- Joined
- Apr 4, 2002
- Location
- Menlo Park, Ca.
- Moto(s)
- Keep me rocking life
- Name
- Budman
- BARF perks
- AMA Life Member #203453
I was thinking in my Covid sheltered house about what bikes defined me as a rider and in ways as a person. I came up with a few.
Yamaha Mini Enduro ‘70
CZ 250 ‘72
RD 350 ‘74
RM 250 ‘82
Ninja 600 ‘85
Got to throw in the Roadracing Suzuki’s ...GAMMA, Kanatuna and the GXSR ‘86-‘89
That is a lot of defining in 19 years.
12 yo to 31. A lot of memories.
There were other bikes but those gave me something and I had feels for them.
Then a change in lifestyle. Retired racer. Time to chill for my 3 young kids and focus on saving for college. Etc. life stuff.
So I sold all race stuff and... Harley Softail Custom ‘91. Cruise with the old lady and smell the flowers.
Then divorced!! Financially I got screwed but I got the bike!
Perfect bike for a guy being set free ... 2 weeks a month. Some good years even if I was broke.
Suzuki TL1000s ‘97. Return to sports and the track.
I crashed of course. Headshake TL classic high side at Laguna T-11
in front of the new wife. A defining moment. I am still riding
Pimped it out as a custom with my best friend.
Still have it.
Yamaha R6 ‘2000 - Vegas fly in with the same best friend. Fly in late night, Party, rent a van and pick up from a distressed collage student. Drive 11 hrs home on 3 hours sleep.
Dad said sell it or no funds son!! My win!! My go to track bike in my 40’s.
Ducati 2003 998 Bostrom - Wife asked during a WSBK race “What is that bike that Ben is riding he is doing really good” and I said it is a “Ducati. It is like the Ferrari of Motorcycles”.
She thought they were cool and asked “Why don’t you have one?”
Hello! 2 weeks later I was picking up a used one (with 1 factory test mile on it) in San Bernardino and another road trip with the same best friend. Granda had an Italian mistress.
Getting “mature now”.
50 plus kind of dude. I know this is vintage but may as well finish this off. Assuming you are still reading.
Skip forward to 2012 - Ducati Multistrada 1200s.
Opened the highways to a upright comfy
, badass sportbike. Bring on the tight and twisty, bumpy but brilliant mature rider feel young and enthusiastic kind of man roads.
I am going to back fill with some stories about those bikes in future posts but thought you all must have some true loves that defined ya that you might want to share too.
Pics:
Mini Enduro
RD 350
RM 250
RM Glam Photo
Ninja
Kanatuna
GXSR
Next post. Getting OG.
TL1000s
HOG
R6
Bostrom
Multi
Yamaha Mini Enduro ‘70
CZ 250 ‘72
RD 350 ‘74
RM 250 ‘82
Ninja 600 ‘85
Got to throw in the Roadracing Suzuki’s ...GAMMA, Kanatuna and the GXSR ‘86-‘89
That is a lot of defining in 19 years.
12 yo to 31. A lot of memories.
There were other bikes but those gave me something and I had feels for them.
Then a change in lifestyle. Retired racer. Time to chill for my 3 young kids and focus on saving for college. Etc. life stuff.
So I sold all race stuff and... Harley Softail Custom ‘91. Cruise with the old lady and smell the flowers.
Then divorced!! Financially I got screwed but I got the bike!
Perfect bike for a guy being set free ... 2 weeks a month. Some good years even if I was broke.
Suzuki TL1000s ‘97. Return to sports and the track.
I crashed of course. Headshake TL classic high side at Laguna T-11
in front of the new wife. A defining moment. I am still riding
Pimped it out as a custom with my best friend.
Still have it.
Yamaha R6 ‘2000 - Vegas fly in with the same best friend. Fly in late night, Party, rent a van and pick up from a distressed collage student. Drive 11 hrs home on 3 hours sleep.
Dad said sell it or no funds son!! My win!! My go to track bike in my 40’s.
Ducati 2003 998 Bostrom - Wife asked during a WSBK race “What is that bike that Ben is riding he is doing really good” and I said it is a “Ducati. It is like the Ferrari of Motorcycles”.
She thought they were cool and asked “Why don’t you have one?”
Hello! 2 weeks later I was picking up a used one (with 1 factory test mile on it) in San Bernardino and another road trip with the same best friend. Granda had an Italian mistress.
Getting “mature now”.
50 plus kind of dude. I know this is vintage but may as well finish this off. Assuming you are still reading.
Skip forward to 2012 - Ducati Multistrada 1200s.
Opened the highways to a upright comfy
, badass sportbike. Bring on the tight and twisty, bumpy but brilliant mature rider feel young and enthusiastic kind of man roads.
I am going to back fill with some stories about those bikes in future posts but thought you all must have some true loves that defined ya that you might want to share too.
Pics:
Mini Enduro
RD 350
RM 250
RM Glam Photo
Ninja
Kanatuna
GXSR
Next post. Getting OG.
TL1000s
HOG
R6
Bostrom
Multi
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