The Motorbike Thread

[simontie]

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

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

[minitnkr]

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

[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

[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.

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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.

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

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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]

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

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.

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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.

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

[ATTACH]429061[/ATTACH]

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 ...

[Nicko]

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]

The new XT and the W800
im sure i have other pictures of the older ones but not sure where…

[simontie]

well heres my tuppence worth.. started on a c70 honda step through never had any intrest in bikes but failed my car test and this was going for a song taxed and insured it took me on a journey of discovery no joke semi automatic clutch and after the first ride i just loved the freedom it gave me, 2nd yamaha xt125 bit sluggish but it was a small 4 stroke so i traded it for a dt125 now this could shift after a bit of fine tuning flipped it a couple of times but learned (the hard way) how to balance on one wheel while going up through the box the power band could catch you out quite quickly hence the flips,
passed my test and bought an xt500 in boxes a mate was going to put it together for me but after a while i started it my self and to be fair it when together really quickly moted and away i went again.. kick backs were common but my dad and big brother showed me how to set the points and as long as you did it regularly it was fine it normally gave you a reminder when you least expected it and this helped focus the mind but you pointed it at anything and up it when… swopped it for an rd400 back to 2 strokes and this was a powerfull we beastie when it ran!, I popped a few postons seized it a couple of times rebuilt it over and over again final straw was a long straight and flat out on the tank BANG con-rod snapped and jammed in the exust port. Skid marks were left but not only on the road.
next up xj650 fore damaged rebuild 1st shaft drive i had and in line 4 nice bike but if you backed of the rear end always dropped and i didn't like that so traded it for an xt600, had this for a few years and loved it toured al over France and in to Spain with it miss that bike B416WST no longer on the dvla data base so i suspect it has been scrapped, sold it to a dealer when my wife fell pregnant..
waithed quite a few years then bought a new xt 660 but nothing like the old ones had a small ish with passing out and had to have heart surgery to replace my aortic valve sold it just after chest wasn't as strong as it use to be. that's when i got in to modelling during my recover.. should have stuck with the bikes it would have been cheaper
a few years later i bought an xt250 project and still tring to finish it off got all the parts just time todo it and inclination
this year i bought a kawasaki W800 just to run about on, its new and nice to ride weve had a few runs on it when the suns out managed just over 1000 miles on it it garaged for the winter now. so then one night a couple of week ago i bought another xt600 (1996) this had an mot and a nasty rattle but i didnt pay a lot for it as many of you know the xt range is super exspencive whish id kept the xt 500 they are mental money but the 600 was running* so i have had a few rides on it not many, really need to clear out the garage and get this looked at it’s complete and as far as i can see very original just the engine needs removed and repaired one day i will get round to
ok sorry for harping on and on and on
got lost in nostalgia there for awhile
simon

[boatman]

NICE big an sturdy bike just right to go ploughing through the snowdrifts Nick as ive had motorbike but never a scrambler
becarefull on it m8
chris an jen

[Nicko]

Now that the weather is on the turn, I'm back on this one. It's been my winter runabout for the past ten years.



Crude, heavy and slow by modern bike standards, it nonetheless never fails to be a lot of fun....

Nick

[Nicko]

My dream bike from 1976! - Spotted in High Wycombe yesterday .....

I did eventually own a rather tatty R100RT about 10 years later

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Very nice indeed.....

Nick

[tigersteve]

My dream bike from 1976! - Spotted in High Wycombe yesterday .....

I did eventually own a rather tatty R100RT about 10 years later

[Ancientmariner]

Beautiful day today and as I'm now on my 'winter' working pattern I was able to enjoy it.

Took this one for a nice rideout to the memorial at the Boxted WWII airfield....

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I'd forgotten what a lovely bike this is having not used it at all last year and only got it MOT'd recently....

Nick

Nice bike!!!
Looks a lovely day to be out on it as well!

[Nicko]

Beautiful day today and as I'm now on my 'winter' working pattern I was able to enjoy it.

Took this one for a nice rideout to the memorial at the Boxted WWII airfield....









I'd forgotten what a lovely bike this is having not used it at all last year and only got it MOT'd recently....

Nick