Found my Unicorn...

surprising_skoda

RMS Regular
Messages
3,807
Location
Dungannon
Drives
Skoda/BMW/Austin
Now that is a bad title there is no doubt, but let me fill you in.

Five-ish years ago I had sold my Kawasaki GPZ500S on account of it being a tiny 90s Japanese bike, and even with a flip-up screen, at 6' I was getting nothing but buffeted in the neck every time I rode it.
I knew what I wanted to replace it with. I went with my dad from Dungannon to Bellaghy (or somewhere near there, maybe Port Glen One) to look at what was supposed to be a very tidy example, albeit yellow not a proper colour. Anyway I had a look at it and immediately knew it wasn't for me - it wouldn't idle, idiot lights on, mileage wrong, no history, bald tyres, spongey brakes - and it rattled like Joseph Marley on Christmas Eve. "They all sound like that m8" he said. "No they don't - I'm not an idiot" I replied (some would debate that). Anyway I didn't buy it. No regrets, but I've never found another one that was "right". So I'd already been messaging another seller about another bike which he'd then had immobiliser problems with, and we'd left that a month, so I got in touch with him and he said it was now fixed, so we drove another hour or so up the road and that is how I ended up with my Triumph TT600, a bike that I still have and am currently modifying, and I still think it's fantastic even if the rear tyre did go flat on the way home (rode it the last 20 miles with it deflating and the last 5 totally out of air!).

Fast forward to May of 2021, and I've just made arrangements to pick up a recovery lorry in England. Clicking through my saved searches on ebay at 1am one night, this classified advert catches my attention. I have a look and then go on with whatever else I was supposed to be doing. But my mind drifts back to this bike and I find myself looking through the pictures again and again looking for flaws, and finding none. I can't do a BIN on a classified advert so I note the number down to call the next day.
I did that, and I know the story is dragging on now, but it all checked out, according to the salesman, it was as good as the advert made it out to be, and I put a deposit on it then and there.
Later on I was told that 5+ people rang just on that same morning also wanting to purchase it. I do not doubt that. The advert had went live at 00.01am and I'd seen it at 1am. Co-incidence?
I normally avoid buying anything from a dealership (just natural aversion being in the [car] trade) but on this occasion I was really glad as it made it all seamless, I knew exactly where they were, what times were acceptable for collecting, and that there was a certain level of expectation as to the accuracy of their description, so I could expect it to be as good as they said (and I hoped).

Yes, I haven't told you what it is yet. Hold on a minute just.
I'm fussy on bikes. I've never had a bike with more than 13k on it, and although I've come to realise that that's very low on anything older or more rideable, it's a number that has stuck and so I won't buy anything higher, even 16k feels like far too many for me. The GPZ500 was sold on 13k and the Triumph I bought with 11k and still has only 12.9 on it. Other bikes I had long ago were all in the same region.
So this was the first one of these I'd seen for sale with this kind of mileage. 9,800 miles, to be precise. I mean... yeah, that's like new. It's the first one I've seen that hasn't had corroded crank cases and engine fins. No doubt due to the miles. And the fastidious "mature" (that means old) previous owner. Which also explains the full service history, the full set of keys, the excellent Pirelli tyres - but also, there is a set of carbon exhausts on it which is great, as standard these bikes sound a bit pants. There were some bar ends and some other minor upgrades - and all the perfect condition original parts were included in the sale.
Coming from a dealer, it was supplied with a fresh MOT (it still had a few months left on it) and was cleaned and polished and given a service before collection.
What more can I say? I didn't want an early lower power model with the dowdy rear end, I didn't want a Dark edition with it's lower power and single front brake, I didn't want the later 07-on version with it's gimpy front light - I wanted a 02-06 Ducati Monster 620ie with the single seat in red and in good condition and under 13k miles, and, well - this exceeds expectations on every account.

IMG_20210507_095820-001.jpg

IMG_20210507_110713-001.jpg
 

quattro Rick

RMS Regular
Messages
5,217
Drives
quattro / M796
Now that is a bad title there is no doubt, but let me fill you in.

