[MotoNik]

Hi Folks,

As I suspect I'll be spending more time on here I thought I'd say hi. I originally joined the forum in 2003, although I first had an M600 in 1997. My first "proper" bike, and fulfillment of a dream for a huge Ducati fan.

I kept that first bike for around a year, but a string of niggles meant I decided to buy a new Speed Triple, which I kept for four years. After a brief dalliance with a CCM604 I finally returned to the brand with a 900SSie. I had that bike for many years, and it would lead to me meeting Pedro on a Ducati club ride-out - by chance we ended up living round the corner from one another, and we even worked together for a while.

The 900 sadly ended up parked in the back of an Audi in on a trip in France, and was very badly damaged. It got parted out, although I had the frame repaired, and that still resides in my garage - to be resurrected one day.

I then had an Aprilia Falco - lovely, fast, but I didn't like the narrow angle V engine character. So I found a great Cagiva Gran Canyon, with the Ducati 900 injection engine, and kept that for a few years. Great bike, really good fun - would quite like another one actually.

I decided I wanted a few more ponies, so traded up to a Multistrada 1000DS. Great bike - fun to ride, but mine was possessed with evil spirits. It didn't like the rain, and would drop on to one cylinder, the rear subframe broke, and in spite of a new loom and more hours than I care to remember I could never cure the electrical issue. I decided I wanted something solid and dependable, so split the Multi for spares (and got more for it than I paid in the first place!) and bought a lovely BMW R1100S.

I kept the BMW for a number of years, and really enjoyed it. Good fun to ride, extremely reliable and dependable, and easy to look after. Did a few trips abroad, although it highlighted to me that I wanted more power! Temptation got the better of me, and I excitedly returned to the fold with a Multistrada 1200S.

What a revelation - sooooo muuuuuuch powerrrrrrrr!!! Loved the electronic suspension, different riding modes, and the overall comfort and versatility. Brilliant bike. However, after separating from my pillion-riding partner I decided it was time for a silly solo bike, and bought a Monster 1200S.

What an absolute lunatic of a machine! I loved it - mad mad power, brilliant handling with the gorgeous Ohlins, and just such a laugh to ride. Utterly bonkers, and really a bit of a liability, but such a laugh - highly recommended! That said, I missed the versatility of the Multi - the Monster was a bit small for me, and I tend to do a few miles. So next up was the Multi Enduro I have now. Amazing machine - still has all the performance and handling, but a bit more suited to my stature. A bit too tall, it could be said, as I've managed to drop the bloody thing a few times!

Forward to a few months back, and Pedro and I had been batting messages back and forth about him selling the little 600. I was after a second bike for a bit of a project, and something to keep as a long-term future classic. We eventually settled on a deal, and that was that.

I now find myself with a crowded and untidy garage, with bits of Monster everywhere, and the Enduro pushed to the back, looking alarmed at the mess everywhere! I expect it'll be a few months until the Monster is up and running, but it's going to be fun to get it looking nice, and I can't wait to be out on the back lanes.

So for the time being, expect lots of "how does this work" and "how do I put this back together" type posts, as I dismantle things and then forget how to put them back together!

Cheers,

Nik