A Blast From The Past.... Show Us Your Bikes Previously Owned

[Cycledelic Relic]

Even if its a Buell Blast....

Here are some from my past to get goin.... sorry for the poor pic quality on these first crude digital copies...
I got into the sport late.... at the ripe old age of 23
First bike was a brand new 78 Honda CB550K..... Don't ask about my exploits on this one... (don't ask the cops either!)
Second bike I bought while workin at Steakleys... A 79 Chappy Red Yamaha SR500 ...wish I had pics of this one
My third bike from 1981.... A Seca 550.... Man that bike was sweet for its time. The Shoei fairing sure looked better'n the stock one

#4 was anuther Seca... slightly bigger this time... a 650 ...& with shaft drive. I took my first trip to Talimena Drive on that Seca.... An interesting one for sure.... (Saturday about 3 pm after work thru Sunday evening!) way too short!!

Bike #5 pic is anuther red SR500... this time a used 78 I bought just before Yamaha announced the coming SRX6...

... & the 86 SRX6..... #6... how fitting. I spent as much on engine mods as I paid for the bike new. & I was still employed at Steakleys then!!
Dang.. WOULD THAT BIKE HAUL THE HONEY!! went from appx 30HP to 50+ !!! Wheelie Fun!!! I sold & delivered the bike to a hotrodder out in Phoenix. He was downsizing from a BMW R100RS. Several years later he offered me the SRX back.... but I had changed my riding style by then (sport touring) & the SRX jus didn't fit. I still look at ads to see if I could find it. Last I heard, it went racing over in Ohio.

My seventh bike pic is missing in action.... yet anuther 78 SR500 (black this time) bought a year after sellin the SRX in 92-93.... (I couldn't stand not havin a bike!!) Only had it a short time before switchin directions toward more touring capable bikes...
Like the 91 VX800 bought in '95 #8 hmmm (orig metallic blue black) but painted 95 Ford Probe Yellow after a bit of trailering trouble in Colorado 98 family trip. sold soon after the TDM arrived in 2000. This pic is actually from Tim's shop after he bought it from the guy who got it from me.

Ahhhh the 93 TDM..... #9.... #9.... #9.... yeah... it was a weird lookin bike at the time.... (mabe not so much now?) That bike was sooooo much more.... refined than the 91 VX.... amazin jus two years difference in year models. bought in 2000. Crazy fun bike!!! Introduced me to the Adventurous side. Kept it till 2005 ....my multi bike phase... up to 6 owned at one time.

TEN..... TEN TIMES THE PERCIEVED POWER of any previous bike I've owned..... The 03 FJR was one of the first batch in Texas. Sold in 05 with 30+K on it. Remember those jet packs of the 60s..... Yeah... like that.

& now.... Number 11
Welcome my son .....welcome to the V Strom.... where hav ya been........... its alright we kno where ya been.

I jus hadta put in a few pics of ol Halloweeny. ..my02 DL1000 customized by the first owner in Indiana. Remember the flood in Indianapolis..... I rode this bike back to Texas in that non stop rain. Wonderful bike.... made me kinda forget about ridin the FJR....... kinda. Sold it to a guy in Washington state. He needed a bike for an Alaska trip.

12..13.. 14... 15... kinda unsure of the sequence of these next few... I always wanted an 83 Yamaha Vision....... so I drove to Wisconsin to pick up this one. I bought it from a collector who had literally hundreds of mostly Japanese bikes stored in old houses & office buildings around Baraboo. Interesting........ & the bike was too. ahead of its time for sure. In a weird twist I sold the bike to a buyer in Chicago..so it went back north.

Strom #2.... an 03 I bought from a guy in Slidell. Picked it up in late July... just before hurricane Katrina hit that area. Replacement for ol Halloweeny which got slightly crashed near Fredericksburg. The Texas Oilman bought it from me.. then had me sell it for him several years later.

Remember what I said about the SRX being Wheelie fun.... at 360LBS & 50+ HP.... well DOUBLE THAT HP at 415LBS!!!!
The 03 SV1000 was the most crazy power bike I've owned besides the FJR... but I think I'dve liked a SV650 better overall. I got this SV over in Birmingham AL. like my Strom touches on it?

