my list isn't quite as exotic or long as i'd like, but here you go:
my first bike was a 2002 (or was it an '03?) yamaha yzf600r. great 600 to learn on (if there is such a thing). it was fast, but controllable. loved that bike and took it on a few great trips. I commuted to work on this bike everyday for 3 years with no problems. everyday that i rode to work and didn't get hit by a car i felt like i got that much closer to getting laid out. eventually i sold it and decided i'd be a track only rider.
after riding the yzf for about a year, i decided i wanted to live my lifelong dream to race and bought a 1989 yamaha ysr50 to race. i don't think a better bike exists to learn how to roadrace than a ysr.
eventualy i decided to fulfill another life long dream and i picked up a dirtbike. after lots of research and watching craigslist, i picked up a 2003 KDX220r for trail riding. i still have this bike today and its lots of fun. i'd like to race it, but i have a hard time getting enough practice on it. i tried one enduro last year and thought i was going to die. my goal was to finish the race, but i didn't make it. the heat got to me.
after a couple of seasons of racign the ysr, i upgraded it to a "yxr100" by putting honda xr100 dirtbike motor in it. it was a blast to ride. note the undertail exhaust
i decided i better sell this bike before it became totally obsolete and used the money to buy the dr350 below.
when the gas prices got up to around $4 a gallon last summer, i started doing the math and came up with a good excuse to buy/build a commuter bike. initially i picked up a suzuki DR350 that was in creates for $300. it was suppose to be a complete bike, but once i started putting it together i realised there was way to many broken and missing pieces than i wanted to deal with. so i found another cheap 1990 DR that was a runner for $1000. out of the two bikes i pieced together what i was looking for and got it plated. if you've never experienced riding a dirtbike around on the streets you're missing out. it doesn't have the top speed thrills that the 600 had, but its way more fun. whats this? traffic? pssh... i'll just jump this median, wheelie through that ditch and cut through that parkinglot over there.
since i sold the yxr, we needed another track bike. i raced on other peoples teams for about a year doing endurance races before we decided we wanted to pick up a new generation 250 for track use. my brother had a ninja650 that he was riding on the track, and my dad had just bought a versys. we decided we liked them enough to all pitch in and build up a 250 for the 2009 season. the body work is at the painters right now, and the bike is at the tuners, so all i have is this before pict:
