HereticHermit
Forum GOD!
There are couple of a car ownership threads but I couldn’t fish out any about first motorbike that members here, owned. I understand that motorbikes are somewhere lower in the grand scheme of things but I always had one or the other to tinker and ride on.
Here is mine, a Yamaha RD350B rebadged as ‘Rajdoot’ by local manufacture. I bought her in 1985 when I was still wet behind ears and drove her to the ground for next 15 years or so. Gordon Jennings was God of 2 stokes and RD350 was my testing facility to practice whatever I read in his books; tuned pipes, heat wraps and all. Here is an old picture taken on a roll camera from one of many solo tours; at Pangong Lake in Ladakh.
I rode from Leh in about 5 hours without meeting a single soul. I just had a simple Yashika box camera without timer and I took photos with help of string tied around camera body with other end tied to a coin with hole. I’d step upon the coin and pull the string taut to take ‘stills’.
On the way to Leh, came across this restaurant on hippie trail.
Some more years on she was really tatty and old with mishmash of spare parts and garish paintwork. I brought out my sack of parts that I have been hoarding over years and restored her to factory specs. Some 5 years ago gray market guy asked me GBP 12 for just piston rings when they needed replacement. I knew that her time is up with me because I hate being blackmailed for something that I bought for just half a pound back in the days. I sold her to someone who loved 2stokes and had deeper pockets than I had. But she was my first love and so easy to punt around town.
Let’s hear about yours. Please post pictures if you have any from yesteryear.
Here is mine, a Yamaha RD350B rebadged as ‘Rajdoot’ by local manufacture. I bought her in 1985 when I was still wet behind ears and drove her to the ground for next 15 years or so. Gordon Jennings was God of 2 stokes and RD350 was my testing facility to practice whatever I read in his books; tuned pipes, heat wraps and all. Here is an old picture taken on a roll camera from one of many solo tours; at Pangong Lake in Ladakh.
I rode from Leh in about 5 hours without meeting a single soul. I just had a simple Yashika box camera without timer and I took photos with help of string tied around camera body with other end tied to a coin with hole. I’d step upon the coin and pull the string taut to take ‘stills’.
On the way to Leh, came across this restaurant on hippie trail.
Some more years on she was really tatty and old with mishmash of spare parts and garish paintwork. I brought out my sack of parts that I have been hoarding over years and restored her to factory specs. Some 5 years ago gray market guy asked me GBP 12 for just piston rings when they needed replacement. I knew that her time is up with me because I hate being blackmailed for something that I bought for just half a pound back in the days. I sold her to someone who loved 2stokes and had deeper pockets than I had. But she was my first love and so easy to punt around town.
Let’s hear about yours. Please post pictures if you have any from yesteryear.
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