Well after eyeing off the Aprilia's I went and took this absolutely immaculate 2000 Yammie R1 which is being sold on consignment at a local bike shop for a test ride today and put down a deposit on it. Bike has 8000kms (~5000miles) on it, and has fully mirror polished nickel plated rims, swingarm, and sub-frame. Man, this bike is spotless - they don't even come out of the showroom's as clean or as good.
Get home, wife rings up her best friend to tell her that I've gone and bought a bike. Her friend's husband rides bikes too, and while discussing it with him we find out that it's actually his best friend's bike that I'm buying. Man, what a small world sometimes eh?
Get on the blower to his friend who tells me he'll agree to a lower price, and throw in a full Yoshimuri exhaust system, replacement front fairings, and a few other goodies. In return I have to go riding with him at a few Phillip Island track days 'cos his friend can't get under 2:00 lap times like he can, and I know I've done sub-2:00 on the ol' VTR before, so the gauntlet has been thrown down. Final agreed price was the paltry sum of $10K AUD (~$7500K US, or ~£4300). Yeah -
really twisting my arm on that one.
Come Monday, I'll have a few more reasons to smile.
