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Bikes you've sold and HAVE NOT regretted...

It wasn't my little KZ440's fault it died; I really should've been nicer to it and maybe not taken it on a 400 (of 700) mile trip... That's the only bike I ever sold, and I got $100 less for it than I paid, even though it ran when I bought it and not when I sold it. Of course, I had added a lot of accessories and replaced a lot of wear items...

I'd rebuild my Trident 900 in a heartbeat if I could afford to get it down here.

I will pick up a second motor for my current ride at some point, as I intend to keep this one for a very long time.

No, the bike I don't regret seeing go was on loan to me for a week before I bought it, and it was bad enough that I never went through with the transaction. It was an early-'80s Yamaha XV750 Virago, and it was a hunk of ****. In addition to the horribly designed starter that didn't work when warm, and which stranded me in the projects on my way to work one day, this particular bike had had an airhorn professionally installed. And by professionally installed, I mean an angry monkey had torn out half of the wiring harness and flung excrement at the other half. The bike would stall for no reason, which was made much scarier by its reluctance to start, but that wasn't the worst. The worst was the horn. When it worked, it sounded like an 18-wheeler and made cars get out of my way! When it didn't work, though, it acted as a second kill switch and stopped the bike dead wherever it was. That was fun.

Cheers,
-Kit
 
1967 BSA 441 Victor ...
Named: Thumper.
Small tank, leaky carb. plunger, electrics were the prince of darkness AND hardly any brakes !
Drank way to much beer AND was always falling down.
But.... it helped me get over tha' Viet Nam thing.....1/12 Cav, (Airborne Inf.) RVN 66-67
Some fond memories ... but, that was then ! : D
Mac
 
DL1000

:duck::duck::duck:


Once we got past the lust stage, she and I just could not get along; she even tried to kill/seriously hurt me twice, so we divorced in less than 6 weeks :-P

I still have some lust for her strong legs, but she just wasn't the "complete package" like my one true love :lol2:

+1 on the DL 1K
 
My 2001 Kawasaki Vulcan Nomad. Let me preface this by saying I loved the bike, rode it for 4 1/2 years and got rid of it with 55,000 miles on it. It was my re-introduction to riding after a 13 year hiatus. It served me well and made many trips including 3 to Big Bend National Park. BUT, I was ready to move on to a more sporty ride and got a 2001 Triumph Trophy 1200 for it and am now riding a BMW R1200 GS Adventure, which I WOULD regret if it were gone tomorrow!

488019699_rqdJC-L.jpg
 
I've owned an assortment of cruiser/touring bikes over the years and always come to the same conclusion. I prefer an upright seating position (maybe a hint of forward lean) with my feet underneath me. As good as the Road King, Low Rider or Sportster looked, I had to have the sport touring or dirt bike riding positions and couldn't wait to sell them.
 
I had an '82 CBX, which really wasn't built for a long haul riding at any given time. Plus every cold start, just about took the battery entire charge to start. Ride was stiff, handling, ok, but was pretty quick. However, for me, wasn't sorry to that one go.
 
01 Honda VTX 1800 - Really too heavy, spark plugs started fouling
03 Honda VTX 1300 - Good touring bike, but still a cruiser.
07 Kawasaki Z750S - My Butt and Wrists thank me every day.
 
Way too sporty in the ergos department:
DCP_1294_800x529.jpg


I really wanted a Harley and this was a mistake:
LC1500Intruder.jpg

I didn't really want a Harley but buying a new C90T/LC1500 was a mistake for me as well, I want even start on this bike. I was glad to get out from under it {putting it mildly} SZ.
 
Bikes I have owned and sold with no regrets? Three come to mind pretty quick.

1. 1972 1000cc Sportster purchased new; this thing would kick back and break the starter bendix every other day; two different Harley shops were unable to make it stop. I must have put a dozen bendix gears on the thing before Harley release a service bulletin calling out the reason: point cam lobe was too pointed. Fixed with wider lobe. Wow, what a work out that was; a 1000 cc Sportster with no kick starter and no electric starter is a hard bike to ride. It was a shame too; best handling Harley I have ever ridden.

