My collection

Nice !

I only have two bikes, but the first pic still applies.

I have always fancied an XR750TT Harley. Isn't that one in the third photo ? Proved that Harley are capable of building a real motorcycle, even if their frame was shit.

acotrel said:

I have always fancied an XR750TT Harley. Isn't that one in the third photo ? Proved that Harley are capable of building a real motorcycle, even if their frame was shit.

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It's a quite rare Harley Baja stinkwheel from the 70's I think.

acotrel said:

I have always fancied an XR750TT Harley. Isn't that one in the third photo ? Proved that Harley are capable of building a real motorcycle, even if their frame was shit.

Click to expand...

I think that's an XS350 "Knucklehead" (bigger, faster brother to the immediately recognizable "Roundhead")

acotrel said:

I have always fancied an XR750TT Harley. Isn't that one in the third photo ? Proved that Harley are capable of building a real motorcycle, even if their frame was shit.

Click to expand...

It is a Aermacchi two stroke from the AMF days.

I havn't owned a Harley Davidson (Shovel) since the mid 1980's (A trip to the USA brought back 3 HD's, a T140 and a low mile T160) those were the days when it wasn't hip to own one and you checked your mirrors when you were close to home (to see you were not being followed)

Nice assortment GrandPaul... I have a few bikes myself but would still like a TR7T, maybe a WM20 or 16H....... but would have to sell something and the last thing I sold was my 1978 CBX back in the early 1990's that I had caned since 1983 as a 23 year old so it would be a new experience.
I think the day you tire of motorcycles or even tinkering in the shed is the day you begin the phase waiting to die.

That XR is an idol of worship. I was nursed on HD milk and those were fairy tales we children envisioned fairies riding. Those, Vincents & Velocettes are the stuff dreams are made of. For us common folk there's a choice Norton if you're very fortunate. I have been most fortunate and can expect no more.

I keep a spreadsheet database of all my bikes, I have since the late 80s; I have a dedicated sheet for each bike with 3 tabs- 100-item bike evaluation, shop log (in 15-minute increments), and expense sheet, down to the penny. I cross-reference them in a master sheet with about 40 columns (3 of which transfer from each individual sheet's 3 tabs). I can sort them by what each bike needs time-wise, or dollar-wise, depending on my mood; I can also see at a glance how long it's been since each one had an oil change, tune-up, or was last ridden or started.

As I get closer and closer to the time when I whittle the collection down to just a few regular riders, a dirt bike, and maybe one or two "show" bikes, it's getting harder and harder to decide which one(s) to sell. Some have personal/emotional attachment (one belonged to my late kid brother, one to a late friend), one I have decided will absolutely be THE last one (the Dreer monoshock prototype), and I just can't see selling my race bike (scratch-built 66/67/68/69 Bonneville) even though I'll most likely never go racing again.

It's looking like the axe must fall soon, though; w'e about to buy our first "real" house (brick walls, on a concrete slab) after almost 35 years of marriage (we've always lived in a mobile / modular home). That means a move to the Texas hill country, and room for ONLY 5 - 6 bikes. I can leave a few bikes stored in my current garage/shop, but they are bound to deteriorate much faster if they are NEVER ridden (rather than rarely ridden), and I'm not going to be traveling 500 miles round trip just to rotate 1 or 2 at a time.

Tough choices...

1966 TRIUMPH BONNEVILLE
1966 TRITON CAFÉ RACER
1967 TRIUMPH BONNEVILLE
1969 BSA LIGHTNING
1969 TRIUMPH AHRMA RACER #142
1970 TRIUMPH BONNEVILLE
1971 BMW R75/5
1972 MONTESA RICKMAN MX
1974 MOTO GUZZI ELDORADO / COZY HACK
1974 NORTON 880 E-START SPECIAL
1975 NORTON COMMANDO INTERSTATE
1975 NORTON DREER MONOSHOCK PROTO
1981 HONDA CB650 FOUR
1983 HONDA V45 INTERCEPTOR VF750F
1992 YAMAHA TDM850
2000 TRIUMPH LEGEND 900TT
2003 KAWASAKI ZRX1200R

Where to start cutting???

Well...…...You're just going to have to get a bigger place because I can't for the life of me see any room to trim.

