Your past/present bike

First topic message reminder :

Some people just got started on about the bike they have owned in the past.
So i opened this topic to list them, and talk all about them

So let me start...so in my many years of riding ....
PAST:
CBR125. good little bike...very slow
Suzuki GS500. Awsome bike. i miss it a little. great fuel consumption...500km from 20L

Present:
Bandit: sex on wheels
Suzuki SV650 track bike.

Suzuki 80
72, Honda CB 175
GPZ 250 Belt drive
K2 CB750
GS1000G
VFR800FI
GSX-R750 2007
GSF1250S (still have) 2007
RGV250 (road track)
ZX6-R (track only)
GSX-R750 1998 (road track, still have)

1964 Honda 50 Stepthru (Cost $50 & had thousand's of dollars worth of fun)

1978 Yamaha XT500D (Lots of fun but a rubber frame)

1979 GS1000E (Wish I'd kept it)

1980 GSX1100 X 2

1981 PE400T (Vibrated off bits left right & centre & lots of aftermarket rear fenders from flipping it too many times trying to impersonate Doug Demokos)
1982 DR250

1981 Suzuki GT250X7 (lots of fun)

Then numerious Work bikes:
CB360P (Tried but couldn't kill it)
GS550P (It got death)
XJ750P Good all rounder
BMW R80P (Heap of crap)

Then a too bigger a gap........... family & Ski boats!

Now 2010 GSX1250FA

But I also need..... a Kwaka Z1000SX in the garage ( Wife strongly disagrees)

It started in the early seventies with three off road bikes then in seventy eight the start of only four road bikes of which I still own two.
72 Kawasaki H2 750 triple, my first road bike (no 250 or LAMS back then) it was bloody great!!
81 Suzuki GSX1100 brought new (still in the shed) much earlier to travel long distances on than the H2.
81 Yamaha RD350LC second hand in 82, great little bike, might get another when the Bandit gets to heavy to pick up.
09 Suzuki GSF1250A brough new about three weeks ago
Not alot of bikes for thirty five odd years, but such is life, Some of my must have very good to have had so many.

These are bikes my wife and I have owned over the years. It's a long list because it's been a lot of years.

THE 60'S
250 cc Benelli four stroke single (Built before the Italians figured out electricity)
106 cc Gelira four stroke single (Great little bike. The tires were so hard that you could ride it in a two wheel drift with your feet on the pegs.)
Yamaha AT1 125 cc two stroke enduro (A wonderful woods bike in its era. Indestructible!)

THE 70's
Yamaha DT1 mx 250 cc motocross (really an enduro without lights)
Honda TL 125 cc four stroke trials bike (Trials bikes make great bikes for riding in heavy woods. We used to ride with guys on MX bikes and had no trouble keeping up. Only trouble was that they have no built in stability. They would fall over at the strangest times!)
Yamaha TY 250 two stroke trials
Yamaha RD 350 two stroke twin (A wild ride.)
Honda 750 F

THE 80's
Suzuki GS1100G (One of the first super bikes. Unfortunately the G model, like the Nighthawk below, had a drive shaft. At that time Japanese builders hadn't figured them out. They were down right spooky in turns.)
Honda 650 Nighthawk
Yamaha FJ1100
Honda XR 200R
Honda XR 500R
Montessa Cota 200 trials bike (The Montessa's were truly third world creations. Some parts, like the triple clamps, were hand made works of art while others looked like high school shop projects. A friend of mine still has 'em.)
Montessa Cota 350 trials bike
Kawasaki KDX 200 (We called it the "The Green Meanie". To someone who was used to the tractable power delivery of a big 4 stroke single, the KDX's on/off power delivery was unusable in the woods. It regularly slammed me into trees and even threw me into a river once. It didn't stay around long.)
KTM 250 (This was MUCH better.)
Suzuki DR 200 (My wife's small and as dirt bikes got taller and taller it was ever more difficult to find her a ride. This one worked out OK but it needed an expensive custom buiilt aftermarket rear suspension to be truly useful in the woods.)

