Other Bikes From The Past

Benelli 125 2C 2-Stroke

Got this early 80s as a project and this is the only picture taken.

Nice bike but engine was a bit puny so the plan was to replace the engine with a spare Yamaha RD200 engine and create a 'Yamanelli', but never got round to it as I sold the donor RD to a mate. Don't have a picture of the orange RD200 either.

Can't remember where I got the bike or even when or who I sold it so.

Looking at DVLA it looks like the last registered keeper may even still be me as it's dates 1981!

Suzuki GT125 (1976)

Another bike from the early 80s and again I beleive this was the only image of the bike.

Got it as it was cheap from a friend of a friend and don't think it more a a couple of time before I sold it on.

No idea what the registration was or if the bike is still around today.

Kawasaki KH250

At one point in the 80s I did have a very nice Green/Black Kawasaki KH250 which I got from a mate at work as the engine top end had gone. Was really looking to getting it back on the road but after examination it needed a new engine so became uneconomical so took it part and sold the bits.

No idea what the registration was or if the bike is still around today.

Yamaha RD200

Also briefly had a second RD200 back in the 80s. This one was a 1976 version and had an original orange paint job, was the same square tank at my 78 version but had spoke wheels and not the alloys on the DX version.

Can't recall where I got it, but know I sold it to a mate called Dave George who came and collected it in a Sea Scout minibus, loaded it between the seat!

He emigrated to Australia decades ago, so ide where the bike went or even its registration.

Suzuki X7

When I'd decided to split the Suzuki GT750 and sell the parts what I also decided was to take some parts off the bike to sell and leave the rest still attached, rather than having bits laying around the place.

I was contacted by a guy who wanted a few bits I'd listed so we agreed he'd pop over and collect. Over he came with his mate about 8pm one night to collect the bits and pay. While there asked if I had anything else. I showed him what was still on the 750 and he said he'd like the entire front end (forks, wheel, brakes, bars etc.) which were still attached to the bike.

He then asked if I fancied swapping those bits for a road registered Proddy Race Suzuki X7. Well OK, so how we gonna do this! As he lived about 90 minutes away he didn't want to have to come back, so I set about taking the front end off the bike bit by bit, which took about 45 minutes.

Now for reasons I don't recall now, this 'trade' had to be done immediately which meant myself and my farther loading the GT parts into his car and following the other two in their car to his house. We set about a little before 10pm and arrived at his place around 11:20pm.

He showed me the bike, the registration documents and started it (not my neighbours!). Deal done, he got the GT bits and rode the bike back with my farther following in the car.

The X7 was stripped of bit not needed for racing but as it was the Proddy series had to retain most of the main stuff. It was in pretty fair condition but clearly had had a lot of spanner work as I'd guess you'd expect. The most noticeable this was the performance of this thing. I'd had a X7 previously and that was nowhere near as fast as this thing so obviously it had been tuned. It also had rear sets which I wasn’t initially keen on but they did grow on me.

Kept the bike for a while , I don't recall how long, and I believe another mate got it but can't be sure