How I got this bike.

    After responding to the Craigslist post, the owner of this bike had been emailing me to come look at it for more than two weeks.  I sold a Yamaha FZ6 on a Friday and called the next morning and negotiated a deal for this bike over the phone, then drove that afternoon to check it out in Oriskany NY.

   Definitely old school.  Appealing to me as a complete, running, very original bike needing little work (I hope).

On the trailer in Oriskany, NY

Registered two days later.

   I registered it right away and did a few short rides that week to check it out further.

    Mirror was purchased on eBay.  I got regular sized grips and a speedo cable from John M.  I only had to replace the inner speedo cable so it was not the speedometer itself that was the problem.  The speedo showed 8,966 miles which I believe to be close to actual since the bike is in fine shape overall and not rusty or weathered.  It even has some fresh paint and some new gaskets.  The front brakes were improved by bleeding both brake lines and the anti-dive fork reservoirs.

  Oil and filter changed Nov. 2012 at 9006 miles.

  Rear fender was replaced over the winter with a part from John.  Bike started up first shot.  Met Mike W in Ballston and did a 50 mile loop ride west to Amsterdam.  Bike has a firm ride with reasonable wind protection from the small fairing.  Feels long and narrow.  Five speed transmission has good ratios but is slightly notchy at stops.  The feedback sound from the exhausts makes shifting enjoyable.  The fuel injection makes it easy to start, and it runs clean and idles without any hiccups.

Sterling Road - Schenectady County Oct. 2013

  Even though I adjusted to riding it immediately and have developed a fondness for it's handling and performance, my friends have had different opinions.  Dana S got to ride the bike as did Mike W and Andy P.  No one particularly liked riding it but it was a good experience for them to check out a vintage big bore bike. Only John M seems to like it, but that's because it is so similar to his own custom 1981 GPz1100.

  End of season miles, 9654. 

2014

  Just a few rides this season, then sold on June 8, 2014 with 9,700 miles to Peter B.  I didn't care for the exhaust noise and felt that the throttle was an on/off thing.  Either hard on the throttle or no throttle at all.  Not that good for just cruising at a steady speed. The new owner planned to repaint it yellow and seemed quite familiar with it from having owned one many years ago.