The Way We Were

 

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Andy enjoyed the race replica handling and performance of the Daytona 955i for two years, but in autumn 2007, with the imminent discontinuation of the GSX1400, he decided to give the big Suzuki (one of his favourite all-time bikes) another try.

Andy's second GSX1400. A lovely bike, but soon traded in for a race replica—an HRC Fireblade.

After 18 months on the Fireblade, Andy decided to try a different race replica. The 'Blade was a blindingly fast and fine handling machine, but had to be ridden at full tilt to enjoy it—not easy on our busy West Country roads. So a smaller, and actually slightly more comfortable, Honda—a CBR600RR—replaced it.

By early 2010 Janet decided to simply sell her third R1. She'd enjoyed owning it, but was finding that it was just too fast to use safely and rewardingly on increasingly congested local roads. The Hornet 600 she had got 20 months earlier was proving to be a much more enjoyable ride, particularly with a wish to do much more touring in the future.

The CBR600RR was Andy's Fireblade replacement. A great little sportsbike but, for all practical purposes, no slower than a Fireblade!

Alongside the CBR600RR Andy ran a CBF600. This gave him a great combination of race replica and sports tourer. Ultimately though, the CBF was a victim of its own success. Andy traded it and the CBR600RR for a CBF1000 GT in January 2010.

And now Janet has finished what she started when she sold her yellow R1. The Hornet 600 was a great bike but, if Janet was only going to have one bike, she really wanted something a little more powerful than a 600 “standard” could realistically be. So, when she came across a heavily discounted FZ1, she used the money from the R1, plus the trade in value of the Hornet, to buy it.

Andy had some good times with the CBF1000 GT, and the luggage enabled us to get away for three good trips during the summer of 2010. We also met some new friends through the CBF1000 Forum and Meet. However, when Janet got her FZ1 the writing was on the wall. It showed just how much fun a modern 1000 naked can be. Andy has always had a soft spot for Triumphs and in November 2010 the CBF was traded for a new Speed Triple.

The Speed Triple was a superb bike that Andy kept for about three years. It was a victim of its own success, as Andy traded it for a more touring orientated Triumph.

Janet kept the FZ1 for four and a half years. She probably would have kept it for longer, but her head was turned by the new Ducati Scrambler. She also fancied a slightly lighter, lower and simpler bike, so the FZ1 had to go.

The Sprint GT was a good tourer, with plenty of luggage space. However, after Janet got the Scrambler, Andy decided to trade the GT for a Bonneville Black, which he'd hankered after for a while, but wouldn't have been a match for Janet's previous road burner.

After a year on the Bonneville, Andy was missing the performance of a sportsbike, if not the ergos. He decided to trade it for a Suzuki GSR750, his first Japanese bike since 2010.

Janet loved her Ducati Scrambler, as it was a bike packed full of character that was manageable and fun to ride. However, sometimes, she just felt like she wanted a few more horsepower. So, when a new and more powerful Ducati came along, the 2018 Monster 821, Janet decided to make the change.

 

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