Looking for something is the fastest way of never actually finding it, be it a bunch of keys, or that odd sock that you were certain went in the washing machine…
When my old Suzuki GSX1100 came back into my life last October I hadn’t been looking for it!
I had parted company with it in 2012, when a lack of space lead me to flog it on, five years later and I bought it back from the bloke I had sold it to. It had gone through a few changes since I’d seen it last, the obvious one was a black respray and that god awful exhaust. The exhaust had served a purpose, the ex Earlystocks championship winning Suzuki had been put out to graze on the track day circuit, and in order to get track side it needed an exhaust that wouldn’t exceed 98 decibels. The Heath Robinson cut and shut pipe might look pants but it did the job. I have kept an eye open for a replacement system, and had found sod all in nine months of looking. With a new exhaust out of the question due to price and principal I was left exhausted by my issue. Two weeks ago in a moment of madness I stuck the GSX1170 up for sale, this was down to a lack of space in the garage. I had all manner of enquiries, and could easily of recouped my outlay from October last year. I then gave myself a reality check!
What was I doing? This is a bike that me and two mates took from being an unloved piece of shite and turned it into an Earlystocks championship winner! I rarely get sentimental about anything, so I was more surprised than most when I deleted my online adverts and sold a different bike from my overcrowded garage.
No sooner had I changed my mindset when the holy grail of GSX1100 exhaust systems appeared for sale. A complete Vance & Hines system! Even better the seller lived less than 45 minutes away from me. When we first built the Runt Racer it breathed through exactly the same system, well until Luke blew the baffles out during a race. With messages exchanged the pipe was mine! Two days later I headed off to collect it, deal concluded.
Next job is to bolt it on and try to sell the old one.
