My Bike & Me
Here’s a page to show off your bike with a few words as to why you like it.
Who’s next then? - Com’on Canberra Branch members - send your story ( a paragraph would be nice) and a photo of yourself and your bike) to your ‘umble webmaster & posted you will be - for all the world to see!
Please Note: Postings will be made alphabetically by first name of the rider.
- 2006 Kawasaki ZX-10
Anthony Z (Tony or Zark) My ride and joy is my 2006 Kawasaki ZX-10
After 20 years off a bike the "GREAT POWER THAT BE" said unto me "The kids are grown up now, your super is looking great, go on get another bike" After a 2 week stint on a Yamaha XT250, I progressed to Kawasaki GPX. This lasted 4 weeks, due to the fact that the good lady decided that she would like to join me on my mysterious rides. Being a 250 the poor thing couldn't hack it any longer. Truth be said I wanted a bigger bike………so maybe the throttle wasn't twisted as much as it could have been. On the morning of the photo I asked Suzie should I get a bigger bike so that we would be more comfortable and have a "little bit more power out on the road, she said OK go see what you can find. Knowing that it is a woman's prerogative to change her mind I sent her off to work finished my coffee, jumped onto the GPX and down to the Kawasaki dealer I went. 1 hour later I was the proud owner of the ZX. If you think I look happy in the photo imagine the look on Suzie's face when she came home and saw me the bike and the fact I had already put 400 Klm's on her. Now Suzie is sick of riding pillion and is looking for her 1st bike
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- 2004 KLR650
Chris S. - I recently purchased this 4 year old 'tractor', to save my er650 road bike from gravel roads. A new world of fire-trails, creek crossings and getting past obstacles, has been discovered. I keep the road bike for commuting to work and occasional 'chomp and chat rides'. I will do a few mid-week gravel rides as well on the 'tractor'. I have always wanted a big, single cylinder thumper. You can hear and feel the engine response, really well. OK some people call it excessive vibration. Keeping the dirt bike just for gravel adventures, makes a nice change from the tarmac.
cheers Chris
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- Dave Mc. My new love Karin, my BMW K1200S.
I arrived at my ownership of Karin, after having done a lot of thinking about the bikes I have ridden, what I am looking for in a bike and the great retail opportunities brought on by this recent economic recession.
During numerous Ulysses rides I also developed a fondness for Beemers and I was mightily impressed by their road-holding and suspension performance (sometimes rider input is a contributor here too I should add !).
Anyway, after a lot of thought to the matter, the cost of my recent Ducati ST3's (she is Désirée) service and the lack of its balls-out performance compared with Sarah (my Triumph Sprint 1050), I decided to join the Beemer crowd.
Only thing is I did not go the GS or RT route, oh no! I wanted PERFORMANCE, so I closed a fantastic deal on a new K1200S.
I am still very excited about owning a prestige Bayerische Motoren Werke 2-wheel product and not "ein verdamt traktor" either. I really look forward to her expected cheap running costs, but I'm a bit concerned about my ability to master such a delicate feisty lass.
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- 2004 GoldWing 1800
- Bubbles
Elca - I had said a sad farewell to my last companion 3 years ago; we had had a fantastic relationship, she and I; however we couldn’t be together as often as I had wanted, so it was time to part. It took some time to get over it, but get over it I did. I had, of course, had others before her and each in her own way was a joy to me, but as I grew older and more experienced I needed something special and she had provided it. What could fill the gap she had left in my life?
(During this very traumatic period my husband has been very understanding and supportive)
Finally, a day came when I had to find another companion. I spent weeks prowling through those places that I knew such as she was to be found; I tried the sporty types and the cruisey types – I even tried those much-maligned American types, but none met my, admittedly high, expectations. Beginning to despair of ever again finding a special girl with whom I could share part of my life, I finally found ‘Bubbles”; I knew at once that she was what I had been searching for: she was quite young, had a saucy look to her and had the most fabulous skin colouring – a golden, almost suntanned glow when seen in the afternoon sun, it reminded me of a glass of fine champagne seen with the sun behind it, hence her name: “Bubbles”.
