Anybody else have a motorcycle?

[PeteMcP]

Good buy! SNAP! My Jap import 2003 Solo AC17 is amongst a handful here in the UK. Doesn't look much like how I bought it now though. Fitted meatier tyres, bobbed fenders, cafe bars/risers, converted to hand-shifter, new 'grille' head/tail/indicator lamps, aftermarket exhaust, side-mount license plate, custom 'riveted' paint job on tank. Still running the original 50cc (showing 3137kms) but with a new Lifan 125 semi-auto sat here waiting for me to find the time to swap it out. These are great bikes which I reckon would have been good sellers if they had been available worldwide instead of being limited to the Japanese domestic market - pitched mainly at students - and only then in relative miniscule numbers. You'll enjoy your Solo when you get the chance to ride it.

 

[PeteMcP]

View attachment 182797

Outstanding 'Guzzi cafe racer. No decription, but presumably 850 LeMans 1. ?
Love me a 'Guzzi. Spent 4 years building my Aero Cycle Car kit (Morgan 3-wheeler tribute) using a donor 1000cc motor, rear wheel and bevel drive from a mint '89 'Guzzi LeMans 5. Sold it in 2015. I so miss that V motor's racket.

 

[PeteMcP]

Privately imported this '03 Kawa Drifter 800 ('49 Indian tribute) into the UK from Tampa FL last year. Super-low miles (2855). Absolutely pristine on account of spending nearly its whole life in an a/c'd garage. Bargain, at about a quarter the price of a new Indian equivalent - and way more dependable I'm guessing. Despite not being stood over a drip pan, it's never shed a single drip of oil on the carpet during my ownership.
Even without the Covid restrictions, been virtually housebound now for coming up to 8 years, spent as sole carer for my darlin' wife Jen who was diagnosed with dementia back in Oct 2013. Can't imagine life without a few motorized bicycle or motorcycle 'art installations' sharing our living space.

 

[MattiThundrrr]

@PeteMcP there's something else in the background of that last picture we have to talk about...

 

[Bike Bum]

Privately imported this '03 Kawa Drifter 800 ('49 Indian tribute) into the UK from Tampa FL last year. Super-low miles (2855). Absolutely pristine on account of spending nearly its whole life in an a/c'd garage. Bargain, at about a quarter the price of a new Indian equivalent - and way more dependable I'm guessing. Despite not being stood over a drip pan, it's never shed a single drip of oil on the carpet during my ownership.
Even without the Covid restrictions, been virtually housebound now for coming up to 8 years, spent as sole carer for my darlin' wife Jen who was diagnosed with dementia back in Oct 2013. Can't imagine life without a few motorized bicycle or motorcycle 'art installations' sharing our living space.

View attachment 182986View attachment 182987

I have the same bike. Love it.

 

[PeteMcP]

I have the same bike. Love it.

Beautiful photo of your Drifty! These Drifter 800s are super rides. Some nights I don't even bother turning the TV on and just stare at mine instead. Love it! Those aftermarket pipes (Hard Krome?) make a helluva racket compared to the underwhelming sound of the original 2-into-1 system.
Owned a 1500 Drifter for a while back in '09 and I have to say I prefer the 800 in every way. Especially looks wise with its psuedo rigid frame that better suits its vintage tribute vibe.

 

[idiotboy]

Just dug this one out of a 3 year hibernation to hopefully race this weekend

 

[deorman]

Just dug this one out of a 3 year hibernation to hopefully race this weekend
View attachment 183481

I can hear it but not see it.

 

[bart savage]

My 2001 BMW R1150 Gs

 

[Ingwio]

My Street Glide Special, one of my Bikes

 

[Ingwio]

My old Heritage and the new SG

 

[idiotboy]

 

[Ulu]

Monkeybusiness!

I went from 150 Lambretta motor scooter to a Yamaha 180 twin Street bike to a Kawasaki KZ900. Even though I had ridden a friend‘s Honda 750, that was quite an eye-opener!

Over the years I’ve also owned a Honda 350 XL dirtbike and a Honda CM 450 T touring bike.

Currently I’m putting off changing the clutch on this Kawasaki 1500 Nomad. This is a 2003 with 50,000 miles on it and when I was working I rode this back-and-forth every day for five years.

I don’t have any good photos of it on my phone so I’ll have to post up something better.

 

[whitecoyote]

2022 Kawasaki Z900 RS SE (YellowBall)

 

[Ulu]

Here’s Baggins the Nomad, right after coming out of the shed from winter hibernation.

I should be fixing the tight clutch instead of building these custom bicycles, but the excitement level has waned.

