What Made You Buy The Bikes You Did?

[chickenstrip]

We've got the thread on why loads of people bought BMW GS models and the discussion that followed, and many think it was down to the McBoorman Effect; and it was mentioned that folks think others bought sports bikes cos they're like what their racing heroes rode...or at least, that got mentioned as a possible reason. So that's about why we think others bought the bikes they did.

But what about why you bought the bikes you've had? Was it a popular film of the time perhaps? Was it what someone in your family had before you, and you fell in love with? And did they pan out to be what you thought they would? Did they change your views on what you wanted thereafter?

Some of us have had a large number of bikes over the years, so I wouldn't expect you to give reasons for all of them, but got any particular ones that stand out for you?

I think the biking press has influenced my choice a lot, especially in my earlier days. Examples of this being the 750 Turbo Kwak, GSXR750 Slabby, RG500, FZR1000EXUP. I read the road tests and also perhaps fell in love with the sparkly pictures of them that went alongside, and in those days, if it came across as being a bit mad compared to the competition, well that was good enough for me

With my current love for Fazer 1000s (gen 1), I was looking for something that would tour well, but still provide a bit of a thrill on those legendary sunny Sundays in the summer, and I took one for a test ride whilst working at a bike shop - seemed to fit the bill nicely and I have since grown into them more and more, though perhaps not the most extreme of rides...at least, not compared with some of the 2 strokes I've had - which is perhaps why I saw fit to upgrade the suspension and tune them
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Chickenystripgeezer's Biking Life (Latest update 19/10/18) Belgium, France, Italy, Austria tour 2016 Picos de Europa, Pyrenees and French Alps tour 2017 Scotland Trip 1, now with BONUS FEATURE edit, 5/10/19, on page 2 Scotland Trip 2 Luxembourg, Black Forest, Switzerland, Vosges Trip 2017
THERE'S MILLIONS OF CHICKENSTRIPS OUT THERE!

[recman]

The test ride.

[chickenstrip]

[notbike]

Always thought sports bikes were awesome since I was a little kid playing bike racing games on the megadrive . Currently trying to get as close to riding one as possible (R125, Ninja 300) until next year when I get the license to ride an R6 (very excite).

[Fisty]

My ZX9R had been smashed up by vandals. I mentioned it to a guy at work and he said he had a TL1000R in his garage he hadn't ridden since his wife died 7 years previously and I could have it for a grand. I had never heard of the bike let alone ridden one and was desperate for transport.
I did no research, had no test ride and bought it blind.

Turns out it was one of the best decisions of my life.

So what made me buy it? Desperation, convenience and the price.
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Quietly and consistently taking the piss.
TL1000R | Hayabusa | ZXR400 | TL1000S | Bandit 400 V
Fatter and faster than Fret

[arry]

Gpz500 - mate selling, could hide true cost from wife, wanted first bike.

Cbr600 - always wanted a CBR and couldn't stretch to a fireplace.

Sprint - engine is fantastic. Wanted a Speed but couldn't do the lack of practicing

[recman]

[Kawasaki Jimbo]

In seventeen years of riding I've only had four bikes but I don't chop and change readily in life generally (bikes, cars, hi-fi, women). First bike was a sensible but stylish choice because I realised that after passing my test I wasn't ready for my super-sports ideal, but I had been turned on by Grey Bikes magazine so when a Yamaha XJR400 appeared at my local-ish Arnos Grove bike shop I had to have it. However, I'd always hankered after a Ninja. The ZXR400 had massive appeal thanks to a Fast Bikes article long before I'd even taken my test but the contemporary (1999) ZX6R was more practical and just better all round, so after maybe 18 months of long-distance commuting, weekend blasts and trips to London on the XJR I made the switch. Living in North London the ZX6R inevitably (in hindsight) got nicked. Someone told me, "Never have anything nice round here, someone will always want to steal it." I moved away soon after. The insurance money should perhaps have been spent on something different but I bought another 1999 ZX6R. I loved it and still have it, now garaged after years parked outside. Then I had money and the desire to get a litre bike so I bought a 2003 Yamaha R1 unseen on eBay. It turned out to be spot on. I still have the R1, and the ZX6R is in my new garage being cosmetically refurbished after years of commuting, outside storage and one low-side crash.
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'93 Yamaha XJR400 grey import (p-ex’d), '99 Kawasaki ZX6R (nicked), another '99 ZX6R (still got it) and '03 Yamaha YZF-R1 (still got that too.)

[Fisty]

Just remembered why I bought the first ZXR400.......