I bought this 01 Triumph Trophy from Don Hesston up in Grandview. I had ridden PhilHills 02 Trophy & liked it. As a lower cost replacement for the FJR...it was great... but I had changed my riding habits... hangin out on goatpaths more than not.

I picked up the 05 Bandit from a car dealer over in Kentucky. Cool lookin factory paint. I bought the Bandit to replace the Triumph Trophy... (which replaced the FJR)

I ended up tradin the Bandit for this.... a 99 Vulcan Drifter ..... ???? me... a Drifter??? well the Bandit wouldn't sell no matter what I did. Tim said the Drifter would sell... even with 30K on it. He was right. It did

This moto modded 93 KLX650.... well I got if from a guy in Oklahoma. Went to Wichata Falls to pick it up. A fun ride.... for 30 minutes
(divide & conquer seat) need I say more....

Strom number 3.... The 04 650 which became Buell Strom (with some well placed stickers) I bought that 650 in late 2005 from a guy who ran a small bike shop on Greenville in Dallas. It had under 10K when I got it..... sold to a dealer in Vancouver with 87K in 2010
ABSOLUTELY... THE BEST YET

I replaced the 04 with this 06 that I got from Tim in 2010.... The red didn't appeal to me so I switched colors with the 04 before the sale. This pic before I bought it.

& this is what it became after I crashed it soon after changing colors.... Dubbed Gold Fender by Dahveed (BIG THANX DAVID!!!) Its still with me... albeit in a slightly different form right now.

EDIT: I completely forgot to show a pic of the absolutely stunning 90 Transalp that I bought from Rick M back in late 08 or 09.....
It was a great gravel road bike & showed the differences between a DS that thinks its a street bike.... & a Street bike thinkin its a DS bike (V Stroms)
Rick really made me a fabulous deal on the Transalp & I hated ta hafta sell it.... but..at the time.... I hadta be a one bike rider.
Heres a pic of Rick riding the Alp...

 

[Texas T]

Not my photo, but mine was the same year / color / model.

 

[gixxerjasen]

Dude, I was way too cool for my Kat 600.

 

[Ksc12c]

2000 Sportster Custom traded it in for this

2006 Buell Ulysses.


Sent from my iPad - Kevin

 

[Tourmeister]

You've had some cool bikes Rod

 

[Cycledelic Relic]

Thanx Scott....
I've been lucky with purchases in my past.... & between 2003 to 2009 I actually owned up to 6 different bikes at one time! I quickly decided tho... that 6 bikes were waaaay too much to keep up with.... even for Mr2mch. I do like keepin 2 bikes around.... to cover different bases....so ta speak.

but...Which of those bikes was the most fun??? well... that's a real thinker that is....

The SRX6 was a way cool lightweight that I daytoured the hill country with during the late 80s.... back when I could kickstart em more easily!
The Seca 650 & VX800 introduced me to long distance touring... without being too large & heavy.
The TDM split the difference between being a faster sporty tourer & the nimbleness of the SRX6.... (the SV1000.... I thought would be even more... but it was jus too much power in that size bike) the TDM had a nice balance.
That big ol FJR... & to a slightly less extent... the Trophy... Those bikes are just cruise missles in a sexy suit. effortless ... twist'n go..go...go..go

But so far.... the Stroms have been the most fun overall I think.

 

[texxter]

My first bike was a German 50cc 1976 Puch Minicross with pedals

 

[texxter]

Then I graduated to a 125cc 1962 Ossa, which was awesome!

 

[dandeldesierto]

I've got this real sappy sentimental streak going right now (as a result of last weekend's triple bleed out in the brain). I was actually getting a lil' jealous until I remembered that I'm on my approx. 35 th bike (or I'll be on it asap (probably 5 or 6 months)) The newest one is a really pretty '04 R1150R I got about six weeks ago (silver, one owner, 23K miles) that I did sqeeze in a trip to Big Bend on before being waylaid by the ol' grand mal. I've heard that strokes often change one's temperament; this was my first (stroke, not temperament change), and seems to have made me more grateful and tolerant, those of you who might know me probably think that's a good thing.

 

[road_thing]

Circa 1974:

 

[achesley]

Wow! This floods the memory banks big time. i'll just post a few starting with me on my 2nd ever bike ; '56 Alstate 175 and seen leaning against the house was my first ; '56 Harley 165.

