1998 Yamaha TRX850

I’m keeping this one

This bike was my first motorbike project post-accident. If it made the bike stop or turn, it was replaced or rebuilt; wheel bearings, swing arm bearings, steering head bearing, forks and rear shock were rebuilt, front and rear brakes rebuilt, and the fuel system was overhauled. It had quite a few miles on it when I found it, but after the rebuild, it was faultless. I’d done a few long-distance rides on this bike, and I loved it, but it shone in the twisties. Handled and stopped well. The bike has about as much power as a new R7 but with more character, and none of that rider modes film-flam or ABS.

Mods for one arm were a challenge, though. It's a great bike to work on, and electrically, the mods were very easy, but there's no room on those bars for everything required for one-armed operation. I had to make my own switchgear housing. I was in the process of experimenting with wider handlebars when it was reversed over in a carpark. My trigger-happy insurance company wrote it off despite the damage being only cosmetic.

This bike is mothballed in my shed until I have time to fix it properly.