The Motorbike Thread

[therapy]

Great story and pics Simon. I had an xt550 back in the 80s. That was kick-start only too. The W800 is a lovely bike - shame they seem to sell so few of them. A lovely feeling of momentum to the engine which seems so rare on most new bikes these days....

Nick

 

[simontie]

May as well add my own 2-wheel history to this thread. Covers the period from 1965 until the present. There were several gaps between models due to economic circumstances at the time. Most of the bikes were used as the main commuting transport.

Heinkel Tourist (175cc)
Jawa Californian (250cc)
Suzuki TS90

Great story and pics Simon. I had an xt550 back in the 80s. That was kick-start only too. The W800 is a lovely bike - shame they seem to sell so few of them. A lovely feeling of momentum to the engine which seems so rare on most new bikes these days....

Nick

Great story and pics Simon. I had an xt550 back in the 80s. That was kick-start only too. The W800 is a lovely bike - shame they seem to sell so few of them. A lovely feeling of momentum to the engine which seems so rare on most new bikes these days....

Nick

Suzuki T350
Honda CB175
Suzuki GT500B
Yamaha DT175
Suzuki T500 Titan
Honda CB250RS
Honda CB400/4 Super Sports
Kawasaki GPX250
Yamaha SR500
Honda VT600
*Honda Megapro
Kawasaki KLR650
Suzuki GS500
SYM GTS250 Firenze
Yamaha MT-03

* I worked in Indonesia on the island of Flores in 2003 which is where I owned a Honda Megapro 175 cc single pot machine, made locally under licence from Honda Japan. It wasn't exported to other countries.

View attachment 429060

The bike for which I have the fondest memories is the Honda CB175 from the early 70's. Here's a photo of an example that matched the colour and bars of my own machine.

View attachment 429059

And here is the current machine in the garage - a 2020 Yamaha MT-03.

View attachment 429061

Each of these machines are a bookmark of the various stages of a long life, some good, some not so. I think the current one will be the last ...

 

[simontie]

Great story and pics Simon. I had an xt550 back in the 80s. That was kick-start only too. The W800 is a lovely bike - shame they seem to sell so few of them. A lovely feeling of momentum to the engine which seems so rare on most new bikes these days....

Nick

Its a 2019 they didnt sell any due to covid and it was a real steal it runs nice and sitting at 55 ish its just great for touring about putt putt sounds great from the twin my only criticism would be it feels like it needs another gear.
not perticualry fast but if you do drop ot acouple of gears and wind it up it soon flies up to the ton not that i would do such a thing (often).
simon

 

[simontie]

May as well add my own 2-wheel history to this thread. Covers the period from 1965 until the present. There were several gaps between models due to economic circumstances at the time. Most of the bikes were used as the main commuting transport.

Heinkel Tourist (175cc)
Jawa Californian (250cc)
Suzuki TS90
Suzuki T350
Honda CB175
Suzuki GT500B
Yamaha DT175
Suzuki T500 Titan
Honda CB250RS
Honda CB400/4 Super Sports
Kawasaki GPX250
Yamaha SR500
Honda VT600
*Honda Megapro
Kawasaki KLR650
Suzuki GS500
SYM GTS250 Firenze
Yamaha MT-03

* I worked in Indonesia on the island of Flores in 2003 which is where I owned a Honda Megapro 175 cc single pot machine, made locally under licence from Honda Japan. It wasn't exported to other countries.

View attachment 429060

The bike for which I have the fondest memories is the Honda CB175 from the early 70's. Here's a photo of an example that matched the colour and bars of my own machine.

View attachment 429059

And here is the current machine in the garage - a 2020 Yamaha MT-03.

View attachment 429061

Each of these machines are a bookmark of the various stages of a long life, some good, some not so. I think the current one will be the last ...

