That bike you wish you'd kept

[Ian Porter]

an idea shamelessly borrowed from another forum

is there a bike you've sold that you really regret letting go?

for me it's my KMX200, it was my first bike post test and a real hooligan at the time (took me weeks to learn how to keep the front wheel on the ground )

I'd stripped it to the frame and had everything painted and rebuilt and it was a great little bike

I only sold it because I had a job with a company car, young kids and no time to ride

when I came back to bikes again I looked for another thinking it would be a good place to start only to find they had rocketed in value so I bought an F650 for half the price (and look where that lead......)

so, what's everyone else "one you miss the most"

 

[Whealie]

Vespa Primavera 125. Left home on it aged 18. ATTGATT consisted of a duffle coat in winter. Two stroke that you mixed as you filled with petrol. No indicators - all hand signals.

Similarly, I now realise it would be worth a fortune. And I'd dearly love to have one.

 

[hotbulb]

Not quite a first bike, but I had an Isetta 300plus bubble car at 16 ........ wish i'd kept that. (And the Lambretta Li150 I had subsequently -- a scruffy old beast but gave me independence).

 

[austin]

Yamaha Rd350lc YPVS f2. Apart from being a mouthful it was a brilliant bike. Fast fun and furious surprisingly well built. 38,000 miles on the original engine, pistons/ rings and little ends and it was still going strong but meant I just about gave it away. If I had hung onto it for just a couple of more months we would have managed financially and I could have put it at the back of the garage to resurrect and ride now.

 

[Rubberchicken]

My old dominator. I miss the big thumper...

I don't wish I'd kept it as it had well and truly had it by the time it went to the wreckers, I just wish I'd kept it better.

 

[Mervin]

FS1E , would not ride the poxy thing now but it was an M reg original with SS not FS1E on the side panels , worth a bloody fortune now , and me original RD250B

 

[nick949]

1950 Panther 100 (600cc single). I was too young and stupid to know what I had. When I'm rich........

Nick

 

[Philwhiskeydrinker]

NSR250 MC21, bought as a bit of a shed for a few hundred quid back in the early noughties. It had the most wonderful suspension of any bike I've owned/ridden, weighed next to nothing and the motor was utter joy - relatively torquey low down, then all hell broke loose when she came on song

That's when it was running right, the test of the time it was boggy & sluggish when warmed up - an issue that I never got to the bottom of

My old 400/4 that I had around the same time was a thoroughly wonderful bike too.

 

[Hamster]

Yamaha RD 350 LC, purely because of the money they fetch now. But the one I miss, believe it or not
, is a MZ 250. Brought it for £30 quid at the time just as a run around for a couple of month,s.
Never did any maintenance on it , just stuck fuel in and thrashed it. 18 mouth,s late the bugger was still going
And I part exchanged it.

 

[Chewbadger]

FZR1000R exup. Last version, foxeye headlamps, usd's and ohlins suspension. De-restricted made 148bhp at the rear wheel on the dyno and went like stink.

Fetching very good money now.

Sent from my KFFOWI using Tapatalk

 

[JimDidIt!]

I wish I'd kept all my previous bikes, every single one If I was limited to one, it'd be... nope, can't single one out, I had adventures on them all, loved 'em all. Perhaps I'm just easily pleased

 

[Lowflyer]

BSA Bantam.first road bike

175 horses bursting at the seams to be let loose

First off road bike -- Montessa Capra, poky little two stroke lorra lorra laughs
Had an AJS 350 scrambler about the same time, a good bit heavier than the Montessa, but loads of bottom end grunt, different riding style altogether. Wish I'd kept that one, gorgeous ally tank on it, straight through megaphone exhaust, what a ripper

cue Outrunner.

C'mon Andy --- Rudge , New Imperial ???

 

[outrunner]

First bike was an Excelsior..............but it had a Villiers 197cc engine, no way would I have kept that lump of garbage. I do wish I still had my Norton Dominator 88 though, I could sell it now and retire, Oh, wait a minute! ld-025:



Andy.

 

[boboneleg]

KTM 640 Adventure.

Loads of power for a single and still you could get 65mpg which meant over 300 miles on a tank. Superb suspension, perhaps a little bit vibey although it never bothered me.

I had a 950 and this at the same time and thought it best to only keep one, so I sold it to Len who has had loads of adventures on it and still has it now

 

[Barftone]

Suzuki RG250 mk1....first OMG bike to ride. Alloy frame was light years ahead of my LC350 (power was'nt though). First 748 was the dream finally achieved. CRM250 best traily!

 

[Lulu]

Well you all already know what I'm going to post.

I'd have loved to have kept Nessie (Suzuki Vanvan, 2008, my first bike on which I learnt to ride). At the time it was probably right to part company, as I think otherwise I would have stayed in my comfort zone and never got used to riding a big bike. I'd have her back like a shot though - but as well as, not instead of Morag the F650.

 

[Mervin]

Suzuki RG250 mk1....first OMG bike to ride. Alloy frame was light years ahead of my LC350 (power was'nt though). First 748 was the dream finally achieved. CRM250 best traily!

now you know why the Yamagamma is favoured by a lot of people , the handling of the suzy the motor of the yam

 

[Ian Porter]

Well you all already know what I'm going to post.

I'd have loved to have kept Nessie (Suzuki Vanvan, 2008, my first bike on which I learnt to ride). At the time it was probably right to part company, as I think otherwise I would have stayed in my comfort zone and never got used to riding a big bike. I'd have her back like a shot though - but as well as, not instead of Morag the F650.

Yes, think we'd guessed that one Lou [emoji3]

Have you seen they are now selling the Vanvan 200 in the UK - looks like a bargain too [emoji6]

 

[Richie B]

The mighty Twon...

 

[Dee Dub]

My first ever - Yamaha DT175. The air-cooled, twin-shock version, not the sophisticated DT175LC with its fancy cantilever Monoshock. I'd love to try one now to see how my expectations have changed over the years. I bet it would feel light and tiny now. Up to 30 mph it would accelerate like a rocket, but it ran out of puff at about 40 - 45 mph. It got me into a little light trail riding, and gave me a taste for biking in general.

Then there was the Honda VFR800. I still have photos of that on my pin-board.