W.T.F. am I babbling about now I hear you ask?
Well, as regular readers would know, both of my kids have been riding motorcycles for the last year or two. I can’t understand why because I certainly didn’t encourage it while they were young…… mountainbiking, yes but not motorcycles. I’d like to think they are keen on the challenge of using a mode of transport that requires the use and the co-ordinated use of both feet and both hands - both of them seem to be interested in how to do it better, not just how to be “proficient” - and I think they have seen the fun and satisfaction that Steve and I have derived from riding over the years.
Will especially seems to like going fast (as any young bloke does) so I have encouraged him to take that pursuit away from our crowded and run down roads to the track where at least everyone is going the same way. We did another track day about a month ago and Will had a ball. In fact, so did I.
Adding to the fun factor is the fact that everyone we have come into contact with in the pit area has been super friendly and helpful. Not something that we have encountered in all of our hobbies/pursuits unfortunately.
So, Will has been on the lookout for a dedicated track bike for the last few months. We have looked at a couple but thought they were a bit suspect, having been crashed and to our eyes, bodgily patched up. So when he initially showed me a Triumph Daytona 675R that was advertised with some crash damage, I dismissed it. Not to be deterred, Will phoned the seller and found it was an older gent who was getting out of track riding and so selling all of his track gear with the bike. Even better, he sounded genuine and honest about the bike.
We went to have a look, with a strategy to maybe talk him down on price. Once we looked at the bike, spoke to Ian, the owner, and saw all of the gear he was throwing in, all thought of trying to squeeze him on price evaporated. It was a steal as it was!
So, “we”* are now the owners of a 2014 Daytona 675R with a mere 29 000km on the clock!
It has had a low side but the damage is limited to a scuff of the right fairing panel and the tip of the exhaust pipe.