Was browsing the Ad-Mag free ads paper and there was an advert for "pink and purple kawasaki, need rid joining army" I didn't need another bike but this was local and seemed cheap.
Turned out to to be immaculate and only 2 owners (father and son) with full service history.
I rode it home with a stupid grin on my face because the bike "felt right", ended up keeping it for 5 years until it was written off by a chav in a Rover.

The reasons I bought it? Locality, price and by fuck it was fun.

To this day the only bike I regret losing.
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Quietly and consistently taking the piss.
TL1000R | Hayabusa | ZXR400 | TL1000S | Bandit 400 V
Fatter and faster than Fret

[wr6133]

It was stupidly cheap due to owner thinking he had broken it. I needed transport (having lunched 2nd on my old bike) handed over the money, fixed it on his driveway and rode home.

At the time I didn't care what make/model/type it was, cheapness and 12 months tax and test influenced me.

[instigator.]

Price + perceived benefits. Pretty much every time.

That being said, when I buy a crossplane R1, I know the price won't be good (for the first purchase ever) and the only benefit really, and I can admit myself to this, will be that gorgeous noise that I've fallen in love with.

[Northern Monkey]

Enfield bought because I had fancied one for a while. Bought it then had to book and pass test.

NC750x I bought because it was practical and efficient. Turns out buying practical and efficient bikes is a shit and dull idea.

MSX125 - Looked like it was made of lulz. Test rode. Turned out it was made from concentrated Lulz. Didn't have the spare cash, so sold a kidney and paid cash
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Fisty: after polishing the tank with the glistenng beads of sweat from my full hot scrotum, I filled the headrace bearings with 10cc of my manmilk

[andyscooter]

Right place right price right time

Same as every other bike I had
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gilera runner vxr200 (chavped)
if its spelt wrong its my fat fingers and daft auto correct on my tablet

[Yorkshire Geek]

Had a lesson on a Diversion and quite liked it, I like bulletproof engineering so I bought one.

[Rogerborg]

HN125 - it was (and still is) the cheapest new 125 available, was Learner friendly and had a decent parts supply and owner community.

LF250 - cheap and <25bhp. Failed on everything else though.

GPz305 - cheap, <25bhp (ish) and quirky.

GPZ500 - 'free' (straight swap with my 125).

Nazi Tractor - Outer Mongolia it's a very competent short big bike with a reasonable used price and low running costs. Unusual attack of sense.

Burgman - curiosity, and so-cold, so-wet foggitry.

Enfield - whim.

Apart from the very first one, I've never planned a purchase or sought out a particular bike. I've just got my budget together then bagged whatever was available locally that tickled my fancy. The thought of chasing bikes half way across the country just baffles me.
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Biking is 1/20th as dangerous as horse riding.
GONE: HN125-8, LF-250B, GPz 305, GPZ 500S, Burgman 400 // RIDING: F650GS (800 twin), Royal Enfield Bullet Electra 500 AVL, Ninja 250R because racebike

[Polarbear]

I like my Triumphs. I like my toys and this has them in plenty

I like the radio, the heated seats and grips, the electric wind screen and the ashtray

It doesn't really have an ashtray
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Triumph Trophy Launch Edition

[gonzo1]

Ybr 125.........because I needed something to commute to work on,needed it to be a jap 125,needed good mpg and reliability and something I could put a top box on.

BMW R1100S........i liked the look of it and the fact that it was a bit different from every other run of the mill bike out there.I've had two and prefer them to the gsxr1000k5 I had which I bought after a "heart ruling head" moment.

Kawasaki zzr1400..........have'nt owned one yet but seriously considering one.
Read loads of reviews,quite like the looks,love the thought of all that power and the fact it's supposed to be comfy over good distances.Been offered another R1100S though with only 3000 miles on it and every factory extra that was ever made for them.......could be a good investment I suppose.It's either/or cos I can't afford both.

[haroman666]

Pretty much all my bikes have been bought based on the insurance I've been quoted for them.

I resent paying so much for insurance. I've never paid over £500 on insurance in the 7 years of riding.
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The mistresses: 2000 Honda CBR600f, 2000 Honda VTR1000

[DRZ4Hunned]

Went for the DRZ for a few reasons. After I got my A2, I was weighing up between a Jap import 400 and a DRZ, I went for the DRZ because I didn't see the point of restricting a higher power bike, it seems somewhat wasteful and I'd only end up riding it illegally. And the idea of being able to go off road appealed to me, but now I've ridden them all they've become a bit boring.

Also the thought of multiple cylinders/ carbs rang alarm bells, I wanted something mechanically simple that I could fix myself (poor student innit). The transition from 125 to DRZ felt like a sports bike, but now I'm craving more, so I'll probably get something like a triple next.
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DRZ400-SM
FZS600

[chickenstrip]

[stinkwheel]

Got my Tomos moped because it was cheap.

