Where have they gone?

I was having a chat with a guy at work on Friday about all the cars that
were so familiar that have simply disappeared (Renault 12, Austin
Allegro, Citroen 2CV) and that got me thinking.

Where have all the X7's gone? Long time paaasing.

And the H100Ss

I've only ever seen one RD80LC and I one MBX80S (I think that's what it
was - Honda 80cc water-cooled thingy)

And the Katanas.

Where are they?

In garages?

Or landfill?

Obviously the 250 and 350LCs will have been tuned and seized, but what
about theVFR400Fs?

I can't recall the last time I saw a Kawa triple in use (easy Dodger).

Or a Ducati of any sort.

Or a Suzi GT750 (never mind the 380 or 185)

Or a Kawa GT550 or 750 (there are probably a few in the metropolis)

Or even a CX.

All I seem to see these days are Lambretta Plastics and the occasional
Beemer (including a bloke in a C1 with a woolly hat).

Whatever, think yourselves lucky. I was going to post about fixing my
drains.

 

Gyp emerged from their own little world to say

probably more interesting

 

Using the patented Mavis Beacon "Hunt&Peck" Technique, Gyp

Hedges?

(Snip nostalgia trip)

They're out there, if your vision wasn't so fucked from riding a Harley
and Mrs Gyp, you'd see them.

--
Wicked Uncle Nigel - Manufacturer of the "Champion-105" range of rearsets

WS* GHPOTHUF#24 APOSTLE#14 DLC#1 COFF#20 BOTAFOT#150 HYPO#0(KoTL) IbW#41
ZZR1100, Enfield 500 Curry House Racer "The Basmati Rice Burner",
Honda GL1000K2 (On its hols) Kawasaki ZN1300 Voyager "Oh, Oh, It's so big"

 

Gyp says...

Suzuki ran out of replacement plasticine cranks back at the factory,
only a few survived.

They never sold many in the first place. Yamaha's RS100 was a far better
bike.

MBX was unreliable and slow compared to the RD and the 125 cost only a
little more, so was the more popular choice.

Sitting in private collections or modified to ****.

Again, the VF wasn't a popular choice. Mainly because at the time the NU
Rider Policy limit was set at 350cc, so the RD got the sales. Weirdly
enough, I was round visiting my mate who sold me my old VF400 today, he
was telling me that his dad still has the one he bought back in 1985.

Nor me.

I see a few ST2s and ST4s daily and the occasional 748/916 being ridden
in Central London.

Private collections or sitting in an enthusiast's garage

Loads doing the rounds in the smoke as courier weapons.

Still a few floating about London as courier bikes as well.

Too many BMWs for my liking, and same applies to scooters.

 

Bear says...

Blown up/smashed beyond recognition. They wrecked gearboxes because the
clutch baskets disintegrated if you pulled too many wheelies. What
basically happened was the fucking thing seized the gearbox mid-2nd
gear-wheelie and crashed violently to the ground and spat the rider off,
before getting run over by mates following in a Cortina.

DAMHIK,IJDOK[1].

[1] OK, go on then.

 

Because it involved vast quantities of shit and some KY?

 

Good call. AR80s.

Oh and Suzi GP100 & 125s

 

So where are the Gammas?

Faster yes, better maybe, gone, certainly.

But I've not seen and RD125 recently either.

Them's more reliable than Lozzo would like them to be...

 

You're related to Timo then?

 

They grew up to drive a car... and the next generation didn't fancy the
model.

 

Gyp says...

In Ivan's shed.

They just wore out. think about it, they were affordable 2-strokes for
17 year old idiots who couldn't afford anything better. 2 or 3 owners
down the line they were worthless field bikes that eneded up in a skip
at the roadside when they'd seized one too many times.

They all got nicked and crashed.

Really? Is yours running again, or is the coil still giving the usual
problems? Keep an eye on those valve heads when it's back on the road
;-)

 

I don't recall seeing that many about when new.

My mate Richard's wasn't. Cost me a fucking test pass in 1979, that
did.

I've only seen one on the road since I bought mine. In Wales, last
year.

Common as muck on the run into town every morning - but then again,
AMG SL55s aren't exactly rare on that trip, either.

First bike I ever really *wanted*. I used to deliver papers to a bloke
wot 'ad one. I thought it was gorgeous. All blue and chrome, and
shiny: so three years later I bought a TS185. Obviously.

Indeed.

 

Bear composed the following;:

God, I loved those. A mate of mine bought one and LMHAG ... but I'm only 5'
4" tall, and the seat height and width, was a tad 'stretching' to say the
least. First time I came to a stop was a tip-toe affair and very hesitant,
second time, left toe slipped and we went over in a slow slide ... right in
front of the shops, where _everyone_ was out and watching ...

Good bikes, wish I had one today but.

--
Paul ...
www.4x4prejudice.org
(8(|) Homer Rules ..... Doh !!!
ebay stuff Item No's
5754626752
5754638697

 

What about Mk 3 Cortinas, they are a rarity these days.

I recall the old NU Rider policy used to also have a 900cc band, then Honda
(I think) launched some incarnation of the CB with a displacement of 903cc.
That one used to be fun trying to explain to someone who's just bought one
and had budgeted for the 900cc policy rather than the unlimited one.

Onyerbike on a Saturday morning (mined ewe, they are a Ducati dealer)

I saw that one in London the other week with the home made roof, made oi
chuckle.

<snip>

--
Dan L (Oldbloke)
My bike 1996 Kawasaki ZR1100 Zephyr
M'boy's bike 2003 Honda NSR125R
Spare Bike 1990 Suzuki TS50X
BOTAFOT #140 (KotL 2005), DIAABTCOD #26, BOMB#18 (slow)

 

Gyp fumbled, fiddled and fingered:

A & D Motorcycles, Denbigh have a brand new one for sale in the showroom
if you're desperatly keen on one.

--
Steve Parry
K100RS SE & F650
and a 520i SE Touring for comfort

(not forgetting the SK90PY)

http://www.gwynfryn.co.uk

 

The Z1 was 903cc, so it was hardly a new concept.

The CB900F was 901cc. The new one is 919.

 

I seem to recall a special dispensation for the GPz900 - also 90x cc - so
that you could have one of those on a 900 Rider Policy.

 

Bear says...

If you really want to watch Jamie go off the handle, just ask him what
he thinks of Ducati team boss David Tardozzi. Comical isn't the word.

 

[snip destruction derby]
Good grief, but never a dull moment, eh? I can't hold a candle to that,
all we ever did was break clutch and brake levers off whilst falling
over.

We did have one chap that managed to spend 65,000 USD tricking out an
SV650 tho. Now that is thick!

 

I was self taught (with lots of help from my friends), I took a basic
motorcycle course about 5 years ago and it was surprising how many bad
habits I had.

I think he won the lotto and didn't know what to do. He wanted to be a
racer, but kept lobbing it down the track. He finally disappeared as no
one wanted to be around him.

--
Mike

SV650
UKRMMA#22
Skype: muddycat