My Motorcycles

With yet another wife, I tried again. This time it was the purchase of a Honda 250 that an overseas student was selling on his last day in Australia. Needless top say, I didn't pay a lot for it. Surprise, surprise, when I got home instead of hitting the roof, my wife ran upstairs and produced her own helmet, she loved bikes.

In June 2008, a mate and I were having a beer when he asked me if I thought I would ever get another bike. Without much thought I told him that I wouldn't, but it started me thinking.

A few days later I was driving along and thinking about how bikes had been so much a part of my very existence for so many years, and I thought, I'm earning good money, why not?

I wandered into the local bike shop intending to have a look at a nice touring bike, just something comfortable and in good nick. There, right in front of me was a near perfect Suzuki 1300, a Hayabusa. Now I'd heard of these, they are the fastest production motorcycle ever built. Not for me, I thinks, but it sure is pretty. Enter the salesman.... Take it for a test run says he. You're kidding thinks I. 12 years off bikes and he wants me to ride THIS! Well, I've never been known for common sense, so after borrowing some riding gear I very gingerley head out onto the road. Very gingerly! I take the long way around the block gaining in confidence all the while, but still treating the throttle like it was likely to explode (It actually was, but I didn't know by how much then).

I arrived back at the shop and after 10 seconds of haggling over the price, (mostly, I want it NOW) I signed the papers and the Busa was mine.

Now $3,000 later, it's just the way I like it to look and sound, and I'm alive again.

Sadly, my enjoyment was short lived, on Australia day 2009, I was stopped waiting to turn left when a car hit the rear of the bike, making a mess of the back end and giving me a bruised spine. Sadly the bike was written off.

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Got the urge for more speed at the beginning of 2011, so traded the ST1100 for a Kawasaki ZX1400. 200HP and around the 300kph mark. Faster if I bypass the speed limiter. Standing 1/4 mile in 9 seconds. This will do me for awhile. I love it. Now adding a few bits and pieces. A Yoshimura Dual Exhaust System. Power Commander Engine Management System, K&N Air Filter, TomTom Rider GPS and handlebar Risers.

A few years later I managed to get hold of a HRD Vincent Black Shadow. I brought it of a guy I knew who was a fanatic and had speced the motor up to the same standards as the Black Lightning that held the world speed record of just under 300 kph for many years. Sadly the guy who sold it to me came around a couple of weeks later crying and wanting it back, so I sold it to him for what I had paid him for it. Less than a week later he was doing a speed run at Fishermans Bend airstrip and hit a midjet car that was doing a U turn. Killed the bloke in the car and cut it in half. Mick flew about 80 metres through the air and was pretty much undamaged. The bike was written off and the motor ended up in a go cart in Queensland. The specs of the standard Vincent are

Engine: 998 cc OHV V Twin, 7.3:1

Gearbox: Burman 4 speedFinal Drive:

Weight: 206 kg

Performance: 201 km/h - 55 bhp at 5500 rpm

The world speed record set by a Vincent Black Lightning was 297.46 km/h By a guy wearing a bathing suit.

Just couldn't stay away from them. Put part of the insurance money into an old Honda ST1100. Not too many clicks on the clock, in good condition for it's age, 19 years, and quite comfortable. Heaps cheaper to insure, and lots of room for luggage. Flew up to Queensland to collect it and rode back in torrential rain, but it was a good ride.