Then my '69 Norton Commando 750 Fastback that I managed to break the frame in half, spit a tooth out of the transmission though the bottom.

Then the Honda 750K2 1972 that I replaced the Norton with. Great bike and my first electric start. LOL.

And one of my all time favs was my ?? 76 XT500 Yamaha which I rebuilt from frame up.

Three of the bikes i had in '72 along with the 750 Honda. A Kawasaki Green Streak 100 flat tracker, DT2 Yamaha I was motorcrossing on, and the wife's 100 CL Honda,

Then came my Last Harley FX74 in about '74 I think. Once won a 20 dollar bet I could not get that thing around a muddy mx track, did it but then with the rachet shifter clogged with mud, I had to drive myself and wife 70 miles to get home stuck in 4th gear.

'77 Suzuki 750GS. Had two of these. This one I road race a little. Yosh 870 kit, cams, smooth bore carbs, martex ignition.

And , of course , my '82 XV920RH on the top of Pike's peak in '83. Great bike which ended it's life and darn near mine on a rear end hit and run. Still don't remember anything about the wreck cept at a stop sign one second , coming too in a hospital the next.

After the crash, I was off bikes for 6 years due to vertigo problems Finally got back on in '92 and we'll start a new segment for those. It's been a heck of a ride.

 

[Cycledelic Relic]

Those 82 XVRHs were anuther one on my radar back then.... While most folks watched the drag results of PeeWee Gleason on the Seca 750 ...& the brutish XS1100s I was lookin at the Seca 650 XV920R & Vision 550. The Seca 650 ultimately replaced the 81 Seca 550 ... with its shaft drive I thought touring on it would be a bit less maintenance intensive... The Vision was a cool bike but just a bit too short on power comparably speakin. But that 920.. even with the chain drive.... was a close second on my list

 

[ghostrider1964]

I would be here forever posting a pic of every bike I have owned...not sure I have a pic of all I am not even sure how many I have owned...somewhere over 100
My first bike was a 1974 Honda XR75...got a pic of it somewhere but here goes some I can find....

KTM504MX...1982-3 Too long

My 80-81KTM 125MX Maybe Bastrop or Whitney MX Park...wow..I was skinny then

KLX650...friend of mine still has it

ATK 604

My last KLR

Triumph Trophy

04 1150 GS...sold to Dahveed

My 04 1150GSA again sold to Dahveed

My 09 R1200RT

KTM 950SE

My last Honda XR650R

My favorite bike of ALL TIME!!! I wish I had it back

My beloved 08 GSA

 

[Tourmeister]

I got a late start with riding, starting when I was 33 in 1999. A friend made me a smoking deal on my first bike. I has been down hill ever since...

1992 Honda Nighthawk 750 - Purchased May 1999 with 3000 miles on it.

Beth got her first bike maybe a month later, she was 28 at the time.

1996 Yamaha Virago 535cc Special Edition - excellent first bike and she LOVED it. Only had 1700 miles on it when we got it.

After several small trips and 10K miles for me and about 5K miles for her, we had a better idea of what we wanted from a bike, so we traded up...

1998 Honda VFR 800 - bought new in 2000 - setup for carrying WAY too much stuff

Beth got a used 1999 Triumph Legend 900 with a few thousand miles on it

While on a trip to NC, Beth got to ride a Triumph Sprint ST and decided she needed something sportier than the Legend, so she got this,

2001 Suzuki SV650S brand new

She loved the SV, but then I made the mistake of letting her ride my VFR 800 I had a minor get off on my VFR right before a big trip. So I bought a new one and converted the 98 to the OEM blue. That became her bike and I got a new 2001 VFR 800.

The 2001 VFR 800 - bought new in 2001

The 98 converted to OEM blue

After about 100K miles for me between the two VFR's, I was ready for something different.

2002 BMW R1150GS - bought used in 2004 with 10K miles.

Then we started having kids... and shedding bikes... So... I got down to one bike.

2002 KLR 650 bought used in 2006 with 3K miles on it

The KLR was a great bike, but I was missing a more street capable bike, so...