Well , with my little group , I listed ‘em all , hope to have one left after market decides .... if all still here , a win , if all sold a win ,and maybe then look around for another .... so don’t decide, list the entire group and see what happens , still lots of fish in the sea , for the time being ....

1̶9̶6̶9̶ ̶B̶S̶A̶ ̶L̶I̶G̶H̶T̶N̶I̶N̶G̶ ̶
1̶9̶6̶9̶ ̶T̶R̶I̶U̶M̶P̶H̶ ̶A̶H̶R̶M̶A̶ ̶R̶A̶C̶E̶R̶ ̶#̶1̶4̶2̶
1970 TRIUMPH BONNEVILLE
1̶9̶7̶1̶ ̶B̶M̶W̶ ̶R̶7̶5̶/̶5̶
1972 MONTESA RICKMAN
1̶9̶7̶4̶ ̶M̶O̶T̶O̶ ̶G̶U̶Z̶Z̶I̶ ̶E̶L̶D̶O̶R̶A̶D̶O̶ ̶/̶ ̶C̶O̶Z̶Y̶ ̶H̶A̶C̶K̶
1̶9̶7̶4̶ ̶N̶O̶R̶T̶O̶N̶ ̶8̶8̶0̶ ̶E̶-̶S̶T̶A̶R̶T̶ ̶S̶P̶E̶C̶I̶A̶L̶
1975 NORTON COMMANDO INTERSTATE
1975 NORTON DREER MONOSHOCK
1̶9̶8̶1̶ ̶H̶O̶N̶D̶A̶ ̶C̶B̶6̶5̶0̶ ̶F̶O̶U̶R̶
1̶9̶8̶3̶ ̶H̶O̶N̶D̶A̶ ̶V̶4̶5̶ ̶I̶N̶T̶E̶R̶C̶E̶P̶T̶O̶R̶ ̶V̶F̶7̶5̶0̶F̶
1̶9̶9̶2̶ ̶Y̶A̶M̶A̶H̶A̶ ̶T̶D̶M̶8̶5̶0̶
2̶0̶0̶0̶ ̶T̶R̶I̶U̶M̶P̶H̶ ̶L̶E̶G̶E̶N̶D̶ ̶9̶0̶0̶T̶T̶
2̶0̶0̶3̶ ̶K̶A̶W̶A̶S̶A̶K̶I̶ ̶Z̶R̶X̶1̶2̶0̶0̶R̶



Its easy to cut someone else's list up with no attachment to it and I have a 1973 Eldorado (It would be a great grand kids bike as a hack all the same)
The ZRX is a great punch and go bike also.

#

I have bikes here in Australia, I have 'more in New Zealand, those bikes have been in a lockup since Oct 2007, the rental was around $1800 per year then, more like $3000 now, payed a year a head.
Since 1976 I have sold 9 bikes (iirc) of 30+, the last in the early 1990's. (not a good sign)
Common sense says something has to go.... money and time.... and even if they all sat in a row ready to ride ???
Or just don't worry about it and make more space for that shipping container on the front lawn.

I largely agree with @Time Warp but would likely keep the Lightning as well.

Now, about those bikes in NZ... I could help you "store" those... I have a big shed! ;-)

Lucky you if I built a bigger garage I wouldn't have any money to play with them!
Al

gortnipper said:

I largely agree with @Time Warp but would likely keep the Lightning as well.

Now, about those bikes in NZ... I could help you "store" those... I have a big shed! ;-)

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One of the bikes is a 73 750GT (The best year imho)... It seems there is no escape, I have been pestering Damien Burch from Bevel Rubber about another run of the 1973 3 light dash for some years now.... What comes in the mail this afternoon, he is going to do a run of them (10) of course I ordered one.
I have had bevel drive Ducati's since I was 23.... the prices on them dropped in the 1990's and I picked the GT up for I think NZ$3500, might have been $2500, the prices are mad now, a basket case went for AU$16400 a year back, another basket in NZ for over NZ$19000..... I turned a Vincent down in that same decade for NZ$19000.... You cant have them all.

