Born again biker.... Again

[Simon Davey]

Hello good people, I've come back to riding after a mini-cab took my ZX6R from under me, more than 20 years ago.

I'm in my late 50's and have been getting "the urge" to ride again for quite some time.

 

So, I thought I'd buy something sensible, especially as it's been so long, nothing really fast and racy like the ZX, in my time I've had classics like Z1300 and a CB1000.

We have a farm, and I took our failing old quad bike in to the local workshop, who happens to also sell Lexmoto, they only seemed to have 125's and I asked if he had anything bigger, just this old ZZR1200 he said, we've had it for over a year and it needs a little cosmetic attention. Well, I couldn't believe he forced me to buy it, I hope to collect it this coming week, so much for something sensible, I'm considering taking extra underwear just in case 

[bonio]

Welcome back to biking!

Would love to see some pics when you collect it. 

Is it just cosmetic attention? If it's been idle for a year might need a bit of checking out? But perhaps the guys at the workshop have been taking care of it.

[JRH]

Welcome, and isn’t it just awful when someone forces you to buy a bike, especially a ZZR1200.

[Simon Davey]

Cheers @bonio & @JRH

 

It's only got 17k on the clock, previous owner was about to sell it, so he asked said dealer to service it and MOT it, then got knocked off a few days later.

Scrapes on the fairing, broken indicator and gear lever.

It was written off by the insurance as being 2005 it was only worth a few grand anyway, I got it darned cheap.

 

 

[Simon Davey]

1 hour ago, bonio said:

Welcome back to biking!

 

Is it just cosmetic attention? If it's been idle for a year might need a bit of checking out? But perhaps the guys at the workshop have been taking care of it.

 

Thanks!

Yes just cosmetic, they run it now and then, and he started her up whilst I was there, it sounded so sweet, still nice and tight.

[Simon Davey]

By the way, my missus hates the idea, she hasn't seen it, it will be locked out of sight, and as far as she's concerned, it a Honda Cub 90

[Bender]

Good luck with that

[RideWithStyles]

Ill get picked on for saying it but the world has moved on and to a point have you? Do you still wear flares and look good in them??? if not then you need to look at whats right for you now andwhat  you want to do with it.

bike have gotten better, lighter and faster and the world has gotten busier with higher responsibility so is a 1200 really necessary now? 

[bonio]

Not sure that "necessary" and "bike" are words that really belong in the same sentence.

[Simon Davey]

2 hours ago, RideWithStyles said:

Ill get picked on for saying it but the world has moved on and to a point have you? Do you still wear flares and look good in them??? if not then you need to look at whats right for you now andwhat  you want to do with it.

bike have gotten better, lighter and faster and the world has gotten busier with higher responsibility so is a 1200 really necessary now? 

Why would you get picked on?

You raise a valid point.

Do I need a 1200? Nope, but then I don't actually need a bike, well, mentally I do 

As for what's right, yes, I think a heavy, old and out of date sports tourer is right for me, I'll never have the money to buy anything more "up to date".

Do I need an up to date and modern machine, no, I just want something that's comfy all day and that will cruise up to and around Scotland without have to change gear a trillion times (it has a very wide power band).

Thanks for your time @RideWithStyles

[RideWithStyles]

As i said times have moved, prices and ideals. Didnt say the latest, greatest or plastic fantastic, but a middle capacity engine from 10 years ago might be more realistic nowadays??

[Simon Davey]

Just now, RideWithStyles said:

As i said times have moved, prices and ideals. Didnt say the latest, greatest or plastic fantastic, but a middle capacity engine from 10 years ago might be more realistic nowadays??

 

I understand exactly where you're coming from. 

Thing is, the above 1200 has 17k on the clock, the most favourable reviews, apart from heavy road rash down the left side of the fairing it's looks to be in otherwise perfect condition, and it only cost me £1500.

It was an impulse buy, but I had been looking (drooling) at BMW GS, and other big tourers, I just like big and heavy, forget the speed, the 1200 having so much power is just incidental, it's everything else about the bike I want.

[RideWithStyles]

17k? Barely run in for that bike well apart from needing aged tlc .  
Anyway great bike, bit of a legend and in certain ranks getting abit collectable! Enjoy.

Edited December 3, 2023 by RideWithStyles

[rob m]

5 hours ago, Simon Davey said:

Cheers @bonio & @JRH

 

It's only got 17k on the clock, previous owner was about to sell it, so he asked said dealer to service it and MOT it, then got knocked off a few days later.

Scrapes on the fairing, broken indicator and gear lever.

It was written off by the insurance as being 2005 it was only worth a few grand anyway, I got it darned cheap.

 

 

Nice one Simon, great bike. Sounds like a bargain. Hope you have lots of fun on it! 
 

If you haven’t already, search up Griff and Jones on YouTube, one of them rides exactly the same colour and model as yours, he’s been all over the uk and Europe on it.

 

 

 

[Simon Davey]

6 hours ago, rob m said:

Nice one Simon, great bike. Sounds like a bargain. Hope you have lots of fun on it! 
 

If you haven’t already, search up Griff and Jones on YouTube, one of them rides exactly the same colour and model as yours, he’s been all over the uk and Europe on it.

 

 

 

Cheers Rob, much appreciated 

[Fender1515]

I had a ZZR 1100 for about 4 years, rode it around Europe many times, solid as a rock and as heavy as a mountain, loved it. It was coined the battleship by the group, lost count of the number of times I swapped rides on the way back from a trip, and ended up on a Blade or Duke.

 

[JRH]

18 hours ago, Simon Davey said:

By the way, my missus hates the idea, she hasn't seen it, it will be locked out of sight, and as far as she's concerned, it a Honda Cub 90

When the knees would no longer allow me to easily ride my Kwak GPX750R I told MrsJRH it was time to get something smaller, lighter, more manageable and more economical. Came back with a bandit GSF1250. 
and to answer @RideWithStyles, does anyone need a 1200+, no but it’s low reving, pulls like a train, is comfortable and can either be ridden like a big twist and go or use the gears and just gggooooooooo.

bit like the ZZR1200.

[Simon Davey]

1 hour ago, JRH said:

When the knees would no longer allow me to easily ride my Kwak GPX750R I told MrsJRH it was time to get something smaller, lighter, more manageable and more economical. Came back with a bandit GSF1250. 
and to answer @RideWithStyles, does anyone need a 1200+, no but it’s low reving, pulls like a train, is comfortable and can either be ridden like a big twist and go or use the gears and just gggooooooooo.

bit like the ZZR1200.

Love that.

Awesome!!

[manxie49]

Nice bike mate, and sounds like a bit of a bargain ....... Welcome back to biking and enjoy the ride 

[Simon Davey]

23 minutes ago, manxie49 said:

Nice bike mate, and sounds like a bit of a bargain ....... Welcome back to biking and enjoy the ride 

Cheers 

[Simon Davey]

6 hours ago, Fender1515 said:

I had a ZZR 1100 for about 4 years, rode it around Europe many times, solid as a rock and as heavy as a mountain, loved it. It was coined the battleship by the group, lost count of the number of times I swapped rides on the way back from a trip, and ended up on a Blade or Duke.

 

Plans are a few days away in the UK now and again (for now anyhoo). 

But I'm already daydreaming about touring the south of France and Italy.