She is, of course, a Honda NT700, Deauville, and what a girl she is! I had previously owned the NTV 650, her “older sister”, and loved every minute of it. With my dicky back, the Deauville allows me to sit with a neutral spine, putting no pressure on my back. I find that I can ride for two hours without experiencing discomfort. The fuel capacity means that I don’t have to be looking for fuel every hour and a half; I have the option of riding for another hour at least. The bike cruises comfortably at slightly-above-legal speeds on the highways and is no slouch in the twisties either. The seat is comfortable, although the standard seat is quite high and may not suit those who are vertically challenged. I have a specially modified seat that drops the height by about 25mm. The (manually) height-adjustable screen gives good wind protection and the minimal fairing does a good job of keeping the worst of the weather off. Panniers are standard and have about 57 litres of storage; a novel feature is a ‘hole” from one pannier to the other through the bike, allowing the rider to store long-ish items like collapsible tent poles Most importantly, the bike is quite competitively priced, selling today for about the same price as it did 5 years ago.
I love Bubbles; here’s her photo:
Derek T. Here is a picture of my lovely wife Margaret and I with our bike "Tigger" - a 2004 GoldWing 1800. We are dressed like this for our daughter's wedding - I (along with 3 other 1800s) provided the escort to the church and reception. I have been riding since I was 16 and have only been without a bike for about 2 months back in early 1973 when some scumbag stole my 750 Honda. I also own a GL1000 with side-car and the 750 K2 Honda I bought to replace the one stolen in '73. Among other nice long trips, we did the "Top End" back in '03 and this year will spend 3 months doing a lap of OZ after the AGM in Townsville. I ride with several groups of people, from the local Neighbourhood group to the GoldWing Club and of course the Canberra Branch of the Ulysses Club. Hope to see you on the road.
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- Bandit 600
Flip VDZ - I promised myself years ago that by the time I was 40 I’d ride a motorbike and be a member of the Ulysses Club, mostly because I thought I could contribute to upholding the club’s motto. It took me a couple of years past 40 to realise I was sick of talking about everything I'm “going to do” and changed that to “I have done”. So that’s how I ended up riding a Yamaha SR250, which lasted all of two weeks before I had to get a bigger bike, the Lovely 750 Virago. Now I have my new 650 Baby Bandit. I bought her the week I arrived in New Zealand where I am living whilst on a 12 month secondment with work. She’s VERY shiny and VERY black, like patent leather and she reminds me of a Dominatrix - we all know who's in charge!
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- BMW R100s 1977
Gary Mac - this 1977 model BMW R100S has had an interesting history. Previous owners toured The Isle of Man, England and Ireland before it was sold and shipped to Australia. Here it has been confined to a Canberra cross border commute with the occasional trip to Victoria, Tassie and southern NSW. Its condition of tatty functionality reflects its current owners priorities of a reliable if rattly commuter. A paint job and rebuild are threatened. (to the bike)
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- GordonW’s bikes
Gordon White #44885 - My (younger) brother Robert started racing postie bikes for fun and later became a semi-professional race bike tuner. I didn't join him on bikes until I was 18. I started with dirt bikes and in my mid twenties "directored" fifteen "motocross" school holiday camps with twenty-five school kids at a time, for the Crusader Union.
I was also a member of the Willoughby District Motorcycle Club in its heyday, and also the MRA way back then. Boy did those school kids teach me a lot .... about falling off. Robert and my early stable was pretty impressive in hindsight, 'cos it had in it a: Yamaha YZ250, Ducati 900SS, Triumph Bonneville, Kawasaki GPZ1100, Honda XL 500,
Yamaha XT550 (the best all-rounder).
My own young kids replaced my last bike, the XT, until I got some freedom back 9 years later and bought a Hyosung GT650S 'cos it had one third more power than a 620 Monster, at two thirds the price. I've since bought two other Hyosungs (125cc dirt and 250cc cruiser) for the family.
But finally, I now own the bike I've always wanted - a Triumph Tiger 1050 - sports, back roads, touring. It really does everything. The ACT Ulyssees M/C Club is way too much fun, especially now that I'm "slowing down" just a tad. The self-identified (No)Lifer sub-group in particular, has given me a new lease on life, and taken me back to my riding roots. WooHoo.
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- Honda DN01
Jan W - Here I am on my Dino on the Nullaboring (which I crossed twice in too short a timeframe!!! Are you mad woman!!)
This is the bike Butch said I should have – and sorry to say “He was right” (Ssshhh, don’t tell him). However for those of you who know me, you will know that I am a bit vertically challenged and have on occasion (too many to remember) added a touch of humour to our rides by stopping and dropping my Suzuki GSX750. So having inspected the Dino at the Penrith AGM at almost $20,000.00 - the call from Al Munday saying “CMC have them for $10,990.00 ride away, get out there quick” was taken up without hesitation.
Now that I have travelled over 8,000 kms, (after Butch just HAD to put the first 2,000 kms on it in my worktime - I can say – what a bike – fantastic. It is a great bike for me (size and weight distribution wise) and it doesn't make me push boundaries I shouldn't. So, despite my suspicion that Butch recommended it so he could "ride Jan's bike", he was right when he said “you will be very happy with that bike”.