THE 90's
Honda 650 cc Transalp (By then I had moved across country and was in an area where there were 1000's of miles of dirt and gravel forest service roads. The Transalp was perfect. At about 50 mph it would start to float across the surface of the worst gravel roads. It was like magic. Naturally, traction was limited in turns in the floating state.)
Suzuki 600 Bandit (Only really bad motorcycle I ever owned. At 1066 miles a tooth broke of the cam drive sprocket and let the cam go out of time. Lot of mingling of valves and pistons. Suzuki insisted on rebuilding the engine and it was never right. After that, I really haven't trusted Suzuki. If someone else built the same great bikes they do, I'd shop elsewhere. Alas, no one else does.)
Suzuki DR 200 (Later version than the one above. Much too tall.)
Suzuki DR 650

THE 00's
Yamaha FZ1
Honda 250 Nighthawk
Suzuki SV 650
Kawasaki 800 Vulcan (I'm getting old. Thought it might be time to slow down. Couldn't do it. There were sparks in every corner as I grounded the frame. Figured it was a matter of time before I levered a wheel into the air on a turn and flew off a mountain. Sold the Vulcan pretty quickly.)
Suzuki 650 Vstrom (One of the great bikes of all time.)
Honda 599
Suzuki 1250 Bandit

Learnt on a ag100
PE175. Absolutely mental for a young kid.
RD250 Horrible but I was so proud of it.
GS500f First new bike absolutely bullet proof and sold it when I finished my LAMS.
Bandit 1250SA.

I have no idea of what I had only vague recollections of going fast with my arse in the air thinking i was barry sheen.....

I started with a couple of Vespa's and Lambretta's (Sting in Quadrophinia is totally to blame for this and the who wardrobe too)
There was a Honda Cub for a few months
Both 250 and 400 honda dirt bikes (not good on the roads)
Then came a string of 600 supersports

The golden shores of australia beckoned

Now DO NOT LAUGH

a Shark 50cc scooter from RYM
Piaggio 250 X-Evo (my modern revival of my very early bike days)

And finally the GSX1250FA

Started out with a chook chaser Honda SL100. Not bad for a first bike had a lot of spills.
Yamaha 250 chook chaser. Scared me a bit coz it never wanted to stay on 2 wheels. (okay. but I was only young then).
Honda CB250. Just got my Ls back after losing them 12months earlier then a kid on a pushbike wrote it off.
Yamaha RD 250 A bit scarey til I got used to the powerband. Then a guy in a car wrote it off.
Yamaha RD 400. It was Just a bike to get me to work. A kid on a pushbike tried to write it off but nearly wrote me off instead.
Honda CB750 Ex Cop bike. It took me everywhere. Nice bike that one.
Ye olde faithful CB900 Boldor. Still got it. My son wants to do a full rework as a project. Many a magic ride with her. Never dropped but used to lean her over so far that rear footpegs touched the road. Dunlop Arrowmax on the front, Bridgestone brick (020) on the back.
Current bike: 2009 BANDIT GSF1250S Now has 4600 ks on it. A new beginning after the Honda. I gotta learn to ride again.

Jeez, gunna hafta scratch the head a bit.......
First was the Suz 90 I learned to ride around the farm on.
Next a few years later (1980) was a Kwaka Z500, with the 'goods' of the day - Magura clipons, rearsets, kerker pipe.
Bought a brand new Kwaka GT750 in 1982.
Had an '81 Katana for a while at the same time, gave it back to the owner.
Bought a XT 600 Tenere and an XL350 Honda. Hated the Honda, got rid of it ASAP.
Bought an XL500, hated it too. Didn't last a week. Made $500 though.
Was given a dead Suzuki GT750 waterbottle. Fixed it like new, rode it daily - then the previous owner took it back.
Sold the Tenere, bought a Kwaka KR250 for proddy racing 1984.
Bought a Kwaka FII to mud chuck on.
Sold the KR, bought a GPz900R proddy racer in 1985. Did OK.
Sold the FII, GT750 got stolen.
Bought a Z1000.
Bought another GT750 for a courier bike in 1987, sold the Z1000
Was given a GPz900 Superbike to try out - gave it back.
Was offered a Guzzi 1000 to race - after a lock-to-lock tank-slapper under the bridge at Surfers, gave it back.
Came off at Surfers on the 900 during the 2-hour preparing for the 6-hour in 1986.
Seriously hurt, nearly died after pranging the 900 at Lakeside 1987. Sold the GT.
Was given another GPz900R to race at Bathurst.
Sold the 900, bought a GSXR750 Superbike 1987 - won lots!
Raced the GSXR at Sandown 2hr with Doohan brothers. They beat me.
Raced the GSXR against Darryl Beattie (TZ350) at Lakeside. He beat me too.
Retired from racing in 1990, bought another Katana road bike.
Sold the Katana in 1992, bought a Kwaka ZXR750, converted it into a full-noise superbike with a factory engine, suspension and bodywork.
Sold the ZXR in 94, retired again.
Stayed bikeless till bought a 1996 Bandit in 2006.
Traded it in 2008 on a new GSF1250S.

