Bikes you miss

[flying_hun]

Lots, but two stand out - in part due to their similarity.

1980 Yamaha SR500
1999 MZ Skorpion Sport Cup

 

[tzrider]

1995 TZ250.

I still have the twisted pieces of it but that isn't terribly satisfying.

 

[budman]

Quite a bit old bike love being shared here.

 

[bmwbob51]

Every bike I ever owned except one! A Yamaha XS400 that I bought instead of a Yamaha RD 350! I regretted the decision and sold it to buy a used 1973 Norton Commando.

 

[bobl]

A1 and A7 Kawasakis
Kz650/750 Kawi fours.
My ZX6e, due to all the good friends I met while owing it.

I consider the A1 as my first "real" motorcycle after a 600 Norton I couldn't keep runing, and a 250 Zundapp premixer good for about 75mph. The little A1 was good for right at 100mph, managed to out drag an aging 650 triumph, and dump Harley choppers on any twisty road. The beginning of the Japanese invasion.

 

[moto-rama]

I suspect you may have had a love/hate relationship with your 748? I have a 916 and it is simultaneously the best and worst moto I've ever ridden. Super uncomfortable for casual riding, and only does one thing well... it wants to go FAST!!! I barely ride it, and will NEVER sell it!

100% agree, my 916 was not really civilized on public roads. AMAZING track bike, but baked balls, aching neck/shoulders and the the inabilty to keep from riding like a omnipotent squid.

 

[Kestrel]

Definitely my old '99 SV650. It was my second bike after a Ninja 250 and the one I really started to learn to ride well on. First trackday / knee dragging and all that business. What a wonderful engine.

Sold it and used a good chunk of the proceeds to buy an old XR250L to scratch the dual sport itch... which in hindsight was an abused bike which spiraled into a project and never really ran all that well. Whole XR experience kind of sucked You live and you learn.

 

[cg_ops]

My 2004 R6. I loved that bike, especially with the all-white Sharkskinz body-work and the "hey, at least I'm trying to LOOK legal" ATV headlamp. It was my 3rd bike but it somehow connected to me more than any other, before or since. Maybe it was where I was at in my life or maybe it was my "Christine" (damn thing did seem to try to kill me while being nearly un-killable itself)

In the 18mo I had that bike I put 30k miles on it. I rode it EVERY day, rain or shine; school, work, trips to see family, and club riding every Sunday, year round. I took almost monthly trips from SLO to SF/Sac, Vegas, Tahoe, Yosemite, Portland, etc. Those miles were also including 50-60 track days and it always ran like a swiss clock; never complaining or giving me problems like other bikes/brands have, despite the beatings and hard riding I put it through.

Hwy 58, on our way back to SLO from Bakersfield

Another shot, just off of hwy 58, in our middle-of-nowhere wheelie spot

Hwy 58 ended up being the first "death" of that bike.... I forgot which corner we were on and came into a 25mph decreasing radius turn at.... much, much faster than 25. First and only time dragging elbow... was ok until just before the exit when my "drift" finally touched the paint and it washed out from under me, launching the bike off this cliff

And after 5-6 guys dragged it back up, this is how the poor gal looked

We managed to breath new life into her as a streetfighter

And to my surprise I loved its new look

8 months later saw the death of her, and almost (briefly, actually) me. 20-somethig me had a (even thicker) head than I do now. Met some friends for my last hurrah before giving up the street to go track/racing-only reminded (taught?) me why you never ride/play like it's your last hurrah....

 

[CDONA]

I had three of them, and a spare motor, you would think I would keep ONE.

Two TT 500's and one SR 500

 

[Kestrel]

My 2004 R6.

Damned good story. That bike had a hell of a life - everything a sportbike would have dreamed.

 

[dtrides]

Mostly.... all of them.
I have special memories tied with each one and reminisce often of all the good times I have had on two wheels.
One in particular was my 05 CBR 1000RR. Not the best looking bike in my eyes ( the bike itself was super clean) but VERY satisfying.
I had a Micron exhaust on it that had one of the best sounds of any bike I have owned without being too loud.
I rode that bike 12- 15 K miles a year . Not bad for just riding weekends up in nor cal and a few trips to the races.
Might have to have another some day , but only if I can find the same Micron exhaust.
DT

 

[novaks47]

That would be a 2009 Yamaha TW200. It was my first motorcycle, and I still miss it. I had bought it new, and traded it with 12k miles on it. I traded it towards a 2012 WR250R. I bought all the hype about the WR, and thought it would be a nice upgrade. It was not. I tried really hard to like the WR, but just never could like it. Objectively, it was better than a TW at everything, yet was only about 10% as fun to ride. There was just something about the TW that made it enjoyable to ride. Maybe it was the unique looks and that fat rear tire, maybe it was the simple air cooled thumper. Whatever it was, I can't quite put my finger on it, but I miss it.

 

[musiclucho]

Back in college with no money, I had a Suzuki FR80. No clutch, 3 speed, top speed was around 60kph.

The thing I miss the most is that I don’t even have a picture of the bike.

 

[Sportbiker]

Whenever I felt like I missed a certain bike, I've bought another identical. Most of the time, it was just my imagination. Didn't feel anything special after replacing other than buyer's regret. LOL. So I've stopped missing any thing.

95 Suzuki, got stolen in 98. Replaced with exact same model & color in 99.
01 R6, got stolen. Replaced with an 02 R6
08 1098S had to sell after riding only 2k miles. Replaced it with a 2010 1198S
04 250X. Replaced with a 06 250X

No more replacements.. Sell and move on..

 

[Ant]

My first street only bike 2006 Yamaha FZ6. Had a helluva great time wobbling around the foothills, learning the twisties on Page Mill and Woodside Road

 

[Blankpage]

My first bike, Z50