AND the trip to Albany proved it to be a “bloke” magnet – even got a marriage proposal – I saw the real intent there (hmmm, want to ride my motorbike). There was a moment however, at the fuel stop at Balladonia, when this guy pulled up and looked across at me exclaiming “that’s a girly bike, isn’t it”. AND THE POINT IS!!! As I puffed my chest out – REALLY, YOU NOB!! Butch got shittier with him than me, which just proves he loves the Dino too.
It is automatic and manual – I love choices. It is comfortable, has grunt! All the weight is down low. It is – smooth, sexy and soooo hot (‘cause it’s red). I recommend it for anyone who wants a great ride on a fabulous bike. Only minus is the standard windscreen, dumb idea. I have a Givi after market windscreen, mucho better.
- Yamaha XVS650
Jen - I ride a Yamaha XVS650, which I purchased new in 2002, so we’ve been together for a while. She has an air-cooled 4 stroke, SOHC engine (no I had to look that up – I have no idea what it means J ), and weighs 233kg – well I DO know that’s she’s heavy as there was that little incident in Tasmania two years ago, anyway we won’t think about that now.
You can see from the picture that she’s beautiful and black with lovely chrome to shine, and I’ve added some extra chrome bits as well – I do get lured by lovely shiny bits!! She’s my second bike, my first was a little TU250 Suzuki which was a great first bike. I really enjoy doing long rides (tent etc on the back) on my bike, I don’t ride around town much – not because I don’t want to, it’s more the type of job I have that better suits a car. I am looking forward to Townsville as I’m taking four or five days to get there, and about four or five days coming back – bliss!
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- Honda ST1300
John G - Hi, Im John Grunberg (41481) and this my new bike. The Honda St1300 is so different from the "Logging Truck" Vulcan 1660 that I should have bought one the first time, however, I would have missed on the experiences of crashing.
I have again fitted an Autocom comms system for connecting my Ipod, phone, TomTom Rider GPS and a Icom 5W CB. What else can I say the veery bright red Honda is fantastic. - Hyosung 650 Comet
Judy P - My introduction to motorcycle riding was as a pillion, on fast Harleys, on wet sand in Darwin, in a bikini as a nubile wench, with crazed ex Vietnam US chopper pilots … and probably over the limit. I quickly came to the conclusion that it was not such a good idea.
Then about 2 ½ years ago I went on another pillion ride and within the first 1 km realized that I LOVE THIS and set about getting a bike and L’s in July 2006. I joined every motorcycle group for which I was eligible and gained all the support and encouragement I needed to achieve this.
I started with a Honda @125 and soon progressed to a Vespa 250 to do day runs mid week and Sundays and weekends away. Last year I progressed to an XV535 and enjoyed 32,000 km on it till last week when I bought a new Hyosung GT650 Comet. Just love it, but have no real brand loyalty and will probably change bikes again soon … I have a lot of bikes to catch up on being a late starter.
I have had the best fun and comradeship in the biking community that I could ever have wished for.
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Honda Cruiser 750
Larry D - I have just received my membership from Ulysses, and feel privileged to be a member. I like the fact I was branded ‘Junior’’ member. Although I thought I was having a mid life crisis at my age of 48, to be called junior, made me feel young. Perhaps I can retain this feeling till next year, and then be titled senior.
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- BMW R1200GS
- 2003 Kawasaki ZZR 600
Michael – My bike is a Kawasaki ZZR 600 which I bought new in 2004. When I was in the Army in the 80’s based in Townsville, I owned a Honda CB750 then a Suzuki GSXR1100 until Mr Policeman put a stop to that. In 2000, after a couple of changes in career I was able to get back into bikes which I thoroughly enjoy. I ride from Calwell to Belconnen everyday for work, irrespective of the weather conditions. Work sucks but at least I enjoy getting there and coming home. Having a young family, I can occasionally go on weekend rides with the Ulysses club and friends so I take every chance I get.
LeoF - My bike is a 2005 model BMW R1200GS and is just great for long riding. Here we are in Darwin last year with camping gear loaded and '000s of k's in front of us. I'd love to have the time to explore every little town I pass through and all the great State and National Parks. Townsville this year by as many alternate routes I can find and maybe the Nullabor (if employment is kind to me).
