MARK
First motorbike ridden was a Suzuki PE 175 Dirt bike around 1986-7. Not road legal, but meh, young and awesome I was! Learned the jist of riding and on the clay flats next to where Left boob and I lived at the time, became adept (and dirty) learning to slide the bike as they do in speedway.
Ditched that for a Honda CB360 (after police visits about 2 hoons -Shane Rutherford and myself) terrorising the streets on afore mentioned PE 175. Was an awesome machine, Shane and I went halves in it and it took us everywhere! No license, no rego, no wof, no insurance, but we had wheels! It took us to school, the beach, to girls houses and further. I recall riding out to Ocean beach with no helmet, obligatory roll your own ciggy in my gob two up with Luke Templeman sideways on the gravel.
The CB360 lasted well, but got a bit dinged up when Shane t-boned another car that pulled out in front of him. I cant recall what ever happened to that machine, just remember it was a great summer on it.
There was a wee gap, then I bought a Yamaha XJ750. It had a few issues to start with. It idled at about 5000 rpm and had a bald rear tyre funnily enough.
This was the first quick bike I had and it handled like a greased turd. Another bike with no legal right to be on the road and I cant believe I didn't get pulled over or dead on it.
Then the huge gap, moved to Wellington and didn't get another bike until David came back from the USA with a license and a brand new Honda VTX 1300. Now; there had been no riding on my part for the best part of 15 odd years at least and David being David (I.e a halfwit) threw me they keys and said "'ave a go" and the bug bit.
A few months later I bought a Hyosung GT 650r, Don't know why I chose that, I knew I didn't want a 250 cc bike which at the time would be legal, so I thought I could pass this off as a 250 should I get caught. I didn't AND I got a learners license! I did the initial test in Hamilton while staying with David. I had such a bad head cold on the day, I couldn't hear and had no balance at all because my sinuses were more stuffed than a third world country. I lipped read what the instructor said and blew so much snot into the helmet it needed wringing out once I was done with it.
The Hyobag got me back into riding and soon I needed something a little more "manly" so got one of the last Honda VTR1000's. It had only done 10000 Kms and was in Dunedin. I hooked up a work trip to Dunedin, then picked it up on a Friday after work and rode straight to Christchurch. I loved it, the torque, the exhaust note that could drop girls knickers at 50 Yards. Was a great bike. David and I started our tours hither and tither. We did numerous North Island jaunts and a massive trip around the south Island. There was also a squirt from Wellington city to my home in Upper Hutt in 17 mins during rush hour. Lets just say I got green lights all the way anf may have done a it of dodgy lane splitting".
The VTR sold and next was the Triumph Tiger 955i What a great handling bike, man that thing could lay over! The first triple cylinder bike I've had and I was well impressed! Didn't do too many Kms on this one, but absolutely loved it.
Then came the Benelli. Oh my giddy aunt! What a macheeene! 900cc of triple cylinder Italian magic wrapped in the body of a super model and the shrill of a wailing banshee! At high revs, she sounded like an old school Ferrari v12.
That bike got more looks and ooh's and ahh's than I could ever imagine. Group rides were a nightmare because everyone wanted to know everything about the bike.
I did many many kms on this bike with one awesome trip to the south island with David on his (briefly owned Aprillia Futura) Shane on his Aprillia RSV4 Factory, another guy on a MV Agusta and Neil on hist trusty Donkey. (that carried all our shit)
For some unknown reason I sold the Benelli, I had loads of fun on it and loved her immensely but like a super model and me being so generous, I thought I should pas her on to be loved by another. Now; I have nothing but pangs of regret.
Without a bike at all, I was fearing some type of menopause, so grabbed a BMW GS1150r. Something completely different yet similar. Similar in that it had (and still has) no wof, no reg. In fact it has dead plates. Regardless I have done about 5000kms on it and its an OK machine, Its not a love affair like I had with the VTR or the Benelli, more of a passing tolerance one has for the germans and their capability of doing things well in a clinical yet "no character" kind of way.
So thats what Im on at the moment... whats next, I really don;t know. Ive been thinking maybe a triumph street triple, maybe a honda africa twin, maybe the benelli trk502x. Who knows, it may even be legal.