History of All My Gas Powered Stuff
All the vehicles I've ever owned, in order of purchase starting at the bottom of the page

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2004 Yamaha YZF-R1 (September 2006 - Current)
Wow. Just wow. After riding the R6 for the past 5½ years, I am and have been ready to step up to the R1 for a while. This is the model that I drooled over back in 1998 when I knew I just had to buy a bike. Better senses took over and I realized that starting out on an R1 would not be the most prudent choice - that it might just kill me. Since then I've put nearly 50,000 miles under my belt and have learned a lot about motorcycles, riding and the risks involved. I definitely feel quite ready for the challenges this amazing machine has to offer. This is truly my dream motorcycle - realized.

Just about everything is done on this bike - Two Brothers titanium exhaust w/ carbon fiber heat sheild, steel braided front brake lines, black powdercoated passenger pegs, rearsets & levers, frame sliders, clutch slider, color-matched turn signals, fender eliminator, got the solo seat and even a gear shift indicator. The two-tone liquid silver paint drips beautifully over it's lines; this is definitely one sexy bike!

What's left? Not much. Even though with 180 horsepower every gear pulls like a freight train, a Power Commander is definitely in order. After that's mapped and dialed in, I'll slowly start replacing stock parts with Graves parts.

It's un-be-lieveable! Again... wow. WOW! Look ma'! I'm goin' fast!!

1984 Yamaha XT600 (February 2006 - October 2007)
Now this bike is fun, fun, FUN!! I've always wanted an enduro. Not only is this bike a completely street legal bike, but it can handle itself quite well when the pavement ends. When does that happen? More often than you would think!

On February 17, 2006 I bought this bike at a Police towyard auction for a measly $150. It needed a lot of love. Flat and worn out tires, no levers, no mirrors, torn up grips, a bad battery, smashed gauges, broken cables and wires, oil leaks - you name it, this bike needed it. But all that stuff was repairable! With only a couple hundred bucks, a few days of wrenching and some elbow grease, this bike was ready to ride. After a valve adjustment, it suddenly ran the way Yamaha intended it to - GREAT!

Being that this is a four-stroke 600cc bike, it has plenty of power to keep it running at freeway speed and to get out in front of traffic as needed. This single cylinder thumper is an absolute BLAST to ride.

There's not much more to do for this bike except regular maintenance and to replace some minor broken bits or missing items with stuff I find on eBay now and then.

In October of 2007 I reluctantly sold this very fun bike. Just too many vehicles for one parking space (and for one Apartment Manager). Soooo... off it went to a fellow right around the corner from my house. At least he's having fun with it, or so he tells me. [next]

1988 KTM350 Dirt Bike (December 2005 - September 2006)
Wow... what to do with this one? In it's day this 2-stroke bike would have been a perfect bike for me to take out with the guys on a trip to Gorman. However, by the time I was given this bike, it had been neglected beyond repair. To get this bike up and running would probably take more money than it's worth. I've been hanging on to it in hopes of finding someone selling one similar so that between the two of them I can get one bike put together. But it's not looking good. This one might have to take one for the team and be parted out on eBay. [next]

1980 Dodge Colt Wagon (February 17, 18, 19 2006)
I bought this hunk of junk on February 17 to give away to someone that needed a car. I got it at the same Police towyard auction as the 1984 Yamaha XT above and also bought this car for $150. I drove it home on that Friday afternoon. He was like, "Thanks - I really appreciate you buying me this car, but I can't drive this." He was right. The inside looked like a pack of wild dogs had attacked it, everything was broken - I mean everything. No seat belts even! But it had four wheels and it ran. I went to San Diego that night and came home Saturday evening. At midnight I put it up on Craigs List - "The first $300 takes it home." Don't you know I got a buyer at 7:00am Sunday morning. I drove it out to their house and doubled my money. Vegas, baby! [next]

2002 Ford Focus 4-door sedan (October 2003 - Current)
I only use this baby for grocery shopping, when it's raining or when I'm sick. So it just sits. It's actually in Nevada for the summer; I loaned it to my brother. Who needs a car anyway when you have all that fun 2-wheeled stuff?! [next]

2001 Toyota Tacoma (March 2001 - October 2003)
Definitely the best four-wheeled vehicle I've ever owned. Rather, ever leased. BIG MISTAKE! I loved this truck, but completely let Northridge Toyota take advantage of my unquestioning nature and impulsive buying habit. They really socked it to me with this truck. I kept it for two years until I couldn't afford the ridiculous payments anymore and had to trade it in and take the loss. But hey, I got the Focus out of the deal -yay. [next]

2001 Yamaha YZF-R6 (February 2001 - October 2006)
Current horsepower: Approx. 92 at the wheel. At over 49,000+ miles I can still say that this is by far was the best purchase I had ever made (at the time). With proper care and maintenance (and a few special tweaks by a very knowledgeable mechanic or two), it runs better than it ever has. [next]

Other Photos - Mouse over to view (no need to click)
Top of Stunt Rd.	At the Overlook	Hartman Garage	Track Day Big Willow	On "The Snake"	In the Hot Pit	Santa Susana Rd.

1996 Honda Accord LX (September 1998 - March 2001)
Great car. Loved it. I especially loved that it was nearly paid off when I foolishly allowed the Northridge Toyota dealership to convince me that trading it in for the lease on the truck was a good idea. I took good care of this one and it never ever once left me stranded or in need of costly repairs. Best car (not truck) I have ever owned. [next]

1996 Ford Probe SE (May 1996 - Steptember 1998)
I loved the looks of this car. The shape and color was phenominal. Black and tan interior really set off the candy apple red exterior. Plus it was fast and smooth and had a GREAT sound system, carried over from the previous car (the Justy). Too bad it was in the dealership so often. After the transmission took a dump at 37,000 miles the catallitic coverter needed repair - so I traded it in for the ever dependable Honda Accord. [next]

1992 Subaru Justy 4WD (June 1992 - May 1996)
This was the real "Wonder Car". This this was great. It was like driving a roller skate. When it came to parking, sipping gas, driving in the snow, ice or rain, this was a champ! However, when it came to needing to get on the horsepower, this three banger was as slow as one of those guys from "Jackass". I mean SLOW. The saving grace was the $2000 sound system that you could hear from about two blocks away. Crazy. I can't believe I'm not completely deaf now. It was the wonder car not only because it could literally go anywhere with it's 4-wheel drive and mud & snow tires, but a wonder because it was a lemon! It had an electrical problem that would do weird things like shut the motor off when I put it in reverse. It only took the dealership 11 attempts to get it right. The 11th attempt, before they would be forced to exchange it or give me my money back under the California Lemon Law, they replaced the entire electrical system -about two miles of wire. This was the last car to bear the "FABIO B" license plate which started on the Datsun. [next]

1977 Chrysler Cordoba (September 1991 - June 1992)
What can I say except "Corinthian Leather"? This was a tank. A land yacht. The hood was so huge I couldn't see what was 10 feet in front of the car. It was like driving a couch down the street - on ice! If it wasn't for the fact that the 357 small block V8 motor got something like six feet per gallon and I was a pizza delivery guy at the time, I'd still own it -or one like it. I loved it! [next]

1979 Datsun 210 Hatchback (December 1992 - September 1991)
It was the 210, NOT the B210. The B model was awful! This one wasn't spectacular, but it did okay. While in high school, it got me to and from home, school and work. I delivered many-a-pizzas in this car! It was dubbed "the wonder car". [next]

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