2004 Suzuki Vstrom 650 bought used in 2007 with 3500 miles on it

The Strom was a great bike, but I was really missing my 1150 GS... I sold it when I got the KLR. So... I got a good deal on this,

2005 BMW R1200GS with 37K miles on it - bought 2010

Of course, I still had a dirt itch to scratch and the KLR just wasn't getting it done... So...

2010 KTM 530 EXC Champions Edition bought used in 2011 with about 3K miles on it

Right now I have a garage full of bikes. There are dirt bikes for the three kids. I now have a 2007 BMW R1200GS and the 05 is for sale. There is the KTM and also Snoopster's 650 BMW. I also still want to find me a smaller dirt bike to ride when chasing the kids around. The KTM is a bit big for tight wooded trail work.

Unlike some members here (you know who you are ), I tend to keep my bikes for a few years before moving on to something new/different

 

[YoDoc]

So, the first bike I bought was a brand new 2007 Harley Davidson Sportster 1200 Custom. I loved that thing. It was my present to myself after my first tour in Iraq.

I wrecked it, fixed it, then had to get rid of it when I found out Connor was on his way. So, I sold it cheap, and paid cash for a 2003 Kawasaki Concours. This is the bike I had when I joined the forum. My friend Steve is in this shot with his 2010 Street Triple.

After a while, I realized my knees couldn't take the riding position, and I missed that v twin soul, so I traded it in and bought a 2001 Honda Shadow Sabre.

I decided it had no soul, or I just didn't love it, whatever. I didn't have any clue what I wanted. I had seen several Vstroms, and wanted to test ride one. My friend Danielle had moved here from Chicago a little while previously on her Vstrom 1000, and told me to come test ride it before she traded it on a Versys 650. I rode it about a mile before I realized she wasn't going to trade it in, she was gonna sell it to me!

Only four, but the first four of many, I suspect.

 

[TDtrans]

dody that ktm looks bad to the bone vintage legal .

 

[Cycledelic Relic]

Triumph Trophy

04 1150 GS...sold to Dahveed

KTM 950SE

Yeah... I was involved with these bikes too.... Not mine though....
The Trophy belonged to PhilHill when brand new....I sold it for him & 2 owners later it was Dodys for a while. That Trophy was the reason I bought an almost exact copy... the 01 1200 I replaced the FJR with.
The 04 GS Flyin Banana Dody sold to Dahveed... I sold it for Dahveed after he crashed it at RTB1 ...Ed29 may still have it.
& that KTM SE.... was Savages... He did all kinds of mods to it... Then I helped advertise it for him. Dody was the buyer.

 

[Downs]

From 1st to latest.

2000 Suzuki Bandit 1200S. Bought then when I turned 16 and somehow survived.

78 GS1000 I inherited from my Great Grandfather. Still have this bike

07 KLR 650 I painted Desert Tan

04 BMW R1150R

04 Yamaha FJR1300A

97 DR350SE. Actually had this bike up until recently.

07 Yamaha FZ6

07 BMW F800ST, Good bike but I wished I would have kept the FZ6 instead.

04 Suzuki V-STrom 650

 

[Pacific Coaster]

Wow, it's interesting to see some of the stories and progression of rides from some of the guys here.

You guys had cool staches and sideburns in the 70's - 80's, gotta admit

 

[sgifford]

Not my photo, but mine was the same year / color / model.

I remember coveting that bike as a junior in high school!

 

[sgifford]

Even if its a Buell Blast....

Here are some from my past to get goin.... sorry for the poor pic quality on these first crude digital copies...
I got into the sport late.... at the ripe old age of 23
First bike was a brand new 78 Honda CB550K..... Don't ask about my exploits on this one... (don't ask the cops either!)
Second bike I bought while workin at Steakleys... A 79 Chappy Red Yamaha SR500 ...wish I had pics of this one
My third bike from 1981.... A Seca 550.... Man that bike was sweet for its time. The Shoei fairing sure looked better'n the stock one

#4 was anuther Seca... slightly bigger this time... a 650 ...& with shaft drive. I took my first trip to Talimena Drive on that Seca.... An interesting one for sure.... (Saturday about 3 pm after work thru Sunday evening!) way too short!!

