Sounds weird but...

[lilredmachine]

I think I'm in love with a motorcycle.

A few of you know my Triple was run over by a mentalist at a roundabout last week. It's probably written off and was only only 6 months old but to be honest I find it an inconvenience at most. It was my everyday bike. The belt snapped on the Buell just before which is also an inconvenience, but I don't find myself upset about it (apart from the £200 to replace it )

That means I'm riding my 250RR all the time at the moment. Bearing in mind that it is the only bike of mine that lives in a garage, is never ridden in inclement weather and is invariably washed after a ride even if it doesn't look dirty, it's all happened just in time for winter to hit. So in the last week it's been rained on, covered in road shit, used for commuting and left outside all the time.

I am VERY upset by this. I find myself worrying about it all the time. I get sad when I see it dirty. I get sad when it starts raining when I'm on it. I see people looking at it and worry that it's not in the state it should be.

Today I adjusted and lubed the chain, gave it a really good wash and went for a scratch. All week it's been sat in traffic, trundling about getting sprayed by cars going through puddles and it hasn't really felt like it's been running right. It's always felt tight, fresh and (due largely to the gear driven cams) mechanically quiet to me, but in my head it's been laggy on the throttle, getting noisy in the head, vibrating... Weird how a ride can change your mental state. Today the sun is shining, that needle stayed buried in and around the 20k redline for the majority of the journey and it all came back into focus. The bike feels sharp and tight again, sounds perfect, with a muted F1 howl and induction growl that could wake a statue up. I find this is the first bike I've owned that actually has an effect on my moods and mindset, if it's clean, running nice and being ridden how it should be I am happy.

I've had plenty of characterless, reliable bikes that 'get the job done'... This bike feels alive. I wish I could marry it, I think.
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Bikes: too many, too much for one man to maintain anyway.

[fezza612]

https://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n253/justinorde/cool_story_bro.jpg
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Previous: '02 Honda CG125, '03 yamaha enticer
Current: '98 Kawasaki GPZ500S

[lilredmachine]

YAY!
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Bikes: too many, too much for one man to maintain anyway.

[P.addy]

Would love a 250RR pointless, not that practical and really small. Its the noise though

[pepperami]

I think we all have a bike that is a bit special to us.

I had a RD 250 lc that I would have back tommorow if I got the chance

I love my CG 125 of lovelyness and have great fun on it, but it`s just to small for me.
The XS 400 is still an ongoing problem/project so I have no bond to that
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I am the sum total of my own existence, what went before makes me who I am now!

[Alex_B]

Heh, Awesome your having so much fun. Ain't it great!!

0-60 in about 5? 20,000 RPM is just mad!!!

I could live with that cept I gotta tour. 2 up, so not so good to me.

Nice bike man, got any pics you could post?
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My Lane Position is always AWESOME!!

[lilredmachine]

Nothing particularly impractical about it. If you reckon 90mpg, a boot, negligible maintenance and 120mph performance is impractical then you should try owning a Ducati or a Buell.

There is a lot to be said for smiles to the mile, is all I will say. The bike is perfect I just wish I was a bit smaller to fit on it.

[sidewinder]

Mmmm looks nice sounds delicious

[salty21]

i want one!!
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04 NSR 125(sold) ---- 03 CBR 600rr(sold) ----90 pan euro ST1100 '' ----02 CG 125
94 CB400 Super Four ---- 2000 VTR SP1 (sold) ---- 08 ninja p8f(sold, meh) ----05 CBR600rr

[P.addy]

impractical.. its tiny Can you pillion on it well? I wouldn't want to commute, wouldn't like to try and keep with the big boys in the lanes. Its all more than likely capable for a few rider, but for me... it's about as practical as a fork lift in a drag race

[Frog]

Ok, you can marry her, but you've gotta let me have her for the night first...
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CBT 23/09/10 - Theory 19/03/11 - Mod1 19/04/11 - Mod2 06/05/11
Bikes: CBF125 (sold 30/10/10-25/09/12) - CB400 24/06/11 (broken) - ER6-f 25/09/2012

[lilredmachine]

[hmmmnz]

i had one back when i was 15, between my rgv and the zx4r
(nz learners at 15 allow a 250)
it was almost as fast as the zx4 but just didnt quite have torque,
im not sure i could squeeze my 6'4 frame into one for any legnth of time
any more, its a shame that honda didnt make any larger capacity il4s (apart from a cbr/cb1-400) a decent big bike with that motor would be nice
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the humans are dead
I kick arse for the lord
Wiring Diagrams BIDNIP it bitches

[Frog]

[Rogerborg]

Lovely looking bike, I'd probably soil myself at half the available rpms.

It almost seems like sacrilege that there's a CBR 250 "R" now sporting one cylinder and a mighty 24hp. That feels like George Lucas raping my childhood by making Greedo shoot first.
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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

[lilredmachine]

[pepperami]

Talking of 250`s, it`s no suprise that bike makers cant sell any new 250`s

A new Yamaha yrb 250 = £3500 ish.
Honda cbr 250 = £3400 ish.
Hyosung 250? = £3400 ish.
Kawasaki Z? = £3500 ish.
Who the hell is going to pay that sort of money for a 250 , not me.

What are the alternatives?
I found a Zongshen? 250 = £1300.
Shineray 250 = £1300.
pulse 250 = £1300.
£1300 for a bike with poor build quality and limited spares situation?
£1300 is to much money for me to take a chance buying one of them.

So that leaves the second hand market and all the pit falls and delights involved in that.

Trying to find a 250 at a reasonable price is almost impossible, I know because I`ve been looking
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I am the sum total of my own existence, what went before makes me who I am now!

[lilredmachine]

To be honest, they seem pretty reasonable considering a decent 4t 125 can set you back anything up to 4.5k these days. Any new bike from the big 4 is going to be megaaaa expensive now.

Of those you list I'd probably go for the Hyosung GT250R, probably the best looking 250 presently available.

https://img525.imageshack.us/img525/5316/hyosunggt250r20081image.jpg
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Bikes: too many, too much for one man to maintain anyway.

[pepperami]

Well the positive? of not being able to find a reasonably priced 250 and having a little bit of money burning a hole in my pocket is that I`ll concentrate on finishing the XS 400

Bikes I have considered CZ 250 twin
Hyosung 250
MZ supa five
Kawaski Z 250
Honda pooperdream.

I hope the missus does`nt read this as she wants a new bathroom
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I am the sum total of my own existence, what went before makes me who I am now!

[The Artist]

[pepperami]

Mr Artist, you are a very nasty boy !
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I am the sum total of my own existence, what went before makes me who I am now!

[The Artist]

Well I got the wig and rainbow socks off ebay and rest I have had for years.

[Tim..]

F#*ks sake, NSFW tag please
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Project builds: My VFR400 nc30 build thread + Honda Britain Rep VFR + What? Another VFR +Project 'cos I want one' + V8 coffee table
www.marshallracing.co.uk
OCD - Helping to bring the standard of my bikes up and make me slowly go mad since 1999

[Rogerborg]

[The Artist]

Lol at the abusive rating from Rogerborg