Motorbike

...wasn't first purchased by my Great-Grandfather during the First World War. It was, however, first purchased by me in August of 2008...around 13 years after I first set sight on it when my dad took me to a racing meet in the Midlands. This bike could very well be that very same machine I saw shinning in the sun (am I wearing rose tinted sunglasses...this is the Midlands in England I am talking - do they get sun there?), standing out from the crowed of other motorcycles by virtue of its glaring colour scheme and monstrous luggage. I was in love. I wanted one! When could I have one?

My uncle had been in a terrible motorbike accident (totally not his fault) over a decade earlier so my parents were not keen, from that point on, for me to get a bike...so I bought one the day after dropping them off at Heathrow! They didn't find out until returning to the UK, by which time I'd already passed my test. Hehe

The montage above is of the very same photos used on the Ebay listing for my purchase. I'd never even sat on a ZZR before (or many other motorbikes for that matter), so I called the owner up and asked him if at 5'8.5" I'd reach the floor with my feet firmly enough. He said yes, so made I'm an offer...he said yes again - the bike was mine!!! My adventure to go and pick it up is worthy of a blog...so I'll save it for another occasion.......

BEAST BIKE:

What is the deal with me and accessories? Can't I just leave something alone as it was intended to be - there must be some weird Freudian reasoning for my obsession. It has just gotten worse since I decided to transform Tatsu (see T55 for an explanation of the name) into a filming rig.

What have I added (what haven't I added more like)?

See the associated pages and Vlogs (currently being worked on)...

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I'll be honest...the only one of the ZZR1100 stats I've fully embraced is the 45mpg. Nice to know that the rest of them are there for the future...though I can't say I haven't come close with the acceleration. You see, I've always been a keen observer of laws and regulations on the road (I've come close to dying 7 times already and some of those have involved vehicles) - a healthy respect for what is the most dangerous environment modern man finds its self in. I know too many who have suffered on two wheels, and know of so many who have died whilst biking. That sort of thing sticks in my mind - it also replays like the scene in Fight Club where Edward Norton imagines his place crashing...part of my debilitating psychological makeup when it comes to pushing it to the limit. But, I'm cool with that as it probably means I'll live to be 100 and can one day ride a Jet Bike (which I invented when I was 13 I might add).