Five-ish years ago I had sold my Kawasaki GPZ500S on account of it being a tiny 90s Japanese bike, and even with a flip-up screen, at 6' I was getting nothing but buffeted in the neck every time I rode it.
I knew what I wanted to replace it with. I went with my dad from Dungannon to Bellaghy (or somewhere near there, maybe Port Glen One) to look at what was supposed to be a very tidy example, albeit yellow not a proper colour. Anyway I had a look at it and immediately knew it wasn't for me - it wouldn't idle, idiot lights on, mileage wrong, no history, bald tyres, spongey brakes - and it rattled like Joseph Marley on Christmas Eve. "They all sound like that m8" he said. "No they don't - I'm not an idiot" I replied (some would debate that). Anyway I didn't buy it. No regrets, but I've never found another one that was "right". So I'd already been messaging another seller about another bike which he'd then had immobiliser problems with, and we'd left that a month, so I got in touch with him and he said it was now fixed, so we drove another hour or so up the road and that is how I ended up with my Triumph TT600, a bike that I still have and am currently modifying, and I still think it's fantastic even if the rear tyre did go flat on the way home (rode it the last 20 miles with it deflating and the last 5 totally out of air!).

Fast forward to May of 2021, and I've just made arrangements to pick up a recovery lorry in England. Clicking through my saved searches on ebay at 1am one night, this classified advert catches my attention. I have a look and then go on with whatever else I was supposed to be doing. But my mind drifts back to this bike and I find myself looking through the pictures again and again looking for flaws, and finding none. I can't do a BIN on a classified advert so I note the number down to call the next day.
I did that, and I know the story is dragging on now, but it all checked out, according to the salesman, it was as good as the advert made it out to be, and I put a deposit on it then and there.
Later on I was told that 5+ people rang just on that same morning also wanting to purchase it. I do not doubt that. The advert had went live at 00.01am and I'd seen it at 1am. Co-incidence?
I normally avoid buying anything from a dealership (just natural aversion being in the [car] trade) but on this occasion I was really glad as it made it all seamless, I knew exactly where they were, what times were acceptable for collecting, and that there was a certain level of expectation as to the accuracy of their description, so I could expect it to be as good as they said (and I hoped).

Yes, I haven't told you what it is yet. Hold on a minute just.
I'm fussy on bikes. I've never had a bike with more than 13k on it, and although I've come to realise that that's very low on anything older or more rideable, it's a number that has stuck and so I won't buy anything higher, even 16k feels like far too many for me. The GPZ500 was sold on 13k and the Triumph I bought with 11k and still has only 12.9 on it. Other bikes I had long ago were all in the same region.
So this was the first one of these I'd seen for sale with this kind of mileage. 9,800 miles, to be precise. I mean... yeah, that's like new. It's the first one I've seen that hasn't had corroded crank cases and engine fins. No doubt due to the miles. And the fastidious "mature" (that means old) previous owner. Which also explains the full service history, the full set of keys, the excellent Pirelli tyres - but also, there is a set of carbon exhausts on it which is great, as standard these bikes sound a bit pants. There were some bar ends and some other minor upgrades - and all the perfect condition original parts were included in the sale.
Coming from a dealer, it was supplied with a fresh MOT (it still had a few months left on it) and was cleaned and polished and given a service before collection.
What more can I say? I didn't want an early lower power model with the dowdy rear end, I didn't want a Dark edition with it's lower power and single front brake, I didn't want the later 07-on version with it's gimpy front light - I wanted a 02-06 Ducati Monster 620ie with the single seat in red and in good condition and under 13k miles, and, well - this exceeds expectations on every account.

View attachment 322827
View attachment 322828

Titanium exhaust and that will sound a beauty 👌
 

quattro Rick

RMS Regular
Messages
5,217
Drives
quattro / M796
Sounds pretty good now! I don't know how to put up a sound clip though or else I would.

I can imagine it does. It doesn't look like a factory tip.

I went from these dopey looking things that made the bike very quiet to a set of titanium slip ons and it's so loud 😂

IMG_20140427_181118.jpg
IMG_20140427_181134.jpg
IMG_20140527_144158.jpg
 

steenson

RMS Regular
Messages
2,300
Location
Lisburn
Drives
misc 80's/90's
Lovely! I've been lusting after a not so clean one of these for a while to "make my own" best of luck with her!
 

gixermark

RMS Regular
Messages
2,399
Location
Banbridge
Drives
GT3, Jedi
Had an S4 monster with single side swing arm and 916 single seat unit etc... lovely sounding thing...

Hope she lives up to your expectations!
 

quattro Rick

RMS Regular
Messages
5,217
Drives
quattro / M796
How are you finding it? Thinking of one myself ATM.

It was my first bike, and I absolutely love everything about it. Though it's been sat up for a while in need of some TLC.

Once the gsxr goes it'll be used more. It's proof that you don't need to go 150+ on a bike to enjoy yourself, it's very capable on country roads etc and light so you can Chuck it about
 
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