I think that is all.....may have missed a couple, the eighties were a bit of a blur.

Al - I for one feel seriously humbled in your presence. I dare say you've forgotten more about bikes and riding than I'll ever know...great ( racing ) history mate.

Jeezuz, Fossil, don't say that! If I wuz any bloody good, I'd still be doing it - or a retired world champ! There's blokes (and blokettes) out there now on track bikes going faster than I ever did. (but thanks!!)

Gee i'm impressed .The only thing i ever won was a runner-up trophy in a tennis comp .Only 1 other person entered and i lost.True.
I got presented with a little cup which i threw in the bin on the way out .

Gus, I am WAY more impressed with what you do with a few hand tools and some aluminium off-cuts, than with anything I have done with motorcycles. Same-same some of the other dudes / dudettes on this forum - respect!

I do love my Bandit (and have loved most of my motorcycles and riding history) and like all true enthusiasts I always snap the head around to identify what bike just went past.....

I hope I can catch up with some of you one day.

the only trophy I've got is a little silver cup I found in a bin ......................................Grumpy

Shit stirrer!!!

WHOME?????................................. .....................Grumpy

I got my first taste of motorbikes on a mates MX80. Purchased my first bike from an uncle “who lost interest after a crash”!
The list goes something like this:-
Early 70’s Yamaha 100 road/trail - copped a massive amount of abuse, but still ran forever, wish I still had it
Suzuki RM250 - holed a piston racing my mates on their road bikes
Honda VT250 V twin - great learners bike
Suzuki RGV250 slingshot - Yeeeehaaaa
Honda XR250
Honda XR500 - drum brakes on a thumper, loved it!
Suzuki 1100 Katana wire wheel Bathurst model - loved it should never have sold it
Suzuki T250 trackbike - POS money pit, travelled more kms on my trailer than it did at the track
Kawasaki ZZR1100 - who said time travel wasn’t possible! awsome bike but the carbs didn’t like subzero mornings
Honda XR200 - basket case, built it up and ran – sort of!
Kawasaki KH100 - missus learned to ride on this one
Honda CBR900 - great all rounder
Kawasaki Z900 with a Z1000 donk - it was no Katana!
Kawasaki ZX9 - suprisingly good tourer
Suzuki GSXR1000 - awesome bike, but limited luggage capacity (weight, not volume)
and now – the 1250s

Honda XL250. First bike when I was 15 yo. Lots of stacks, but lots of fun.
Suzuki GT380. Wanted to go faster.
Honda CB900 Bol d Or. Wanted to go even faster. Great bike
Honda TL250. Tried my hand at trials. Not fast enough.
Honda XL250R. Great run around, on-off road.
Honda XR500. Loved the big thumper.
Yamaha FJ1100. Me and a friend bought one each brand new. Dont know how we stayed alive. Those things were awesome. Gee we had some fun.
Suzuki GSX750. Another great bike. So reliable.
Suzuki GSX1100. Fully worked. Lethal.
Honda CBR1100XX SuperBlackbird. Sex on two wheels. If you haven't ridden one. Do yourself a favour.
Suzuki GSF1200S Bandit. Just getting to know her but I feel that we will be good friends. Getting too old now to be leaning over too much. Maybe the 1250 next.

Yamaha xr 250, when I was about 14

Then a Car for 20+ years, until one day sitting on Epping Road heading into the city and watching motorbikes ride past me in the bus lane and thinking, "why am I driving to work everyday when I could be enjoying a bike ride everyday"... Got my bike licence within a month, sold my car the next month and have never looked back.

Kawasaki KLE500 (Just an awesome bike, period)
Honda VFR800
Suzuki Bandit GSF1250SA (I need to go to Bandit's Anonymous to help me stop buying things for it! )

250 jawa californian ($ 375 new nuff said )
250 dta trail bike ( strip it down , bush bash on w/end put back
together ,commute to work )
250 honda road bike (drum brakes would fade badly when hot )
250 twin honda ( nice commuter )
yami 125 trail used to commute (it refused to run in the rain ! ) at times with heavily
pregnant wife on the the back after our car was pranged
250 x7 suzuki went like stink & left a smoke screen just
like James bond
250 xs yami wouldnt pull the skin off a rice pudding !
suzuki gs550e ( 1978 4 cylinder model ) leaked oil & had the motor stripped
& re sealed nice bike to ride despite this
ajs 500 ( 1948 basket case ) used to occupy my hands & mind when I gave
up smoking (50 - 60 a day so hands felt a bit idle ! )
yamaha xs 650 special fun bike but a nasty weave at speed
yamaha xj 900 diversion great bike but had to sell it to get a car until I got my rheumatoid
arthritis under control
2004 suzuki bandit /loved it ( easy to work on & service yourself ) & handled
pretty good especially after suspension was tidied up
2010 1250 bandit / also love it / not as easy to work on in some ways
but it has quite a few improvements as well