Time Warp said:

One of the bikes is a 73 750GT (The best year imho)... It seems there is no escape, I have been pestering Damien Burch from Bevel Rubber about another run of the 1973 3 light dash for some years now.... What comes in the mail this afternoon, he is going to do a run of them (10) of course I ordered one.
I have had bevel drive Ducati's since I was 23.... the prices on them dropped in the 1990's and I picked the GT up for I think NZ$3500, might have been $2500, the prices are mad now, a basket case went for AU$16400 a year back, another basket in NZ for over NZ$19000..... I turned a Vincent down in that same decade for NZ$19000.... You cant have them all.

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You sure can try!

Time Warp said:

1̶9̶6̶9̶ ̶B̶S̶A̶ ̶L̶I̶G̶H̶T̶N̶I̶N̶G̶ ̶
1̶9̶6̶9̶ ̶T̶R̶I̶U̶M̶P̶H̶ ̶A̶H̶R̶M̶A̶ ̶R̶A̶C̶E̶R̶ ̶#̶1̶4̶2̶
1970 TRIUMPH BONNEVILLE
1̶9̶7̶1̶ ̶B̶M̶W̶ ̶R̶7̶5̶/̶5̶
1972 MONTESA RICKMAN
1̶9̶7̶4̶ ̶M̶O̶T̶O̶ ̶G̶U̶Z̶Z̶I̶ ̶E̶L̶D̶O̶R̶A̶D̶O̶ ̶/̶ ̶C̶O̶Z̶Y̶ ̶H̶A̶C̶K̶
1̶9̶7̶4̶ ̶N̶O̶R̶T̶O̶N̶ ̶8̶8̶0̶ ̶E̶-̶S̶T̶A̶R̶T̶ ̶S̶P̶E̶C̶I̶A̶L̶
1975 NORTON COMMANDO INTERSTATE
1975 NORTON DREER MONOSHOCK
1̶9̶8̶1̶ ̶H̶O̶N̶D̶A̶ ̶C̶B̶6̶5̶0̶ ̶F̶O̶U̶R̶
1̶9̶8̶3̶ ̶H̶O̶N̶D̶A̶ ̶V̶4̶5̶ ̶I̶N̶T̶E̶R̶C̶E̶P̶T̶O̶R̶ ̶V̶F̶7̶5̶0̶F̶
1̶9̶9̶2̶ ̶Y̶A̶M̶A̶H̶A̶ ̶T̶D̶M̶8̶5̶0̶
2̶0̶0̶0̶ ̶T̶R̶I̶U̶M̶P̶H̶ ̶L̶E̶G̶E̶N̶D̶ ̶9̶0̶0̶T̶T̶
2̶0̶0̶3̶ ̶K̶A̶W̶A̶S̶A̶K̶I̶ ̶Z̶R̶X̶1̶2̶0̶0̶R̶
Its easy to cut someone else's list up with no attachment to it and I have a 1973 Eldorado (It would be a great grand kids bike as a hack all the same)
The ZRX is a great punch and go bike also.

Click to expand...

That is eerily close, but I treasure the 67 Bonnie over the '70, as I restored it myself (first Britbike ever).

Since I can keep 6 bikes in the new garage, I'd be keeping the ZRX and probably the BSA as well (Britbike Trifecta must stay intact)

Well, it turns out the new garage can only accommodate 4 bikes, so it looks like I'm going to rent a storage unit that allows nominal tinkering, but has no on-site power. I won't be able to flush gas tanks or do oil changes, there, but I can do that in my garage (after Sally & the kids go to sleep at night).

The best part is, it's right on 1431 which is the best riding in the area, around lake Travis to Marble Falls. Can you see my virtual smile?

Do the cutting gp!

Cut back to 4 bikes that most covers the genres you need. Those 4 will then be super pampered and in super condition, your life will be hugely de cluttered and simplified, you’ll have 4 better bikes and more money! Plus you’ll be able to use far more of your available motorcycle time for riding.

It’s a win-win-win-win !

Don’t start renting separate storage units, it just a adds cost and complexity to life.

Motorcycles are their for your enjoyment / benefit... not the other way around!

That’s my personal advice FWIW.

Was covered in ak's & DRB's some years back in my collecting. Followed advice and reduced to a minimum of favorites. Yes there's more room, but not more happiness. I shall not presume to tell you whether or not thinning the herd brings happiness. It all depends upon you because as years pass I want my damn toys back.