New Bike! '98 Yamaha YZF-R1

So, late last summer I sold my 1990 Honda Hawk GT, mainly because it wasn't getting ridden. Well, that and the fact that my Ducati 900SS/SP does everything the Honda does only with 35 more horsepower ;-) It was a great bike and to my eyes, very pretty too - but I rode it once a year at most and couldn't justify keeping it.

BUT... this did clear space in the garage for something different. The Ducati was my first taste of "liter-bike" ownership (albeit at only 85hp) but I love it because it's just so easy to ride. Highway speeds are no effort at all and any traffic in town can easily be dispatched with a quarter turn of the throttle. So my thinking was leaning towards adding a "modern" (i.e. not-air-cooled) liter-class superbike to the modest stable.

I thought about another Honda twin, specifically the RC51. That machine has lots going for it. Race heritage in World Superbikes and AMA Superbike racing piloted by, among others, my favourite Canadian rider, Miguel Duhamel. Rugged good looks. Honda reliability and fuel injection. It has some minuses too though. I'd want the SP2 version which had some significant improvements, but is harder to find and more expensive. The bike also wasn't reputed to be very good around town, and is heavy. It's also a big twin which overlaps with the Ducati's mission statement, and lastly, there aren't that many around locally to choose from.

One of the other machines that made a huge impression on me as a younger enthusiast was Yamaha's original YZF-R1. This was "the Daddy" back in the late '90s - the bike that picked up where the Honda CBR900RR left off and put every other liter superbike firmly back on the trailer. A hunnerd-fifty horsepower and 419 pounds, and the only "rider aid" is your right wrist. This was the last fully analog superbike, it even had carburetors for Pete's sake! I looked at a 2001 model last Fall, the seller had it on kijiji and I drove almost two hours to see it. The bike looked decent, but the seller hadn't bothered even to wash the bugs off it before storing it two years before. When I drove up to the yardsite the seller's buddy was desperately trying to start it up and failing miserably due to bad gas having gummed up the carbs. Not cool. I sat on it at least, though, and it seemed to fit me well.

So the search resumed - but narrowed somewhat as I wanted to find a stock first-year-production machine in the blue colour scheme. Not an easy proposition, as these bikes have been enthusiastically modified and even more enthusiastically crashed over the years! But idly searching on eBay one day in early summer I came across a listing - a 1998 R1, less than 10K miles, colour blue, in stock condition. It even had stock turnsignals and reflectors - usually the first things binned by squids. Bingo!

So I called the seller in Texas and we talked a couple times. I thought I had a pretty good handle on the deal. Great cosmetics, recent shop bill for almost $1K sorting the bike out after long-term storage... all sounded in order. I fired in a bid. I was the only bidder and won the auction.

Then the games began... well not "games" exactly, maybe "flakiness" is a better word. Hard to get ahold of, travelling for work, trouble receiving money, impossible to schedule pickup... etc. Finally we got the deal done - he was paid in full - pickup scheduled... then I got an email: "sorry I dropped the bike in the driveway putting it on the truck." Grrr...

Finally the machine arrived at the parcel service just across the border in North Dakota. I'd arranged to go pick it up with my Dad in the car, we were just about to leave on our annual bike trip the next day. We left for the border in the afternoon, but after a stop or two it was after 5pm before we were truly on the way.

I remembered when we were 40 minutes down the highway that I'd failed to get a temporary registration for the bike I intended to ride back home. Dammit. Cue emergency stop in Emerson (pop. 655) at the Bigway grocery store to use their phone/fax to call an insurance agent in Winnipeg to arrange a permit... with that done, on to Pembina and the parcel place...

...which of course closed at 6pm, 10 minutes before we got there. After some more desperate minutes at the Fas Gas with directory assistance, we got ahold of Mike, proprietor of the eponymous parcel service, who kindly agreed to come back and open...

...whereupon I wheeled out my new bike, started it up and found it wouldn't rev or take any throttle over idle...

...so, having a cunning plan, I rode it the two long blocks to the gas station at 2mph and filled it with the best quality gas they had...

...and Eureka!! it revved up at least. Back on the highway headed home. While the bike wouldn't run super smoothly it sure ripped in the upper register - saw 1XXmph on the digital speedo (closed road of course), no problems there. And so we made it home. I dropped it off at Wildwood Sports and found out the rear shock was blown (suspected as much from the bouncy ride) and forks were toast... thanks salt air!! In any event the seller eventually refunded me $1K on the purchase price on account of the misrepresented condition, so that's cool.

Semi-nude (bottomless) photo with stock exhaust back on

But it's cleaned up mostly and on the road now. After a carb cleaning and service at Wildwood it's running well and the handling is... telepathic! I'm trying to keep it mostly stock (I've changed back to the stock exhaust can from the Micron it was running) but couldn't resist some blingy levers. Next is repairing the scrape on the lower and replacing all the crusty fairing hardware with new.

Thanks to:

• Emerson Bigway for letting me use their fax machine and phone
• MIG Insurance for arranging a temporary permit on the fly
• Mike's Parcel Service, Pembina ND for staying open late for me
• eBay sellers who saved me with inexpensive forks and shock

No thanks to:

• Ebay seller whose idea of "serviced and ready to ride" was gummed up carbs and blown forks and rear shock
• Oh yeah, he also dropped the bike in his driveway when the truck came to get it :-(
• Canada Border Services Agency for charging GST on shipping charges
• Manitoba Public Insurance for charging PST on shipping charges

So that's it for the new bike for now. I'll be posting more beauty shots when the bodywork's done - likely next Spring!

