gardening Section is over there.....
It s not 'what I think'.

It's a fact.

Bugger off to a forum for motorised cycles if you want to talk about them.
 

Cougar377

Express elevator to hell
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It s not 'what I think'.

It's a fact.

Bugger off to a forum for motorised cycles if you want to talk about them.
You remind me of a bank manager I once had when I banked with Lloyd's. Technically correct, but undeniably rude with it....
 

andyBeaker

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You remind me of a bank manager I once had when I banked with Lloyd's. Technically correct, but undeniably rude with it....
If you banked with a comedy bank you should have expected a comedy bank manager.

Fact.

:D
 

andyBeaker

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I have never, ever owned a motorised cycle that I wanted to keep.

Ever.

Never will.

I do regret selling a few cars though.
 

slim63

Never surrender
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On the other side of the coin, the one bike I could not wait to get rid of was my GSX1100EFG which I purchased new in about 88.

I made the mistake of buying new from Motorcycle City. When I went to collect it, they were reving the nuts off it on a brand new cold engine because they had not put enough fuel in to fill all 4 carbs.

I did about 30,000 on that bike in a year and I never really enjoyed it. Poor ground clearance, engine that vibrated a lot. I always liked the look of the bike but I guess I was expecting a bigger version of my old CB900 which I loved.

Anyway, in 89 it got sold so I could get my first CBR1000FK which was a revelation for its time, and of course was the forerunner to the Bird.

Did 130,000 on that bike and apparently it is still going to this day with over 400K on the clock.

But the big Suzuki? That was a big mistae

I cant agree on that as I have owned 4 efe's & loved every one, all day comfortable a lot more torque than a poxy bandit even in stock ish trim & dead easy to tune the nuts off if that's your thing, my last a Italian import gave 136bhp with minor tweaks (they had a bit more go than uk versions as stock)

Yes ground clearance is limited but they are no worse than anything else of the era & its the pegs or centre stand that touch down first which is easily sorted , bloody expensive for a good one now which tells you how sort after they are

I agree on the cbr1000 a much under rated bike & great fun until the inevitable cam chain rattle starts up at around 40k, pug ugly to look at but great to ride in my view & yes I have had a few, the last I bought on a whim one Friday morning did 1000+ miles on by Monday night fully loaded up with camping kit & pillion, no complaints from either of us on comfort or go..... sold for a modest profit the next Friday as another Suzuki took my fancy
 
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