Bike finally arrived!

[Allington (Steve)]

Thats beautiful - my first new Honda Four in 1972

Thank you. It’s the same age and colour as the one I had back in the 70’s too. Just wish it was in the same nick but not too bad for forty odd years later.

Likewise, lovely ogling it from here. My avatar shows mine in Aug 74 when I got it home after I bought it from HGB in Harrow. Unfortunately I got fed up with the colour after a year and had it resprayed blue at work. 44 years later I am looking to get some bits sprayed garnet brown in the next year!

Back then my one was a couple of hundred mile bike which had been bought new by an old guy who didn’t get along with it and sold it straight back to the dealer. I had taken my RD200 in for a service and saw it, sat on it and then px’ed the Yamaha for it the same day. It was a huge mistake as I missed the RD as soon as I swapped the keys at the counter and realised I should have kept the RD as well. To compound the issue brought about by impulses of youth I rode the Honda for a few months and chopped it in against the then new out Z900 at Daytona in Ruislip and on the ride home again realised I had made a mistake and it sank in that I was going to miss the Honda. The combination of missing the RD and desire to have the Kawasaki really over shadowed what a good bike the 500 was until it was gone.

Kept the 500 for 2.5 years (an eternity then) and then swapped it for Z650 also from Daytona. 900 too tall for me! Never looked back on any of my bikes. Only got into 500s again as it was probably the best all rounder and fairly easy to manage for an old'n.

The 900 was too tall for me too actually. A few years later I briefly had a Z1300 when a mate needed the money and that was even taller and about twice the weight too. That didn’t get ridden very much.

[Laverda Dave]

I live just down the road from HGB and Daytona. Mike Harrington still owns them both. Any 'cheap' genuine and original spares I am unable to buy from DS the guys in the spares section at HGB can usually get for me. Steve is still running the spares shop, he started as a Saturday boy when I used to go in there, he's still there 30 years later! Very helpful guys.

[Allington (Steve)]

I live just down the road from HGB and Daytona. Mike Harrington still owns them both. Any 'cheap' genuine and original spares I am unable to buy from DS the guys in the spares section at HGB can usually get for me. Steve is still running the spares shop, he started as a Saturday boy when I used to go in there, he's still there 30 years later! Very helpful guys.

They were great and they were selling a lot of bikes back then too.

[Skunky]

Nice workshop ! When can i move in 

Me Too. All it needs is messing up and a few more bikes. Maybe a few tools scattered about,  Oil stains on the floor. BEER FRIDGE and then its a perfect workshop  .
I am feeling serious bike/workshop envy though.