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Show us your bike!

knobby

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As we've had lots of new & different members since the last time I asked who else had a motorbike, I thought I'd ask again but this time solicit a picture of your pride & joy(s). Here's mine to start you off:
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This is my Aprilia Caponord ETV1000. The picture was taken at the Calar Alto Observatory on one of our usual 1st January rides. I've had her for around 9 years and she's currently in Spain. I've no idea if or when I'll get to bring her back to the UK, so...

1598282734132.jpg
As I'm back in the UK for the foreseable future, and not wanting to miss the whole of the summer, I bought this Honda Deauville NT700VA. She'd been someones winter hack but has cleaned up quite nicely. We should've been heading to Belgium on her this coming Friday but not wanting to have to isolate ourselve for 14 days on our return have decided to cancel. Not quite the same, but took her today for a little trip to Melton Mowbray.
 
Nice one Knobby. Does that have the useful space connecting the panniers?

I don't have a bike now and I don't see another one any time soon, but I enjoyed some good riding. In reverse order (approx!)
Yamaha Majesty (Pic)
Kawasaki ER5
Yamaha 650 Diversion
Suzuki DR 650
Kawasaki 125 trailie
MZ ETZ250
Honda XBR500
Suzuki DR125
Honda C70
Cheers
Tom

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Knobby, neat thread to show our cycles. My biking years have ended, but I"ll show a special one to me.

Left this cycle back in Illinois a number of years ago. It wasn't my last one, but it was about my favorite cycle and a real pleasure to drive it. It is a 1981 Honda CB650, base model, not the dressed up "custom." This one has the wire spokes, which is the best wheel style from my view.

I spent a week with a good friend camping in Wisconsin. He also drove his CB650. Our travel route was to follow the state line, encircle the entire state, and head off of roads into isolated wooded areas wherever we fancied. Those mini jaunts over grassy fields were cool. Good memory. ~Bob


1981 Honda CB650 _Ivanhoe IL.jpg
 
Sorry Guys ....... No pictures, but I can describe a couple of the bikes I owned and loved in my youth.

1) Ariel 500 cc single cylinder Red Hunter .... 1950's vintage.
2) Norton Dominator Twin 600 cc ..... 1950's vintage. Bright Yellow with clip on's, fibre tank and rear sets.

Other bikes I have owned include Honda & MZ, but they were just commuter bikes.

Kind Regards,

Stephen.
 
bt1100.jpg
Yamaha BT1100 "Bulldog"
- shaft driven
- torque!

Before that I had this CBR600. Very easy bike also, but not suitable for long trips.

cbr600.jpg
 
One final cycle shot. This is from the "dream on" perspective.

If I were to get another bike, it would be like the one a friend of mine bought this summer. I've had my eye on Triumphs for a number of years now. His bike is similar to current Triumph T100 900cc Twin. Not sure his exact model since it is pre-owned. But the engine size, tour seating, spoked wheels are my kind of machine. Next month he's planning a trip traveling passed my house, and will stop and show it to me. I might even give it a short test drive. Well....maybe not. The itch would return and the budget says no! ;) ~Bob

E2.Triumph Twin.JPG
 
Bike? Sure! Oh ... motorcycle, well, there was the old Moto Guzzi
i-5NpFQwJ-O.jpg

Now we're down to a bicycle with an electric motor:
i-Mv6JDrB-XL.jpg
 
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there are some very fine bikes here, the Guzzi and Velocette in particular.
No pictures I'm afraid. But I had 4 MZ's, a Guzzi V50,( that led to financial difficulties), a Suzuki GSX450, possibly the best all rounder, Honda CX500. I had a couple of "company" bikes for messenger work in the mid 1980's. One was wrecked by an idiot in a small van on Sydenham Hill in South London, It didn't do me much good either. Amazingly I walked away from the crash. My left leg which hit the left cylinder head before hitting the van roof went a very strange colour. I had concussion and a huge bruise on my bum. As the bike momentarily paused it's forward trajectory, I did not. Therefore, I slid onto the fuel tank, the bikes trajectory, now upward, hit my bum hard enough to form two butt cheek shaped dents. The bike and I, flew over the van, landing in a heap in the wet. Ow!
I had a Dnepr and sidecar( Awful thing) and finally a BMW R80 with a Watsonian sports sidecar. That was amazing fun... But which did I enjoy the most? The first one, my little red MZ 150. It meant independence.
 
Ouch! - glad it was no worse!

I had plenty of good times on the bikes, lots of offroading on the little DR125 trailie while working with horses and touring in Ireland on the DR650 big trailie, but one of the most memorable days was on the MZ250. I rode from home in Gloucestershire across to a Shuttleworth Collection flying day in Bedfordshire. I had a good ride both ways and the flying display was great but parked up with many more expensive bikes lots of people came to talk about MZs!
 
I also have an R1 for track days but these are my main road bikes, indoors for the winter.
 

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Not motorised but still a classic: 1982 Holdsworth Avanti (12 speed, 531 tubing)
I bought one of these new in 1983 and then 10 years later a 'friend' broke the frame hopping a kerb.
3 months back I spotted one on Ebay 4 miles from me and I've now fixed it up:

Drive Side.1.jpg

The first ride after 30 years nearly killed me (it was 28C that day in London) but I'm slowly getting back to fitness.
 
That's rather distinct from what I see in the bicycle racks these days. Hope the roads are in good order and the terrain flat, where you are!
 
I have a Reighley with 531 tubing of a similar vintage. Good luck with your rides.
 
It originally had a 14-19 'corncob' freewheel on the back for road racing.
Since I now qualify as an old git (with dodgy knees) I fitted a new Shimano 14-28 and the hills are no longer a problem.

Vintage bikes seem to be really good value at the moment, this one needed a bit of fixing and was even cheaper than my 1959 Hohner Lucia IV P.
 
Still have my 1973 (?) Schwinn Superior that I bought new the first time I had any money, best touring bike I could afford. It's of course way heavier than today's bikes but solid. Still has original derailleurs and tire friction light. Remember them? ☺
 
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