Apuch Apuch

Bike History

  1. 197? Suzuki SP370
  2. 1981 Honda CB750KZ
  3. 1993 Kawasaki ZZR600
  4. 1997 Yamaha YZF600 Thundercat
  5. 1999 Honda VTR1000
  6. 2000 Cagiva Navigator
  7. 2001 KTM DUKEII   
  8. 1989 Honda NX250
  9. 2001 BMW R1150R   
  10. 2005 KTM LC8 Adventure R
  11. 2003 Yamaha TT600RE
  12. 2007 KTM SM690    (Current)
  13. 1998 BMW R 1100 GS (Current but dusty)

The SP370 wasn't actually mine, but a friend's. I was 17 at the time and without a licence. He was without a place for it to store. I wasn't. So it became my first MotorCycle Experience. Pretty impressive when you're used to mildly tuned 50cc mopeds.

The CB750KZ I bought as a poor student. I rode it to my uncle's on a first longer trip. Arriving there it made a funny rattling noise and didn't idle properly anymore. After lifting the valvecover I could see the camchain lying on top of the teeth of the camshafts. I decided to overhaul the bike. It became a "project" that I gave away in numerous moldy boxes only about 6 months ago...

A Number of years past.

When I had my first real job (been a student for a while...) I took out a loan to buy a ZZR600. This was the first bike I actually rode some distances with. Had it for a couple of years, did trips abroad. Had a laugh in France on a trip when several  Beemers ran out of gas after all filling up at the same pump and I had liters to spare. I loved the Dash!(it actually is more a Dashboard than a Cockpit) that didn't match the 'sporty' image it had. Hated the clunky gearchange.

After the ZZR600 came the Thundercat. Better bike, very good windprotection. Finish of the bike was lacking a bit. As was character.

The VTR1000, although considered to be bland at the time by some, had a lot more character. And thirst. Which doesn't have to a problem perse when you can drink from large mugs and not from a 15L (claimed...) tank. Seeing the reserve light coming up at 130Km is not funny on a vacation. Great V-Twin sound though.

Cagiva Navigator. Odd-Ball par Excellence. Too bad it was put on the market by an Italian company in trouble. Derserved better. Deserved better FI as well.

The KTM Duke II was Anker's bike first. After buying it I was overtaken and stopped by a motorcyle policeman riding it home. He accused me of riding slicks on the public road. Anker had all but completely rode of the profile in the middle and on the sides. I said I just bought the bike and was riding just another 300 meters to put in the shed. I grabbed out papers and keys and dangled them in front of his eyes. Presented with this visual "evidence"  he let me off.  The Duke II was a nice bike but too focussed for me to get a "great" experience out of it.

There was a period where I commuted to work on a bike. I bought the Honda NX250 for that. I did my license test on one of those. Nice little bike. But I didn't like commuting in wintertime on a bike. Too many sleepy car drivers in steamed-up cages in dark wintermornings. So I changed the NX for a 50cc scooter. In my case I can use bicycle paths when going to work with it so I'm avoiding most of of the Car Traffic. The scooter became a Aprillia Scarabeo. It's FI system (yes, 2-Stroke FI with Catalysator) can be tuned  with a Nintendo Gameboy. Currently I am riding a Piaggio Fly 50cc 4-stroke and after numerous therapy sessions not ashamed of coming out for it anymore.

First manifestations of a mid life crisis turned me towards a BMW R1150R which is a better motorcycle then many give it credit for. At the time I was also considering the then announced/just out LC8 Adventure but it seemed too good to be true and a bit risky being a new design etc. etc.
 
After a year or two on the Beemer I did a Testride on a LC8 Adventure. KTMax and hunter already were riding Adventures at that time. Well.... bit of a revelation. About the only and major gripe I had with it was the windnoise/buffeting from the screen. To which I seem to be particular sensitive. Main reason why I changed it to a LC4 690SM.

With the entry of the Adventures we developed some lingering Off Road aspirations. For me an excuse to buy a Yamaha TT600RE. The idea was to do some mild practise Off Roading. But actually, it was too nice a specimen for it and at that time Off Roading was outlawed in the Amsterdam area so possibilities were limited even more than they already were. Even so, we ended up doing two KTM Adventure Off Road "vacations"; One to Tunesia and one to Brazil.

By now I had two Mono's, the SM690 and the TT600RE. I changed the Yamaha for a BMWR1100GS. Had some plans to make a 2 person trip last year that did not materialize. 

Finished for now...


Last modified: 07-09-2009