2. 1979 Harely Low Rider, purchased new; this was an AMF Harley. The valve guides came loose in the heads while running at high speed; they fixed it and it did it a second time. Seat would come down and hit negative battery cable and break the battery post; got the idea? There were other quirks. No love lost and was the reason I gave up on Harley's and went to BMW. I don't care that HOG bought'm back and quality (alledgedly) went back up; they lost me.

3. 2002 BMW K1200 LT, purchased new; this bike was top heavy and handled poorly at low speeds, especially when loaded for travel riding two up. I must say that at speed, it was a pleasure to ride. Traded it in on a 2005 GL1800 and there was no comparison; the HONDA was a far better bike IMO.

-AL-
 
I am a self confessed bike whore. Over the past 43 years i have owned 30 to 40 bikes or more and have loved them all, I also regret selling any of them...
There a lot like women each one treats you a little different some required extra care some did not,
The DL 1000 seems to be getting a bad rap here, but I really like my DL....:rider:
Mike
 
1972 Harley Sportster......enough said.

Replaced with CB750, almost passed on that summer. God takes care of idiots and morons.
 
1974 Kawasaki Mach III 500cc three cylinder two cycle. After I bought this brand new, I heard that the motto for this bike was "point it in the direction you wanted to go and pull the trigger!" One day I was in a gradual turn on the freeway, it went into a high speed tank slapper and went down. I ended up throwing it off the back of the truck we used to pick it up, and I sold it for next to nothing. But I was glad to see it go.
 
1986 K75S. Bought new and it smoked & backfired
and the dealer couldn't fix it. Fuel injection problem
I think. Leaky fuel tank cap that poured gas into
lap while riding finished me off. Traded back to
dealer for 1986 VFR750R which turned out to be
a great motorcycle (although expensive w/tariff)!!
 
Mine was a HD Sportster "Sport"... It was fun riding around town, but if you ever got above 50, it would shake like a paint shaker. You couldnt use the mirrors, because you couldnt even SEE the mirrors. I kept it for about two months, and that cured me from the HD want. I was never so happy to see a bike roll out the drive way. I had a new BMW R1100RS that afternoon. It was night and day...
 
A late 70's Honda CB 750 Four

I traded a really hot, but hard to sell, 1967 GTX for the bike. It was my first REAL motorcycle and I rode that sucker all summer and loved it. I was a really poor college student and sold the bike to pay for tuition/books to finish my last semester after the guy I was working for skipped town with a months worth of my pay. Seems to have been a good investment - got my degree, got a good job, now I have 3 bikes in the garage!
 
I see the older Concour's and DL1000's getting a bad rap, Ive been looking at both bike's, Never ridden either one but Ive chased the Concour's in vain in the twisty's, I was thinking the Concour's might be good bang for the buck, Please tip me off before I go buy one,,,,,I like the Strom 1K because it look's like a good two upper and a decent tourer beside's being the strangest looking bike on two wheel's, open to any advice good or bad, Thank's SZ.
 
1977 Honda CB750 - Slow and if you had a head wind you could not pass up a gas station. It was a good bike to look at but not strap a leg over. Every time I did, I wished I could click my heels three times. :giveup:It was gone after only 2000 miles.
 

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Surprising about the CB750's. I always thought they were "it" back in the day.
 
Surprising about the CB750's. I always thought they were "it" back in the day.

When Honda first came out with the CB750K SOHC in 1969 it was the ticket. Later some time in the 70's (not sure when) they changed the motor some. Lowered the H.P. and the other manufacturers passed them up until they came out with the DOHC around 1980 I think.
I felt the same as you and wished I knew this stuff before I purchased mine.:suicide:
 
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1977 Honda CB750 - Slow and if you had a head wind you could not pass up a gas station. It was a good bike to look at but not strap a leg over. Every time I did, I wished I could click my heels three times. :giveup:It was gone after only 2000 miles.
Regardless, they still look cool!;-)
 
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