Across my motorcycle history...
All because it's rainy and I'm bored.
First bike I ever rode, wheelied, and crashed. 1978 Suzuki TS185. I was 10 and it was 1986 and the only safety gear I owned was a helmet that came with the bike back in 1978. Motor seized the next year. It sat neglected in the back of Dad's shed. I still have hopes of titling and tagging it and commuting on it. Fast forward to fall 2004.
The day I rescued it:
Loaded up and ready for a little work:
Mid rebuild... In my dining room too. I wasn't married or had a girlfriend then.
Post-cleanup and a .5mm over rebuild. It still doesn't run right and I can't figure out the lights. Stupid corroded 6V electrical system. One day it'll be my commuter...
After the TS seized, and I had been driving a few years, I found my first street bike in the Iwanna (local paper that was basically Craigslist before the internet). It was a 1981 Suzuki GS650. I was terrified of riding on the road (so were my parents) and I ran 3 or 4 tanks of gas riding around the 30 acre field adjacent to our house. However, I don't think any feeling will take the place of the first cool morning I rode to work, on the open road, for the first time. I didn't take any pictures, but here's an internet photo:
The very next year, I got my 2002 Suzuki Bandit 600. That's the bike I should have never sold that gave me a lot of firsts! I took a girl (that I met on the internet...) on a motorcycle date for the first time, got my first ticket ever, went to Deals Gap for the first time, drug my foot for the first time, put a dent in my Mom's Taurus with it for the first time (stupid center stand and n00b skills)...
Washed & ready to ride!
Go ahead make vroom vroom noises. I know you're thinking it! I was either 21 or 22 at the time. Short hair too.
Foolishly (because the Bandit was an awesome bike and I didn't see it's awesomeness at the time) traded for a leftover 2002 GSXR-600 in 2003. The dealer even tossed in a First Gear Suzuki leather jacket & delivered the new bike & picked up the Bandit nearly 2 hours away. I think they REALLY wanted rid of the leftover 2002.
Can't say enough about how awesome this bike was.
Two Brothers pipe sounded awesome too. Shame my n00b self totaled it with only 1500 miles on the odometer. I miss this one a bit.
This bike landed me in jail on some serious federal charges. It was ugly and expensive. I learned a lot from the crash and the months of various federal courthouse visits. This was the apex of my "young & dumb" motorcycle adventures.
Post-crash pics. The bike was totaled, tweaked frame, busted plastics on both sides, bent rim, busted forks, smashed radiator, etc. I was more that doubling the speed limit on a popular scenic federal road when I lost the rear and slammed into a wooden guardrail. I walked away... right to the back seat of an LEO's car. Deserving so too.
Then came the yellow Monster. Soon to be named Molly. My dad was pissed, I thought he was going to punch me when he found out I had bought another bike. Keep in mind, I still lived under their roof, and didn't bother dropping hints or asking permission to bring a bike in. This was only July, I had wrecked in May. However, once I cranked it to unload it, he fell in love with the sound of "Molly" and her Termignoni pipes. A sound I don't get tired, even a decade later.
Molly on her first ride & how she looked when I first bought her. I removed the belly pan & swapped the clip-ons for Moose ATV bars later on. She was originally a 1999 Ducati Monster 750 Dark. Darks of the time were the cheapest in the lineup and had soft, non-adjustable suspension. However, that is where the black frame & wheels come from.
After the belly pan removal (damaged it beyond repair between deep lean angles, super soft suspension, and lots of 2-up rides) and clip-on removal, and painting the engine cases black to match the frame & wheels.
Then came another Suzuki. A 1984 GS1150ES. Hell of a bike. One of the biggest motors of the time with possibly the worst brakes (twin slotted disc with twin opposed pistons on each side) and suspension (air pressure adjustable) of any bike in 1984. The motor became the mill for the first ever GSXR-1100. It was loaded with torque, even had a 630 (yea, 100 larger than the 530 used on modern powerful bikes) and had a drag racing cam too. After 1 ride, this is the only bike my wife has EVER refused to ride with me on. That should tell you something considering she's been on Molly many times on Deals Gap when we were dragging parts.
Sold the 1150 for way too little, but I needed the money and it was best logical decision considering some of the problems I had discovered the the PO didn't know about or simply didn't share.
Ever since I missed out on a killer deal on a 2002 Ducati 750 Sport (bought the 2002 Bandit instead), I had regretted it. Ebay happened to have a 2000 900 Supersport listed nearby one cold January night. I placed a bid, well under KBB and won that bike. A MLK day roadtrip, a snow/ice storm, and an ice-encased 900SS later, I had another Duc in the garage.
Meet Syreena. She's a 2000 Ducati 900 Supersport. Lots of fun to ride, wheelie-on-command seems to be standard equipment on the air-cooled 900 motor! We went a few places.
Sold the 900SS after replacing the clutch at 16,000 miles and wanted a fun car instead of two bikes.
Still have Molly, she's pretty special. I showed up to my wedding on that bike.
We even left on Molly.
Cliff Notes: I'm a Suzuki guy that loves to ride an Italian.
JM
