Show Us Yours: Paul Hughes collection

Sam Hewitt

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2nd October 2018

Here’s Paul Hughes collection! Want to see your pride and joy in our magazine, on our website and on our social media pages? Then fill in the form here>>

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As a long time buyer of Motorcycle Mechanics (even before the ‘Classic’ was added to the title) I am a current subscriber and I thought it was about time I should try and contribute a little. I seem to have hit the type/age of bike you currently focus on. So, I started riding in 1976 and have never stopped, so far I’ve had 34 bikes and I have learned to enjoy all sorts of bikes. Currently, I have a 2002 Fazer 1000, I bought it new and have been around France a few times, plus many ride outs to Wales: it’s a fantastic all-round bike and it has now done 22,000 miles. I guess that is just inside the scope of the magazine now and it does have a 1998 R1 engine!

The 1998 ZX-9R C2 I bought in 2015 and is in great condition with just 16k miles. I did have an 2003 Aprilia RSV1000R one of the last Mark 1 Milles, with all of the bling, but just could not get on with it, so I went back to the ZX-9R (I had a new one in 1998) to prove to myself that I was still capable of riding a sports bike – I love it !

The 1997 Triumph Thunderbird is a different ball game: it is just great for a sunny ride out around the Cotswold villages and just encourages you to take it easy. It has an Ohlins shock! Please don’t ask me why: it was on it when I bought it a couple of years ago and the louder pipes sound amazing, but not too anti-social. This bike has just 6000 miles on her.

The 1991 Yamaha FZR1000 EXUP is ‘work in progress’: bought it in 2014 and fitted with a better (second hand) set of downpipes, I also found a NOS Micron carbon can, I then balanced the carbs, rebuilt the cam-chain tensioner, sorted the EXUP valve, fitted a Hagon shock, EBC pads etc. and It has 23,000 miles. It’s a really nice ride and bit by bit, it gets better.

I also have a Sherco 290 Trials bike that I enjoy playing in the woods with, plus indulging in the occasional trial: the last one I entered had Bradley Smith as an entrant. Both my sons ride, one has a Diverson 600 the other a 2003 R1. The sad old git that I am, I have every bike mag I have ever bought (and I started in the early 1970s.) I clearly have a very tolerant wife!