I started out with a '78 Kawasaki Z1-R. A very bad handling machine, which I later discovered had a twisted frame. This is probably why it wouldn't turn into corners very well.
Within a couple of years I moved to Colorado, and bought a Suzuki GS1100-EX, I liked the bike, but it was big, heavy and comparitively slow.
I shipped the GS1100 back to the UK when I returned there after a miserable 6 months stint in Colorado. A few more miserable montsh went by, and I moved to Belgium. I met a few bike riding friends through work, and ended up buying another Suzuki. A GSX-R1100K. This was a real power house. The first power band kicked in at 7000rpm, the 2nd power band kicked in at 9000rpm, and it screamed up to 160+mph. I named the bike "Lucy", all my bikes have female names, and this was the closest to Lucifer that I could think of at the time.
After my first track day with "Lucy", I knew I needed a faster, smoother bike. In Jan '98 I went on a 3 month trip to California, as part of a scheme to encourage me to move there. Whilst in California I rode a colleague's Ducati 916, I loved it and decided to buy one on my return to Europe. I did so, and named her "9-sex-teen".
I started to do more track days on the 916.
In December of '98 I developed an overwhelming urge to move to California. The initial plan to encourage me to move there simple had the wrong bait. The right bait was presented in Dec '98, and I was off. Within a few months a transfer was initiated, and by June '99 I was a resident of Santa Cruz. At which point the bike collection really grew.
Initially, in July '99 there was the Monster 900. Bought from the same guy who's 916 I had ridden 18 months prior.
I never really liked the Monster, so I put it to one side on the garage and bought a Yamaha R1. A much smoother machine, it was rapidly named "Bitch" after a certain lady, who was my mistaken motivation to move to the US. I enjoyed riding the bitch, and attended a few track days during '99.
In Jan 2000, I moved to Australia for a couple of months, and bought a Triumph Tiger 900. The idea was to cruise around during my first visit, and to then move there later in the year. After two months, I returned to the US, to complete the final paperwork.
"Something" came along, and I decided to stay in the US. In July of that year I sold the Monster to a friend of a friend, and bought a KTM LC4 Supermotard, "Katie". I love Katie, I learned how to pull wheelies on her, and how to do monster stoppies. Of course, when learning how to do these tricks, you fall off !!!
In August of 2000, I received a big bonus from work, and came across a 3 month old 996SPS for a good price. Money was exchanged, I drove down to LA, and collected a road registered, Euro Spec Ducati 996SPS "Spacey". It was a hell of a lot of bike, and my dream bike. I was almost afraid to ride it. Now I race it.
My friend Geoff came to visit in August 2000, at about the same time that I wanted a dirt bike. He came with me to look at a Honda CR500, with I then added to the collection. That bike scared the hell out of me, and spat me off so many times that I ended up selling it to a friend with more dirt bike experience.
Time rolled on, I was happy with the collection of bikes. My friend Neil wanted a fast bike, and after he fell off the R1, we decided it would benefit everyone if he became the owner of the "bitch". He did, and carried on to ride many track days on her before retiring her after his last big crash in December 2002.
In December 2000, I decided that I wanted a more practical commuter bike, so I bought Nellie through Ebay. Nellie is a Ducati/Cagiva Elefant 900. I gather that only 200 were imported into the US, so she is quite a collectors item. Currently (2003) I commute on her on a regular basis. I first rode one in the UK, when my friend Geoff owned one. But that was in the old days, when Geoff and Pam lived in the UK, and I was still married to Wendy.
At some point during early 2001, I completed the purchase of a bike I had lusted after for a long time. A Laverda 3C. This is a '74 model, not exactly original, and still in need of some renovation. But this bike, or one just like it, is what first inspired me to ride motorcycles back in the early 80s. One day I might even race this bike.
During 2001, I was a single man, and decided to try and clean up some of the loose ends with regard to my international machine collection. I owned ...
'97 Ducati 916 , in Belgium
'96 Triumph Tiger 900, in Australia
'00 Ducati 996SPS, in California
'97 Honda CR500, in California
'00 KTM 'Motard, in California
'74 Laverda 3C, in California
'94 Ducati Elefant 900, in California
The CR500 was sold, the Tiger was sold, and the Ducati 916 was shipped from Belgium to California. Leaving me the owner of 5 bikes, all in California.
In early 2002, I signed up for a racing license with the AFM. I stripped down the 916, and turned her into a race bike. After 4 races, the engine blew up (my fault), and I learned how to rebuild Ducati engines. Around the same time, I had an urge to carry a new girlfriend on the back of Nellie, so I got to work and rebuilt Nellie's engine. Just in time to take the girlfriend for ride, and be dumped shortly after. Oh well, such is life.
Early 2003. The SPS has been turned into a race bike, the 916 is a spares bike, though I might find a way to ride it on the street. Nellie is my commuter bike, Katie is my City bike, and the Laverda is still a project.