Trying to save a bit of weight from the GSA and fancying a change prompted me to look at the alternative adventure bike options.  A mix of quality reviews, a quick test ride on an Adventure, liking the styling and hankering after a KTM led me to the 1090 Adventure R.  Lighter (230 Kgs wet), more off road orientated and lower cost pushed this higher up the list than the 1290 Adventure R.  Whilst I considered the 500 EXC-F it did seem a little too focussed and high maintenance.

For various reasons I thought my bike days may be over.  After a 7 year break I decided to get another GSA.  Didn't even test ride it.  There are lots of reasons why a bike may be the best bike ever owned but things like age, flexibility/dual purpose, use, getting rusty and trying something a bit different all add up to making this one of my best/favourite bikes.  It does almost everything (not gagging to do a track day on it) in a very good way. 10/10.  2 years of ownership and a damaged leg making me appreciate the weight when not moving (260 Kgs wet) prompted a change for something a little lighter.  Thanks Darran for buying my bike, hope you are enjoying it as much as I did.

Still after doing some more track days I chopped in the BM for an R1.  Underseat pipes made my bum a bit too hot.  Looked good though and handled lovely.  Good track day bike.

My friend Andy S decided to get one of these so we thought we'd do a Ewan and Charlie and get one each and go somewhere.  We got the bikes but didn't go anywhere much.  This was one of the last air cooled 105 bhp jobs.  Not sure I was really over sports bikes and eventually traded it in for an R1.

What a quality bike.  Bought the one with the free Yoshi pipe option and then had it sprayed in BSB2005 colours.  Had MCT in Stowmarket change the front fork internals, change the steering damper for an Ohlins jobbie and a set up.  Had a dyno/power commander done next.  Probably did the most track days on this one.

Not quite sure if this was before or after the ZZR but anyway.  Nice bit of kit.  Fairing did a good job and handled nicely.  Still in GSXR mode really though.

Looked good and handled lovely.  Shame I fell off it on a track day.  Sold the bits and carried on with the loan repayments. 

After another brief break the opportunity to buy this at a good price from a colleague at work was too good to miss.  Didn't keep it long but still got a couple of track days on it.  Very nice bit of kit and wished I had been rich enough to hang on to it as well as have a track bike but the GSXR750 round the corner was too much of a temptation.

Off loaded the GSXR due to financial situation but soon returned with a retro jobbie.  Another GSXR would have been better.  A nice bike but the wind blast over 80 mph meant you had to be built like Arnie.

After a 2 year break from bikes I test rode this nearly new monster (the new style K3 had just come out).  What a test ride.  Never felt anything like it.  What a rocket ship.  No brainer, bought it, track days, wheelies.  Awesome fun.  Probably one of my most favourite bikes today.

What a name for a bike.  Convinced myself a trade in was cost effective and had a change to, what was at the time, the fasted production bike available.  A nice bit of kit but think I was probably more ready for something like a Fireblade.  In 2 years of ownership I only took 1 photo of it, couldn't have loved it as much as the others.  This pic is one I found on the internet.

My business connections meant a good relationship with both Kawasaki UK and my local Kawasaki dealership.  This helped to prompt a trade in for a nice new ZX7R.  My first bike with a more extreme riding position.  Also the bike I used to do my first track days.  

My first proper fast bike.  It was 10 years old when I got it but in great condition and very low mileage.  Brilliant piece of kit, wish I could have afforded one when they first came out.

Things started to pick up and I traded in the RXS for a second hand XJ.  Bit untidy but ran well and seemed very torquey (maybe by comparison with an RXS100!). 

I was still skint but sold my car at the auction and bought a brand new 100cc RXS.  Nice piece of kit and really liked it.  I travelled to London on it to see my girlfriend.  You could get another 20 mph out of it if you didn't mind sitting 6 feet behind a lorry.  Another one with no pic, here's an internet jobbie.

This was probably an all time low in my biking history.  I was seriously skint and ended up going halves on a right old minger with my mate John.  It had no seat cover (used some bright blue damp proof membrane I had lying around, looked nasty).  Chain and sprocket were so knackered that when you applies the throttle the chain kept skipping over the sprocket cogs.  On the plus side sold it for £10 more than we paid for it.  Never did take a pic of it, here's a silver one from the internet for those that want to see a pic.

I struggled to sell the CB900 and best offer was a private seller wanting to swap his XJ and some money.  I never did take a picture of mine, here is an artists impression.  It had 33000 miles on the clock and ran OK but still a bit ropey none the less.  Ended up selling it privately to a chap who turned up to collect it and needing a hat, gloves and insurance so I sold him all that as well.

Looked good but never ran right.  Ran short of money and sold it.  Best deal I got was some money and an old XJ650 in part ex.

Sold the VF400 and had a break for a couple of months before buying this Eddie Lawson rep.  Weaved at high speed but found a fix....take 1 hand off the handlebars !

Decided to have a change and test rode a CB750F and this.  This won hands down.  What a bike.  Lots of revs, sweet handling, good looks and went like stink.

Decided to chop in my old GPz550 for a nice new ZX swoopy style one.  Got to the showroom, sat on this and bought it instead.

Bought this one from a salvage yard (should have known better), stripped, resprayed and rebuilt (not the engine).  Me and my friend Andy J did the strip down over 2 days in the back ally (didn't have a garage).

First 4 cylinder bike.  Did my own servicing every 1500 miles (keen or what !).  First bike I started adding stuff to - belly pan, bikini fairing, fork brace, gaiters and short rear mud guard.

My first bike after passing my test.  Belt drive (I managed to break 2 !).

First new bike.  2 cylinders of pure muscle and my first bike loan (one of many).

M Reg and 10 years old when I got it.  My first bike.  It seized due to lack on maintenance.  I took it to pieces.  Couldn't be bothered to rebuild it and sold all the bits to my mate Andy S for £40.