I also had an 81 Seca. I loved that bike! I still think the gleaming white paint, chrome, and cafe style is beautiful. It was my first 'big' bike. I loved that it was quiet at low revs, but would scream like a banshee when revved.

 

[achesley]

The ;82 Yamaha XV920 RH and J had enclosed chains in a lithium based grease. Once I learned to adjust the chain a little looser than called for in the manual, very little adjustment needed.
Need to get my carcass in gear and do my last 250,000 Plus miles of bikes.

 

[Cycledelic Relic]

I also had an 81 Seca. I loved that bike! I still think the gleaming white paint, chrome, and cafe style is beautiful. It was my first 'big' bike. I loved that it was quiet at low revs, but would scream like a banshee when revved.

Yep.... You got it exactly... Screem like a banshee.... FUN FUN FUN

The ;82 Yamaha XV920 RH and J had enclosed chains in a lithium based grease. Once I learned to adjust the chain a little looser than called for in the manual, very little adjustment needed.
Need to get my carcass in gear and do my last 250,000 Plus miles of bikes.

Yamaha was not opposed ta taking more risks with tech back then & I was also intrigued by that enclosed chain.....The 650 had a shaft drive. In the end though , I think it came down to the price diff between the XV920 & the XJ650 Seca. I moved up from the 550 for just a bit more cash.

 

[TXScorpion]

I dont have pics of most of my bikes... just the last few.

I started riding when I was 18. Bought myself a very used "enduro" about a week after I moved out on my own. I loved that thing.
It should have killed me once when I took a wet corner too fast on the mud tires and went down HARD. Hard enough to crack the helmet I was wearing.
I kept that bike for several more years until I just wore it out.

Bought one dirt/street bike after another over the years (literally too many to remember - at least a dozen over the years - my budget wouldnt allow me to spend more than a few hundred on a bike, so that should give an idea as to the quality)

In 2008 my wife and I decided to buy a bike to save on gas, so we went and bought a used 2006 Suzuki Boulevard S40. It was just too small for me, but it fit her perfectly so she rode it and I bought something bigger - a 2008 Kawasaki Vulcan - which I kept for exactly 3 days.
Traded it for a 2008 Yamaha which I really liked - but alas, I didnt read the fine print on the sales contract and didnt realize that it was basically a very high interest credit card.
Very high interest - 33%.
So in 2012 I let it go in a voluntary repo. Broke my heart to see that bike leave.
Last year I treated myself to a used 2009 Harley Fat-Bob...
Then today I went in and managed to ride out on a new 2015 StreetGlide (kept the Fat Bob though)...
So here are the whopping 4 pics I have - and the last one aint good.
The 2006 Suzuki (that became my wifes bike)

the 2008 Yamaha:

The 2009 Harley

And the one I just got today

 

[Xdriver]

I too started late in the game. I was 33 in 2008 when I picked up my first bike. Never had any interest in bikes, but while at an airport I saw a Buell display. The price of entry seemed reasonable. After some discussion, my co worker recommended I take a class to learn to ride. Signed up for class for the next weekend and knowing I'd like it bought a Honda Shadow Spirit before I started class. It was a weekend class and the afternoon after day one, the bike was delivered to my house. I was hooked.

After a month of this, I realized it was too buzzy and the highway was no fun on it. So picked up a slightly larger Vstar1100

About two months later, I realized cruisers weren't for me, and moved onto an FZ1. This bike was awesome. Should've kept it.

Then, met the wife a few months later and added an ST1300 so two up would be more comfy. Having two bikes was great. The FZ for solo go fast stuff, and the ST for a little touring and two up.

I eventually got the bug for some dirt road exploration, but still wanted some comfort so I traded the ST For my first BMW. An '09 GS

Great bike. Had that one maybe 2 years and then decided I'd like to have the comfort of a more road oriented bike and picked up a used RT.

That RT was great but got the dirt road bug again. Enter the Tenere.

That Tenere had one of my favorite engines. Only second to the next bike. A Kawi C14. This thing was scary fast. Uber reliable and looked good. Only problem was, for me it didn't have the ergos I was looking for which was that of my previously sold RT

So, finally I went back to the RT. I've learned after cycling through many bikes in a short amount of time, that this is the one that fits me best so long as I can only have one bike in the garage.