benridgebiker

I’ve been riding quite a while, and although reluctant to part with bikes I like (even after they’ve stopped working!), theft has meant I’ve still got through a few! Oddly, despite being a keen photographer, I’ve been very haphazard about taking photos of them, and some I don’t have photos of at all! I started off with a Kawasaki AR125 - the third learner to own and pass his test on that bike. I then bought a Yamaha DR350 YPVS, but kept 'Little Saki' as a 'winter bike' – in fact, I still have it! In 1991 I went for a Ducati 907IE - I was going to keep the Yamaha, as I liked it so much, but it was stolen shortly afterwards. I later bought an even bigger 2-stroke, a second hand Suzuki RG500, but it was dated by then, and eventually the engine failed anyway. The little AR125 was also time expired by now, and I replaced it with a Yamaha XT350. After a long love-hate relationship with the Ducati, which was a beautiful bike to ride when it was working properly, but often didn't, I played safe and got a Kawasaki ZX-7R. In 2003 I also bought a second hand 2002 Yamaha R1 - in the meanwhile, the XT350 had been stolen in 2001, and I replaced it with a Suzuki DRZ400 (no bland loyalty, you see); that didn't last long before it was also stolen. In 2004, I decided to get things sorted out a bit. I eventually decided to replace the DRZ400 with another one, and the second-hand R1 with a brand new one. Before it was properly run in that DRZ400 was also stolen, but recovered a few weeks later largely undamaged. Alas, the same could not be said for my beautiful 2004 R1, to me the most gorgeous looking bike I have ever owned, which in 2008 was stolen from right outside our front door in broad daylight. I replaced it with a 2009 one, but to be honest I don’t enjoy that one so much as I have struggled to come to terms with the very sensitive throttle. So, the current situation is:- Yamaha YZF-R1 (2009) Kawasaki ZX-7R (1999) Suzuki DRZ400S (2004) Ducati 907IE (1991 – stored pending renovation) Kawasaki AR125 (1984 – stored unserviceable)