OK Grandpaul - I'm re-introducing myself and my bikes...
I'm 51 years old, live in Bradford, West Yorkshire, UK. I'm a plumber/bathroom installer and have been for the past 12 years. Prior to this I was a visualiser (graphic designer) for many years. For most of my working life I have been self-employed, one way or another. I have a wife, Tracey and two boys, Oliver and Adam - both at university.
My everyday ride is currently a '97 VFR750. My classics are the '79 T140D and an '81 XJ650 Yam. I've owned the Bonnie since 1987 and have modified it over the years to its current incarnation. I bought it from Allan Jefferies Motorcycles in Shipley (a well known local racing family; father Allan was a Triumph works rider - mainly ISDT and other off-road stuff - and son Tony was a works rider too (he rode Slippery Sam at TTs and also rode in the Trans-Atlantic match races), son Nick was a works trials rider (Honda I think) but also a talented road racer with one TT win to his name. Tony's son Dave was a multiple TT winner but was killed in TT practice some years ago).
When I bought the Bonnie I honestly was very disappointed with it - I had to take the primary drive apart on Douglas sea front when I went across to the TTs. The electrics were terrible and the head gasket kept blowing. The times I had that top end apart! It went into storage for a few years and I then decided to rebuild it and make it reliable. Following a second rebuild in 2004 (including a rebore and high comp pistons) its eventually more like it should be...
The Yam is the result of buying a project (in haste) from a mate of mine. I ended up buying three more examples to get to the end result and, ironically, I can't think of any part that survives from the original project.
Prior to the Bonnie I had a Suzuki GP100 (the only new bike I've ever owned), a GT380, a GS750, another GT380 and a Honda CBX550.
I got back into biking in the mid '90s, starting with a TZR250, then an FZR400, an SV650 and then the first of my Hinckley models - a '93 Speed Triple. I then had a '97 T595 for around three years and finally an '03 955i Daytona. As I rode this like a complete loon, I sold it and bought an old GPZ600 to try and slow down - then I bought another one as a track bike. Deciding I didn't want to slow down quite as much as that I sold them both and ended up with the VFR.
The XJ is actually quite a nice bike to ride and the handling is sublime for a shaftie, twin-shocker. You have to rev the nuts off it to make any progress though, as peak power is up near nine grand.
The VFR is just good in every way.
The Bonnie is special to me because I've owned it so long and have put a lot of hard work (and money) into it over the years. I only like to ride it so far though as it vibrates like a good 'un and is bloody loud.
Hope that fills you in a bit...
Nige
