Hiya.
My names René, i'm a streetfighterjunkie from Holland. I've found your site trough a link on OSS on wich i've been a member for some years.
There are some utterly stunning bikes to be found here. I've been into it for 'bout 10 years now (i'm 24, i was early) and at some point you think you've seen it all, the 916-seats, VFR-singles. But the Judge, for instance, OMG . And to think that, to me, you're all on an isle that is absolutly as far away from the epicentre of SF-building, it's pretty amazing. Maybe that's the reason that bikes over @ your place are as original as they are, there's not much to copy, or is there? I'm just lurking about for a day now but i still haven't found a bike that bore me, well, ecxept for the H#nda's (bear with me, my english isn;t what it used to be)
Myself, i know a lot of technical stuff, that's what you get from reading SF-mag for 10 years, but haven't really built my first proper bike.
My first bike was an '86 EFE wich i got before even getting my licsence. I broke it apart as soon as i got it and eventually sold everything seperatly except the engine because i could get my hands on a modded Kat.
Then i got my first Runabout, a Bandit 400. I sold that after a month 'cause if i kept running it like i did (redline all the time) it would have blown on me in another months time.
Got a Gix 750 after that wich got the grinder at some point and that is currently waiting in the shed to have an 1100-motor fitted.
Then i was goig to switch jobs and i wanted a cheap runner insead of my car and i searched the marketsites for a GS500 or something like that for about, well, a day . I'm a bit of a Suzukifan, if you hadn't noticed. The search turned to 11's and another EFE turned up. Went to look for it, minter. I HAD to have it, but had to find a way to fund it. I still had the EFE-motor out of the one i broke for the Kat but since the frame of that one was already modded for a Gixxer engine i hadn't fitted it yet. There was no pint in having 2 bikes with the same motor, i thought, so it had to go. They fetch quite good money. I sold it to the guy who is building the Spondon-Kat rep on OSS.
A while later a also got my hands on a half build EFE wich i'm gonna build up from parst that i have to spare, which are quite plentyfull.
R1 swinger, the 750 motor out of the gix, some forks. Should be fun
But, as said, i know a lot but haven't put it to good use yet. I'm currently building the Kat to go on Holiday to the Isle of Mann TT (longtime dream) with the help from Ron (the Spondon-Kat builder). He's looking over m shoulder to see if i do everything right. It's already on wheels and it's even een on show in Germany at Fighterama, on the OSS-stand. It's got an 1100 fitted and will be running 4-2 exhaust with dampers of what comes up.
The EFE will stay stock for the time beeing but i've alrealdy got USD's off of a 1100W (the long un's) and a lengthened swinger is also on it's way, along with 17" wheels. At some point it will also be turbo'd but that'll be a few years before i start with that.
The Gix will be a 7/11 showstopper at some point but that's all secondary and the other EFE, well, i already pointed that out.
Now, let's see if i can get some pics up
Ta, from Holland.
René