Bikes you love sooo much you just can't sell.

[99Bandit]

I've had several bikes over the years that I either liked or hated. I picked up my 1999 Suzuki Bandit 1200S a few years ago and fell in love with it.

I may buy something different eventually but, this bike isn't going anywhere if I can help it.

[C/1/509]

Originally Posted by Mr. Magoo

Damned nice!

[HOT DAMN!]

Originally Posted by BanjoBoy

Wut, is it napping?

No, I am.

[beeper]

My 2000 Bandit 1200. Bought it new and will keep it forever, love the power and simplicity of the air cooled big bore.

Time for a change though,planning a naked conversion and some engine goodies.

[chalayko]

Not adventure bikes but the one on the left I bought new in September 1971 and the other one I built from a bare frame. The trophies are from the last show I had them in. Cliff.

[Pantah]

I have two I can't see ever selling:

1998 Ducati 900SS FE. It hasn't been fired up in seven years. I should get rid of it, but I can't.


2008 Yamaha WR250R. I ride it all over the west. It's such a friendly little thing and has all the right equipment to go far over any rideable terrain and is comfy doing it. The bike is a gift for old timers like me who still want to get out there.

[nskitts]

For me, Buell Lightning XB9SX. It has character. I would only replace it with a Triumph.

[whitham_wannabe]

Number thirty seven and me.

I first bought this bike in 1998, when I arrived fresh faced in the USA. I had always wanted to race bikes, but could never afford it in the UK. Within two months of getting to Michigan, I had bought this baby off a friend of a friend., as a very clean race bike converted back to street duty. It lived in my living room during the first winter, then we went racing together for my maiden '99 season. Never did win a race on it, but got up on the podium and led races. For '00 I kept it as my 'big bore' bike, next to my 600, but found switching between the two bikes too confusing. At the end of 2000, I sold her to my mate Bondy, and he raced her for '01.

'01 was Bondy's last season of racing, and he became my mechanic as I moved onto fickle Italian race bikes. #37 languished for a couple of years, before Chris bought another crashed ZX7, and used her perfect street bodywork to fix that one up. He then embarked on a fighter conversion. Another mate of ours, JB polished the frame, I provided a Ducati tailunit and everything was generally bodged back together. With most of the hardwork done, Bondy and I agreed on a trade over a couple of beers - my 748S spares bike and an ATK for the fighter.

I did some final tidying up and painting, and then #37 sat in my garage for 2 years when I moved to Seattle, before Bondy spirited it away to San Diego. A few months later I had it shipped up to Seattle. She's home!

I know one day I am going to have to dispose of it, but I will find that process very difficult indeed.

[Pantah]

whitham - That is freakin' awesome! Congrats.

My son started racing when you did. An Aprilia RS250 in Aprilia Cup. Then he added a TZ250, but hated that bike! Then he bumped to 600's of which he had a lot of success too.

Of all things, the kid snagged his old TZ back...go figure. I was looking at it last week. Still has his old colors, but pretty well ground down from a couple lowsides.

[TexaNate]

Originally Posted by High Country Herb

I can't part with my 1983 Honda XL600R.

I swapped out the front rim for an 18" hoop (on stock hub) for a semi-supermoto conversion. I used Kenda K761 tires for the street. I sold it to a friend for a year, with the stipulation that I get first dibs if he ever sold it, and that is exactly what I did. After riding the heavy Aprilia Dorsoduro off road for a year, the XL feels like a lightweight trail bike now. Now that I have the "big" Aprilia SM, I have DOT knobbies on the XL; D606 rear, MT21 front. I also added a whole bunch of teeth to the rear sprocket, so it really climbs now. I missed the bike for the entire year it was away, so I can't see myself selling it again.

Beautiful!

My dad bought this 1983 Honda XL250R brand new - it runs to this day! He's made it clear to me that he's going to spend/trash his entire estate before he dies (so he doesn't spoil me with his inheritance) EXCEPT I'll get to take over his "most prized possession". Here pictured shortly before I had to run and catch it from flopping on its too-short kickstand in the sand.

[Mambo Dave]

Originally Posted by whitham_wannabe

Number thirty seven and me.

I owned the same era of single ram-air intake front ZX-7, and it was truly an amazing machine in all respects.

I've ridden many bikes since it, but I will always regret having to sell that stable of a platform at that point in my life.

That's great that you've kept yours. After seeing how you changed it I feel a bit foolish for not doing the same, but I had decidedly stopped riding (I thought forever in the area I now live in just due to the terrain and bad drivers), so I felt it was time to get rid of it.

[Mr. Cob]

Howdy All,

This is one of the birthday presents I bought myself when I turned 50 in 1998, one of the very first R1's in the Nor-Wet. I am getting pretty bunged up from years of riding and crashing, the R1 is getting real hard on my back, wrists and neck but every time I ride the damned thing it scares me and puts a smile on my face an undertaker couldn't remove. So at a little over 14,000 miles I am still occasionally riding it. This thing is at least 9.5 out of 10 on a zero to ten scale, never dropped, ridden on Sundays by an old gray haired guy, STONE STOCK, never been molested or cut, did I mention I love this bike.

[Dansrc51]

[orangebear]

Originally Posted by Mr. Cob

Howdy All,

This is one of the birthday presents I bought myself when I turned 50 in 1998, one of the very first R1's in the Nor-Wet. I am getting pretty bunged up from years of riding and crashing, the R1 is getting real hard on my back, wrists and neck but every time I ride the damned thing it scares me and puts a smile on my face an undertaker couldn't remove. So at a little over 14,000 miles I am still occasionally riding it. This thing is at least 9.5 out of 10 on a zero to ten scale, never dropped, ridden on Sundays by an old gray haired guy, STONE STOCK, never been molested or cut, did I mention I love this bike.

i found a nice a nice r1 street fight on ebay mint bike with new top clap and bars shame about the price as i cant ride sports bike as i get a sore back and i am 26