Got my Motobeno (Minsk) 125 because it was cheap.

Got my 350 Powervalve because it was motherfuckin metalflake purple and went like shit off a wet shovel.

Got my Jawa 350 because it was MEGA cheap and I'd blown my entire wad keeing the YPVS on the road and full of petrol.

Got my GPZ500 because I'd blown up and crashed the Jawa so much it was no longer viable.

Got a PC50 because I need a cheap runaround in town and it was very cool in an alternative way.

Got a CB125TDC because I wanted something to tinker with.

Got a CB125T2 because the TDC had been stolen

Got another Jawa because it was £20.

Got my MZ Baghira because I'd made some money and had enjoyed riding a mates one.

Got my other GPZ500 because the MZ had been stolen.

Got my KLE500 and supermoto-ed it because I thought it would be as fun as the MZ and fast as the GPZ (it wasn't).

Got My H100 and C90 because they are a hoot.

Got the first VFR750 because I needed something that was quicker and more capable than a GPZ500, could cover large distances quickly and in relative comfort and had a bomb-proof engine. So a Honda with gear driven cams seemed like a good option when a local one came up.

Got the second VFR because I still like them but my first one had been ridden, crashed and neglected into the ground.

Got the Enfield because I quite like tinkering, I just don't like tinkering with my "main" bike. I like that to just go. I was also going to have a 3 month sabbatical to celebrate 10 years at the same job and wanted to do the Round Britain Motorcycle rally. I thought it would be cool to do it sedately on an old British motorcycle but didn't want the hassle of getting and keeping an ACTUAL British pre-unit single on the road.
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“Rule one: Always stick around for one more drink. That's when things happen. That's when you find out everything you want to know.”
I did the 2010 Round Britain Rally on my 350 Bullet. 89 landmarks, 3 months, 9,500 miles.

[finniee]

The reason why I bought the Honda CBF125 was because It was cheaper the the CBR not by much, I liked the seating position and the main point was if I dropped it and the fairing would smash and scrape up.
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Honda CBF125

[Slacker24seve...]

Hornet: test rides.
CBR400: drunk ebaying. It was a total nail.
Daytona: test rides. Looks. Pointyness. Sound. Handling. Getting a semi.
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Triumph Daytona 675 track bike + girlfriend's Honda Hornet 600
Selling a hack/winter bike for less than a grand? PM me.
Banger rallies are ace

[bikertomm]

Honda XR 125 - Thought it was the bollocks with it's supermoto-ish looks. In with the fact reliabilty, being a noob with not alot of cash, I didn't want much to go wrong.

So,

- Style, Price, Reliability and 'go anywhere' ability. What more do you want when your 18. Lots of footpaths and muddy lanes near me got abused for entire sundays. I thought I was the fucking king on that thing. Sold it a year later for £100 less than I bought it.

Honda Hornet 600 - Was set on a DRZ 400 having passed mod 2 (when it was half cool) and getting a 33bhp licence.

Therefore searching ebay for '33 bhp' under motorcycles section, this hornet popped up about 40 miles away. Hmmmm, I thought. I had always like the look of the pre - 07' plate hornets and actually watched loads of hornet review videos on youtube when I was about 15 years old, I said to myself, one day I'll own one of those.. So the newer model was a suprise, but I went along with it.

The thing about the hornet I thought was that it is literally a proper big bike, and after my restriction I would have a whole new bike, as opposed to a DRZ that would just be '1' bike if you like.

The hornet is far more capable at everything, ridiculously reliable and very well refined; but also very quick high in the rev range, which keeps it interesting but also gives you paranoia about losing your licence.


Next year I'd love to have a go at a trackday, then see about upgrading to a bike that far exceeds my limits (GSXR 750 or 675 Daytona) ... Or.. I will go in a different direction and get a proper supermoto!
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07' Honda Hornet now full powaah! My guide on performing an oil change!

[binge]

Honda XL125s - Recommendation from Dad as he had one when he was a lad.

Honda CBR400 (NC29) - Was a good <33bhp (officer) learner bike once I passed my restricted access.

Suzuki TLR1000 - Fuck load of bike for the money, and an iconic one at that!

Suzuki Bandit - Fuck load of bike for the money!

Yamaha YZF450 Supermoto - I felt like being a cunt. This bike helped!

Yamaha R1 (4xv 1998) - Chuck Norris told me they're pretty good!

Honda Chaly CF70 - My one was first registered October 1987, the month I was born.


Missed a load of non-important ones.