Our bikes and clubs.
Click on the pictures below for larger views.
The past. — Here I will show some of the motorcycles we have had in the past. Our last bike was a 1981 Yamaha XS650. Pictured above. We sold this just before our move to Romania in December 2006 as I thought it would not stand up to the Romanian roads very well. I bought it from a friend around 1988/89 and later rebuilt it totally. I had seen one of these when I was seventeen and always wanted one, then when the opportunity arose I jumped at the chance. It was just as I thought it would be and only let me down once. I holed a piston on a motorway and due to costs had it welded and smoothed down. This was a much cheaper option and was still going strong when it was sold.
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The photos are scanned from old photos so the quality is not too good...... Read on.
My first bike was a Yamaha YB100 but I don't have any pictures of it. Sue's first bike was a Yamaha YB100 too but a different one.
Our 1978 Yamaha XS250.
My next bike was a new Yamaha XS250, 1978 model in silver. Photo to the right.
I owned this bike for quite a number of years and travelled all over the UK to rallies and meetings etc. It went to the Isle of Man for the TT races more than once.
It was not to stay in this state as I customised the bike more than once.
I was working as an apprentice turner at the time I had this bike and so I thought I would upgrade the engine to a 350 with a big bore kit. Because I was working in a machine shop it meant I could do the machining myself saving quite a bit.
My bedroom as a workshop while I rebuilt the engine.
See the picture of my bedroom during this procedure. I kept the door shut but it did not take my mother long to find the scene you see here.
I left the gearing as standard and that meant I got a bit more acceleration with the same maximum speed. I also left the 250 side panels on which confused others riding similar 250's in burn outs away from the lights.
Sue posing on our rebuilt 250, now a 350.
This next picture shows the bike as a rebuilt bike with the 350 big bore kit, two into one exhaust and a repainted petrol tank. I painted the wheels red to match. To go with the colour scheme I swapped the silver side panels for black ones off another bike.
I spray painted the tank in my Dad's garage but only got the red coat on when he told me off, pointing out that everything in the garage had turned red from over spray so the next two coats and laquer we sprayed outside in the back garden.
This is Sue posing a long time ago. Shortly after this time she got her first bike.
Repainted and still running well.
As you can see in this picture the tank has been resprayed slightly different. The bike was damaged on the boat going to the previous years TT races on the Isle of Man. This picture is also taken on the Isle of Man, outside of St. John's Church Hall.
I made other smaller modifications to this bike, mainly for comfort or my riding style.
I put a set of flat bars on to lower the riding position slightly. Instead of fork oil I used 20/50 engine oil as this stiffened up the front end nicely when cornering fast. It did end up have a set of megaphone exhausts on at one time too, much to my mother's disgust as they were very loud.
This was the bike I modified more than any other I have owned and when someone offered me the right money I let it go. I was sad to see it go but went on to other bikes.
Gold coloured Suzuki GT 250.
By this time I had opened a motorcycle shop selling new and used spares and any bikes that came my way. This meant I had a pick of any that were taxed and tested.
One year just before a trip to the TT races again, I did not have a bike to go on as I had sold most of the bikes I had and others were not in a state to go. With just two weeks before catching the ferry I was offered the Suzuki GT25 pictured, and this meant we had something to ride.
I did not have too much time to check it over properly and set off. Mad Sunday this year saw me trying to keep up with friends on bigger bikes and pushing the GT to it's limits.
This was when I found out the small end bearings were worn and one of the pistons disintegrated against the head. After looking round the shops on the Island I found a bike shop in Ramsey where they had a new piston and rings with a second hand barrel on standard size so after purchasing these got back on the road by Tuesday.
1977 Yamaha XT500. I wish I still owned it!.
As I needed to transport bikes around, and having not passed my test in a car, I bought a Reliant Regal van. Yes one of those three wheel cars classed as a tricycle ??
I drove this on my motorcycle licence for around a year while I passed my test in a car so I could buy a pickup for the bikes. When I advertised the Reliant for sale someone offered me a straight swop for the Yamaha XT500 pictured here. This was a bike I enjoyed though I did not take it off road much. I owned it for around a year. Someone offered me three bikes and money through the shop so that dissapeared too.
1978 Suzuki GS750. A comfortable bike.
When I gave up the bike shop I ended up with a Suzuki GS750. This had a two four seat which looks like it has not got much padding and would be very uncomfortable. To my surprise this bike has been the most comfortable bike I have had for long runs. Again on this bike I fitted a set of flat bars.
The picture shows us with friends camping in Holland after having a week at the Dutch TT races. We rode many miles on this bike but when I was offered a Yamaha XS650 at a very good price I sold the Suzuki to buy it.
Another angle of our XS650.
This takes us back to the Yamaha XS650, my last bike.
I bought this because I had always wanted one but never got the chance until I was offered this from friend.
When we knew we would be leaving full time work to work voluntarily for a charity we decided it would be a good idea to rebuild the bike to make it last longer by renewing paint etc.
I had the frame, swinging arm and other parts powder coated black, the wheel rims and hubs and the fork leg bottoms powder coated silver and had the wheels rebuilt with new spokes. New rear shocks and exhaust pipes and had the fork stanchions re-ground and re-chromed. A fork brace was fitted and that stiffened up the front end and made the handling much better for cornering.
I was sorry to sell this bike but I am looking forward to the next one. See the future below.
The present — Due to us selling our XS650 we don't have a bike at present. We moved out of our apartment and into a house with a barn and stable. Good places to keep and work on a bike. Since we moved I have been busy working on the house so have not bought a bike.
The next problem with getting a bike was we found the house was too cold in the first winter we were living here. We wanted to keep the traditional plasterwork on the outside of the house so did not budget for insulating the house. This had to be done before the next winter and so the money for the bike has been put towards this.
Click on the logo to have a look at an incredible journey. Two people on a round the world trip on two Yamaha 125 motorcycles.
The Future — We would like to buy a new bike but don't know when or if that will happen due to lack of finance, see above. We will be on the lookout for a medium to large trail bike, (something like a Yamaha XT 500) so it will be more rideable and comfortable on the Romanian roads.
If anyone knows of something like this, then get in touch.