Photos of my old bikes

I don't have any good photo's of my first bike (2003 Yamaha Fazer 600 blue) or my second (2005 Kawasaki Z750S black) but I have these -

2007 Honda CB1300S


2008 Honda CB1300


2009 Yamaha FJR


2012 Yamaha FJR


2007 Ducati Monster S2R1000


2013 Suzuki V-Strom 650


2015 Suzuki V-Strom 650 (still got this one)


For one reason or another I loved them all (as we do)

 

I preferred the naked Honda to the faired one, there was less buffeting to the helmet (ahem !) and it looked better too.

When I got back into biking in 2003 after a 20 year lay off 3 of us bought bikes but I couldn't get on with the Twins my mates bought when I had a shot. Their SV650 and 600 Ducati's weren't as smooth as my Fazer and it put me off that type of bike for many years. I think that's why I had a run of Fours for 10 years. That's all changed now though thanks to the fun I had with the Monster...... never felt grunt like it ever !! I think I only ever used the first 4 gears as I couldn't hold on after that I'm now a Twin fan... i'm on my second V-Strom and apart from a hankering to own a Street Triple I reckon i'm done with inline fours.

There's a Ducati dealer round the corner from where I work which would be handy for servicing but like you said, the price of the new 1200's is mad I think both my bikes together cost less than one.

 

Thanks TrophyCat,

The FJR I liked a lot, I liked the power initially (144 bhp) and how smooth the ride was, everything seemed really painless, it would cope with long days out no problem. I regularly managed days in excess of 500 miles without complaint, the power screen was a great gadget at first and I grew to rely on it to reduce buffeting whatever speed I was doing. Then I took it to The Alps and that was the start of the demise of the big bike. Sure it got me there in 2 easy days but manhandling it around the twisties was a bit of a chore. I stupidly part -ex'd it for a brand new one in 2012 when Wigan Yamaha were doing a deal but within the year I had offloaded it for a Ducati. The weight of it just pulling it out the shed started to annoy me too, I was convinced i'd drop it one day. Servicing was no more expensive than any other bike i've owned and they never let me down mechanically but they are (imo) a bit boring...... nowhere near the fun I have with my V-Strom and now more so with my Street Twin. I do miss the shaft drive though

 

My V-Strom is a keeper Bikerman..... i've got it just as I want it, it's going nowhere. Without doubt the best value for money bike i've had, it sit's nicely in the shed beside my Street Twin... two very different bikes but I love them both for different reasons.

 

Fantastic bikes.... everyone of them. That Bonny looks amazing

 

Brilliant !!

 

My pleasure Bikerman.

Before 2015 the 650 V-Strom had a rather short service interval at 3500 miles ( I was doing about that on trips to the South of France). This used to cost me a right few quid at the dealers as it was constantly there. My recently bought 65 plate has 7500 mile intervals now which will help reduce running costs. The 20 ltr tank will return over 240 miles easily or 300 if you ride slowly (no fun in that though). I feel that everything is cheap for my V-Strom (compared to my previous bikes), insurance, tyres etc... it's well off the radar for thieves too as it's one ugly mofo, this definately helps reduce the premium. A new one can be had for £5500 (Euro import) or around £6000 for a UK one, second hand they loose quite a bit as they are relatively cheap to buy new. I sold my 13 plate for £3000... it was 25 months old

Don't want to bore the good peeps on here to death with photos of Jap crap but i'll pop up a couple of my 13 plate. It's been everywhere whereas my red one is new with only 700 miles on it so far.

 

I can believe that Tigcraft, there's lots of very happy V-Strom Thou owners on the UK and US forums.