Hot Rod Slabby Parts!

So, last weekend we were in Brandon and my Dad handed over a box of parts from the GSX-R1100 project that he wanted rid of (the parts, not the project)

I've listed them for sale on Gixxer.com and am parking the pics here.

It's the two sidepanels, two tail panels and tail section "triangle".

Mainly in decent shape with some paint flaws around the grab handles.

Back sides have some evidence of repair around where the flush turnsignals were mounted.

An interesting look for a hot rod. The mods to the panels were very well done and a non-Slabby-person would think they are stock. Tabs and mounting holes are intact as shown so they're a snap to mount up.

I'm asking $80USD for all the parts, plus shipping.

PCA Red River Ramblings September/October Edition

For those who are interested in that type of thing, the latest issue of our regional Porsche Club of America newsletter, "Red River Ramblings", can be found here.

This issue features photo-essays on Club events, getting to know your Club members, and a review of the new 991 Carrera 4S!

Cheers

Dallas  



PCA "Red River Ramblings" July/August Edition

Great photo eh? That's PCA Red River Region member Pete Smallwood flinging his 997 GT3 around the Circuit de la Sarthe... where he WON the GT3 Cup Challenge, a support event to the 24 hrs of Le Mans!

There's a full story on Pete's Le Mans dream, plus driving impressions of the 2014 Cayman, and pics from PCA cruise night at the Pony Corral, all in the latest issue of Red River Ramblings.

You can download it here.

Cheers,

Dallas

PCA Red River Region Newsletter May/June Edition

 

Here's the link to our Red River Region Porsche Club of America newsletter for May/June.


It's got my favourite Porsche of all time on the cover :-)

Our newsletter (pdf)

Cheers,

Dallas

Red River Region PCA Newsletter

So, I'm the new editor of our local Porsche Club of America region newsletter, "Red River Ramblings".

I think it's going to be a fun assignment, and I've finished my first edition, with a great deal of technical help from the former editor, Ray Larrivee. Thanks Ray!

If you're interested in the newsletter you can download it here.

Cheers and let's hope the snow melts soon ;-)

Farewell Hawk GT

Two weeks ago yesterday a nice man came and gave me money, and took away my 1990 Honda Hawk GT. I'd listed it for sale about 10 days before, sort of on a whim, and listed the price as high as I thought I could without seeming like a crack smoker.

Here's how I described it in the ad, for the record:

"1990 Honda Hawk GT "RC31". This is a perfect lightweight sportbike for beginning (or advanced) riders. The Hawk GT is somewhat of a "cult" bike that has an enthusiastic following in the USA, even though it was only imported for four model years ('88-'91). The machine features an aluminum beam frame and a remarkable single-sided aluminum swingarm. Power comes from an efficient 647-cc liquid-cooled v-twin engine through a five-speed transmission, chain drive. Claimed dry weight is 383lbs., very lightweight indeed.

 

"This bike has been upgraded with a half-fairing from Honda's superbike of the time, the RC30. It also has adjustable clip-on handlebars to suit. Braided steel brake lines for better stopping and upgraded fork springs by Race Tech complete the front end. Suspension at the back is handled by an adjustable shock from a CBR900RR, a popular upgrade for these bikes. Engine performance is enhanced by a Muzzy slip-on pipe and Dynojet jet kit. Other extras include a solo seat cowl, rearset footpeg plates and fender eliminator, uninstalled. Also included is the stock headlight and mounts to return the bike to "naked" configuration.

"I've owned this bike for about 20 years (!); it was purchased in Virden MB at a powersports dealer there. It's been regularly maintained and shows extremely well, a very good looking motorcycle in remarkable condition and a classic Honda. I would recommend this bike to beginner sportbike riders or advanced riders in search of something different. Always draws looks and favourable comments whenever I have it out for a ride.

"The price is close to that of a used late-model beginner bike such as a CBR250R. But to me this machine is far superior to a new CBR250R or the like; it's more powerful and has far better quality frame and running gear, but is still comfortable and tractable for a beginner. It's won "Best Japanese Bike" at a vintage bike show as well which would be more than you could say for any 250R ;-)

"Also comes with owner's manual and magazine articles. Please email me with any questions or if you'd like more pictures. You can read more about the Hawk GT (and its fanatical owners) at http://hawkgtforum.com/forum/" 

This machine was the first "nice" bike I ever owned and it was a corker. Dead reliable, lightweight, reasonably powerful, and very very pretty, to my eye anyway. I'd done most of the "recommended" Hawk GT mods over the years and each one of them improved the bike. It's been down to Brainerd for the AMA Superbike races many times and I had a lot of fun with it. The Hawk even helped my buddy Andy pass his road test ;-)

Why sell? Well, it wasn't getting ridden; I have another v-twin sportbike already that does what this Hawk does, only 35 horsepower better; and I wanted to make room in the garage for something different. Life is short! But when it came down to it, there was a tear in my eye as the new owner rode off. But I didn't take a penny less for it than the asking price!