I love the MT what a nice looking bike

 

[simontie]

Funny story when i first got theW800 my to nephews both asked for a ride on it, so i said ok minute i started it & they both ran for the hills, But Molly our 3 year old granddaughter ran towards me saying i want ago granddad .. this is one of the best pictures i have you can tell by her grin she loved it

 

[minitnkr]

Priceless grandad moment!!!!!
She'll be the one to watch.

 

[simontie]

Priceless grandad moment!!!!!
She'll be the one to watch.

She already is, no fear and a go try it attitude

 

[tigersteve]

About time I got back to another Motorcycle ! - I made one of these a long time ago in Titanium Grey as I had a real one, but as I sold the model again on Ebay and I had also owned a lovely Silver one, I have been bidding and finally nicked one on Ebay again £13.00 plus p and p ! This one will be Silver - Happy days !

 

[therapy]

Nice bikes those, Steve.

Nick

 

[therapy]

Well, I took the 650 Suzuki out for a toodle round the backroads this morning. With the weather being so mild and all the Christmas and New year family stuff done, wifey expressed an interest in going for a spin. This is probably the first time she's been on the back of the bike during the month of January since we had kids!

My route took in the old Birch airfield where one of the runways became a public road after the war. According to the usual sources, the airfield was completed in 1943 by the US airforce, but never became fully operational. It was used as an emergency landing field and for the massing of transports and gliders for the crossing of the Rhine. More recently it has been used buy dads taking their offspring for first drives and for late night silliness...



Nick

 

[minitnkr]

Oh my, sooo straight, and a windbreak. Can't have been too silly, I don't see any rubber on the road.

 

[therapy]

Oh my, sooo straight, and a windbreak. Can't have been too silly, I don't see any rubber on the road.

Wait until summer!

Nick

 

[therapy]

Bright and breezy here today, so the ex-army Harley enjoyed a pleasant 65 mile trundle through the backroads.

Found this wartime relic standing guard over a flooded field. I was parked over the road beside a very swollen river...



Thanks for looking in....

Nick

 

[Squege]

It's getting better, not only have i found a site for like minded modeller's but it's got a lot of biker's too!! I have been riding since 1974 first few year's as a naughty fellow then passed my test and carried on, it just get's in the blood; apparently i was nearly borne on an A.J.S. I do not own a car just two bike's and not many brain cell's, at least that's how it seem's when the weather is not so good!!

 

[PaulTRose]

finally found a pic of my last bike........600 Bandit......lovely bike, comfortable and usuable.......why dont any one make similar now?.....been looking at a bike again and it seems no one makes a 600-ish bike thats just an honest good looking bike,.......honestly there is nothing out there that takes my fancy

 

[tigersteve]

After a couple of years forced absence from riding, I bought this old girl for a bit of fun when I get the chance!

Added it to my photo collection of every bike i have owned - some are 'stock' photos as the originals have long gone!

 

[Tim Marlow]

Is that a B120 I spy in the third shot? If so (picture is a little small to be sure) it looks just like the one I learned to ride on…..and passed my part one and two tests on.

 

[tigersteve]

The 4th shot is the B120 ( 3rd was Suzuki 250 Super Six 1967 ! ) probably what you meant - I bought it as a commuter bike after the 250 died and part exchanged it when I bought the Bonneville !

 

[Airborne01]

After a couple of years forced absence from riding, I bought this old girl for a bit of fun when I get the chance!

Added it to my photo collection of every bike i have owned - some are 'stock' photos as the originals have long gone!View attachment 452133View attachment 452136View attachment 452137

Lambretta ---aaaaargh! 65 minutes on the naughty step Sir - utterly disgraceful!
Steve

 

[tigersteve]

Lambretta ---aaaaargh! 65 minutes on the naughty step Sir - utterly disgraceful!
Steve

You have to start somewhere - not ashamed of it, commuted to work in London and took my girlfriend ( now, still my wife! ) on holiday to Weymouth for a week.......
Started off red and white and I turned it into a black SX200 mean machine