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- 2001 BMW R1150 Roadster
Mick Beltrame - I found my Roadster when I was out looking for a new bike but wasn’t looking for a BMW. Our eyes met in the shop and I knew I had to take her for a ride. So I did – And fell in love! The rough old highway past the Tulip Farm didn’t faze her and she had such beautiful road dynamics and handling and brakes and smooth power that I knew she was what I wanted for long-distance touring. I figured I would keep her for a year or two, and then buy something more modern and faster. She had a few thousand kilometres on her when I bought her in 2004, and now has over 115,000 very satisfying kilometres under her wheels. She has taken me around Australia and around the block. She nearly drowned in floodway up near Charleville, but still carried me a thousand kilometres home even though she was very sick and damaged internally from swallowing litres of filthy floodwater. She still sits quietly in the garage, waiting for the door to open and the sunlight to stream in as a sign of an impending ride. She’s a hard old girl to replace. Isn’t it funny how we get attached to a conglomeration of nuts, bolts, metal, plastic and rubber? My photo was taken against a backdrop of the long grass in the NT after the wet season.
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- 2007 BMW R1200GS
Norman MacLachlan, I have a 2007 BMW R1200GS in striking shades of Light, Medium and Dark Industrial Grey. There are also some exciting black plastic and stainless steel bits, and the horn button and kill switch are an eye-catching red. This wildly exciting colour scheme complements the bike’s stunningly elegant lines and… Who am I kidding? Anyone who says the GS is “beautiful” is either clutching a white cane or has a GS of their own. Fortunately the GS isn’t about good looks, as it is quite spectacularly ugly. It is, however, great fun, and with the Saxon-Motodd front suspension (called “telelever” by BMW) it is spectacularly well behaved. It can also be used to plough fields, with the optional attachment, BMW Part No: 0075A879900X, available only for left hand mounting
I bought this one new in December 07, rode it to Townsville for the AGM, and back, without needing a butt transplant. In the interest of maintaining my anonymity and to avoid frightening small children or family pets, I’ve strategically placed a BMW neck warmer (Part No:085Z887B00C-3) for the photo.
My previous bike was a 1995 BMW R1100GS, which I bought around 2001. In an earlier life I had, at different times, a Honda VF750FE, a Yamaha XS650 and a Honda 750 K something or other with 4 cylinders.
- Suzuki DR 650
Peter B - My name is Peter Brooker and like many Ulyssians I have more than one bike. I had an old Suzuki DR650 which cost me not a lot and was now worth even less. Rather than sell it I thought I would rebuild it as a classic British single replica. After 3 or 4 months and a couple of grand, it is back on the road as a TT650 Manx. The changes are all cosmetic apart from some suspension work to stiffen things up for a life on the tar. Most of the bits and pieces are from old Suzukis (tank, clipons, front guard, muffler) except for the rear mudguard (Kawasaki GT750) and the taillight (Honda AG200). It runs like a big single (of course) and has a real 'vintage' feel. It's even quite comfortable despite the clipons. It's like a classic but with electric start and disc brakes... and no oil leaks. Excuse me while I race down to the cafe. - Kawasaki ZX6R 1998 Peter’s previous bike (now sold):
I ride most weeks with Wednesday's Usual Suspects. My bike previous bike was a 1998 Kawasaki ZX6R naked Ninja. I bought it at auction for $2,800 in May 2006 where is was classified as a "repairable writeoff". I replaced the left footpeg and gear selector mechanism. The original green bodywork was all cracked and broken so I discarded it and replaced it with a headlight unit from a Buell XB12R, a carbon fiber front mudguard, Renthal tapered motocross handlebars, a belly-pan cut down from the original fairing, mini-indicators, new mirrors, and some bits and pieces. I resprayed it in black with a red belly and christened it "Red-bellied Black". Mechanically it was AOK once I got a bit of gravel out of the chassis. It's got sports bike performance without the severe riding position. It was on the road in May 2007 in time for my first mid-week ride. 10,000 kilometres later it was running fine including trips to Mt Hotham and the Tallangatta Rally. See you on the road.
Peter Brooker - 2007 BMW R1200 GSA
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Peter G (#30549) - I currently ride a 2007 BMW R1200 GSA and use this as my means of commuting around Canberra as well as the various social rides. This bike has been extensively modified thanks to Mick Owen Motorcycles. I have just fitted a Scala Rider Bluetooth unit to my helmet and am now able to make calls and hear the instructions from the GPS. My wife Kim (also a Ulysses member) joins me on the social rides and we are planning to take this bike to the AGM in Albany next year.
I have only owned 6 bikes in 28 years (mostly BMW’s) but have travelled extensively on the East Coast from the Great Ocean Road to Cape York. Have spent many holidays travelling to various destinations with mates from Sydney and continue to search out new destinations. I have only recently returned from the 2nd Far Cairn Rally at Tottenham in central New South Wales – a quick 2 day trip covering some 1200k’s with ease and in great comfort. Don’t think I will get rid of this one for some time.
