# New Bike Here!



## MarkF (Jul 5, 2003)

Ok, you have been waiting long enough, here's some pics of my new bike for all the RLT bikers









I must be the only person in the UK who has always wanted a Kawasaki Spectre, they were never imported here and only made in '82-83, I think. I'd never seen one apart from in a book and when I spend hours gazing at the Swedish spectre owners site.


















This came up on Ebay, I have checked every week for over 3 years and this is the first time one has come up outside the states and it was in Southport







I went there and paid the man his money.









It's a dog







It handles like it's made out a million pieces that don't quite fit together, I am all over the place on it.







I have found a bundle of bodges, the worst being that it does not have a Spectre spec engine but a UK GT750 one, this is good and bad though.










I don't know whether to flog it or invest a couple of hundred quid and make it mint. It turns heads like no ther bike I've owned, no-one has a clue what it is.


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## jasonm (Nov 22, 2003)

I know nothing about bikes but that rear light looks like it came off a trailer...









Regards

Andy...

Sorry I mean Jason


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## Andy (Feb 23, 2003)

Mark

NO WAY


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## MarkF (Jul 5, 2003)

jasonm said:


> I know nothing about bikes but that rear light looks like it came off a trailer...
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That back light is a classic piece of motorcycle design, like Honda SS5O indicators









Go back to plucking your eyebrows.


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## jasonm (Nov 22, 2003)




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## Andy (Feb 23, 2003)

Mark.

Wait till you see my new barge.

It's erm, a barge.

Had it about a year now and am just getting to grips with it.


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## Silver Hawk (Dec 2, 2003)

Looks like every other Japanese motorcycle to me.
















The only Spectra / Spectre worth having is this one


















Cheers

Paul


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## MarkF (Jul 5, 2003)

Andy said:


> Mark.
> 
> Wait till you see my new barge.
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> ...


Pics please









Did you sell the R1200C? I still like those and would consider buying one. I bought the Spectre with the little spare cash I had but now maybe 3 weeks later I am awash with cash







It always works out like that









Just going to look at a NTV650, a neighbour wants Â£500 for an '95 bike with FSH and 20K







If it isn't too good to be true I will have that too.


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## MarkF (Jul 5, 2003)

Silver Hawk said:


> Looks like every other Japanese motorcycle to me.
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When I see a Silver hawk pic I am always reminded of Olive and Arthur in "On the buses" Is it the same bike?







i


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## Andy (Feb 23, 2003)

Mark

The NTV.

I'd be cautious.

I bought one as a runaround a couple of years ago.

It developed a whine in second gear that eventually spread to 3rd and 4th.

It got so loud that it became embarassing to ride.

I found out since that this is not un-common with these.

The engine was originally designed for chain drive, and evidently, when they stuck the shaft on for the NTV, it played havoc with the gearbox.

I got a 95 Yam 900 Diversion just over a year back for a hack and it's the dogs nads.

Â£900 I paid for it and it's sound.

Costs me pennies to run and it makes a handy long distance bike to boot.

My main steed is still the BMW R1200C, but I've bought theCL version, which was originally concieved for the US market.

A few found there way over here, and I have one of them.

I don't have a photo of mine.

However here's a picture from a BMW site.

The only difference is that mine's brown.


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## MarkF (Jul 5, 2003)

Very nice, I remember the reviews a couple of years back, the UK press slagged it off as they do every BMW with left field looks







I love it's looks







Then I love the boxster too







Looks like a heavy brute but at least it appears that the weight is carried low, the seat looks like it's good for days at a stretch!

I saw and am still pondering the NTV, I think I'll have it, at Â£500 I can fanny about for a while and not lose anything on Ebay.


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## Stan (Aug 7, 2003)

Silver Hawk said:


> Looks like every other Japanese motorcycle to me.
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You have a Spectra Hawkey?









Bugger me insane.









You have many seriously Stan watches.


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## Silver Hawk (Dec 2, 2003)

Sorry,











Stan said:


> You have a Spectra Hawkey?
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No I dont







... not yet









But with my newly developed skill in repairing and regulating these watches, I've sort of re-discovered my Hamilton Electric collection recently







and want to expand it. For the last few years, they have sat in their watch boxes being un-used because their time keeping was so bad







but they looked great









My Pacer is the worse time keeper I have ever owned...but that is because it has the early 500 movement which is a non-starter. So that will be converted to a 505 (there were original 505 Pacers) in the coming weeks as I've been buying a number of 505 donor watches on eBay over the last few days







. Spectra is similar, they're all 500, so I need to purchase and convert.

I'd like to have the Spectra and Saturn side-by-side









I blame this all on Dan the Man







but, at the end of the day, the Hamiltons will form part of my pension; you'll never lose money on them.

Cheers

Paul


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## Andy (Feb 23, 2003)

Mark.

Yes of course the press did slate the CL, although not all of them and anyway, I have never let a journo influence my bike buying decisions.

I make my own mind up.

However having said that, I'm still finding it heavy, even after one year and I don't have the confidence that I'm not going to drop it at slow speeds.

Having said that, the radio/cd-cruise control-heated seats & grips make up for it being a bit of a whale around town.

Off to Germany on it in August.


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