My story, my bike.
Learning to ride a motorcycle at the age of 45, and that’s where a girl’s dream came true.
You might think, at that age? Are you in a midlife crisis?
Things always come up, such as work, sports and other fun hobbies that also take a lot of time.
But last year the big B-Day came and suddenly I was surprised with my first ever motorcycle lesson.
It was so amazing and it left me desired for more.. Immediately I bought a good leather suit, gloves and boots with a nice helmet to go! After all, you want to look like you are big business right?
That is pretty difficult at the age of 45.
At some point you are having thoughts about what your first ever motorcycle should be.
I can tell you immediately a lot of motorcycles fell off for me, before I even started my quest.
I like the sport bikes the most. A super sport makes my heart beat faster.
For me there is only one ultimate bike; the Ducati Panigale V2 and Ducati Panigale V4 S
I don’t want to start there yet. As a rookie on that nice, fast, red mean machine is probably not the best idea.
So I approach it a bit differently. For my own feeling to still have fun for the right price. But still also to feel the power of speed in your hands, my first motorcycle is certainly not Red nor Italian.
I went online and discovered where you can find something interesting and maybe even come across a beautiful gem.
Finally I came across a 1999 Yamaha R6, that has a 124 HP on the crank with 18550 KM.
An old bike of age, but in real life it looked like it came right off the production line.
Sleek in the original paint, everything was still original from 1999.
We made a test drive and I actually bought it. That feeling is really indescribable.
My first thoughts were; on an old bike you have to learn it….
Still I was very happy with my little R6, even for 1999, the model is timeless. In my opinion.
When I got home it disappeared in the shed due that I did not yet had my license.. So of course, once in a while you take your motorcycle out of his winter sleep and have a good look at it.
Because it is completely original, you also see the large indicators, large rear mudguard, large exhaust and it certainly needed new tires underneath. Let’s say everything in 1999 was large.
The question I asked myself was; how can I adjust an older supersport to still compete with the looks nowadays.
With that being said, I placed the motorbike in the living room and removed the fairings.
The project took a bit longer than expected..
That’s another great thing about riding a motorcycle. To make your bike so personal as you like.
So what have I done to give me an even better experience of my R6:
– Adjusted the exhaust
– Front and rear small smoke indicators
– Rear fender shortened, all by ourselves!
– Fresh sticky rubber, Bridgestone Battlax S22
To make it look better than ever before I bought a Ceramic Seal package for the motorcycle at The-Paddock.nl
Well I can tell you it looks like a diamond was shining! The depth of the original paint was coming back and that after all these years. The ceramic coating should last for 3 years. The bike is now protected for road dirt, bugs and water does not even stick on it anymore.
I first want to enjoy this beauty of a bike and make loads of kilometers to learn how to ride with my bike, and with the people around me who have the same passion for motorcycles and from whom you can learn a lot.
When I’ve been driving for a day, it always makes me feel like you’re on a bit of vacation.
A terrace with a nice cup of coffee and a lunch is always included of course.
For now, i’ll have to do it with my Ducati red lipstick.