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2005 Honda Deauville
Hey, I’m Peter Thomas. My wife, Lis’, and I had a Sachs Express 150 but a few years ago I wanted something bigger for touring. I started looking around and eventually purchased a 2005 Honda Deauville with all of 3,500 Ks on it and have been extremely happy with it ever since. I did seriously consider getting an ST1300 but the 2010 AGM trip to WA convinced me that the Deauville is more than adequate for touring. After all, motorcycle touring to me is just bushwalking with a V-twin shaft drive. Adventure still calls though so one day maybe a Transalp or a F800GS. Maybe.
Who hath smelt woodsmoke at twilight?
- 2008 Suzuki VZR1800 M109R
Randall Crook (thumper109) - I took up riding years ago through stupidity and necessity when I lost my Ps for driving with out the plates. Back then I was luck in that even thought I had lost my driving license, I could still get my bike Ls. So I bought an old 250 and started riding. For a few years I rode because I needed to or just wanted to cruise.
Well, marriage and kids.. The bike went to pay bills, and the years rolled by. Roughly 15 actually. I got a new job that paid really well, and with extra cash, I decided to buy a bike and ride once more. The little VN250 I bought was a reintroduction into riding. Something easy to re-build my confidence. A year later, I went looking for a more comfortable bike.. I did look at a mean streak, and even looked at the harleys, but when I came across the M109R I stopped looking. I loved the modern sleek styling, then I read the specs.. While the fact is had more power than my wife Holden Astra was very attractive, the whole package sold me. So I bought one.
Of course I had to name her.... and I did. Thumper. Long story but a good name. So here is My bike thumper and I.
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- 1995 Goldwing 1500 Aspencade
Richard - My name is Richard and I ride a 1995 Goldwing 1500 Aspencade, the beauty of this bike is that my wonderful wife Peta brought it for me for my 52nd birthday. I had always ridden bikes since I joined the Army in 1972 but my ambition had always been to own and ride a Goldwing and dreams do come true. I love my bike for two reasons the first I have already explained and that is Peta and the second is that the Ulysses Club and my bike are a wonderful outlet for me, the freedom of being able to go off and ride with a wonderful group of people or just by myself is exhilarating and relaxing. I don’t have a care in the world when I am on my bike. If I have one ambition and that is that Peta will come for a ride with me one day. I love my wife and my bike.
- Honda VFR1200F
Robert Mc, Hi - I have just taken possession of a new VFR1200F Honda which is a bit of a change from the CBR1000RR, my previous bike . After putting 96000Km on the sports bike I decided it was time to move to a sports tourer, I even bought the panniers to go with it. The bike seems to have a mile of grunt and has a more upright riding position compared to the CBR. Even though it is a lot heavier you do not notice the weight when you are up and running. I am looking forward to testing it through the twisties.
- Honda ST1300
My name is Steve Salkeld (24075) (retired) and I commenced with the Canberra Branch some years ago when Gary was our President. At that stage I was the proud owner of a Kawasaki GTR1000 and our first AGM was at Mount Gambier. It was also the longest ride my that my wife - Kathy (24706) enjoyed. - Honda Blackbird
Terry F – I have been riding pushbikes since I was four or five and motorbikes since my teens and I still get the same buzz now as I did then. I started riding motorbikes with a Honda CB125 (which I still have) and Suzuki dirt bikes. Like a lot of people, I had a break from motorbikes while the kids were growing up, but I am now back into it.
I bought my Blackbird in February 07 after looking at a range of types, makes and models. I had a list of things I wanted from the bike and the Blackbird satisfied all of those, including that Jennie is comfortable on the back. The bike is a timeless classic sports tourer, it is easy to ride around town but can send the adrenalin level of scale out of town, even with just a nudge of the throttle.
My enthusiasm for motorbikes and pushbikes is as strong now as my teens and I can hardly wait for the weekend to throw my leg over the Blackbird and head out of town and into the some of the best motorcycle country in Australia.
We are now the proud owner of a Honda ST1300 (its comingup to its 3rd birthday) and we have circumnavigated Tasmania and Victoria, travelled along the Pacific, New England and the Newell Highways to destinations within NSW and Qld. We are regular attendees to the Old Priory meeting. I will be taking the long way to the Townsville AGM (via Bourke and Mount Isa and will come back thru Rockhampton, Emerald, Roma and then home).
We love our machine and the rides it takes us on.
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