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not so obscure objects of desire (long-ish, and probably boring)
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I was thinking about bikes the other day (yes, I know - how bizarre!)
in particular about bikes I've desired over the years and whether or
not I managed to fulfill those desires.
Now, I don't go back as far as many on here; although I messed around
on "field bikes" when I was in my early-mid teens, I didn't really
start getting into bikes until my mid 20s, in the early 90s. So, a lot
of my "dream bikes" at the time are still fairly recent machines, and
many are still in production in one form or another.
I'm not talking about bikes I bought on a whim and enjoyed (CCM R30
for example), or bikes I bought for reasons of expediancy (CD200,
R65LS) but bikes that I wanted for years and years and years and then
either ended up owning them or changing my mind about them, or still
lusting after them. I don't expect people to agree about whether the
bikes are any good about - this is a wholly subjective discussion
about what I *wanted*, regardless of their objective merits.
Fulfilled:
Suzuki Bandit 1200 - not much self-analysis required to work out why I
wanted one of these. When I was getting back into being interested in
bikes in 95/96, this is what my mate John rode, and it was a trip on
the back of it to see a stunt show by Gary Rothwell (slightly
surreally in the carpark of the Ulster Transport Museum) that finally
convinced me to quit pottling around on the CG125 and pass my test. I
was told that a B12 might be a bit much as a first bike after test, so
I bought a SZR660 instead. I bought a B12 as my second big bike
instead, two years later, and would have held onto it a lot longer had
it not been written off.
Yamaha TRX 850 - no logic to this one, except to say that when I was
looking at buying my first bike, there was only one big bike
dealership around - Charles Hursts in Belfast, and they had what was
to my naive eyes an absolutely gorgeous TRX in Cadbury's Boost
colours. I did buy a TRX in 2000 from Motorcycle City (albeit in more
staid red/white/black) and didn't regret it, particularly as I paid
2/3s of what Hurst's had been looking for 4 years previously.
Honda Fireblade - again, no real logic, I'd just "always wanted" a
'blade since they came out, since "common knowledge" was that they
were the fastest, badest bikes around. Of course, by the time I bought
my 2001 'blade this wasn't even close to being the case, but I still
have no regrets about buying it, as I think all things being equal,
the 'blade is the bike I've most enjoyed owning/had the most fun on.
Suzuki RGV250 - a bike I fancied at the start of the nineties, then
went off, then fancied one again. Now I have one, but I haven't really
ridden it enough to know whether I actually like it or not. This will
be remedied with a set of new tyres and a couple of trackdays in the
spring.
Kawasaki ZX-7R - always wanted a bike called a "Ninja", though by the
time I actually had one, I'd come to realise that owning a "Ninja" was
cringe-worthy.
Unfulfilled:
Honda Africa Twin - I'd fancied one of these or a Yamaha Super Tenere
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I think this is the Trans Alp here, I'd like to have one too.
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No, it isn't. Similar, but not the same.
Africa Twin is the XRV750 (or earlier, XRV650). The Trans Alp is the
XL600V or XL650V. I'd be surprised if you didn't have the XRV750 in
North America.
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I've only seen a few and only one close up. It had Trans Alp on the
fairing, but I can't remember the headlight configuration. I'll have to
look closer next time I see one.
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The Africa Twin is quite a lot more physically imposing than the Trans
Alp - once you see one beside the other there'd be no mistaking them
for the same bike.
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I did a quick look at some pictures and see what you mean.
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since my late teens, when I spent a lot of time travelling around
Europe. In most camp sites you'd be in, some Euro-types would rock up
on fully loaded big traillies, looking way cooler than us Interrailers
with our sad Karrimor rucksacks. I've never owned either of these
bikes, but I did manage to partially scratch my bike traillie itch
with an R1150GS - much less satisfying than I'd hoped for, though.
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I forgot to add..
I felt quite disappointed by the ZX-9R I owned. I'd wanted one since I
first set eyes on one in green back in 1998. The one I bought wasn't a
bad one, in fact it was in beautiful condition and did everything it was
meant to well, but I never clicked with it and was happy enough to sell
it on and buy something different.
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It's this still unsatisfied desire that leads me to consider one of
the more recent offerings from the likes of KTM.
GSXR750W-T - I may have got the model designation wrong, but I'm
talking about the first of the new-frame-typed Gixers that came out in
96. Really always wanted one, but at the time they were two expensive,
and now they're a bit, well, "not 1000cc-ed", if you see what I mean.
Yamaha RD250LC - I wanted one of these since being at school, mainly
because it was the fastest bike I could think of that could be ridden
on l-plates. Don't really feel the need any more, for some reason...
Bimoto Mantra - best not to ask, really - call it the Imp of the
Perverse having a word in my shell-like.
Bikes I /should/ have fancied? Or bikes I really ought to consider?
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Probably none of the above unless you've got a lot of spare time &
patience.
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Don't bother mentioned Ducatis - I've never /really/ *wanted* one. I
mean, I've thought about buying one, but the actual desire isn't
really there.
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