A lot of them had their bad points but I enjoyed them all and a lifetime of riding & the memories that
go with it & the friends I`ve made over the years through it are what keeps my
ticker ticking ! ( & I took such good care of my body as well )

Hi all my first motor bike i ever owned was an old Suzuki TS 250 when i was in High School which i bought from my cousin great reliable old bike but was to heavy for bush Bashing.
I then i won a Yamaha 250 trail bike around 1981
Then Traded it in on a new Kawasaki Z 750
later sold it bought a Suzuki PE250
owned a Suzuki GSX250
owned a Honda XR 250 Great bike
bought another Kawasaki Z 750
owned a 2008 Kawasaki KLR650 also a great all round bike
and now own a 2011 GSX 1250FA

Kawasaki A1 Samurai. 1968, 250cc two stroke, rotary valve intake. Tried to impress girlfriend on the back doing 140 + with gale force wind from the rear. Seized engine, destroyed pistons, rods and cylinders. Girl friend regretfully not impressed.
Suzuki T350 Rebel. Took me half way around Oz without complaints.
Suzuki T500 Titan. Ate sparkplugs for breaky, lunch and dinner. What a dog.
Honda CB 750 K2. Did a million miles on it. 9 hour trip via inland road from Sydney to Brisbane sitting on 160 where possible. Never complained .On a trip back to Sydney from Cairns the drive chain broke and smashed its way through the back of the gearbox. After repairs, total strip, it leaked as much as any good pommie bike. Sad.
Suzuki GS 1000. Tired bike with a tractor engine.
Yamaha FJ1100. Lots of people bitched about the handling but I enjoyed it.
Suzuki GSXR 1000 H model. Raw in most respects. Ate tires and riders at a prodigious rate.
Suzuki GSXR 1000 WP model. Much more rider friendly/softer.
Yamaha XT 500. Figured I had to have one dirt bike at some stage. A downright bitch to start. Tried to break my kick starter leg too many times.
Yamaha YZF1000R Thunderace. Great bike. Did half a dozen Cairns/Brisbane/Cairns trips on it. Impossible to sit on speed limit. Sitting on 140 kays, perfection.
Suzuki Bandit 1250s 2009. What a pleasant surprise. Returned to bike riding after an eight year absence. Doesn't look like much going on the horsepower stats but in the real world of speed limits/cops everywhere it performs beautifully. Just fixed up a rust problem in the tank and can't wait to get back on it. This one's a long term keeper.

79 Honda Z50
82 Honda XL185SB
84 Honda XR200RE
82 Suzuki PE175 ( Biggest piece of shit never owned)
85 Yamaha XT250
84 Honda VT250F ( Wednesday lunch time Build it was a awesome little bike sadly a 120 kPH collision with a kangaroo finished it off and nearly me too)
95 Honda XR250
2009 Suzuki Bandit 1250SA very nice

This post should really have pictures.

Cause my list of bikes is quite small only been riding for 2 years.. so only

zzr 250 2001 fully faired hot pink thing i picked up for $1500 with rego.

Bandit 1250 2008, silver with 30,00klms but just like new! Reasonably good price came with loads of extras already.

Yeah I know thats a big jump for a 2nd bike. I really only commute on it to work. easier to carry my work gear on.

Started in 1979

Yamaha RX125
Suzuki GSX250
Yamaha XJ650
Honda FT500
Yamaha SR500
Honda CB250T
Honda CB125
Honda CM250
Yamaha XV1000 + sidecar
Yamaha XV1100 + sidecar
1953 Matchless 350 G3LS
MuZ Skorpoin 660 Traveller.
BMW R100LT (Still own)
Suzuki GSF1200S Bandit (Still own)

I`ve had bugger all,
1982 250 XT (1990-1992) I lived with it
1997 250 XR (1992-1993) Had been abused before i bought it,bad memories
1992 350 XT (1993-1995) I liked it
1995 600 YZF (1995-2001) I liked it
2003 650 TRANSALP (2003-2004) I lived with it
2003 BANDIT (2004...still got it) My soul mate...until something better