There wasn’t enough chrome on this motorcycle but I had to go and add more.

I’ve had 7 motorcycles and this one longest of all. Baggins has been with us since Aug 15 2003. Over 18 years. I have turned every wrench on this bike myself and it has never been inside the Kawasaki shop once after the day I purchased it.

 

[Ulu]

This was my ‘76 KZ 900, the first bike that I ever did a major custom job on. This probably scared the pants off of somebody before me, because I bought it used from the Harley Davidson dealer With a crappy sissy bar and a nice TNT racing exhaust system for $1995 with only 2000 miles.

Changing that exhaust system lightened the bike a lot, but it also affected the handling. If you were brave enough to weather through the very mild 100~105 mph headshake (!) it would turn 135 smoothly. If you hit a pebble on the asphalt at 135 you would be airborne for about 10 yards.

It’s a little difficult to tell but it’s been raked, goosed, stretched, lowered and extended. It has welded t-bars. HD rear rim and big Chen Shing.

Eventually it also got a HD type steel early style rear fender and a side mount cat’s eye tail light and license plate.

Better photos of Baggins:

These were taken a while back. Maybe 2010. I was over 200 pounds.

My little granddaughter is an adult with a job now.

 

[Pedalpat]

She stole it and I never saw it or her again

 

[DesmoDog]

Motorcycles? Yeah, I suppose you could say I've had an interest over the years. I really did name my dog "Desmo".... I was a little touched from about 1990-2020 but have turned it down a few notches since then.

This was my garage a couple years ago, and I have always had a couple projects in my shop.

That was taken right before I started selling things off, I don't own any of those anymore. I used to have bikes I'd owned for 10-15 years, now the only two I have running were both added in April of this year, a 1993 Ducati Superlight and a Ducati Street Fighter V2.

Here's the Super Light the day I moved it into my shop. Long story on how it found me, but it had been sitting for 20 years and needed some TLC.

The Street Fighter. It is part of the long story of the SL finding me.

In the shop I have a couple single cylinder Ducs as projects. Eternal projects. I've been "working on them" for almost 15 years now?

A '66 250 Monza that is now a 350. Evan Wilcox bodywork. Looks kinda like this. Or would, if I hadn't stripped it down and stole a few parts off it for me other project.

A bobber that started out as a joke, built mostly from spare parts I had around. I've started working on this one again as I really want to finish it in the next year or so.

Plus a 1996 900ss track bike that I've never ridden and will probably part out. I was looking for a nice, stock, Monster M900. Instead I dragged home a bike that broke two of my cardinal Ducati rules - Do not buy a cheap Ducati, and do not buy a bike that's been raced. This one was cheap and trashed. Oh well... I was very close to having it track ready again when the Super Light showed up. Then this became a donor bike and may never run again.

 

[Captain Awesome]

Motorcycles? Yeah, I suppose you could say I've had an interest over the years. I really did name my dog "Desmo".... I was a little touched from about 1990-2020 but have turned it down a few notches since then.

This was my garage a couple years ago, and I have always had a couple projects in my shop.

That was taken right before I started selling things off, I don't own any of those anymore. I used to have bikes I'd owned for 10-15 years, now the only two I have running were both added in April of this year, a 1993 Ducati Superlight and a Ducati Street Fighter V2.

Here's the Super Light the day I moved it into my shop. Long story on how it found me, but it had been sitting for 20 years and needed some TLC.

The Street Fighter. It is part of the long story of the SL finding me.

In the shop I have a couple single cylinder Ducs as projects. Eternal projects. I've been "working on them" for almost 15 years now?

A '66 250 Monza that is now a 350. Evan Wilcox bodywork. Looks kinda like this. Or would, if I hadn't stripped it down and stole a few parts off it for me other project.

A bobber that started out as a joke, built mostly from spare parts I had around. I've started working on this one again as I really want to finish it in the next year or so.

Plus a 1996 900ss track bike that I've never ridden and will probably part out. I was looking for a nice, stock, Monster M900. Instead I dragged home a bike that broke two of my cardinal Ducati rules - Do not buy a cheap Ducati, and do not buy a bike that's been raced. This one was cheap and trashed. Oh well... I was very close to having it track ready again when the Super Light showed up. Then this became a donor bike and may never run again.

We can be friends

I've had a 750SS, 900SS CR/SP and a Cagiva Alazzurra all in race trim at one time or another

I had a chance at a great deal on an 888SP back in the 90's but didn't realize at the time what an opportunity it was. Hindsight

 

[Karate Chicken Industries]

Got your Ducs in a Row.